Author Topic: Down to Egypt  (Read 33837 times)

Offline MosheD

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Down to Egypt
« on: January 13, 2015, 01:59:17 PM »
This is my first tr so all comments /feedback is appreciated.
This was also more of a SuperFlyer style cheap(er) trip so don't expect any first class cabins/5* hotels. Just straight chill soaking in the culture and experience.

Also, my friend had the photography equipment so I let him take pics. When/if I get from him I will iyh post.

Offline A3

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2015, 02:26:31 PM »
Awesome TR Thanks for sharing ;)

Offline MosheD

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2015, 10:33:17 PM »

It all started with a text message;
" Wanna go to egypt next week?"
To which my response was "What?!" and then "yea"
So we got down to start planning (most of which my friend did"

The plan was for 2 days in Sharm El Sheikh and 3 in Cairo
1/7 Sharm El Sheikh
1/9-12 Cairo

Finally the day came and we began

DAY 1- TRAVEL

We set off for a 10am Egged bus to Eilat. We get there and of course the bus is fully booked, but they tell us to wait anyways maybe people won't show up. Of course in classic Egged fashion they managed to stuff almost everyone onto the bus and off we went.

So most of you like to write about your plane rides - all I can write here is that it is equivalent to 5hrs of coach (I did find a lie flat seat in the aisle )

We finally arrived in Eilat and hit up Itzele Shwarma, last macolet with kosher food, and chabad to chill a little before cabbing to Taba Border.


The border was quite the hassle not going to go in detail now - I can upon request. Anyway we cross border and are immediately heckled by cab drivers. If you ever thought Israeli cabbies were bad this is like x10. You have to be good negotiator and tough to make it in Egypt. So we managed to bargain cabbie down to 300le and we were off to Sharm El Sheikh.

After about a dozen checkpoints in which our nationality kept changing we arrived in Sharm. We had decided that this trip would be cheap but with the Sheraton at only 3k a night we felt we couldn't refuse.  (Thanks @drago for plat status) The hotel was really nice but the service was unhelpful and wifi was down (something that we were relying on). We asked the concierge where we should head to as it was only 9pm but they just told us everything is closed, so we started schmoozing with random guests and one pair of English Jordanians told us they were headed to a place called Naama Bay so we went with them.

Naama Bay is basically Sheesha (hookah) bars, restaurants, clubs, and a bunch of shops. It stays up real late so don't rush to get there. We settled on awesome Sheesha bar where we sat on floor (paid 20le each for a beer - sheesha included) and just chilled. We bought a couple of souvenirs before finally heading back and calling it a night.

Random note - while things in Egypt are cheap it definitely began adding ip and I quickly learned trip was not as cheap as I originally thought but also not that much more...

Day 2 sometime soon

Offline JoeCha

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2015, 10:38:41 PM »
Please add the border hassle details. Appreciated.

And a TR with no pics is like a pizza without cheese.
"There is no such thing as bad whiskey. Some whiskeys just happen to be better than others" ― William Faulkner

Offline Dan

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2015, 10:41:43 PM »
When I went to Taba we spent hours at the border each way.
Don't try to bring an Israeli car into Egypt :)
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline bubble347

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2015, 11:17:23 PM »
When I went to Taba we spent hours at the border each way.
Don't try to bring an Israeli car into Egypt :)
Why not? I did.
Watch this inspiring video.

Offline yakrot

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2015, 11:19:58 PM »
I went through the taba border crossing with an expired tourist visa. Got yelled at and threatened by Israeli border agents both leaving the country and coming back in.  And after getting a very serious schmooze from the person in charge they let me back in to Israel with a Stern warning and a new visa

Offline Dan

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2015, 11:32:48 PM »
Why not? I did.
Because both Egypt and Israel strip searched it.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline moish

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2015, 05:06:01 AM »
so is sinai considered safe nowadays? ive been pushing off a trip to har sinai for some time now

Offline moish

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2015, 05:06:57 AM »
When I went to Taba we spent hours at the border each way.
Don't try to bring an Israeli car into Egypt :)
why did you take an israeli car out?

Offline Emkay

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2015, 05:21:48 AM »

I went through the taba border crossing with an expired tourist visa. Got yelled at and threatened by Israeli border agents both leaving the country and coming back in.  And after getting a very serious schmooze from the person in charge they let me back in to Israel with a Stern warning and a new visa
i had a similar story except mine didn't had as simple of an ending.
Maybe ill write up one of my numerous Egypt TRs one day

Offline AharonInIsrael

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2015, 05:23:51 AM »
Great start!
Were you using an American passport most of the time? Israeli?

Offline MosheD

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2015, 07:15:02 AM »
so is sinai considered safe nowadays? ive been pushing off a trip to har sinai for some time now
We did not experience any problems safe-wise our entire time there
Great start!
Were you using an American passport most of the time? Israeli?
American

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2015, 07:21:59 AM »
For the Egypt-travellers here:

This is news to me...
1) You can travel into Egypt??
2) And safely? I can't imagine wearing a Yankees cap would do much to hide an identity there, or is it totally safe that you felt comfortable wearing a yarmulkah??

Offline Emkay

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2015, 07:32:13 AM »
For the Egypt-travellers here:

This is news to me...
1) You can travel into Egypt??
2) And safely? I can't imagine wearing a Yankees cap would do much to hide an identity there, or is it totally safe that you felt comfortable wearing a yarmulkah??
Yes. And I have gone there when I was in yeshiva with a white shirt,black pants, tzitzis hanging out, and yarmulka prominently displayed. I have been there numerous times and never felt uncomfortable

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2015, 07:38:12 AM »
Yes. And I have gone there when I was in yeshiva with a white shirt,black pants, tzitzis hanging out, and yarmulka prominently displayed. I have been there numerous times and never felt uncomfortable
Wow, that's really cool! Can go see the pyramids?

Offline Emkay

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2015, 07:39:21 AM »
Wow, that's really cool! Can go see the pyramids?
You can though I didn't go there as most of the times I went there was fighting there

Offline Hershelsdeals

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2015, 07:45:06 AM »
Wow, that's really cool! Can go see the pyramids?
I did. But in order to cross the Suez Canal, you need a Visa

To Taba, you don't need a Visa, getting into sinai is not that difficult

Offline shimino1

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2015, 07:49:54 AM »
Sounds good so far,
Ive been itching to go for years. The only part I went to is the  Taba 1 star casinos.
Went with a black kipa with no problems and saw some chsideshe guy in full regila.

Offline TimT

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Re: Down to Egypt
« Reply #19 on: January 14, 2015, 07:54:26 AM »
Yes. And I have gone there when I was in yeshiva with a white shirt,black pants, tzitzis hanging out, and yarmulka prominently displayed. I have been there numerous times and never felt uncomfortable
Before or after all the fighting started ?