How Safe is it to Travel to Cairo?
The man with the toothless smile and sharp eyes beckons you over to see his papyrus, meanwhile another calls you to his perfume shop. Sales pitches vary: ‘Special price for pretty lady’ or if you’re male, ‘You want something for your wife, not your wife? OK, for your mistress then?’
Apart from the hassle of the hustlers and the danger of having an over-priced piece of papyrus on your wall when you get home, what other risks do you face in Cairo? Is it safe to travel there at all?
Cairo does have a certain charm, but a first visit can be daunting. As a result of the massacre at Hatshepsut’s temple, and in the aftermath of the 7/11 attacks, there is heightened security. If you’re not used to seeing armed soldiers or police on the street, this in itself can be unsettling and this is before you start thinking about why they are present. Being a predominantly Islamic country, tourists are a potential target. But tourism is Egypt’s main source of income. After the 1997 massacre, the whole country was shut down for three months, and with over a million visitors from Britain alone entering the country each year, Egypt is keen to protect its assets.
Relatively Safe
Compared to other cities such as Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Karachi in Pakistan, both of which have high terrorist warnings, Cairo is positively safe. It hasn’t got the dangers associated South American cities, plus there isn’t a war on in Egypt. In my opinion, it would be unwise to start venturing into countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq at the moment.
At time of writing the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office states there are no travel restrictions within Egypt and according to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, most visits are trouble-free. Out of the one million British national visitors, 558 required consular assistance in the period 01 April 2009 – 31 March 2010. There were a variety of incidents and offences including hospitalisations and a small number of rape/sexual assault incidents but by far the most common request was for help with lost or stolen passports. The website states that the majority of consular cases occur in Cairo and the Red Sea resort, Sharm el-Sheikh.
Passports are worth a lot of money on the black market, and tourists are obviously targets. Residents and visitors alike are meant to carry photographic ID on them in Egypt, so carry a photocopy of your passport and leave the real thing in the hotel safe. Cairo is not alone with its problems with pickpockets. I have been pick pocketed in London and whilst in Rome a friend had toilet paper that resembled a wallet in their jeans’ back pocket removed.
There are general rules which any traveller should follow to avoid opportune crime such as pick pockets: don’t wear anything which makes you look affluent, keep jewellery to a minimum, avoid obvious designer branded clothing and luggage, don’t carry a lot of money and wear a money belt.
To avoid harassment, women in particular should dress modestly. This applies not just in Cairo but all over Egypt, although the Egyptians are more accepting of western dress in the resorts by the sea.
Safety Advice
It is always good to get off the beaten track and discover ‘the real Cairo’, but chose your area carefully. There are certain areas of western capital cities I would be very uncomfortable visiting, and some of the poorer areas of Cairo are no different.
Taxi drivers, shop assistants and even someone on the street may approach you and offer to show you the city. Be wary. The chances are you’ll be charged an extortionate amount for this ‘guide’ and be dragged into numerous papyrus/jewellery/perfume/alabaster shops to help you part with your hard earned money; at worst, I have heard you’ll be threatened and be forced to hand over your wallet or taken to the nearest cash point and told to withdraw money, although these instances are rare.
Taking photographs is obligatory in Cairo, but the man on the camel at the pyramids will probably ask you for some money. Remember too, photography of or near military official installations is strictly prohibited and don’t photograph officials, or anyone else for that matter, without their consent.
With over six million people living in Cairo, and a further 10 million living on the outskirts, it is hardly surprising traffic is another danger, and not because of the pollution. You take your life into your own hands with some taxi drivers, who in their aim to please appear to take enormous risks in the traffic chaos. One taxi driver once told me ‘Egyptian roads do have markings, but they’re for decoration.’
Crossing the road can be a feat in itself, and people appear to be oblivious to the moving traffic. I would usually wait and cross the road in a crowd, working on the principle of the more people crossing, the less chance I would have of being hit!
Relax - Enjoy it!
Much of the above advice can be attributed to most cities around the world. I would give similar advice to people visiting for example Istanbul, Prague, and Athens. As a tourist, you are vulnerable simply because you don’t know the area and your attention is focused on seeing the sites, not who is standing next to you.
Cairo is an electric mix of ancient and modern, and east and west; street sellers will entice you with nuts and falafels or you can have exquisite dining in one of the many fine restaurants. Designer shops are in the affluent areas, but try your bartering skills in the Khan El-Khalili markets. Plus there is the mystical call to prayer will wake you at dawn - Cairo is affectionately known as the City of 1000 Minarets by some.
Ancient Cairo and its sites have withstood millennia, and a trip to see the pyramids is a must. But also make sure you find some time to sit in a tea shop and watch the men smoking shisha pipes, smell the exotic spices in the market, take a boat trip on the Nile and generally immerse yourself in Cairo’s modern culture.
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Comments
Egypt can be a dangerous place, unexpectedly check US State Department info http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1108.html also tourist areas are targets as in the 2009 bombing http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/23/cairo-bomb-kills-french-student . Hassle can turn into crime fast also. Best to be on guard and travel light. It is a shame that such great treasures also attrack threats.
I think you have to be realistic when you start talking about Egypt being a dangerous place. Off the beaten track is potentiallly dangerous everywhere.
There was a bomb scare in New York recently, and who'd have thought planes would be flown into buildings a few years ago? A person a day is shot in the US and as a white person I certainly wouldn't go wandering into Harlem.... Adelaide has had some pretty nasty murders, and I stay clear of Hindley Street, the main pub/club area in Adelaide, on a Saturday night where there has been stabbings and a woman ended up with a stilletto heel in her eye!
I lived in London when the IRA attacks were prevalent so a bomb attack four years ago is slightly different to the weekly bomb scares I used to encounter. But tourists still came to London in this time.
As a tour leader I have done an enormous amount of travelling and was often carrying large sums of money - but I have encountered more problems in London, including being mugged! My sister also had her passport stolen at Heathrow airport.
The problem is, you feel more vulnerable when you are in another country or in a culture different to your own.
You should be alert and aware wherever you go these days.
Like all major cities, Cairo has its share of potential dangers. What I can't understand is your comment "Being a predominantly Islamic country, tourists are a potential target." What does religion in particular has to do with tourist threats?
Very well written!
International travel can be exciting. You just need to be aware of your surroundings and trust your senses. I've traveled and worked all around the world, and there is danger everywhere, especially if you do not use common sense.
As Wadders points out, where you live can be more dangerous than the countries you visit and yet you don't let the dangers at home prevent you from going about your daily life.
We found the Egyptians to be very friendly and very protective especially the more we talked with them. They even joke about the Tourist Police. Good luck is a part of travel. As you can see my my picture, I ran into Dr Hawass at the step Pyramid and had an enjoyable conversation with him. so, travel and enjoy.
Great article. I must say, when we visited to Cairo, the worst things that happened where:
We did have a local guide, a friend familiar with Cairo. He 'evacuated' us from a local teahouse once, saying 'ok, time to go, now!' but was nto willing to explain further what was going on. That and the heavily armed guards on the camels everywhere are quite scary.
Oh, and once we've figured out the numbers, we managed to take the bus from Cairo to Alexandria without any issues. (I believe you can more or less compare it with the American 'greyhound' busses?)
Really Good! As if I could have written it myself...of course there is danger everywhere, we are having crimes in Lisboa never seen before and pickpocketing is happening everywhere; i always advise my foreign friends when in Lisboa to be cautious with their bags, wallets, passports, money, VISA cards and not go wandering around alone in some neighbourhoods, especially at night.
Cairo is a very safe place if you act as you always do, do not wear a label showing tourist from the other side of the bridge...
Choose your guides and drivers carefully, usually appointed by hotel receptions, agencies' employees, or foreign friends living in Cairo for some time.
Respect Muslim culture either if you are a man or a woman, don't abuse alcohol, don't use drugs, have your cellphone always charged (please have a good one), money scattered around different pockets and wallets/bags, water to drink and good walking shoes.
All the attention you have in another city, anywhere in the world but adapted to Cairo reality; this means traffic chaos and literally thousands of people moving 24 hours a day...
Cairo isn't that safe for women...lots of women assured me it was safer than London...I didn't find that reassuring! Even as a woman in her fifties, I was repeatedly hit on by younger men. The most unwanted attention came from a seventeen year old waiter in Luxor who eyed me up in a very determined way, without the slightest encouragement,... The fact is that women are second class citizens, domestic violence is common, and western women are subject to groping, harrassment and hissing and verbal abuse.
The traffic is terrifying, the taxis are driven by amateurs who don't know the way and can't understand our miss-pronunciations, and Egyptian food is not very delicious...but don't let me put you off! The culture, the history, the lively and fascinating people make the above not that important. Just be careful!
I am Egyptian and post here all the time.. it is safe here now although there are alot of tanks and miltaria on the streets. Be aware thjo i am femail and i do find it tricky... so okay for men not so much for women. Dont expect anythign like you find in a european city.. the streets are very chaotic .. good luck
I'm sorry Rose you had such bad experiences...... For your reference, I'm tall and blond, and yes, for a woman in my late 30's (as I was then) I did receive unwanted attention, but not just in Egypt and Islamic countries such as Turkey and Jordan, but in Eastern and Western Europe; I've had my bottom pinched more times than I care to remember in Italy and Spain and have been groped in France and on the London Underground!
I found being firm, wearing a wedding ring and wearing appropriate modest clothing acts as a part deterrant.
Unfortunately, some western women have encouraged this type of attention from men, which makes some think it is acceptable to behave towards woman this way, but I agree, there is a cultural thing too.
As for the traffic, mad taxi drivers and inability to understand mis-pronounciations - have you ever been to Paris? When you go to any foreign country you will receive attention, simply because you are a foreigner.
Unfortunately, the world is not a safe place - as I highlighted previously, I've been on the receiving end of a not particularly pleasant mugging in London and friends of mine were attacked and robbed by gypsies recently in Athens. Wherever you go, you should be aware of your surroundings.....
<p> although I would love to travel to Egypt one day and see Cairo, given the Arab spring and the uprisings I think I will leave it a few years until a time when the country is more stable.</p>
<p>It is true that their are risks wherever you travel in the world and the likelihood of something happening in Egypt would be minute but there are other things to do and see first, then the pyramids and Egypt</p>
After some rebels in Cairo, people are afraid of traveling to Egypt. However, I think there is no risk to travel to Cairo as everything is good in the country. I'm just founding some materials about this topic for my essay on Cairo. Great article with a lot of useful information about current situation in Egypt.
I think my essay writing on Cairo will be successful in college.
mYSCIM I almost accidentally visited to this site, but stayed here for a long time. Stayed because everything was very interesting. Surely will share with all my friends!...
sGWhmH Interesting. We are waiting for new messages on the same topic!!...