Situated on the River Nile, Cairo is famous for its own history, preserved in the fabulous medieval Islamic city and Coptic sites in Old Cairo. The Egyptian Museum in the center of town is a must see, with its countless Ancient Egyptian artifacts, as is shopping at the Khan al-Khalili bazaar. No trip to Cairo would be complete, for example, without a visit to the Giza Pyramids, and to the nearby Saqqara Pyramid Complex, where visitors will see Egypt's first step pyramid built by the architect Imhotep for the third dynasty pharaoh Djoser.
Though firmly attached to the past, Cairo is also home to a vibrant modern society. The Midan Tahrir area situated in downtown Cairo area , built in the 19th century under the rule of Khedive Ismail, has strived to be a "Paris on the Nile". There also are a number of more modern suburbs including Ma'adi and Heliopolis, while Zamalek is a quiet area on Gezira Island, with upscale shopping. Cairo is best in the fall or spring, when the weather isn't so hot. A felucca ride on the Nile is a good way to escape from the busy city, as is a visit to al-Azhar Park.
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<!--PRINT Cairo is vast: with more than 17 million people, it's the largest city in Africa and the Middle East. The downtown core consists of the following districts:
Outside the core on the eastern bank, you'll find the modern, more affluent suburbs of Heliopolis and Nasr City near the airport, and Ma'adi to the south. In the middle of the Nile is the island of Gezira and Zamalek, more Western and tranquil than the rest of the city. On the western bank is lots of modern concrete and business, but also the great Giza pyramids and, further to the south, Memphis and Saqqara. The city might seem like a lot to handle, but give it a try, and you might come to love it!
Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country so say nothing that might be perceived as an insult to Islam or the Egyptian culture. Women and men should wear modest clothing. It is considered disrespectful to the mainly Islamic inhabitants to see visitors walking around with exception of beaches and hotels wearing clothing which reveal thighs , upper arms , bare backs , or cleavage. Men should also not walk about bare chested or wearing very short shorts outside of the hotel or beach resort. Do not enter a mosque with shoes on. This is extremely disrespectful. Also, avoid walking in front of persons in prayer. This can sometimes be difficult as Egyptians can and will be seen , laying out prayer mats on pavements to pray specially for the noon day Friday prayer. It is quite acceptable for visitors or Christian Egyptians , to carry on as normal in the streets or shops during the prayer time. Try not to make any comments on Egyptian heroes like Gamal Abdul Nasser, or Anwar Sadat because you might end up in a heated argument.
There are four public terminals and a fifth (would be the biggest) one under construction in addition to a private jet terminal, which may or may not open sometime in 2009. Terminal 1 (aka the "Old Airport" or "Domestic Terminal") is used by EgyptAir for all flights, domestic and international, while most but not all other airlines use Terminal 2 ("New Airport"). The two are 3 km apart and a '''free shuttle bus''' runs between the two every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day. Taxi drivers trying to lure you at the airport will try to tell you otherwise regarding the shuttle bus, but go outside the terminal and you will find the free shuttle bus.
The airport is located on the north-eastern outskirts of the city at Heliopolis. If you want to spend the night near the airport, the Novotel Cairo Airport hotel is located next to the airport, and there are other lodging options in nearby Heliopolis. Getting to downtown Cairo can be a pain. LE 40 is a good price by taxi, although it can be quite difficult to negotiate this price if you are not an Arabic speaker. Refuse to pay the "ticket" (airport parking fee) for the driver. If you are going to downtown Cairo, you may be able to share a taxi with other tourists or backpackers. Another option is to use transportation arranged by your hotel or hostel, though this service is often not complimentary.
For the adventurous, catch a public bus to Midan Tahrir or Midan Ramses. Walk 5 minutes out of Terminal 1 to the big undercover bus station, and ask a local, but don't catch the notorious (non-aircon) green buses. In some cases, the bus destination and, or number will be in Arabic. If this is the case, be prepared to ask a driver or passengers if the bus stops at your destination. Rides are just under LE 2. At least on the non-aircon bus, you may be charged an additional LE 1 if you bring aboard large or bulky items. It takes around 1 - 1.5 hours to reach downtown. To get from downtown to the airport, board an aircon bus at the bus terminal just north of the Egyptian Museum (under the highway bridge). Runs every 30 minutes, takes about an hour, costs 2 Egyptian Pounds, drops you off at Terminal 1. To get to Terminal 2 (international departures) take the free shuttle. Finally, there are also direct express buses from the airport to Alexandria every 30-60 minutes; however, the buses operate only during daylight hours (4 AM - 7:30 PM).
When returning to the airport for departure, allow plenty of time (2 hours to be safe) to get to the airport, as the roads can be very congested. If you depart on Friday morning or mid-day, the trip to the airport will be quick, as roads are deserted while people go to the mosque for Friday prayers. Upon arriving, you need to pass through a security checkpoint before you can get to the ticket counter/check-in area. You must bring a print-out with you of your itinerary or ticket to show the security staff, in order to pass through the checkpoint. For EgyptAir, there is a separate, usually shorter, check-in line for European destinations. You will pass through a second security checkpoint just before boarding your aircraft. Allow plenty of time for getting through the security checkpoints and checking in, as lines can be long. Note that there is no baggage room at the airport.
There is a baggage room in the station, situated righthand from the entrance. The price of one box is 2.5 pounds/24 hours.
Alexandria is served by a large number of departures through the day. Among the best trains are the Espani (Spanish) which has a morning service from Cairo at 9am. The Espani and Turbine (Turbo) are the best services, going non-stop to Alexandria and taking 2 hours and 40 min. The next best service is al-Fransawi (French), which stops at the major Delta cities on the road. The Express (French) and Turbo trains to Alexandria have first and second class, all air conditioned. Refreshments are available for purchase on the train. First class is recommended, but second class is also reasonably comfortable.
Trains heading to Luxor, Aswan, and other Upper Egypt destinations also depart from the rail station in Giza. The Sleeping Trains (Abela Egypt) [http://www.sleepingtrains.com/] leave Cairo 8 pm and arriving in Luxor 5.05 am and Aswan 8.15 am. There also is a 9:10 PM departure from Cairo. Check the website for more departures, including one three days a week from Alexandria. It's relatively expensive at 60 USD for a bed in a double-person cabin one way. Tickets are bought at the office to your left as you enter the train station from the Metro and taxi station. The tickets are payable in US dollars, Euros, or British Pounds only. There are no exchange offices at the train station itself. It is also possible to make reservations in advance, by calling or faxing your request to Abela, and then pay for and pick up your tickets at the station. Since these trains are designated for tourists, you will stay in special cars guarded by armed plain-clothes policemen.
Going to Upper Egypt, the alternative to the expensive sleeper (or flying) is the ordinary trains. One of these departs at 00.30 to Luxor and Aswan and is supposed to take 10 hours to Luxor and 13 hours to Aswan.
Ramsis Station Tel. +202 25753555
Buses arrive to Cairo from virtually all over the country. The two main destinations are Midan Ramsis and Cairo Gateway, formerly known as Turgoman, but vehicles also sometimes stop at other destinations, notably Abbasiya. From Midan Ramses and Cairo Gateway it's a quick 5 LE taxi cab ride to downtown, 7-10 LE to Zamalek. Cairo Gateway is a new, modern indoor station located approximately 500m from the Orabi Metro Station, within the new Cairo Gateway Plaza.
'''Destinations:'''
Uncomfortable, but cheap, microbuses leave from Cairo to a large number of destinations. The main garages are Midan Ramsis and al-Marg metro station (for the north-east and Sinai). They are faster and might as such be an option for shorter trips, but have a terrible toll of accidents. There are also other places these buses leave from depending on your destination, ask locals. Be aware that at least for the Sinai, foreigners are prohibited to use the microbus system.
Supetjet bus to Alexandria, Hurghada and Sinai TEL. +202 2266-0212.
East Delta bus to Sharm el-Sheikh , Arish and Rafah Tel. +202 2576-2293.
Parking houses or official parking spots are rare. Cars may be parked two or three deep on the side of the road, and will often be left unlocked, and out-of-gear, so they can be moved. In many places, people work to look after parked cars. A small tip is expected for this service. Or, you can use valet parking.
If planning to hire a car at the airport and drive directly out of Cairo do not assume that this will be easy, due to the chaotic conditions.
Getting in and out of Cairo.
To get to Alexandria , The North Coast , The Delta and The Western Desert drivers should take the Cairo - Alexandria Desert Road from The Mewhwar Road- 26th July corridor from Down Town Cairo.
To get to Beni Sueif, Fayoum, Assyut, Luxor, and Aswan, drivers from Downtown should take the The Sixth Of October-Fayoum exit at the Remaya Roundabout beside The Giza Pyramids at Le Meridian Hotel,to the Fayoum turn off at the Fayoum - Sixth Of October junction, 6 KM from Remaya Roundabout.
To get to Suez, Port Said, and Ismailia, drivers from Downtown should take the Ring Road to the Suez Road junction for Suez, and The Ismailia junction off the Ring Road for Ismailia and Port Said.
To get to Hurghada, and Ain Sukhna, drivers from Downtown, should take the Ring Road to the New Ain Sukhna Toll Road at Kattamaya.
To get to Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Ras Sidr, Al-Arish, and Rafah on the Sinai Peninsula, drivers from Downtown, should take the Ring Road to the Suez Road junction at the J.W. Marriot Hotel, through the Ahmed Hamdy Tunnel, on to the Sinai Peninsula.
Cairo and Algiers are the only two cities on the African continent with '''metro''' systems. The Algerian metro system although complete is due to be opened early 2010. While Cairo's metro system fully functioning is modern and sleek, the two lines are all too limited in scope. But they are a major boon in the areas they cover, and the flat rate fare of 1.00 Egyptian pound per trip is a bargain. Visitors attempting to use the metro in Cairo should try not to be put off when they go to a ticket window to purchase a ticket. Egyptians do not understand the concept of queuing, so be prepared to politely but assertively, navigate your way through the crowed to the ticket window . The key interchanges are '''Mubarak''', at Midan Ramses, and '''Sadat''', below Midan Tahrir.
The Cairo Metro has stations in Dokki and Maadi, among other places. The Metro is also a hassle-free way to get to Giza to see the Pyramids, although you'll need to complete the trip taking a bus all the way (change to bus for "Al-Haram" at the Giza train station). Plans have been made to add new lines to include Mohandiseen and Zamalek, as well as the airport; however, little progress seems to be made on this.
Note that there are two cars of each train reserved for women, which are located in the middle section of the train. The metro stops running at approximately midnight and starts up again around 6am. There are no timetables, but departures are very frequent. The metro is better to use if you wish to avoid traffic jam. It is secure, costs one pound one trip and has a clear European navigation system.
Ordinary Egyptians will never state prices beforehand. Instead the correct sum is paid through the window after leaving the car. Some drivers might protest as they expect tourists to pay more than the standard rates. As a tourist it's probably best to meet these expectations as it only represents a very small increase in hard currency terms. Avoid negotiations - it takes lots of time and you end up at a price you won't like. Instead, use the "walk-away"-technique if they don't agree to your (reasonable) price. As long the driver does not leave the car, you're all right. If this happens, consult someone nearby.
As a tourist you might prefer to state a price beforehand, which may prevent ripoffs but will require you to quote slightly above the local price to get a quick nod.
Try to get a taxi on the fly instead of those loitering outside 5-star hotels and restaurants to minimize price inflation. Using a big hotel as your destination may also inflate the price. Always choose the taxi, don't let the taxi choose you.
Cabbies usually expect more money (2 or 3 LE) for ferrying more people. If you decide not to negotiate the price beforehand (this is the better method) be ready to jump ship and/or bargain hard if the cabby brings up the fare after you are in the car. They rarely accept more than 4 people to a taxi. Also add 5-7 EP driving late at night.
In March 2006 a new fleet of 500 bright yellow taxis hit the road. They run on natural gas, and will soon add up to a total of 1500 cars, all equipped with air-conditioning, meters that actually work, and credit card readers. The meter starts at 3.50 LE, and then 1 LE for every additional kilometre. The drivers are not allowed to smoke in the cars. They are referred to as 'City Cabs' or Cairo Cabs', and can be a bit more expensive (and less of an adventure) than the black-and-white cabs for short hops. However, for longer distances they are the way to go for price and comfort. From within Cairo call 0104343438 - 19155.
Never continue traveling in any vehicle which you deem to be unsafe or the driver to be driving recklessly, specially in the dark on unlit roads, or in single track highways where overtaking is dangerous. If you fell unsafe simply tell the driver to slow down, if he does not do this immediately ask him to stop and simply get out and walk away.
In recent months the Egyptian government has started a scheme to replace the old black and white taxis with new white taxis with a black and white checkered strip along the side with meters to work along side the yellow and black private taxis.
Apart from the main bus stations, buses can be hauled down from street-level. Buses are seldom marked with destination, instead passengers shout out (or use a number of sign-language like hand codes) their destinations and if the bus goes this place it will stop. On micro-buses, the fare starts at 25 piastre and goes up to 1 EP. Travelers unfamiliar with Cairo can ask bus drivers or passengers to let them know where there stop is. Don't be shy - even if you don't speak Arabic, simply politely blurt out the name of your destination to the bus driver or a friendly looking passenger and they will take care of you.
''' Late night bus riders ''' Take note, bus frequency, length of route, and in some cases, fees can vary during the late evening hours onward. In some cases, a route may terminate, without notice, short of your destination. When this takes place, locals reply upon private citizens hoping to make some additional money, to get them to their final destination. As always, use caution, if you should choose to accept private transportation. One final note on late night bus transportation, since many mini- buses will not depart until the bus is nearly full, you should be prepared for a lengthy period of time, while the driver waits for enough people to board.
There are a number of major bus stations (mawqaf) throughout the city. One of the largest is conveniently located behind the Egyptian Museum in Midan Tahrir. Note that there are actually two stations - the main bus station for the city buses, and the micro-bus station behind it. Travelers who want to visit the Pyramids, for example, can catch a seat in a micro-bus for approximately 2 pounds. Visitors wishing to go to the pyramids and see a bus or microbus driver shouting Haram, shoud always before boarding make a pyramid triangle with your hands to ensure that the driver is driving to the actual pyramids themselves, and not just to the district of Haram, which although is fairly close to the pyramids, can terminate a fair distance from the pyramid entrance.
There are also bus stations in Midan Ramses, under the overpass. Buses run from Ramses to Heliopolis, City Stars Mall and other destinations not covered by the Tahrir bus station.
Or if the family, and especially children are fed up looking at monuments and museums, a ten minute trip from the Giza Pyramids by microbus, taxi, or car, will take you to two of the biggest and best theme parks in Cairo, '''Dreampark''', and '''Magic land''', both in nearby Sixth Of October City.
'''Magic land''' is also part of '''The Media Production City''' complex, including '''The Movenpick Hotel''', where visitors can take a tour of the Egyptian TV and drama sets, and studios which house many of the Egyptian and other Arabic TV stations.
If you have professional qualifications there are possibilities for work in Cairo. Try the English weeklies al-Ahram and al-Waseet for job vacancies.
Foreign currencies can also be exchanged for Egyptian pound in all the Egyptian banks like Banque Misr [http://www.banquemisr.com/sites/engbm/Pages/default.aspx/] , National Bank of Egypt [http://www.nbe.com.eg/en/exchangerate.aspx?x=1&lang=en/], Banque De Caire [http://www.bdc.com.eg/html/main.htm/], Arab African Bank [http://www.aaib.com//] , The United Bank [http://www.theubeg.com/wps/portal/enub], or the large branches of Bureau De Change.
In general, downtown is good for budget eating, while for higher quality eating you should head to Zamalek, Mohandiseen or any of the other more affluent parts of town.
For those with a greater interest in Cairo's culinary life, look for '''Cairo Dining''', a magazine with a half-yearly update of 1000 Cairo restaurants (and places to go out) sorted by price, kind of food and area.
'''Otlob.com'''[http://www.otlob.com/home.aspx/] delivers food from a large number of Cairo restaurants, including fast-food places like McDonalds, as well as higher-end places. Otlob is also useful because it offers a list of restaurants by type of food, area, and even covers menus, conveniently all in English. Almost all but the highest quality Cairo restaurants offer delivery or takeout.
In the medium and upper price range your choice of traditional Egyptian food will be more limited. Although the situation is improving, traditionally Egyptian gastronomical experiences are still mostly restricted to private homes. Quality chain restaurants like '''Felfela''' (several outlets), '''Abou El Sid'''[http://www.abouelsid.com/] (Zamalek, Maadi and Dokki), and '''Abou Shakra''' [http://www.aboushakra.com/] offer authentic Egyptian food. Otherwise Arabic and oriental restaurants tend to mix styles or completely go for more Lebanese-style eating, considered more stylish by rich Cairenes. The good side of this is that Cairo is blessed with many quality Lebanese outfits, from chains like '''Dar al-Qamar''' to stylish restaurant establishments. Additionally, Turkish food and restaurants catering to Gulf visitors can be found.
'''Mo'men chain''' [http://www.momen-restaurant.com/?action=mission], '''Cook Door''' [http://www.cookdoor.com.eg/] the Egyptian equivalent of McDonald's has similar menu with similar prices and free wireless internet.
Lighter meals like sandwiches and salads as well as pastries can be found in western-style bakeries and cafes. Popular chains like '''Cilantro''', '''Beanos''', '''Costa''', and '''The Marriott Bakery''' as well as individual outlets all offer more or less similar dishes. Most of these places also offer free wireless internet.
There is also a cute '''TGI Friday's''' [http://www.tgifridays.com/home/welcome.aspx] on the Nile banks at the entrance of Maadi, serving beer but no wine. Gezira also boasts its very own Chili's. For burgers, you can also try '''Fuddrucker's''' [www.fuddruckers.com/] (Maadi and Mohandesseen) or '''Lucille's''' [www.lucillesrestaurants.com/] in Ma'adi (54 Road n__ 9) which is owned by an American woman. '''Maison Thomas''' has several branches throughout Cairo, including Mohandiseen, Zamalek, and Maadi, and servess some of the best pizza in Cairo. There is an Italian place called the '''Mint''' in Mohandesseen 30 Gezirt Al Arab ST. open 9 AM till 1.30 AM, which boasts a very stylish interior, however it's alcohol free. If it's more stylish international dining you're into, Cairo offers a wide variety: Italian, Chinese and Japanese outlets in addition to the ambigious ''continental'' cooking abound, especially in areas like Zamalek, Mohandesin and Dokki. '''Rossini''' fish restaurant 66 Omar Ibn El Khatab ST +202 2291-8282 , '''Cedars''' 42 Gezerit Al Arab Mhandseen +202 3345-0088, this Lebanese restaurant is a favorite with Mohandesseen's ladies who can order grills and salads in a specious outdoor terrace.
By far the cheapest and most satisfying option, buying from Souks and outdoor markets makes for a crash course in Arabic and haggling, not to mention that the produce is often superb! Bread can be found on nearly every corner and comes in two types - whole wheat ''aysh baladi'' and white flour ''aysh shami''. Both are baked fresh daily and delivered by thousands of kids on bicycles to every corner of the city. Every neighborhood has a few streets dedicated to produce and other goods. Always wash fruit thoroughly before eating. Eating a fresh Roma tomato in the heat of Summer straight from a market seller after being washed is a delight, hard to match. The fruits and vegetables in Egypt may not conform to EU or US standards of size, but their taste is far superior.
Small bakeries (''furun'') sell every kind of baked good imaginable - ranging from Italian style bread sticks with nigella and sesame seeds to croissants, donuts and anything with dates in it. Fresh goods from these bakeries offers a nice alternative to the standard Egyptian breakfast of beans, beans, beans, and these bread are very cheap.
Cairo has a wide range of drinking options from the very traditional to fashionable and modern. At the other end of the scale, almost any street in Cairo has a traditional coffee house, _Lahwa, a traditionally male institution of social life tracing many hundreds of years back in history. Besides that you'll find everything from fruit stalls to patisseries and bakeries and modern cafes whipping up all varieties of modern European coffee. In addition to the traditional Turkish coffee and ''shai'' tea, virtually everywhere you'll find drinks like hibiscus tea ''kerkedeeh'', served warm or cold depending on season, ''sahleb'', a coconut drink usually served in winter, ''fakhfakhenna'' (a kind of fruit salad), sugarcane juice, mango and tamarind juice, ''Tamr hindi''.
Cairo remains one of the best cities in the world to sample the traditional coffee house culture of the region. They are called ''maqha'' in Standard Arabic, but in the local dialect this is turned into ''_Lahwa''. The Turkish coffee remains an invariable ingredient in any Cairene coffee house, and water pipe (''shisha'') and tea is even more popular. While considered "old fashioned" for a time, these places are again turning fashionable among younger crowds and even smoking a waterpipe is no longer a male-only pastime. Places vary from just a small affair--plastic chairs and tables put out on the street--to more elaborate cafes especially in upscale and tourist areas.
For many, the ''shisha'' or water pipe, is the main attraction of any visit to a Cairene coffee house. It is usually available in at least two varieties, ''mu_Lassal'', pure tobacco, and ''tofah'', apple-flavored. Other fruit varieties are sometimes available. Coffee houses range from the more elaborately decorated to a simple counter and some plastic chairs and tables spread out in the street. Foreigners are invariably made welcome, although women might feel uncomfortable visiting coffee houses in traditional, poor areas of the city. However, in downtown and the tourist areas of Islamic Cairo single or women-only groups should not expect anything more than the ordinary hassle.
Turkish coffee (''_Lahwe turki'') is served either sweet (''helwa''), medium sweet (''masbout''), with little sugar (''sukr khafeef'') or no sugar (''sada''). Sweet means very sweet. Tea (''shai'') is served either as traditional loose tea (''kushari'', not to be confused with the Cairo macaroni-rice stample ''kushari''), known as dust tea in English, or in a tea bag. Most coffee shops usually offer fresh mint leaves to put in your tea, upon request. A range of soft drinks are usually available. Most typically you will find hibiscus tea (''karkadee''), served warm in the winter season and hot during the warmer parts of the year.
During the hot Cairo summer, fruit juice stalls selling fresh juice (and occasionally fruit salads and other soft drinks) are a delight not to be missed. Basically these places sell fresh-pressed juice of whatever is in season. Typical choices include orange (''bortoqal''), lemon (''limon''), mango (''manga'') and strawberry (''farawla''), guava (''gawafa''), pomegranate (''Rumm?n''). Prices and quality depend on season and availability. These places are spread out around the city and available at almost all the places tourists typically visit and in all local residential districts. Traditional coffee houses or fruit juice stalls might sell all or some of these drinks.
''' A health reminder''' Use extra care if you choose to consume beverages from fruit stalls. In general, food handling procedures are not up to Western food sanitation standards.
Modern cafes and patisseries are spread out around the city. Typically they serve light food like sandwiches and salad in addition to espresso-based coffees and pastries. Many of these places are chains, like Cilantro, Beanos, Cinnabon, Orangette, The Bakery and Coffee Roastery. Most of these places, including all the chains mentioned above, offer wireless internet connection as well. International chains such as Costa Coffee and Starbucks are also widely available throughout Cairo.
The '''main post office''' [http://www.egyptpost.org/en/index.asp] of Cairo is located on Midan Ataba (open 7am - 7pm Sa - Th, 7am - 12 noon Fr and holidays). The ''poste restante'' office is to be found along the side street to the right of the main entrance to the post office and through the last door (open 8am - 6 pm Sa - Th, 10am - 12 noon Fr and holidays) - mail will be held for 3 weeks.
EgyptPost livery is green and yellow.
There are two kind of mail boxes for international and domestic use. They are typically found on the street in pairs, coloured green and yellow. It is said that your mail will be delivered no matter which one you use. Always use the register mail facility to post anything valuable or important. It takes longer but each step of the journey is recorded, as many letters do not arrive at their destinations when using regular mail service.
The Internet is rapidly growing in Cairo as in many other Egyptian and Middle Eastern cities. There is now a profusion of established internet cafes and venues, with many more opening for business each month. An hour in a downtown net cafe will set you back 3-5LE. A growing number of cafes including Cilantro and Beanos provide wifi for free, and if all else fails, you can always drop into a McDonalds and try their network. Luxury hotels often provide WiFi at a premium.
If you have access to a traditional telephone line in Cairo, then you will be able to access the internet through dial-up connection for 1.25 Egyptian pound per hour by dialing 0777 XXXX numbers.
You can walk around the main streets anytime you feel like roaming. It's fairly safe and you will always find lots of people around smiling and offering to help. Women alone can expect to be the target of an excessive amount of catcalling, but it rarely, if ever, goes beyond that. You should bear in mind that around the more touristy locations there is an abundance of 'helpful' people, but be careful who you go with and under no circumstance let anyone push or guide you anywhere you don't want to go! If you get lost look for the security and police officers. Many speak a little English, and most know their local area very well, as well as the tourist spots.
Crossing streets is another major challenge in Cairo. Traffic lights, which only exist in a few locations, are routinely disregarded. In downtown Cairo, police officers may be controlling traffic at key intersections at busy times. To cross the street, it's like playing the video game "Frogger", hurrying across the street one lane at a time, when there is a small break in traffic. Also, when riding in a taxi, the driver may go quite fast and drive erratically. If at any time you feel unsafe simply tell the driver to stop and get out.
'''Tummy upsets''' As elsewhere in Egypt, be careful with what you eat. Raw leafy vegetables, egg-based dressings like mayonnaise and minced meat are particularly risky. Avoid cold salads and puddings from buffets even in the 5* hotels just to be on the safe side.Opinions on tap water vary, but most visitors choose to stick to the bottled stuff. Large bottles of water can be purchased for 2 or 3 LE. Avoid ice in drinks, and only eat fruit with a skin you can wash or peel. You may find that tummy medications you bring from home simply don't work. All visitors would do well to buy from any pharmacy Egyptian brand drugs. The best and most common being Entocid and Antinal. Diarrhea and vomiting can almost always be stopped by taking 2 of these tablets with a glass of water in a few hours. If symptoms persist, it is wise to consult a doctor as dehydration in Summer can come on quickly.
'''Smog''' can reach extreme levels, especially in late summer and fall before the rains. This, coupled with the summer heat, can make spending time outdoors in the summer quite unpleasant.
'''Mosquito's''' Mosquito's are a part of life in Egypt so you will have to live with them. They are active from dusk till dawn, and then find a dark sheltered place to sleep during the heat of the day. They love humidity and wet environments where they breed. They also love leafy green gardens, and hedging. Sitting around lakes, pools, or in a garden at night can be suicide. Only the female bites, and one female in a bedroom can cause much discomfort by morning, so it is always wise to kill any before sleeping. A fly swatter is best as they move due to air pressure, swatting with a newspaper will not work. Mosquito repellent sprays are of little value either. Most hotels will have smoke sprays at dusk to quieten them down but they will revive and attack later. The best defence is to kill any in hotel rooms. Wear long sleeves and long trousers when out at night.When out sit in a breeze or in front of a fan as they do not like moving air. The mosquito tablets and burners merely make them sleepy, they do not kill them. It's better to spend a few minutes going round the hotel room killing any you see than suffer days of itching and painful bites.
Backpackers will see doctors's offices dotted all around Cairo on board signs. They are speciality specific. Just look for one and then inquire. Note most surgeries open after 5pm and run late till sometimes midnight.A consultation fee will give you a consultation and one follow up appointment. Travellers can also visit private hospitals like '''El Salam''', '''Dar al Fouad''','''6th October University Hospital''', '''Ain Shams University Hospital''','''Kasr El-Eney''' during the day. Each has an outpatient clinic with various specialists on duty. Usually no appointment is necessary and you will be seen depending on how early you arrive. The fee for the outpatient clinic of '''6th October University Hospital''' for a consultation and follow up is 40le.