Egypt with kids

Mark7799

Having been to Egypt twice, the best thing for the stomach complaints is a local medicine (in tablet form) called something like 'antinels'. Was recommended by our travel agent before our first visit and works better than any UK remedies. Costs about £2 (UK) from any local pharmacy for 2 weeks' supply.

Mips

We never had any problem with being ill at all.

I took along my then, 6 month old baby and we made her formula milk with bottled water we bought over there, and took Jars.

Having said that, she did have the odd croissant when we went to eat!

We went to Hurghada and we were told beforehand we should take $20 US Dollars to gain entry into the country - which we had got beforehand.

When we got there, the rude Egyptian demanded £20 for each of us - £80 for all of us, even the baby :mad: :mad: :mad: !!!

My hubby was starting to get really irate... I had visions of him being dragged outside and slapped.. so I made him pay it... everyone who had got off the Plane was grumbling but nobody said anything.

MrsE_2

Dippychick wrote: »

We never had any problem with being ill at all.

I took along my then, 6 month old baby and we made her formula milk with bottled water we bought over there, and took Jars.

Having said that, she did have the odd croissant when we went to eat!

We went to Hurghada and we were told beforehand we should take $20 US Dollars to gain entry into the country - which we had got beforehand.

When we got there, the rude Egyptian demanded £20 for each of us - £80 for all of us, even the baby :mad: :mad: :mad: !!!

My hubby was starting to get really irate... I had visions of him being dragged outside and slapped.. so I made him pay it... everyone who had got off the Plane was grumbling but nobody said anything.

An Egyptian visa id $15 per person, so should have been $60

Will try & post you pic

http://www.swisscare-hotels.com/newvisastamp.html

Not really fair to blame them as someone gave you duff info....

Tojo_Ralph

Dippychick wrote: »

When we got there, the rude Egyptian demanded £20 for each of us - £80 for all of us, even the baby :mad: :mad: :mad: !!!

As stated in the post above, the current single entry visa for a UK citizen entering Egypt is $15 USD and as per the image above, it clearly states on the visa (which is simply a sticker) that it is $15.

Mips

Tojo_Ralph wrote: »

As stated in the post above, the current single entry visa for a UK citizen entering Egypt is $15 USD and as per the image above, it clearly states on the visa (which is simply a sticker) that it is $15.

I don't have that in my Passport. I have two small postage stamps - one orange and one green and an oval black stamp and a square black stamp.

It says Hurghada though and Egypt - how do I upload onto here? Do you need to use photobucket?

It cost us £80 and hubby said we were being ripped off.

If you look here - several people on there paid different prices too!!! We also went in 2005 - in February, and one couple on there paid £10 just 3 months later :mad:

Maybe they didn't like our faces?!

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=24843

Mips

A lot of visitors to Egypt have had bad experiences with this process, which resulted in a multitude of complaints about this procedure, since, even though there has been an official price for theses stamps, it was not very transparent. This system left a big grey area, which local travel companies and tour guides exploited and cheated the just arrived guest out of their first money. Very sad indeed but luckily the Government has finally decided to change the visitors visa system which resulted in the beautiful new visa stamp (which you see here).

This new system is in effect since August 1st 2007, and as you can see is a standardised visa featuring an eagle impressed on silver paper, which, starting immediately, will be pasted into your passport and enables you to stay in Egypt for a maximum duration of 40 days. Furthermore, on the lower right corner of this new visa the official price of $15 US is printed in order to create more price transparency. When you pay in foreign currencies they will be converted to current day exchange rates. For example, if you pay this fee with €15 then you will receive about 25 Egyptian pounds (25 LE) in change



Taken from this website.

http://www.hurghada-information.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=87


So I never was given duff information, we were told to take $20 in USD which we did, but we got ripped off at the airport. Like many others.


My husband said he would never go back there ever again thanks to that experience, they were vile to us all.

The new system looks much better - one price for all. Well, better for the unsuspecting tourists - not better for the greedy people who were taking advantage of us.

MrSmartprice

I know several people who have been to Egypt and without exception all have had stomach upsets while there. Some friends who live in Spain went last year and took every precaution imaginable. They used alcohol hand gels as well as using soap and water at every opportunity. They avoided ice, salads and street food. But the chap still got quite ill for several weeks and lost 2 stone.

It seems that the culprit was money! You should wash hands every time you touch cash, especially the notes, as they are all riddled with bacteria harmful to Western constitutions. Personally I wouldn't go near such an insanitary place under any circumstances. But each to their own.....;)

Kavanne

I don't want to seem snooty or anything but we have been to 4 or 5 star hotels each time we've been to Egypt, maybe this was why only my already senstitive bf (IBS sufferer) has suffered out of all of us (my mum, best friend, her bf and all my best friend's family).

I am NOT saying that 3 star hotels are dirty, not by any means, but maybe investing in a 4*+ hotel is just another precautionary measure.

Mips

MrSmartprice wrote: »

I know several people who have been to Egypt and without exception all have had stomach upsets while there. Some friends who live in Spain went last year and took every precaution imaginable. They used alcohol hand gels as well as using soap and water at every opportunity. They avoided ice, salads and street food. But the chap still got quite ill for several weeks and lost 2 stone.

It seems that the culprit was money! You should wash hands every time you touch cash, especially the notes, as they are all riddled with bacteria harmful to Western constitutions. Personally I wouldn't go near such an insanitary place under any circumstances. But each to their own.....;)

My elderly aunt was horrified when I told her we were going there!!!

She couldn't believe how irresponsible we were being taking our baby there!!

Thankfully all was well - I was more concerned about us though, because my Daughter would not be eating and drinking there like we were.

We stayed in what was supposedly a 4* Hotel but I would say that it was the same standard as a 3* star hotel here

Tojo_Ralph

Dippychick wrote: »

I don't have that in my Passport. I have two small postage stamps - one orange and one green and an oval black stamp and a square black stamp.

It says Hurghada though and Egypt - how do I upload onto here? Do you need to use photobucket?

I just checked my passports and whilst recent visas in them obtained on arrival at cairo are the ones pictured above with the $15 USD in the corner, the one from July 2007 is two stamps, one blue at 5 LE and one orange of an amount I cannot figure out.

Out of interest though, who did you actually hand the money to? was it the kiosk/counter that issues the visas or was it to a "meet and assist" service or a hotel rep prior to immigration?