How Egypt was one of my favourite trips of the year

When I booked my Western Front trip earlier in the year there was a deal for Egypt tours for half price. So naturally I added one of those to my basket and headed to the checkout. People said I was brave, what a risk I was taking, why did I want to go there with everything that was happening? I have no regrets.

A bucket list addition you won't regret!

A couple of times I was a little nervous, too. Until I realised I was nervous because I didn't know. I knew Egypt has popped up on the news for negative reasons more than travel companies were advertising their holidays there. But that's it! So I researched and learned some recent history and the current agenda. I found valuable tips and lessons on travel and expat blogs about using money, what to wear and what to expect.

Some of my lovely friends lent me some clothes to make sure I was always able to dress modestly. I wore maxi skirts nearly every day, only wearing jeans the first and last days for the sake of flying in and out of London's borderline winterish temperatures. I wore t-shirts and shirts with elbow-length sleeves for the most part. Occasionally I felt comfortable in a tank top with a large scarf to cover my shoulders, but this was on the hottest days or when we went to a tourist-filled place like the pyramids. Personally I found dressing modestly in Egypt was less about respecting the locals and their culture and more about protecting yourself from unwanted attention.

Some locals asked to take a photo with us- they loved us!

After our first outing to grab lunch with some new travel friends, my male travel partner was absolutely shocked at the amount of unwanted attention our group got- mostly directed at the girls. As we walked down the street you could see men stop in the streets and in their cars with their jaws dropped, eyes glued to the bare skin on my friends. One of the girls spoke Arabic and said many guys were shouting out asking if we were "working girls" and "how much". As a solo female traveller I've seen and heard a fair bit of street harassment but this was next level. It didn't shock me though, as I had expected it from the research I had done, and it didn't make me feel unsafe. I should point out that some of the girls in my group wore shorts or tank tops and were comfortable ignoring the attention.

Let me point out my favourite parts of Egypt.

In contrast to that attention, we found tourists were generally treated well by locals. They understand their country needs tourist dollars more than ever as they recover from a massive slump in visitor numbers. Servers in shops and restaurants really appreciated the effort we went to use some basic Arabic where we could. Overall, interacting with local people throughout Egypt was a positive experience and a highlight of my trip. 

One of my favourite highlights from nearly any trip is usually the food. I loved eating out in Egypt. The exchange rate meant around 10GBP got us a buffet breakfast at a five star resort and our average for a meal with sides and drinks at local restaurants was around 4-8GBP. The food was always great, the meat was seasoned with deliciousness (try lamb koftas!) and the service was always good, even when we went in a large group.

One of the many beautiful, unusual and magical sites

My travels this year has left my finances poorer-looking than ever, but I always made sure to tip. Even one or two Egyptian pounds went a long way in a range of situations, and often we felt inclined to give more. One Egyptian pound sits at around 0.08GBP so was meaningless to us but much-appreciated by many.

I'll always remember Egypt as being the place I spent my 21st birthday, made friends with some of the best people I've met on a tour and got classic photos at sites people dream of seeing their whole lives. But the feelings and emotions of being there, talking to both new friends and locals, appreciating those ancient wonders and eating the food are the reasons why Egypt will easily be my favourite adventure for many years to come.