Thursday, May 26, 2011

Should you reconsider a holiday to Egypt at the moment?

By Timothy Owen


The news can make a situation seem much worse than it is. We're given to report the dramatic and violent, which can sometimes make a whole nation seem to be in trouble, when in fact it's only a very localised problem. Egypt is one of those places that it's hard to get a clear picture of right now. We've seen political unrest, followed by an apparent revolution, but where does that leave the country for a traveller now?

Well, it's wise to know what potential problems there are with a trip there. The revolution is over, but that does not mean there aren't areas of unrest. In fact there's something of a power vacuum in Egypt, and there are still former government secret service personnel attempting to stir up trouble in clashes between Christian and Muslim demonstrators. These riots and protests should be avoided completely by outsiders - they're dangerous and unpredictable.

Cairo and much of the rest of the country have adopted a curfew system, so make sure you know what times it's OK to be out on the street to avoid running into trouble with security forces. You should also have photo ID on you at all times. Despite this precaution in the capital, you won't find a curfew in place in the Red Sea resorts, where most tourists travel. In fact these areas haven't really seen anything of the political trouble, and aren't set to either. You're relatively safe there.

There are also potential dangers in travelling by car. Bedouins have recently begun to protests on some key roads. These can take place in remote areas, and as such pose a problem to an unprotected traveller. Check with local advisors before taking and trips by road. If you set off without proper care you may get into difficultly, but with the right precautions there's no need to be caught off guard.

So the message is that Egypt is not in a state of upheaval right now, especially not in tourist areas, but the situation on the ground could change rapidly, and travellers should keep up to date as much as possible with news and events to avoid trouble.




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