Hi,

Can't help specifically with yor questions but have modified the Tips for 1st Timers from the Sharm forum for you:

JABS - None is compulsory but the following are advisable, up to date tetanus, diphtheria, polio, typhoid & Hep A; some people have hep B. Typhoid boosters are then every 3 yrs, Hep A will last up to 25yrs after the initial course, tetanus, diphtheria & polio last 10yrs; unsure about Hep B as I haven’t had that one.

TOPLESS SUNBATHING – is actually illegal in Egypt, which is a predominantly Muslim country. I did specifically ask on our Dec ’07 trip (not cos I wanted to do it, just cos I wanted to know). Poster Tim H from Lincs UK also saw it in Lonely Planet Guide. Hotel staff are all male & there are notices around several of the hotel’s pools requesting that you don’t sunbathe topless. I’ve read on the forum about some women going topless & the pool staff asking them to cover up. Even if they don’t (for fear of upsetting the guests….cos they want the tourists trade to grow!) it doesn’t make it any more legal & can only add fuel to the theory that some hold, which is that western women are “easy”. I asked if the tourist police enforce the law & was told that they try. I know that one restauranteur we spoke to about this says that when he goes to the beach, with his 2 young sons & politely asks tourists to cover up, he is usually met with abuse.

Be careful if you go out of resort on trips to wear 3/4 length trousers or jeans & make sure that if the top is strappy that it's not too low cut. You’ll attract cat-calls from the women in Cairo, let alone the men if you’re skimpily dressed by their standards!

You'll attract plenty of male attention, especially if you're blonde; most of the time it's just a laugh & they don't cross the line. Be polite but firm. They have a great sense of humour & like the Brits.

SHOPPING - The vendors can be a bit pushy - again, you must be prepared to haggle hard & try to look out for the "entrapment" ploys such as "Can I ask you a question?" "We've just opened a new shop & have a sale on, come & look". "Will you sign my guest book for other customers to read?" It's all harmless but you can get caught up for some time!

They'll want to offer you drinks like mint tea in many of the shops if you seem genuinely interested, or go back for a 2nd look.

The restaurants will also hassle you for their custom as competition between all shops & bars is strong due to the similarity of many. Some people cope with this better than others but fore-warned is fore-armed.

Bargain for everything, haggle hard, including taxis - even to the point of pretending to walk away.

TAXIS – They have a reputation for trying to rip off the tourists. They do have tariffs fixed by the government & the appropriate sticker on the windscreen. Agree a price in LOCAL currency, for the whole trip, not per person, BEFORE you get in.

UPSET TUM - Take wipes or antibacterial handwash & carry them with you as the money is truly filthy. Some bugs are picked up from things / food when others haven’t washed their hands (enough said!)

There are many chemists in Sharm, I assume Luxor will be similar. The ones we've used seem very knowledgeable & helpful. We've never had a touch of the Pharaoh’s Revenge during our 3 visits but advice on this forum strongly suggests that at the 1st sign of the Cairo Quickstep, Sharm Shuffle, Luxor Limbo, Aswan Sand-dance, or any type of tummy trouble, go straight to the chemist - UK products are ineffective! Ask for Antinal (antibiotic) at about 90p a packet in Dec ‘07. Antinal suspension is available for kids. (Web info says it’s also known as Ambatrol (nifuroxazide)Bacifurane, Nifrozid, Endiex.& Ercefuryl, but it’s Antinal in Egypt).

Local peppermint tea also helps with the digestion. One tip from our uk chemist was to take Motilium pills with us, as they aid digestion & prevent anything lying heavily in the gut. It’s not a laxative but if you have something dodgy, it helps it to go thru (without making you rush to the loo.) Maybe take rehydration sachets with you like Dioralyte.

Further tip from my friend who regularly travels to places like Tibet, India & Paraguay is to take Citricidal (Grape fruit seed extract) It’s available in Health Shops & there are several websites explaining that conventional antibiotics only kill bacteria. The grapefruit seed extract has been shown to inactivate viruses, yeasts, fungi, parasites and worms, as well as bacteria. It is therefore antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial. Recommended 1-3 tablets a day, with or without meals & it’s ideal for traveling to places where food or drink may be contaminated. Lactobacillus acidophilus pre-biotic tablets may also help line your stomach in preparation for unfamiliar bacteria potentially found in the food out there. You can buy ones that don’t have to be kept in the fridge.

You can buy Buscopan, over the counter here, which is great for gripes. Freshly squeezed lemon & lime juice, sugar to taste, topped up with still mineral water is a good kidney / system flush.

The drug we use in the UK as a prophylactic and treatment is ciprofloxacin, available from some GPs on private prescription.

MOSQUITOES- Take Vit B pills just before going & during - you won't taste nice to the mozzies then. Thiamine, found in B1 is an irritant to them, Holland & Barret sell timed release ones as our body doesn’t store it for long. Alcohol lessens its effects. Be aware that prolonged use may upset your mineral balance. Some people say take yeast pills instead.

Take Avon Skin so Soft / Woodland Fresh as it's a great repellent. (Some specifically recommend the Avon skin so soft dry oil spray "soft & fresh"; you want the blue/green bottle as this variety has the citronella in it, it is not in the pink one "soft & sensual" I use the pink one tho.

Some say get DEET from Boots. Take a room plug in. If a real mozzie problem occurs in your room, ask reception to spray it when cleaning. You can also get wristbands from Mothercare against mozzies (approx £4 each). Aspivenin gadget from Boots (about £20) or online- pocket sized mini pump that will suck out the poison from mozzie bites etc.

MONEY - Some hotels have atm machines in the grounds; there are several atm’s around Na'ama, Sharm, so assume that Luxor will be similar.

Take a little local currency to tide you over, then the rest in sterling, or sterling travellers cheques & exchange there - better rate. Visa, Visa Electron, Plus Card, MasterCard, Maestro, and Cirrus are all acceptable in almost all ATM's in Egypt. In addition, all cards carrying "123" or "NAPS" ATM network logos are also acceptable.

One of the best ways to get money is to open a Nationwide Flexi Account. You get FREE ATM withdrawals anywhere in the world.

TIPPING - as you go (if service is good in hotel & at a restaurant) & they'll really look after you, even more. It’s ok to tip in pound coins – at least until you exchange some money – as they save them up & ask a tourist to swap them for a note. We tip 10% or 10% plus, depending on service & how many times we frequent the particular eateries / bar. Some folk tip in dollar bills. You will get some telling you to tip in sterling to start with & the other opinion is to tip all thru in dollars as the small denomination Egyptian notes are hard to come by at times. Recently, more folk have been saying to try & tip in LE as by tipping £1 or even in dollars, we’re over inflating their economy. The wages out there are poor & even £1 is qquite a lot to them when their monthly wage is £30. This makes a mockery of the wages of teachers, drs. etc. If you pay for things in hard currency, you stand more chance of being ripped off by a dubious exchange rate. Even if they ask us if we want to pay in sterling, we decline.

PLUGS - Voltage 220 & 2 pin, round plugs, European adapters.

MOBILES - Buy an Egyptian sim card there; they’re very reasonable to load up. Take an unlocked handset with you or buy an old, cheap handset out there. I haven’t used the following site, but just noted the for future ref:

A useful website maybe www.mycherrymobile.com; check out the deals & prices or put in “global sim” on google, or www.gosim.com.

…ebay.co.uk/experimentalists_Global-Roaming-…

Regards

Hi,

A beer in hotels should cost anything between 25 aand 35LE a bottle depending on the hotel. Outside anything from 8LE - 15LE.

3 course meal in a local restaurant about 70 - 80LE. Use the search box and put in "retaurants in Luxor"

You will get lots of information on good places to eat.

As someone said in a recent post " come with an open mind and an open heart". Luxor is very different to anywhere you have ever been, probably. The people are friendly so just see beyond the hassle and enjoy your first time. Have a good flight on Wednesday and Happy holiday!

PS - Get ready for the heat to hit you as you step off that plane!!!

Around 15LE for a beer, that would be in local bars and restaurants. But in the big hotels like the Iberotel it might be 20 to 30LE. We stayed at the Sheraton in December and it was 35LE but the St Joseph where we stayed in April was only 15LE. The St Jo has a cellar bar and happy hour it goes down to 13LE. Also the Gaddis has a bar and I think we only paid 12LE in there.

Phil

thanks for your replys so quickly this site has been a godsend i will let yous know how i got on

Spirits will cost £5.00 LE50 or more in the hotels far better to drink localy.You can get a meal for 2 from £15.00 LE150

Hi there

If you want to drink spirits or have a favourite drink, I would say to buy it in the duty free before you go. There's a duty free shop in Luxor but you need to visit that within 24 hours and take your passport, or I think you can get duty free in Luxor when you land. However, you may not see what you want, so better to take it with you. You can buy mixer drinks cheaply in the local shops when you arrive. The best thing to drink though is lots and lots of bottled water as alcohol and the searing heat of Egypt don't mix very well.

As spirits are expensive in Luxor, I usually stick to the local beer and also found bottles of 'alcopops' in 7 Days 7 Ways and John and Johns about three years back, which were really quite nice. Most places also have lovely fresh juices - like Snobs and The Lantern.

Have a great time!