The Insider's Guide to Budget Travel

Tired of the usual backpacking trail across South-East Asia, Australia or South America?

Well why not try backpacking around the Middle East? The region is far safer to visit than in recent years, and as long as you respect local customs, you can experience all of its exotic charms.

As a gateway to the Middle East, Egypt is an excellent place to start your tour. Even in the capital Cairo, food, accommodation, transport and cultural sights are dirt cheap, making the country perfect for cash-strapped backpackers.

But there are a couple of tips every first-time traveller needs to to know before they jet off around Egypt. We’ve written a guide to backpacking in Egypt, so you can plan your own trip:

Must-See Sights:

Cairo

This noisy, crowded capital needs little introduction, and is home to a roll-call of ancient wonders. The Egyptian Museum is full of ancient treasures like the golden face of Tutankhamen (go in the afternoon to cool off and escape the crowds). Then there’s the churches in Coptic Cairo, the medieval city walls, and the mind-blowing buildings of Islamic Cairo – from Saladin’s Citadel  to the beautiful Blue Mosque, made of ink and turquoise mosaic tiles in 1347. Scale to the top of the minaret of the Ahmad Ibn Tulun Mosque for the best view over the city.

Giza

Giza is close to Cairo, and is pretty touristy these days – you’ll be approached by numerous tour guides, touts and souvenir vendors if you’re visiting alone. If you would rather go on a tour, check at your hostel for cheap trips to Giza with local guides. But Giza is popular for a reason – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the three famous pyramids and the grand Sphinx are unmissable. If you must take a horse or camel ride around the pyramids, agree to the price first, or you’ll end up ripped off, or stranded on a camel!

Stay: Wake Up! Cairo is one of the top-rated Cairo hostels, in the heart of downtown.

Want more offbeat sightseeing? Check out our list of cool things to do in Cairo.

Abu Simbel, Aswan

Abu Simbel is an amazing pair of temples carved out of rock, lying on the western bank of Lake Nasser. The temples were originally carved out of a mountainside by Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and Queen Nefertari. They were moved to an artificial hill  in the 1960s, to stop the temples being swallowed up by the lake! Check out the four huge statues of Ramses II, and subterranean temple lit by shafts of light.

Stay: Stay in a hostel in Aswan to visit Abu Simnel. Try the 3 star rated Nile Hotel.

Luxor

Luxor feels like an outdoor museum, with elegant nineteenth-century boulevards lined with ancient temples and monuments. On the eastern banks of the Nile, it’s got all the bobbing Feluccas, bustling bazaars and museums you’ll see in Cairo, but is a little less crowded. The top sight is the Karnak Complex, which took 1300 years to build and is home to the biggest temple in Egypt. The night light show makes for an atmopsheric evening. Take a tour across the river to the Theban Necropolis for the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Tomb of the Nobles – highlights include  the cursed tomb of Tutankhamen and Ramses VI.  Other sights worth checking out include Luxor Temple and the Mummification Museum.

Stay: Luxor Hostels are unbelievably cheap – rooms at the Sherief Hotel are under 2 Euros a night!

Best Beaches…

For Chilling Out…Marsa Alam

Marsa Alam is seriously chilled out, and undeveloped compared to other Red Sea resorts. The beaches are an endless sweep of white sand dotted with straw parasols, and crystal clear waters filled with tropical fish. Chic boutique hotels border the shore, but there are a surprising number of affordable Marsa Alam hostels to choose from.

For Showstopping Sunsets…Nuweiba

Known as the ‘Pearl of the Gulf of Aqaba’, Nuweiba is the beauty queen of Egyptian beaches, with silvery sands, mountain scenery and shallow coral reefs out at sea. The sunsets here are out of this world – with skies coloured in pink, purple and orange, and there’s water sports and historic forts to discover off the sand.

For More than Sunbathing…Hurghada

Ok, so Hurghada has spotless, sun-soaked beaches, but people who come here don’t just stick to their sun lounger. The diving is world-class, and there’s snorkelling or trips on a glass-bottomed boat if you’re feeling less adventurous. Hurghada’s bazaar is a great place to pick up a souvenir, and the nightlife is non-stop, from hotel shows to banging nightclubs.

Best Diving Spots:

Egypt is home to some of the best diving in the world! Whether you’re a scuba diver or a beginner snorkeller, here are the best places to make a splash:

Dahab: This ex-hippy retreat has deep  and crystal clear water, so you’ll see rainbow coral reef, exotic marine life and maybe even the odd shark! The Blue Hole and the Canyon are legendary with experienced divers, and the hostels in Dahab are geared towards diving and watersports fans – many are right on the beach!

Sharm El Sheikh: Popular with the package holiday set, Sharm is much more than a beautiful beach resort – there’s also excellent diving and watersports to sink your teeth into. First timers can learn the ropes by snorkeling in the shallow reefs of Middle Garden, and experienced divers can take a boat trip from one of the diving shops to Ras Mohammed National Park.

Off the Beaten Track – Places to really make your trip unique:

Coptic Monasteries: These are monuments to the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt, and are often refreshingly tourist free compared to the main sites. Egypt’s oldest are St Anthony and St Paul, hidden amidst the mountains and barren cliffs of the Red Sea.

Catacombs: Alexandria may not be as packed with ancient artefacts as Cairo and Luxor, but it is home to the catacombs of Kom es-Shoqafa.  These subterranean tombs are a ghoulish sight,  tunnelling underneath solid rock, and are filled with the burial chambers of a wealthy family from 2AD.

The White Desert, Al Wadi Al Jadid: The ‘White Desert’ is in the northern corner of Egypt’s Western Desert, and covers an area twelve times the size of the UK! This surreal landscape is a spectacle of shifting sands, mountainous dunes and stark rock formations – and the area’s high mineral content means the rocks glitter in the desert sun.

Useful Stuff:

Advice for Women

Egypt is a Muslim country, but in general is a lot less conservative than other Middle Eastern destinations, and solo female travellers are often the norm. However, you still need to be respectful of certain cultural differences – women sometimes sit seperately from men on public transport, and you’ll still need to cover up your shoulders and legs if entering a Mosque or Muslim area.

Don’t dress in skimpy beach clothes unless you’re in a Red Sea resort. The biggest problem women face in Egypt is hassle from other men – especially if you’re blond (you might want to wear a hat or scarf to cover your hair!). Usually this will only be to sell you things, but some men can be quite persistent, so try to ignore any unwanted attention. Some women wear a fake wedding ring, or tell men they are married to try and stave off any unwanted advances.

For more tips for girls visiting the Middle East, check out our female travel advice.

Getting Around

Buses are the easiest and cheapest way to get around the country from Cairo, as the service is reliable and relatively safe. The buses vary in quality depending on how touristy the destination – Dahab, Sharm el Sheikh and Luxor are served by slightly more expensive buses with air conditioning and toilets.

Eating and Drinking

Food in Egypt is delicious and cheap, and contrary to popular belief, won’t make you ill! It’s tap water that usually unsettles western stomachs, so never drink tap water, avoid ice in drinks and salad (usually washed in tap water). Bottled water is cheap and readily available.

For cheap meals, avoid the western fast food chains (surprisingly expensive!) and try a snack bar or authentic local street stall. Popular meals include grilled pigeon, shish kebab (lamb or chicken) in pitta bread served with hummous, tahini or babaganoush (an aubergine dip), and Koshari, a mix of  macaroni, spaghetti, rice, black lentils, chick peas, garlic sauce and a spicy tomato chili sauce, all topped with fried onions.

Alcohol is readily available in the bars and hotels in more touristy areas, but the locals are more likely to sit back and drink a cup of thick black coffee, fresh mint tea, and smoke a Shisha pipe in a Shisha Cafe.

How to Haggle

Egypt is famous for its excellent markets, souks and bazaars, packed with stalls crammed with brightly coloured fabrics, the air scented with the smell of spices and Shisha smoke. But to score an exotic souvenir, you’ll need razor-sharp haggling skills. The whole show can get a bit annoying at first, but once you get into the swing of haggling, it’s actually a lot of fun.

Here are some haggling tips:

• Bartering is a way of life in Egypt, and vendors expect you to knock their initial prices down.
• The first price quoted is usually ten times the value, so come back with a rock bottom price.
• You’ll get a lot of fuss from the vendor if you offer a low price – remember this is all part of the game!
• Once you’ve picked your maximum price to pay, stick to it, and walk away if the vendor refuses.
• If your price is really right, the vendor will follow you and eventually agree!!
• Check the currency you are quoted – if you are English you will probably be given a price in pounds – ask if they are English or Egyptian pounds so you don’t get ripped off.
• Some vendors talk about a ‘Nubian pound’- it doesn’t exist and is just an attempt to hike up the price!
• Be aware you know exactly what you are buying – some vendors will try and insist you wanted three items and not one!
• Shop around – you can often find similar goods elsewhere for cheaper.
• Check the quality of any gold if you want to buy some – make sure it is the real deal!

Been backpacking in Egypt? Share your tips with us below!

Images – Thanks to Mossaiq, hiro008, scaglifr, Mrs Logic, and ironmanix on Flickr.