Your question “Is It Safe To Travel To Egypt?” Is Answered
When we started planning to go to Egypt, our friends and family objected vehemently! “What about the Arab Spring?” they said. “How about the Muslim Brotherhood? It’s not safe to travel to Egypt!”
These were questions we had of course considered, but only a little homework revealed the facts vs what the news media routinely reported are very different.
Take a look at our quick video above to get a sense of our actual experience.
The Arab Spring Happened 7 Years Ago!
That’s right: it’s quite a while back. Here’s a quick history primer: It was in January 2011 that the Egyptian revolution of 2011 began (which you can read about here if you feel like it), when hundreds of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets in an ideologically and socially diverse mass protest movement that ultimately forced longtime president Hosni Mubarak from office. Not that surprising, after 30 years.
In popular elections, a mildly Islamist President, Mohamed Morsi, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood party, was elected. He and that very ineffectual party lasted 2 years, until he was ousted by the military, and Egypt went back to a secular government under a strong military leader, vehemently opposed to terrorism and to Islamist extremism. This is the type of government we are used to in Egypt (like Nasser’s) and it has done well under them. So the country is stable and has been for the past 5 years. Knowing this, we were comfortable about going.
They are combating terrorism in the Sinai, but you are not going there. The level of security is tight, with roadblocks checking vehicles, security as you enter hotels etc. Tourists are carefully monitored and the government is not taking any chances. There is very little crime, and there have not been any political incidents, and none involving tourists for years. So we went to Egypt alert, but not particularly concerned.
Our Actual Experience: It’s Safe To Travel To Egypt!
From the moment we arrived in Egypt, we felt a huge wave of welcome. Kids ran up to us in the street crying “Welcome to Egypt” in their remarkably good English. When we ventured into the souk, people came up to us and thanked us for coming. I was watching for suspicious characters, expecting to be spat at, with anti-American slurs and scowls. Not once did we experience anything like that: quite the opposite. We can honestly say we have never been in a friendlier country, and it’s safe to travel to Egypt..
The people have this positive, smiling approach, no matter what the income group. Energetic and optimistic, the many Egyptians we met were not afraid to talk politics, to welcome us, and to speak English – certainly better than other Middle Eastern countries we have been to.
We weren’t concerned about political violence, and we quickly became unconcerned about theft. You wouldn’t believe how relaxed storekeepers, for example, are about leaving their stalls unattended while they showed us directions. Theft and common violence are just not a part of the culture.
Take Advantage of the Low Traffic
We found that very few Americans find it safe to travel to Egypt, probably because our media don’t pay much attention, or lump all Muslim unrest together. Egypt is not Syria! Other nations are more aware of the reality on the ground, but tourist numbers in Egypt are not what they once were. We took a Nile cruise on the fabulous Sonesta St. George, and it was half full (click here for our review of that cruise). At our hotel in Cairo, the equally fabulous Sonesta Hotel and Towers (see review), the concierge begged us to tell Americans to come because Egypt is “safe, friendly and cheap.” He’s right.
It won’t stay that way. The currency is starting to strengthen, and tourists are starting to come. So, put aside your safety concerns and go now. There’s really no place like it.
