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traveling to egypt


rlconzatti

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<p>We are traveling to Egypt in a couple of months. I have heard that some people have had their cameras confiscated or had problems with the officials. I have a Canon XTI and a 50d. Lenses 18-55 xti kit lens, 17-85 is, 70-300 is and a 50 1.8. I would prefer to bring the 50d for the higher ISO and the17-85 and 70-300 but would it be safer and get just as good results with the xti 18-55, and 70-300.</p>

<p>Thanks Rob</p>

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<p>Egypt has enough problems keeping the golden goose of tourism healthy without confiscating camera equipment. I'm not sure who your sources are but I read a lot of print and web travel publications and have never seen a mention of this being a problem in Egypt or, for that matter, any other country. I've only seen confiscation become an issue a handful of times in all my travels. This was always because the photographer was shooting things that were prohibited, i.e. border crossings, military installations etc. And in these cases, it is usually the film or the card they want not the lens or the camera. Take whatever you feel up to carrying, have a good time and don't worry about confiscation. Do take normal precautions against theft.</p>
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<p>The only problem you will have is getting your camera into a museum. Often, you have to buy a 'photo pass', and you'll only learn this once you've finally gotten to the front of the queue and are asked to return and get one...<br>

Your equipment will be checked everywhere, though. It's like being on an airport all the time. Nevertheless, enjoy Egypt! It's a formidable country.</p>

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<p>Rob, look at the Lonely Planet Thorntree forums. They cover all countries, are up to the minute with real experiences of changing travel regulations and full of useful, practical travel tips. Because they are geared toward independent travellers, you will usually find info about places and events off the beaten track.</p>
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<p>I have no problem with my camera when I visited Egypt. Just to make sure you DO NOT take pictures when the sign says no pictures taken. I've seen a guy got caught in one of the tombs in Valley of the Kings and our tour guide told us later that that guy had to pay a fine. Other than that, enjoy and have fun.</p>
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<p>Many thanks</p>

<p>That is just what I thought. One of my wife's girlfriends said that they confiscated her camera and that she had to pay a fine to get it back she was taking a pic when she wasn't suppose to. So the bottom line is when they say no photos it means no photos.</p>

<p>Rob</p>

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<p>Aside from some areas being closed to photography (inside the Valley of the Kings, in many museums, military installations, etc.) I've never heard of any problems. The second time I was there a couple of years ago, I was traveling with a group under Tourist Police protection and with some special privileges, unlike the first time I was there many years ago.</p>
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<p>In Egypt most of the "no photos" signs (government buildings excepted) are geared toward separating foreign visitors from foreign currency, whether in the form of a "ticket" or a "fine." </p>

 

<p>Egypt people are remarkably friendly and are generally overlooked in the rush to photograph pillars and tombs.</p><div>00VCkh-198943584.jpg.c8e78ea78137e9ea066f7385ff299fbf.jpg</div>

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<p>the only people getting busted for shooting in the valley of kings are people shooting flash inside the tombs, which is not allowed as it can destroy thousand year-old hieroglyphics. you do need a pass to take photos of some antiquities, but in general, photography in egypt is no problem-- the military will even dispatch convoys to go with you to some areas to make sure you dont get kidnapped by rebels. if you want to shoot natives in the cities, be prepared to hand out lots of baksheesh. bring plenty of pens and t-shirts too.</p>
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<p>Yes, I didn't believe the business about pens, but for some reason they are much sought after, so bring a bunch. T-shirts are nice for things where more commitment has been made, but a little harder to carry around.</p>

<p>Arab speakers can have a little difficulty with 'p' so when people ask "ben, ben" they are asking for a 'pen'.</p>

<p>Baksheesh is always nice, even American dollars if you don't have enough Egyptian pounds.</p>

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<p>Egypt is a wonderful place, and given the opportunity, I would love to go back. Everyone I met there was just pleasant and friendly. What I did (just food for thought) was contract with a cabbie to be my local guide for my entire visit. A local guide (with his connections) gets you to and inside of places where you may not be able to access on your own.</p>

<p>A couple of things to note: </p>

<p>1) I don't know where you're from or where you've been, but places like Mexico City or NYC in the middle of rush hour have nothing on Cairo when it comes to the sheer number of people.</p>

<p>2) You WILL get <em>"a feeling we're not in Kansas any more."</em> -- just view the photos on the link below to see what I mean.</p>

<p><a href="http://jalbum.net/browse/user/album/353979/;jsessionid=WUPqHYU904N4agtFyIrE.112">http://jalbum.net/browse/user/album/353979/;jsessionid=WUPqHYU904N4agtFyIrE.112</a></p>

 

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<p>I know Egypt quite well (it's a terrific country) and there is no issue with tourists bringing cameras and using them pretty much anywhere. Obviously avoid bridges or sensitive government buildings or border crossings.<br>

The country relies entirely on tourist money and they even have special tourist police to help you - and are really nice helpful people - so they will not be bothered about you taking photos.<br>

On the subject of pens - for heaven's sake stop this stupidity now. Do not give pens away, if you want to help the poor local children then donate to an Egyptian children's charity. The kids just ask for pens because that what dumb tourists bring with them. Stop it.<br>

Otherwise it is a great country especially away from the big obvious tourists sites.<br>

In my times there nobody ever asked me for baksheesh to take their photos and I don't see the reason to encourage it unless you are a pro and want specific images (I have nothing against paying 'ordinary local models' for photos and have done it myself in other places but unless it is obviously that kind of deal then to encourage money for photos is the wrong path to go down).<br>

Enjoy.</p>

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<p>david m, your attitude is, dare i say, somewhat colonial. and you have it wrong. i dont think its photographers who are encouraging baksheesh; rather its locals who expect it. you dont want to honor that unspoken arrangement, that's on you. as for pens, i have been to many third world/developing nations where people are poor as dirt. a pen can bring a smile to a child's face. yet you would curtail this practice as it somehow sits askance with your idea of morality. you should be ashamed of yourself and your Western values.</p>
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<p>Eric, I don't know how much you know about Egypt.  I have lived there on and off for years.  Baaksheesh for photos is strictly for clueless foreigners.  If locals "expect" it, it is from the aforementioned rubes.  I have photographed there for just over three decades and have never paid a tip -- OK once I gave a stunning Nubian woman five pounds but that is literally the only time.  Not have I sold or profited from the photographs I have taken.  On the pen issue, well, I could go either way on that.  In the villages kids really do enjoy getting pens.  Not sure that has much to do with "colonialism."  I certainly hope no one has to be ashamed of Western values, whatever those may be on the subject on pen giving.</p>
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<p>Hi Eric,<br>

'<em>you should be ashamed of yourself and your Western value'</em><br>

Of course you are joking, aren't you? It makes me laugh anyway. I have spent the last 20 years travelling the world, taking photos and making a living from it. I give heavily to local charities in the these countries. If you seriously think that giving a child a pen and 'bringing a smile to his face' is going to change the developing world's poverty instead of donating to a local children's charity then you and I are poles apart on this issue and I won't even try to convince you otherwise. Giving a pen to child is about the most 'western colonial' patronising thing I could imagine doing as a tourist.<br>

Thanks Monika<br>

Yes - Rob</p>

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<p>Hi to All of You! Merry Christmas! Thanks for your great responses on travel to Egypt! :)<br>

We are going the beginning of May. Hoping this won't be too hot! Concerning pictures and photography, I understand you cannot take pictures in the tombs and the advise was to purchase a wide angle lense I just got my hubby a Cannon 10-22 lense and it will be used on the 50 D. Would this be the lense most practical to take or should we take both?<br>

Another question off topic I would like to ask is when the kids come asking for "stuff" what is the best items to give them? Is it something that happens quiet a bit there? We are going with the Tafalgar tours. We have only been to Italy and no where in the East, so not sure what to expect...any travel tips are greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Rob & Laura</p>

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<p>A non photo item is to dress respectfully. For Rob wearing shorts, they should be below the knees. I can't give advice on womens dress, but it's something Laura should find out before you go.</p>

<p>Yes you can take photos in the tombs but it is illegal. As I showed, hire a "guide", they're standing outside asking to help you.</p>

<p>Take a ride on a camel, you'll never get another chance, horrible brutes. Smoke some sheesha, nice stuff. Get away from the tour/hotel folks especially at night, hire a car. Check out contemporary Egyptian art, very interesting.</p>

<p>Get an Egyptian haircut, they pull out ear hairs with dental floss, it hurts like hell but your ears are as hairless as when you were six months old.</p>

<p>I was lucky as I was working there (a legal resident) and got the chance to go on two drunken horse rides with Giza in view under a full moon. There are stables where you can rent horses, find some folks that like to party (very few with alcohol) and watch a dancing Arabian, totally cool. Then gallop in the sand in the dark, a thrill!</p>

<p>The food is awesome. I liked eating pigeon when drinking a few beers. The tea is also great to sit and drink on the street.</p>

<p>Nine months in a Cairo luxury hotel I saw a lot of tours get shuttled to sites then the airport, seriously lacking in really seeing "under the skin". I worked in the streets building a data network on an USAID project. Be open to dumping the tour agenda and build your own. Egypt is photo friendly.</p>

 

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<p>I certainly agree with Michael that you should dress respecfully - long trousers (or long shorts) for men and trousers or (not mini-) skirts for women. Tourists with very revealing upper or lower body parts are frowned upon. Even though this is a very tourist-friendly country it is still predominately a Muslim/Islamic society. I would also say that you should respect the privacy of women who may not want their photos taken - even in modern Cairo.<br>

Food - I love Koshary for lunch and there are lots of great (and cheap) places to enjoy this local dish in Cairo. And yes, drinking tea outside is a wonderful thing to do, especially with the wafting smells of the Sheesha-pipes.<br>

As far as gear is concerned I would take the 50D, wide angle zoom, wide-medium zoom and a 50 1.8 (for very low light level shots, short DOF and size). Obviously keep an eye on your kit but Egypt is quite a safe country and you shouldn't worry about hanging a nice camera around your neck.<br>

Enjoy!</p>

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<p>Hi. We made five visits to Egypt between 2002 and 2006. We visited many cities and sites on the Nile between Alexandria in the North to Aswan in the South. The only problem we encountered was the tripod ticket, this is an extra payment made when visiting sites of historical interest and you want to use a tripod. The ticket itself is not a problem, it only costs a few E£'s, Its the criminal vultures, mostly police men, who arrive after you have bought the ticket to tell you of various other taxes you have to pay, in cash directly to them. They are a nuisance and sometimes quite threatening. I don't know how things are now but if you can manage without a tripod it could save you a lot of problems. On the subject of giving pens to children, please do not think you are in any way helping with illiteracy in the country. After you hand over the pens they are instantly traded for sweets at shops that sell postcards, and, you have guessed it, pens to tourists who forgot to bring a pen. Enjoy your trip. Phil</p>
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<p>I went with an 18-70 and was happy but would have been more happy with the 18-105.<br>

Bring some thick skin...Egyptians are very nice and saved me from being lost several times. The guards at the valley of the queens offered me part of their lunch when they were on break. If you have the chance and someone offers their food, take it. Learn "hello" and "thank you" in Arabic. It'll take you a long way with the non-tourist Egyptians.<br>

You cannot take your camera into the Cairo museum. Don't even bring it there, since you'll have to put it in a camera check and you'll stress about it the whole time. It'll give you a chance to actually see things rather than concentrating on taking poorly lit photos. You can't take photos inside of Abu Simbel temple, either. There are guys walking around all the time to try and catch you. If you feel compelled, you need a digital snappy that doesn't have shutter noise. If a tomb guy so much as sees a lens sticking out, they'll go after you. They've seen most of the basic tricks. You will see some very brash people pop flash inside there. If you're feeling bold, let them know they're being rude.<br>

With the right amount of consideration, the tomb harpies (guards, not uniformed, haha) will turn a blind eye or even help you. Just don't use the flash. Expect that if a a tomb guy helps you, he will expect payment and hound you. The real tourist police at Memphis will offer for you to take a pic of them. In exchange for $. If you're really slick, bring some coins from a Fun-4-All and say they're Canadian dollars. I saw that used and it was sad and funny at the same time. After being hounded by the few hacks, it'll be really funny.<br>

Forget the tripod if it's your first time being there. You'll be overwhelmed if you've not been to a middle east country before. You'll be busy dodging traffic and the crush of people. You're there to see and not on assignment. You'd be amazed at how much you miss if you are fiddling with a camera the whole time.<br>

Spend a little time walking on the Nile at sunset. Sit on a bench...a nice, old man might sit down and offer to share half his humble dinner. Don't refuse.</p>

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<p>Aaron, the Harpy that snapped my photo above was a hoot. The tomb was full of other tourists so he started clapping his hands say "Out out out to many people", I couldn't stop laughing as the folks started filing out. My friend asked me what was so funny and between laughs I told him what was happening. The Harpy didn't really want to hang around waiting. Another tourist with a big wide rig heard me and stayed for some nice shots. They're worth the tip.</p>
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