Six life hacks for tourists who plan to go to Egypt, which will help them create more comfort during their vacation and save them from trouble, said the tourist, who returned from Sharm el-Sheikh, in his blog. Judging by life hacks, the desire to “get” an extra dollar from a tourist in Egypt has not changed. Therefore, most of the advice concerns the financial issue.
According to the tourist, she and her husband spent two weeks in Sharm el-Sheikh. We didn’t stay in a hotel all the time, because passive rest, as I call it, “riding”, is boring for us. We went on excursions, went to the city, talked to locals and watched their lives. ” And from this point of view, she gives the following advice:
- Exchange of money – in the memo of the tour operator, according to the tourist, it is written that you can exchange money for the currency of Egypt in exchange offices or bank branches, “and in banks the exchange rate is stable and more pleasant.” “That’s right, but for some reason the tour operator forgot to write that now there is another way to exchange money, and it is the most convenient, round the clock and does not require a passport and plastic card. These are wonderful Egyptian ATMs that change money at the bank’s rate, without a card and without a fee. Such ATMs are available in many places in the resort areas and differ from conventional ATMs in that they have two compartments for money, which are located next to each other. In one you put, for example, dollars, and in the other you get Egyptian pounds, “said the tourist. However, since a couple of life hacks say that one of the favorite ways to “inflate” a tourist is to hand him an Egyptian paper with less denomination, and – that the price is still called in dollars – the question of the need for exchange remains questionable.
- Where to get 1 dollar bills. “It’s no secret that all Egyptians who work with tourists are waiting for a tip. These are maids in hotels, beach fights and waiters in restaurants. Of course, you can not give these tips, you will still be served. But tips are a good incentive for this service to be at a high level, ”the tourist says, further describing how the room cleaner“ paid back ”for the missed tips. Once they hurried on a tour and forgot to put a magic note on the table. When we arrived, the room was cleaned, but we forgot to put a towel on our feet, and the next day the maid came to clean our room in the afternoon, when we went to bed to rest. As a result, the tourist replies that the dollars can be exchanged – the drivers of minibuses plying along the coast, as well as hotel staff. “They change with great pleasure, because they like to have higher denomination notes,” she says.
- Buying tours – and the tourist immediately clarifies that these are tours “not from your tour operator, but in street travel agencies, which will be much cheaper” – recall that such tours are not highly recommended, a great opportunity to run into not only fraudsters, but and disregard for safety rules. Tourists “turned up” only wanting to make some money on tourists. She advises – find out in detail all the points of the program. “For example, they may say that lunch is on, but forget to say that drinks are not included. So you need to take water with you. When we went on an excursion to the natural attraction in the Red Sea Blue Hole (coral reserve), we were told that the entrance to the reserve is charged $ 5 and is included in the tour price. But “forgot” to inform that, in addition to masks (we took them with us), we still need flippers (we had, but we did not take them on a tour) and life jackets. Flippers and life jackets had to be rented for $ 5 each, because without them they refused to let us into the sea to that hole, ”she says.
- Public transport: in Sharm el-Sheikh, according to the tourist, white and blue minibuses run along the entire coast. “They drive often and will stop in front of you, they will buzz even in advance. For locals, the fare varies by distance and the maximum is 5 pounds (a third of a dollar). For tourists, the tariff, regardless of distance – $ 1 from the nose. But this is for those who know. If you ask the driver, he first calls the cost $ 3, and when you start to get upset, he agrees to $ 1. Therefore it is not necessary to ask anything. Just sit down and name the place where you go out. Pay for a dollar per person, “she said. The minibuses run from morning till night.
- Shops, souvenirs, fruit: here the advice is the same, proven – you can not only bargain, but also necessary. “I am glad to call your price, to which you really agree, immediately and stand on it. If the seller does not fall to this price, we just turned around and walked slowly. We were often stopped at the doorstep and told that we agreed on our price. If we didn’t stop, we understood that the last price announced by the seller was the same. And it was for this amount that they bought the same thing in the next store, ”says the tourist.
- Carefully count how much you have been given: the same mentioned “currency” life hack – “paying with big local bills, do not rush to go and look carefully at how much you have given.” “There are several options: they may just not add, like they were wrong; can give a note of the necessary denomination, but withdrew from the address », – the tourist writes. He added that “the most beloved and desirable money for Egyptians is the US dollar.” “They are gladly accepted everywhere and at a good rate, close to banking. When you ask for the price, it is first of all called in dollars. That’s why I don’t see any sense in exchanging cash dollars for Egyptian pounds, “she said. At the same time, the euro is also accepted without any problems, but the “exchange rate” of 1 euro is 1 dollar, which is clearly unprofitable. But the non-cash payment in the country, which is clearly included in the years of Egypt’s absence in Russia, has not taken root – “the card can be paid only in large stores, which are almost non-existent. Or at the reception of your hotel “, – the tourist writes.
