Business contacts
Mobile phones These can be rented through most hotels. The line (SIM card) and phone are available separately, and each costs approximately £5.40 per day. It’s free to receive calls, but outgoing calls require pre-paid cards.
Car hire An international driver’s licence is required to rent and drive in Egypt, along with a passport and a credit card. Other requirements include strong nerves, fast reflexes and enormous patience. Petrol, however, is very cheap at about 9p per litre. Hertz (Tel: 539 1380, Fax: 539 1379) rents its basic models for £30/day, which includes 100kms/day. The price includes tax and insurance. Avis (Tel: 794 7400/368 9400, Fax: 796 2464) rental options start with a very affordable, if a bit wimpy, Daewoo sedan (£20/day) and top out with the Mercedes C180 (£40/day). All rentals include the standard 100kms/day.
Rawas Limousine (Tel: 335 0477/349 9831, Fax: 735 6667/338 7008) has several rental options, available with and without drivers. A Toyota Corolla without a driver costs £22.60/day. Peugeot and Mercedes E-class sedans are available with a chauffeur for £40 and £90 respectively.
Secretarial services Competent temporary staff can be hired on an hourly or daily basis through the business centre of most major hotels. One of the best hotels in this regard is the Cairo Sheraton. Quality bilingual services cost £6.50/hour, £53.50/day. Specialised translation services can be arranged as well.
Local press
The lone English-language daily in Egypt is the government-funded Egyptian Gazette. Loaded with typos and broken English, and burdened by the necessity of constant sycophancy, this paper is nevertheless worth looking at for the odd bit of local news. Al Ahram Weekly is the English version of the government-controlled Arabic daily of the same name. Generally boring and long-winded, this paper offers periodic token criticism of the government but is generally not trustworthy on anything of political consequence.
Cairo, a weekly news magazine, is Egypt’s only independent English-language news source. Balanced, accurate reporting and professional production make it the best of the bunch for news and entertainment. Cairo’s extensive theatre, gallery and lecture listings are a good starting point for planning cultural outings. Egypt Today is a foreign-owned monthly. Glossy, ad-laden pages and lifestyle-oriented content make for a worthwhile read.
Internet
Air-conditioned internet cafés and, more and more frequently, coffee shops and restaurants with high-speed wi-fi service are available throughout the city. Internet cafés charge about 45p/hour, but wi-fi connections in coffee shops don’t require an account and come at no extra charge. Cilantro, 157 26th of July Street, Zamalek, Tel: 736 1115. Open daily 24 hours. Tabasco Café, 18b Al Maraashly Street, Zamalek, Tel: 735 8465. Daily 24 hours. Cilantro, 31 Muhammad Mahmoud Street, opposite AUC, Downtown, Tel: 792 4572. Open daily 24 hours. Beano’s, 15 Baghdad Street, Korba, Heliopolis, Tel: 690 3484. Daily 24 hours.
Money
Egypt’s currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP). Pegged to the US dollar for years, the now-floating currency hovers around EGP 11 for £1. Major credit cards are accepted at major establishments and those catering to travellers. ATMs are widely available. Bartering is an honourable art form in Egypt. Many vendors will actually be insulted if you pay the first price they ask. Always counter with at least half the amount and work up from there. Be careful not to look at things you don’t want to buy! The vendor will think you’re trying to haggle, even when you walk away, and will follow you with it.
Tipping etiquette
Tipping, or backsheesh, is an extremely common occurrence in Egypt—and is not limited just to restaurant and hotel staff. The rule in Egypt is: if in doubt, tip. It doesn’t take much and a couple of pound go a long way, but everyone from doormen to parking attendants will be happier and give better service for it. Most restaurants will add a 10-15% service charge to the bill, but another 5% in cash is customary. When you use the restroom in Egypt, you should pay the attendant to the tune of half a pound or a pound. Taxi drivers are not tipped on top of the fare (see below).
Visa/vaccination
Most nationalities, including British passport holders, can obtain visas at the airport for $15. They are also available in advance through the Egyptian Consulate. Currently no special vaccinations are required for visitors to Egypt, but it is highly recommended that you ensure your hepatitis and tetanus shots are up to date.
Public holidays
The Islamic holy day is Friday, making the Egyptian weekend Friday and Saturday. The dates of all Islamic holidays are determined annually by religious officials using local sightings of the moon, so dates remain tentative until the last minute.
6th January — Epiphany (Coptic)
11th January 2006 — Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
31st January 2006 — Islamic New Year
9th February 2006 — Ashoura
11th April 2006 — Eid mawlid al-Nabi (birth of the Prophet)
18th June — Evacuation Day
23rd July — Revolution Day
4th October 2005, 23rd September 2006 — Beginning of Ramadan
6th October — National Day (Armed Forces Day)
3rd November 2005, 22nd October 2006 — Eid al-Fitr (close of Ramadan)
24th October — Suez and National Liberation Day
23rd December — Victory Day
Weather and climate
The climate in Cairo is balmy for most of the year, with a spell of stifling, humid heat between mid June and mid September. Rain is rare year round, and the temperature rarely drops below 10C, even in the middle of winter. Pollution, however, is a year-round problem. Those suffering from asthma or other breathing complaints should avoid Cairo, especially in the summer months when temperatures rise over 40C and pollution levels are bad enough to be considered a national secret by a government more concerned about the health of its tourism than its tourists.
Suggested reading
Cairo: The City Victorious by Max Rodenbeck. This anecdotal history by a popular journalist captures 6,000 years of the city’s history in 320 informative, lively pages.
A History of the Modern Middle East by William Cleveland. Slightly more academic, but highly readable, this masterly volume explains how Egypt arrived where it is today, putting its modern history into perspective with the region in general.
The Cairo Trilogy (Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Street) by Naguib Mahfouz. Included in every Egypt reading list, the three novels which earned Mahfouz the Nobel Prize for literature intimately depict life in Cairo from the First World War to the ’50s.
Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World by Thomas W Lippman. A solid, readable overview of the belief system which permeates all aspects of Egyptian life.