Egypt - camels and pre-day?

[Camedia]

Hi everyone,

We are very exciting for our upcoming tour.

We get in early on the day with no activities and would love suggestions. Don't want to do things that we would end up doing on the tour anyway - unless you think it's worth it to do it twice?

For example, was considering doing an ATV trip or something like that in the dunes.

Also is there an opportunity to ride a camel on the official ABD tour? If not, maybe that's something we could do that day?

Thanks much

 

[mathgeek]

There was not an opportunity to do a camel ride on the tour when I went in July 2022. I do know a couple of people did do a camel ride by the pyramids on that arrival day, but I don't have any more info like what company they used or anything like that.

 

[Camedia]

Thanks for your note!

 

[WeLoveABD]

Just watch out-- many years ago we were in Cario and got a "free" camel ride, but it cost a lot to get my wife down off the camel! That I hesitated for a split second is something I'm not allowed to ever forget!

 

[Saddlebags]

Thanks to Camedia for asking the question -- I had the same one!

My partner and I are VERY excited for our trip, and we'll arrive quite early on the day with no planned activities, but we're a bit nervous about going around Cairo on our own, as we've heard that scam attempts and risky situations are common.
We'd really appreciate if anyone has any other tips for what to do that day, especially if it's something that's not already included in the AbD itinerary. Not interested in camels, but interested in history, art, and shopping!

Thanks!

 

[pjacobi]

In Egypt, you have to learn about the culture of "baksheesh", a grey area between tip and bribe. Everything runs on Baksheesh!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baksheesh


-Paul

 

[KLondon]

We were in Egypt (with AMA) in Nov/Dec. We did not have a pre-day to fill on our own, but I can say that it's pretty difficult to get around in Cairo on your own. It's not very walkable (crossing streets is a nightmare) and there really isn't great public transit. You would want to hire a driver to take you places, I think.

I would hesitate to do a camel ride on my own because the drivers can be pretty scammy. Our tour arranged this in advance for us and gave us instructions on how it works, how much you should only tip, etc. That worked out fine.

 

[mathgeek]

If you don't pre book a camel ride, check with the concierge desk at the hotel and they can likely book some sort of tour for you that would include transportation and the camel ride. I agree about not doing anything on your own.