Egypt
Egypt is a popular alternative to European holiday destinations. The climate in Egypt means that it is an all year round destination. The hottest month is August and the coldest month is February. Egypt has plenty to offer with its ancient history, cruises, superb scuba diving or just a place to relax on the beach. Multi-centre stays are popular allowing visitors to absorb themselves in Egypt’s ancient history before heading off to one of the many resorts for some time at the beach.
Egypt is in the north east corner of Africa where the continent meets Asia. It has coastlines to the North (Mediterranean Sea) and to the East (Red Sea). To the south is Sudan and to the west lies Libya. Israel lies to the east of the Sinai peninsula which is separated from the rest of Egypt by the the Suez Canal. Egypt is about 4 times the size of the UK and the majority of the 75 million population live along the Nile Valley.
Resorts
There are a number of destinations available for people wanting to visit the Land of the Pharaohs. The Red Sea offers a number of destinations for people in search of a beach holiday or scuba diving. The most popular resorts are found in Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada while people preferring a bit of peace and quiet may prefer places like Marsa Alam. Cruises are also available along the River Nile or Lake Nasser and there is plenty of ancient sightseeing available in Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria. Twin centre holidays are recommended for people wanted to see more of what Egypt has to offer.
Currency
The local currency is the Egyptian pound and one pound is made up of 100 Piastres. The notes are in denominations of 25 Piastres, 50 Piastres, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Pounds. Occasionally you will find coins for the smaller amounts. In the resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada, cash machines and banks (including HSBC) are plentiful so there is no real need to order too much currency before you go. If you prefer to take travellers cheques, these can be exchanged at the banks.
Visas
Tourist visas for British citizens can be bought on arrival at your point of entry or if you prefer you can apply to the Egyptian embassy before you leave. It is important that you full understand the visa entry requirements before you travel as it is the visitors obligation to ensure they have the correct documentation in place in order to entry Egypt.
For more information, contact the Egyptian consulate in London (http://www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk/Visas.php)
Power
The power sockets in Egypt are 2 round pins with 220v and a frequency of 50Hz. Visitors from the UK can use British electrical appliances with a basic adaptor that can be purchased in all UK airports.
