We are booked on the Oct 11th trip and we are just reading on the internet about how to dress in Egypt. We are a middle age couple and wondering if it is acceptable for men and women to wear appropriate length shorts or is it better to wear long pants....seems too hot to wear pants but that seems to be what is recommended??? We welcome any advice. Thank you.
Packing for Jewels of Egypt Trip
Hello Donna,
The Jewels of Egypt is a truly enjoyable journey!
In regards to clothing, the main rule of thumb is no bare shoulders or knees & no plunging necklines....this goes for the male tour members too! Loose fitting tshirts are great, as are long shorts if you get my drift or 3/4 length.
I haven't travelled in October, but have in November where the highest temp was only 30c, which isn't terribly hot....welll not to me anyway!
Hope you have a wonderful trip, wish I were going too!!...Debbie
Mafesh Mushkelah!!!
Hello Donna,
Debbie has offered great advise as always!
I would recommend loose fitting clothing, cotton and linen items are great as they are light and breathe if you get hot. Also it is a good idea to choose light coloured clothing that reflect the heat, dark colours tend to absorb the heat and make you feel hotter.
I hope that this helps and have a great trip.
Kate
Jewels of Egypt 20 Sept.09
Thanks Donna for asking the question. We are booked on 20th Sept. tour. Am I right in assuming that no bare knees even for males. My husband's shorts are longer length but above the knee - are these acceptable? Thank you in advance for clarifying this. Jean
Hi tandjfoster
I would agree with all the previous advice.
I think long shorts are fine for men for the majority of the days on this trip. And it's fair to say that the majority of our male travellers do wear shorts at some point during tours in Egypt. In Alexandria and on the Red Sea it's common to see Egyptian men wearing shorts them selves!
I always preferred wearing long trousers whilst walking around the streets of Cairo and Alexandria where there are not so many other foreigners/tourists.
Have a great time
David
Hi
I did this tour 3 years' ago and it is fantastic. Have a great time. Debbie's advice is really good. When you are on the Melodie cruising things are more relaxed so you can wear short shorts and swimwear/thin strap tops etc so you may want to take one set of each.
My other piece of advice is that the pyramids can be a bit overwhelming on the first day i.e. lots of people around trying to sell you things or go on trips etc so just be aware of this if it is something you are not used to and just stick with the tour leader. For me one of the many highlights were the trips to Abu Simbel and Karnak as well as just cruising down the Nile.
Enjoy yourselves
Dress Code
Debbie is our best guide without being our tour guide!
Speaking from experience - whatever you do, you should not have bare shoulders. My pashmina slipped in the cab going to dinner and the locals banged on the cab and scared the heck out of me and the driver! Not a good feeling. Best to take short-sleeved tops and shirts for both guys and gals.
Also below the knees (except on the mv Melode - you will still get looks from the crew!) for dresses, skirts and pants (for both). The locals all wear long sleeved shirts (rolled up) and long pants.
The weather is hot and light weight cottons that dry quick overnight are a blessing. On the Melodie they do your laundry for a small fee but travelling with clothes that you can wash 'n wear really helps keep the size and weight down on the luggage giving you more room to bring back items.
As everyone else said - Have a great trip!
Maureen
Vancouver, BC Canada
Are normal short sleeved Tshirts and long shorts ok? (past the knee but not ankle length) or do I need to keep my arms covered? I'm really shy, so want to avoid offending anyone at all costs.
Thanks for any advice :)
Mirella.
Clothes for Egypt
Tops for ladies cannot be "tight" and should be long -- the Egptian women tend to wear tops that go over the hips and these can be bought for about $5 or less at the various markets. We went this route so as not to offend and left our tops behind so that the guides could give to the local people. A win, win situation.
Maureen
Vancouver, BC Canada
Dress Code
I have done this tour myself. I just went to to local low cost clothes store and found the lightest material pants I could find for staying in cairo and around the other towns. But On the cruise ship things were much more informal and shorts were not such a problem. But some of the girls with us Had to purchase Sarongs to wear them as a kind of shawl when travelling around the towns.
But I would reccommend long sleeves and long trousers at night for the simple fact of keeping the mossies off your skin.
Have a good one all