Taking a summer academic/vacation trip to Egypt, need advice frm Egyptians plz

[NinaGucci]

Hello everyone (especially Egpyptians),
Im a Canadian med student and i have applied for a summer school in tropical medicine prog at Cairo university (I think the school is called Kasr el something....) which will be followed by a great tour of all the country...exciting...
However..i wanted to have some questions about life in Egypt...before i go and get a cultural shock!...
1/ I think we're supposed to stay in a 3 stars hotel in the capital...but..how hygienic are 3 stars hotels in Egypt...i know that in some poor countries..under 5 stars are totally neglected...so..do u think it's a safe and decent place to stay?
2/ Dress code...I've never been to Egypt before...but i know that the population there might have some specific requirements for female dress codes...i am muslim by religion..but i dont really dress like religious muslims (veil..etc)...and as my trip will be in August...i dont want to wear some shocking clothes...although i dont necessarily wear tight things or short skirts even here in Canada...but what might seem normal to me, might be not normal to the population there...i do have a lot of respect for all muslim people and i want to know exactely what is suitable there...(im sorry to be such an ignorant girl! lol)
3/ Do you have any advice on decent places to visit in Cairo...or good restaurants...i know we will be taken in charge by the students there..but i want an external advice as well...Do you also have any advice on what we should avoid (places where 3 ladies can be harrassed for example lol) or anything else...
4/ Anyone knows anybody who did this programme before? (I guess if u re a med student at Cairo uni and into the student life..especially activities with IFMSA Egypt..)..to tell us about his/her experience...

Finally, i thank you all for your contributions...i can ask all those questions to the med students organising my trip but i wanted to have an external opinion from other egyptians as well.

Salam

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[kassemm2]

Hi
you don't have to worry much. Egypt is a nice place. concerning staying in a 3 stars hotel well i don think you'd like it much. if you could rent an apartement( in manyal near Kasr El-Ainy)it would be cheaper for you and u'll be more comfortable as if u were home. u manage ur living.it's easy to get a place especially in summer.
Egypt ingeneral is a cheap,u can have fun without paying alot
there are many places to go to within cairo (hotels,resturants,malls,cinemas,nile cruises,etc...)
about the dress code just wear decent non-provocative clothes( nothin tight or flashy or short) just look covered
and if ur concerned about being harassed,don't worry much. it happens but not as u think and in happens more in abandoned areas, and as long as you go out with someone its safe.and harassing is hard to occur in public(mostly in abandoned dark areas)
Egypt in summer is enjoyable....if u have a chance to go to sharm el sheikh and Hurghada it would be awesome. Marina at the northcost is also nice to go to during summer.

im not egyptian but i've been 3 yrs in egypt studying medicine....(im palestinian resident in lebanon)
if u have more questions or you need help, i'll be glad to do so.
u can email me:[email protected]

 

[Toyotario]

hi doctor NinaGucci
i'm an egyptian doctor(just finished my medical study) & i will be happy to provide you with some information about my great country

first of all don't think alot about the cultural shock .we still have camels but we are keeping them just for photos ,don't make a prepared view about egypt before visiting it and wait to see and make a real view and try to enjoy yourself as far as possible .really Egypt is the best place ever to see the history and the present side by side.

sorry for the long speech and now i will answer your questions

1.how hygienic are 3 stars hotels in Egypt?do u think it's a safe and decent place to stay?

i think it will be good enough to stay in a 3 star it will be clean but not the best or the worst.cairo in general is safe.i don't find renting an apartment a good suggestion as in the hotel you will not be concerned of cleaning your clothes and you will not be worried about one or two meals.

2. Dress code?

you are free to choose your clothes but august is one of the hottest monthes here in egypt with temperature ranging from 27 to 37 c degree so you have to find light-texture clothes .

3.Do you have any advice on decent places to visit in Cairo...or good restaurants??

you will be in cairo!!!! you can go in a new marvellous place everyday till your trip is over you can see pharonic,romanian,greek,coptic,islamic and modern faces of history in our country.
as regard restaurants you can have a great lunch in macdonalds for example with just 5 dollars. but you also can have it with 1(traditionalrestaurant)to 20(in a high class magnificent restaurant) dollars.

by the way we also have a great opera house.

4. Anyone knows anybody who did this programme before?
i will try to find someone to contact with you

at last i hope that i made you more interested and curious about visiting Egypt and i will be glad to see you here in my lovely country and i hope that i will arrange a great one day tour for you to touch the core of Egypt in general and Cairo in particular.
contact me for any help

 

[NinaGucci]

hi doctor NinaGucci
i'm an egyptian doctor(just finished my medical study) & i will be happy to provide you with some information about my great country

first of all don't think alot about the cultural shock .we still have camels but we are keeping them just for photos ,don't make a prepared view about egypt before visiting it and wait to see and make a real view and try to enjoy yourself as far as possible .really Egypt is the best place ever to see the history and the present side by side.

sorry for the long speech and now i will answer your questions

1.how hygienic are 3 stars hotels in Egypt?do u think it's a safe and decent place to stay?

i think it will be good enough to stay in a 3 star it will be clean but not the best or the worst.cairo in general is safe.i don't find renting an apartment a good suggestion as in the hotel you will not be concerned of cleaning your clothes and you will not be worried about one or two meals.

2. Dress code?

you are free to choose your clothes but august is one of the hottest monthes here in egypt with temperature ranging from 27 to 37 c degree so you have to find light-texture clothes .

3.Do you have any advice on decent places to visit in Cairo...or good restaurants??

you will be in cairo!!!! you can go in a new marvellous place everyday till your trip is over you can see pharonic,romanian,greek,coptic,islamic and modern faces of history in our country.
as regard restaurants you can have a great lunch in macdonalds for example with just 5 dollars. but you also can have it with 1(traditionalrestaurant)to 20(in a high class magnificent restaurant) dollars.

by the way we also have a great opera house.

4. Anyone knows anybody who did this programme before?
i will try to find someone to contact with you

at last i hope that i made you more interested and curious about visiting Egypt and i will be glad to see you here in my lovely country and i hope that i will arrange a great one day tour for you to touch the core of Egypt in general and Cairo in particular.
contact me for any help

Hello there,
Congrats for ur degree...im still a student lol but thanks a lot for your answers..it definitely gives a more realistic vision indeed...and don't worry..im not having a fixed image for now..
I am going with a group of students from different countries and we will be hosted by IFMSA Egypt..i think u must know it if u were into the student life (..i think it's in Cairo uni) but dont bother asking them about ppl who did this prog as i already did...(they are my main contact in ur country).
I will definitely contact u for other questions and we'll see how it goes from there if we will have a chance for a real chat.

Take care

 

[NinaGucci]

Hi
you don't have to worry much. Egypt is a nice place. concerning staying in a 3 stars hotel well i don think you'd like it much. if you could rent an apartement( in manyal near Kasr El-Ainy)it would be cheaper for you and u'll be more comfortable as if u were home. u manage ur living.it's easy to get a place especially in summer.
Egypt ingeneral is a cheap,u can have fun without paying alot
there are many places to go to within cairo (hotels,resturants,malls,cinemas,nile cruises,etc...)
about the dress code just wear decent non-provocative clothes( nothin tight or flashy or short) just look covered
and if ur concerned about being harassed,don't worry much. it happens but not as u think and in happens more in abandoned areas, and as long as you go out with someone its safe.and harassing is hard to occur in public(mostly in abandoned dark areas)
Egypt in summer is enjoyable....if u have a chance to go to sharm el sheikh and Hurghada it would be awesome. Marina at the northcost is also nice to go to during summer.

im not egyptian but i've been 3 yrs in egypt studying medicine....(im palestinian resident in lebanon)
if u have more questions or you need help, i'll be glad to do so.
u can email me:[email protected]

Thanks a lot for ur reply as well,
As for the hotel, unfortunately, i have to stay with the group...we're gonna be about 55 students from different countries and..i dont think im gonna go rent a flat ...but thanks for ur suggestion.
Thanks as well for the details about the covering..etc lol that's the kind of stuff i wanted to know actually.. will definitely take in consideration ur comments.
Take care

 

[kassemm2]

you're welcome
if u have further inquiries i'll be glad to help.
but what makes u go for a program in tropical medicine which mainly deals with parasitology...i kinda feel its like the most hidious part of medicine

 

[NinaGucci]

Hi Kaseem,
Im not taking this as a speciality, it's just a summer training and the prog doesnt include parasitology only. It, also, has a lot of infectious diseases, hematology, physical examination skills...etc..so it will be very diversified.
Besides..Egypt is one of the leading countries in this field..ans we dont often get to see such clinical cases here in Canada..

 

[egyptomix]

We do unfortunately have the highest sexual harassment rates in the world and the cases are no longer limited to shady areas at night, it's everywhere now. I'll second the recommendation to go out in a group. If nothing else, don't take a cab home alone past 11. Cairo can be a tough city but it's enjoyable as long as you are careful.

 

[MeshoDentist]

Listen I am from US..I transferred from dental school in Boston .and I knew people who did ur program..honest truth good experience but at a price..there are things shouldn't be discussed in a public forum..so email me at [email protected]