So, some family members and I, though still a bit winded and with smaller bank accounts after doing Greece and China in 2006, are thinking this might be the year for Egypt, though the getaway times for us are June-August and the first three weeks of January (2008). A couple of questions:
1) which of TT's five Egypt tours do those familiar with the itineraries prefer?
2) Anyone out there brave Egypt in mid -August. Is that a suicidal thought given average temps?

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I did the Real Egypt in January 2006 with my family. We were there a few days before and after the tour. I loved it!!

I would not go to Egypt in the summer! It is the desert and would be VERY hot! My uncle had gone in the summer of 2004 on his own and he said it was miserable! I would reccomend going in Jan of 2008. Rememebr, you can always add layers of clothing if needed, but can only take off so much( esp. in certain countries!)

Now if you do decide on Egypt in January- DO pack warm clothes and bring a coat! Cairo was cold!! I wish I had brought more winter clothes when I went. But the farther south you go, the warmer it does get. Most of my pictures I am wearing long sleeves or my coat. It CAN get cold in the desert!

Also, the pollution in Cairo is TERRIBLE! If you have breathing problems like asthma, be careful!! My tour diary is i nthe tour tales- it is very detailed if you want to read it.

No matter when you go, I'm sure you will LOVE it!!!!

Jessica

quote:

2) Anyone out there brave Egypt in mid -August. Is that a suicidal thought given average temps?

You'd have to be a complete lunatic to visit Egypt in August, IMHO .

Dec-Feb is "peak season" for Egypt - winter is when the weather is mildest.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Marriott:

quote:

2) Anyone out there brave Egypt in mid -August. Is that a suicidal thought given average temps?

You'd have to be a complete lunatic to visit Egypt in August, IMHO ..

You have such a nice way of putting things.

There's hot weather, there's very hot weather, and then there's a desert in mid summer. Egypt in August is the latter .

Chris, in your opinion, some people may like the extreme hot weather.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Marriott:
There's hot weather, there's very hot weather, and then there's a desert in mid summer. Egypt in August is the latter .

If the above was directed at me I can only imagine what it would be like as I have not yet visited Egypt. I was just having a little dig at your use of the word 'lunatic' on in the nicest way it actually made me smile.

I have never been drawn to Egypt but who knows it could happen.

quote:

Originally posted by Missie:
Chris, in your opinion, some people may like the extreme hot weather.

With what we are going through here in Melbourne I can only say I am fed up with hot weather fortunately it is cooler tonight but it seems all the extreme hot weather brings is fire and dying trees.

quote:

Originally posted by Missie:
Chris, in your opinion, some people may like the extreme hot weather.

I went at the end of December, some years ago (over Christmas, in fact) and it was hot enough for me then - high 20s to low 30s. I can't imagine anyone enjoying walking around in temperatures in the mid 50s, which is what it gets to in August. I know some people like hot weather, but there's hot and then there's HOT .

We had mid to high 30s when we were there in May but then we normally get that at home in December and January anyway.

In fact that is what it was today and tomorrow is predicted as between 37 and 40.

quote:

Originally posted by dragons:
We had mid to high 30s when we were there in May but then we normally get that at home in December and January anyway.

In fact that is what it was today and tomorrow is predicted as between 37 and 40.

Hi Dragons,

But would it not be a different heat in Egypt more intense perhaps or does it feel as bad here?

It was a dryer heat Rita

quote:

Originally posted by dragons:
It was a dryer heat Rita

Ok, it is best to visit those countries around Dec-Jan, it is also a good time to visit India in fact it is quite pleasant there at that time. I could not bear to visit China, India or Egypt in their summer I would hate it.

When you do a Nile Cruise in Egypt, most of the excursions to temples, etc, take place just after sunrise when it's cool, but there are some places (eg the Valley of the Kings) that you just can't get to at that time. I can't even begin to imagine what that would be like in August, with the heat coming at you from all sides from the cliff faces, etc. Pretty unbearable, I'd have thought.

Rita, we were doing 3 back to back tours and had to balance the hot and cool temperatures and tour dates between Egypt, Morocco, Scandinavia and Russia.