Everyone should go to Egypt at least once in their lifetime. It’s the only place on the planet that you can go where you can still see one of the original seven wonders of the world – and believe us when we say that the pyramids have to be seen with your own eyes in order to appreciate them properly. Pictures don’t give you a sense of the scale or the majesty of the place. Egypt – and Cairo in particular – is remarkable in that it’s a place where the ancient world and the modern world have fused together in harmony. You can be looking at a five-thousand-year-old wonder one moment and cruising down the Nile enjoying five-star quality restaurant food the next. Nothing compares to it.
Aside from having a lot to offer to travelers, Egypt is also extremely welcoming. The country heavily relies on its tourism sector to sustain itself, so tour guides and hotel staff go out of their way to ensure that you have a great time while you’re there. It’s not short of amenities, so you shouldn’t have any difficulties buying the things you need while you’re there, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful about what you pack before you go.
The mistake a lot of people make when they’re packing for Egypt is assuming that it’s hot all the time. We see Egypt’s landscape portrayed in a cartoonish fashion at online slots websites like RoseSlots.com, where slots like “Egyptian Fortunes” and “Age of Egypt” show us blazing hot deserts and white-hot sands. Online slots are good for a lot of things – including winning money if your luck is in – but they don’t forecast the weather! While you might be able to win enough money playing online slots to pay for your trip to Egypt if fortune is on your side, you shouldn’t let them inform your choice of attire.
If you’re planning a trip to Egypt this year, here are the suitcase essentials you’ll need to take with you.
Lightweight Longsleeve Tops
While Egypt doesn’t insist that female visitors cover themselves from head to toe, you’ll be expected to cover more of your flesh than you usually would in hot weather at home. There are various guides to dressing practically but modestly in Egypt on the internet, but you can cover a lot of them points at once by bringing some lightweight long-sleeve tops with you. Leave your sleeveless clothes at home. Go for a high neckline if you can, but if that’s uncomfortable or impractical for any reason, pair it with a scarf so your cleavage isn’t on show. Dress code expectations vary from place to place, but it’s best to keep your shoulders and cleavage covered at all times to avoid causing offense.
Long, Flowing Skirts
You can get away with wearing shorts in some places in Egypt – mostly the tourist-heavy areas – but not all of them. You’ll need longer leg coverings in other locations, and this is where a long skirt will help you. You could always choose to wear jeans, but that doesn’t go well with the temperature when you’re stood in the deserts of Luxor. Leggings are a risky choice because they might be seen as too tight. A flowing skirt will cover everything it needs to cover while allowing you to stay cool at the same time. It’s the best of both worlds.
Sneakers
Most people don’t consider sneakers to be great vacation wear. We’re accustomed to packing flats or heels for visiting restaurants and flip flops for time spent around the pool. You’ll be much happier bringing sneakers to Egypt. You’ll be doing a lot of walking around areas of historical interest, and if you’re wearing flip flops or open-toed shoes, you’ll quickly find you have red-hot sand in them, and you’ll be extremely uncomfortable. A good pair of sneakers solves this problem. Your feet will get sweaty, but you’ll want to take a shower every time you get back to your hotel room anyway, so that’s not a long-term problem!
A Headscarf Or Sun Hat
Egypt isn’t the most conservative of Islamic countries, so wearing your hair down isn’t prohibited. It might, however, attract unwanted attention from some locals. This is especially likely to happen if you’re blonde because blonde women aren’t seen often in Egypt. The locals are actually very friendly, but if you don’t want to be stopped regularly and asked to pose for photographs, you might want to cover your hair with a scarf or a hat. It’s also considered to be polite to do so when entering temples even if it isn’t required of you, so it’s a way of remaining respectful to your hosts.
Blankets
This might seem counter-intuitive, but the temperature can drop sharply at night in the desert. If you’re out enjoying a night with the Bedouins or you’re attending an outdoor event, it can take you by surprise. Your entertainment might go on long into the evening, and suddenly the summer wear you put on in the morning is no longer enough to keep you warm. If you’re staying out late, pack a thin-but-comfortable blanket in your backpack to cover yourself with after sundown.
Wet Wipes
Trust us on this. You’re going to need wet wipes. It might not be hot all the time in Egypt, but during the hottest times of the day, it gets extremely sticky. Bottled drinking water should be available almost everywhere you go, but don’t take the risk of using tap water to wash yourself with. The tap water isn’t safe to drink, and nor is it safe to wash your hands and face with. Wet wipes will come to your aid more times than you’ll be able to count, and you’ll be very glad of them when you need them the most.
You shouldn’t find any of these items too restrictive, and nor will they take up too much room in your luggage. Egypt is a beautiful, welcoming, incredible country, and you can visit it without having to worry excessively about what to wear. Follow these few basic rules, and you’ll be absolutely fine.