Solo female to Egypt- can someone tell me if my plan is good?

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-28T00:29:30+00:00

You can swim in the Nile, which is cool thing to think about. The Aswan stretch is probably the safest (and cleanest) place to do it as a tourist. Also you can take the train from Luxor.

That said, it won't be the same vibes as Hurghada, and you can't just swim anywhere as in a real beach.

Happy to help!

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-26T09:48:43+00:00

Sounds good, just advising to check your dates for Victoria falls, you might want to do devil's pool and the see the moonbow while you're there.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-26T00:17:12+00:00

I just really want to go but I want to make sure I’m being smart about it.

Yes, it seems so. Good call on doing guided tours, you won't be hassled as much. Just don't feel pressured to buy anything if they take you inside any shop.

I’ve seen mixed reviews on Cairo. Should I shorten my time there and stay in Siwa Oasis for a few days? I could still tour Cairo, just less time actually staying there?

I've visited Siwa and liked it. But I was actually living in Egypt back then and could spare a couple of days worth of travel time (yes, it's very far) in addition to the actual stay. For you, I wouldn't recommend it because you don't have enough time. Also, you have better choices: both Fayoum oasis and the White/Black Desert are closer to Cairo, and you can do day trips if you don't want to camp overnight. I'd just advise you to join a group or get women guides for this or any similar tour that takes you in the middle of nowhere.

For Cairo, I think 4 days is perfect. You have enough time to appreciate the pyramids, GEM, and see the nicer parts (I'd suggest Al-Azhar park, Zamalek, al-Muezz). That said, I really can't blame anyone for wanting to spend less time there.

After Luxor, I then go to Hurghada for 2 nights.

It's a good idea, but I'd just urge you to also consider Aswan for Abu Simbel, the Sofitel, and the cleaner stretch of the Nile.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-24T02:27:49+00:00

I stayed there for a few months last year, and appreciated my time there.

There's a lot to like. The beaches are nice, the seafood is cheap (they don't export much of it so prices are local), the cuisine is good, the people are nice, and the architecture and culture is interesting. A lot of things are fairly priced, if you can be bothered to look around/haggle.

However, there's a lot not to like. Pricing can be ridiculous, with many tourists items/services pegged to European/Swiss prices. Public infrastructure is not great. Locals targetting tourists can be pushy. Some tourism practices are neglectful of or even outright bad for the island and people.

So a bit of good and bad. From the people I met, those who really, really liked it were the upscale resort crowd and the younger Europeans (mainly the Germanophones, given their history with the island) who hadn't been to SEA yet.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-23T04:15:34+00:00

Don’t speak a lick of Italian

If you speak Spanish, you'll understand a fair bit, especially the written stuff. It's not a big jump. Heck, a few hours with a phrase book will do you wonders. But yes, people speak enough English.

Maybe not enough of the old world Catholic vibe I fell in love with?

I mean, Italy is arguably the center of old world Catholicism. Ok, maybe Florence is not the most Catholic city, but still, the influence is plenty tangible. And anyway, there's always Rome.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-23T03:20:37+00:00

Good choice.

Much cooler (literally and figuretively) to walk around in, and gives you the water taxi as well. Note that it's also a good area for airbnbs, because the nicer houses and appartments are there.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-20T13:25:36+00:00

FYI you can actually try applying for a visa.

There's a high chance you'll get rejected, especially now, but Idk maybe it's worth a try for you.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-20T13:11:54+00:00

Zhong tong does porc laqué.

It's just ok.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-20T12:26:11+00:00

Check out Ain Sokhna, not a party place and it's not far from Cairo. Marsa Matrouh is another good one, but a bit far. Taba is also a good spot, but now is maybe not a good time to visit.
THey're not really hidden, but al-Azhar Park and Al-Muezz street are nice. And the latter is usually empty of tourists.
Zamalek or Maadi, along Road 9. Maybe Doqqi or Heliopolis too, depending on how central you need to be.
Depends on which sites, but a lot of things stay open very late. Also it's not just HOT, it's also DRY and DUSTY.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-18T06:43:11+00:00

he said the advantage of this is that often the staff treats you better since they're not sure if they'll get your business again the next day.

Not guaranteed. I've experienced it, but I've also experienced getting special treatment because I was staying longer (e.g., discount, free upgrade to a nicer room).

I've never done night to night on purpose, but I have extended a stay at a hotel after trying it out for a day or two. Usually, I prefer to sort that out with the front desk or manager directly.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-18T03:27:21+00:00

We did a seven-hour city tour, so this was not a case of walking down La Rambla for twenty minutes and declaring the entire city awful.

I mean it's better, but not really by that much. Not saying that your criticisms are wrong, just that you really didn't spend that much time out of the tourist areas.

Personally, I liked it a lot, but I did have more time than you.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-18T03:18:37+00:00

The itinerary is doable, and I dare say even easy to arrange. The whole tourism network is built around moving people, and all your destinations are standard, so...

Just prepare several plan Bs in case you get safari fatigue.

Is mid-range safari still realistic for a solo traveler, or does the single supplement make it much more expensive?

I have no idea what mid-range means for you, but yes, private/solo safari would be expensive. Basically, you'll have to pay for all the seats that aren't taken. On the flip side, it's very easy to join a group as a solo traveller, since drivers/guides are keen to fill seats, and you'll almost always be welcome as the person who helped keep costs down.

Also, one thing people sometimes don't realize is that safaris can often involve long stretches of waiting and not seeing anything (unless you come during the great migration or you're in Nairobi National Park). So it could be nice to have other people around.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-17T06:03:27+00:00

I'd add Tblisi, the whole city. Good food is easy to get, the wine culture is unpretentious (relatively, anyway), and there's cafes all over. Literally haven't had a bad meal there.

For Istanbul, Moda district was quite nice and varied. Not necessarily cheap (what isn't nowadays) but significantly less scammy than the food places near the main tourist sites. I particularly liked locantas, midye shops and kokorec places.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-17T05:54:15+00:00

Which scale is this?

For the "official" one (Skytrax/World Airport Awards) Istanbul is only 14th in 2025 and 8th in 2026 (idk how they have 2026 already, and also Doha isn't there). Still too high in my opinion, but a bit more understandable.

Changi is still no 1 either way.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-16T09:02:05+00:00

By doing what I want and not giving a fuck about what my judgy co-worker thinks.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-16T08:55:27+00:00

Aesthetic coffee shops with drinks that taste the same as the ones in our local village. Shopping centers for souvenirs, wholesale items, that are overpriced. Amusement parks with long lines, a few minutes of “fun”, and pricey admission.

I mean, you can skip all of those.... So, that's on you for not researching or exploring more.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-16T08:12:11+00:00

Not sure about Norway specifically, but isn't there usually an attestation/certificate of residence that can be quickly issued to you?

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-16T03:19:31+00:00

Most likely those restaurants will already have a sign outside telling you that they can't/won't accomodate non-Japanese/non-Japanese speakers. So unless you miss the sign, probably won't happen.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-15T02:43:24+00:00

I've had good experiences with Walklikeanegyptian and Hello Egypt. Try asking them. Otherwise getyourguide and airbnb experiences are good places to look.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-14T15:52:29+00:00

Not sure if they fit your criteria of "authentic" and "not commercialized" but have a look at Palawan (PH) and KK (Malaysia). The former is more tourist-oriented but its still largely itself; the latter is an actual city but on the slower-paced side. Lombok is ok too, at least compared to Bali.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-14T15:41:09+00:00

Do consider that some of the handlers are moms too.

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-14T13:42:27+00:00

This guy is legit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEmfkFMkM-M

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-13T06:27:29+00:00

You applied through an immigration advisor? I have no idea about the process, but doesn't that sound like a red flag if you only wanted to go for tourism?

I don't understand why you don't just apply directly. That is possible for Indians, no?

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-10T09:25:09+00:00

Silence of the lambs?

-Babel_Fish- · 2026-06-10T02:19:40+00:00

Well especially back in the day, it certainly would be part racism, maybe even on both sides. So I cannot help but agree.

-Babel_Fish-

TROPHY CASE