I haven't been to Egypt and I've heard nothing but bad things from multiple sources. This is the only place in the world where I can say this about. It's really disappointing, as I'd love to see some of the history there.
I spent 6 weeks in India, mostly for work, but also ventured out quite a bit. I didn't really have any major issues and would go back. That said, I wasn't in any of the major tourist areas. My cousin has also started going there for work more recently and has enjoyed it a lot. I was little more nervous for her as a woman going by herself.
But to your point, when I think about it, I do hear a lot of negative things from others. A lot of people tried to talk me out of going there, but none of them had actually been there. The negative stuff I've heard about Egypt has all been from people who have been there.
I've been to India many times (visiting family) as someone born and raised in America, and most people on the internet have bizarre views on India. I'm someone who is generally 'down' on travel to India because it's just a lot to ingest and I prefer easier places, but I personally would never worry about the sorts of things people online claim. It's not particularly dangerous in terms of violence. Food is amazing obviously. Hotels are out of this world if you're willing to pay the totally normal rates and not stay in hovels -- in fact hospitality is miles ahead of most western countries. Chaotic, loud, dirty at times, sure. You have to be used to seeing visible, sometimes shocking, poverty. And of course, if you don't know the local language and are not traveling with someone who is, it can be even more overwhelming. But I mean people are nice, and in some places, it's really nice and there are even some places I've been where I could see the appeal of living there.
I think India tends to defy common categorization. It's a developing country, but also quite advanced in many ways. Certain things work better. Trains are great. Metros are now really nice. Payment is great. They mostly do their own thing and it seems to be working for them.
To be totally honest, a lot of the India negging is from accounts associated with 'rival' countries. This has become more obvious as places like X have started showing the origins of many accounts. And before people start bringing up caste or whatever to explain my neutral-to-positive disposition towards the country, my 'community' in India is technically an 'otherwise backwards class', so it's not like I'm basing this based off of my family's non-existent wealth. By far, I'd rather stay in actual accommodations in India rather than with family because the accommodations are legit nice, and staying with family can be really hit or miss.
The problem with India is hygiene, not so much safety. The food might be great but you're practically guaranteed to get Delhi-Belly. I visited for work years ago, didn't eat any street food and was still taken out of action for 3 days. Rubbish is strewn everywhere, any standing water stinks. I don't think visiting again is worth the risk.
Every Indian I've ever met has been lovely though (except for the ones who try to scam call my mother)
But like you said, if it works for them who am I to disagree.
For me, it was really the water that was problematic, as opposed to the food.
On my first visit, I was careful about the water I drank, but not very careful about other ingestion, and I got TD about halfway through the trip.
On the next visit, I was careful to keep my mouth closed while showering, and only use bottled water to clean my toothbrush, etc. Everyone else on the trip, eating the same food, got sick, but I didn't.
This is of course anecdata, but generally food, especially cooked food, is more likely to be safe.
I think it was Anthony Bourdain who said pretty accurately that it's far safer to eat street food than restaurant food as street food is freshly cooked, hot and instantly sold while restaurant food might be sitting in a broken fridge over a weekend.
Can confirm... Was flying back home and during a layover in Mumbai I grabbed some food from the food court. It was only after having sat down and eaten most of my food when I noticed that there were pigeons roosting directly above where my meal was purchased from, with their poop stains dribbling down the raised walls directly above the food. That was a particularly rough set of flights back home, but I lucked out and had a fairly empty flight for one leg of it that offered a full row of empty seats for me to lay down in and disassociate from the pain on.
(for anyone who is unaware, the airports - the ones I passed through, at least - in India are fairly open air, so birds were a common sight within them)
A friend - female, white, blonde - while in india on a business trip had to deal with inapprorpaite behavior including individuals visibly touching themselves inappropriately...not my jam.
Any well-travelled guy is familiar with women who ask them to pretend to be married to allow them to escape constant, occasionally dangerous male pestering. In Turkey, I even met a woman who carried fake wedding bands for this purpose. We hung out for a few days as a “married” couple so she could get relief from the constant harassment.
I was asked to do that in my hometown with a girl I had never met before. It’s not only tourists, and it’s not only in foreign places.
BTW, that girl had to be 5% handsy with me to sell the lie, and when I met her real boyfriend that same night, he pretended to be royally pissed for five seconds and I was so scared. He laughed it off. Good guy.
Italy was it for me. The train station in Rome was crazy. And just Venice in general. I was probably just in the touristy areas, but it was definitely the most hardcore non-stop street scamming I'd been around.
I was just in Rome last year. The only place I really ran into issues was outside the Coliseum. I just said “huh” and mumbled “I don’t know” to every question until they went away. “Where are you from?” “I don’t know.” I think they just thought I was an idiot, or had very limited English, which is fine by me.
I was told later by a guide that if you say “no, grazie” in a semi-convincing Italian, they’d assume you’re local and leave you alone.
That's weird because in Venice I never had a single problem, didn't feel scammed or anything, ate in very nice restaurants (I do avoid the tourist shops and restaurants though) and the people in general were nice. I almost felt at home, and many shopkeepers even spoke French, maybe better than English (I am French). I don't think anybody in the street accosted me at all, anyway. I'd go back without any hesitation.
Rented a car out of Munich and they forbade me from driving it to Italy. Said thieves are too common to risk driving, even in northern Italy. Train was simple enough though.
As a White western with the obvious means to travel, I feel like they (tours in just about every second and third world country) look at me as if I am an ATM machine and they just need to figure out the PIN that will cause the money to come out.
I don't take it personally. Just pressing forward mumbling "no thank you" seems to work okay.
At one ancient temple in India I did hire a young kid to drive all the other entrepreneurs away cuz it was so bad. I don't remember the insignificant amount I gave him but I'm pretty sure it was enough to feed himself and his family for a few days.
There's haggling where you actually enjoy the process (i.e. Turkey, visiting the bazaars, you get to haggle, then you get invited for some cay w/ the vendor, talk a bit, that's really enjoyable) and then there's outright scamming. Friend of mine went to Egypt, really wanted to ride a camel. Agreed on a price, rode the camel, and at the end they wouldn't bring the wooden thingy so that he could dismount, and they were asking for more money. That's not enjoyable at all.
Best way not to get scammed is to hire a tour guide. Best care. Best everything. They will tell you what to watch for. If you love Egyptology like others do, you are going to be in the targeted category for advertisement, souvenirs, and scams.
Egypt is amazing if you have locals to show you around. If you wander up to the pyramids in your shorts with your camera…yeah, you might be swarmed a bit. Weird how economic collapse makes people kinda desperate.
I had one of the most magical meals in a street that had been mostly taken over by one restaurant - all the bread baked in one shop, the meat all butchered there…just amazing.
The people who I saw get scammed were, well, people who would get scammed in a lot of places without a Walmart.
can you tell a bit more about how you got scammed? I was in Cairo twice for business and our hosts organized nice trips through the historic sites and new museum. I intend to go there with my family one day
One common way: you go for a camel ride. The camelier offers a very cheap price. He takes you far out somewhere. You get off for a bit. If you want to get back on to go back, he will overcharge you. Otherwise you walk back and that is worse.
i guess you might be ok if you are cocooned in a safe travel group. I travel more independently, freely and let things come to me. Going on planned group iternary isnt much of an interest for me at the moment.
I absolutely hate tours and being penned in. However, if I see expats or locals in a tour group, it tells me there's some value there I'm missing. Served me well in India and parts of South America, for example.
Egypt in Egyptian hands outperforms Roman ruins under European urban development, Native architecture under US expansion, Aboriginal sites under Australian settlement
