Visiting
Birding tours
Birdquest, Naturetrek, Ornitholidays, Rockjumper, Sarus Bird Tours and Sunbird organise birding tours to Egypt.
Guides
Mindy Baha El Din is a well known name in Egyptian birding. She offers professional organisation and guiding of birding tours for groups and independent travellers - see contacts.
Trip reports
A large number of trip reports can be found for Egypt at Eurobirding and Ornithological Society of the Middle East.
Logistics
Egypt has good air connections with many European and African cities. Many flights arrive in Cairo but increasingly at Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. These airports are served by a number of smaller carriers and charter companies with direct connections to Europe. Other connections from elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East include the bus from Israel via the Gulf of Aqaba or the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, and ferries from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Egypt has a very good system of public and private transport and some 75% of the road network is paved. It also has over 5,000 km of railways and 3,500 km of waterways. Domestic air travel is clearly the quickest way to travel internally and other transport options include buses, trains and boats, and perhaps even camels, donkeys and horses. Although car hire is available, driving in Egypt is very challenging so chauffeur driven vehicles and other transport is recommended.
Lonely Planet which has been used as a source for some of these notes has a comprehensive write up of travel in Egypt which is well worth consulting.
Safety
Egypt is one of Africa's safer countries as witnessed by the thousands of tourists who visit the country each year. It is however worth consulting your national foreign office websites such as US Travel and UK FCO for the latest safety and travel information before travelling. It is vital that you do not under-estimate the danger of being in the sun too long and it is worth using a sun-block and wearing a hat. You should also drink plenty of water, certainly a few litres a day. Egypt is not a malaria zone nor are tropical diseases a concern.
Last page update 23rd February 2008
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