Health During your Egypt Tour
Many tourists have health concerns when travelling in other countries and these usually revolve around the cleanliness of the water, the safety of the food, potential illnesses and the standard of hospital care. Keep reading and we will give you the facts on these as well as some conclusions from our long experience in leading toursfood carton
When visiting Egypt don't drink the tap water, As it is highly chlorinated. However, this water is only safe to drink if you got used to it, and if you are willing to live in Egypt for a long time; then it should be ok. This doesn't meanthat the tap water is polluted, it simply means that you are not used to it, and you might get stomach problems. The same thing happened to me when I was visiting UK once and attempted to drink the tap water, I got stomach cramps!! I was simply not used to water there. So, my dear traveller, it is the same situation for you in Egypt. It is advisable to drink bottled water during your entire holiday. That is why I would advise strongly that you don't drink the tap water, and use it only for washing and brushing your teeth.
Tourists are often advised not to eat the many fresh fruits or vegetables; but this means missing out on some of the best taste sensations you will ever have ! In Egypt, it is safe to eat fruit and vegetables, as long as the food has been washed correctly! You will find that any good hotel or cruise boat will wash them before cooking, so don't worry! Avoid eating them in really cheap places or local outlets, if you wish to eat local food, stick with Falafel, or what Egyptians called Tammia, preferably from a known place such as the restaurants on the streets of Downtown. Tammia is very cheap, very safe and a very tasty food.
When you go on a Nile cruise you may get a diarrhoea due to many contributing factors, such as the class of boat you are staying in, the quality of food and cleanliness habits that you follow
Despite the fact that we always spend to fully brief the guests on the tips and tricks of a successful Egyptian holiday including all the health tips, before the cruise;
Then ...How come?
At this point, most people would assume that it was the food causing the problem; others would say it was the water! But I was always convinced that it was neither! Since we all ate the same food and we only drank bottled water, and a few of us still caught this “bug”, I decided to start to monitoring the eating habits of the groups more closely! Eventually I was able to find the real reasons for these illnesses, and they were:
1. The accommodation on the cruise boat is of a full board basis, and most of the time the meals are presented in an open buffet manner. I noticed that some of the passengers ate each meal as if it was their last! What they were doing was completely changing their eating habits, causing total overload on their stomach’s capacity. Not to mention that at least 5 to 7 items on the buffet are types of food totally new to them. I advised them to remember that the food, on the boat, is actually never ending, and they should be aware not to change their eating habits and take it easy.
2. Whenever we come back to the boat, after finishing a visit, some passengers would rush to their fully air-conditioned cabins and “crash” on their beds to rest. They forget that the air conditioning is on full power, and they are wet from walking. Here comes the danger! They easily catch cold, get back pain and their natural immune system becomes vulnerable, hence the sickness, diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration.
So the solution was simple! I stressed to them that they should not rush to their cabins after each tour, but to try and acclimatize first, by sitting for a while in the lobby before going to their cabins, and once in their cabin, they should turn the air-conditioning off immediately, turning it back on whenever the cabin became warm.
The results were amazing! In the following weeks, most of the time, none of my group members had any illnesses.
So, dear traveller, please remember the following if you go on a cruise boat:
Exposure to extreme heat and cold is bad for your immune system! Please take the time to acclimatize your body before going into your cabin!
You know what your stomach is like! Just because you are on holiday don’t treat it differently, if you have a sensitive stomach and tend to stay to a certain type of diet, try and do the same when you are Egypt. Err on the side of caution; you do not want to ruin a great holiday because you have eaten something you would never have tried at home. Some people are lucky, they seem to be able to consume anything and everything, others are ill by looking at a different food. You may feel brave by trying something different, but sometimes you are better by being a coward and enjoying your stay.
Also many forget to wash their hands before eating. this contribute a lot for cause of the sickness.
HELPFUL TIP: Once developed for cleaning the parts underneath a babies nappy / diaper, “Wet Wipes” (the small, damp, tissue usually bought in a plastic tub) are becoming more and more popular with adults. They are also very useful when travelling in Egypt. When you have felt the relief’s in a Temple, touched the hieroglyphs in a Tomb, caressed the stones on the Pyramids etc., you only have to take one of these wipes out to instantly clean your hands. No more looking for a washroom!
To cure many types of diarrhoea, there is an excellent antibiotic called Anitnall or Entoseed, ( local drug equivalent for the amodiom ) which works very fast on removing the worst of the symptoms, and putting you back on your feet.-You can buy them at any pharmacy without a prescription!
MALARIA TABLETS:
THERE IS NO MALARIA IN EGYPT! Egypt hasn’t had a malaria case in the last 50 years. Some travelers may take these tablets during their stay and don’t realize that one of the many side effects of the tablets is diarrhoea!
So, my advice is not to don't take malaria tablets, simply you dont need themhave often seen people ruin their whole trip because they were advised to take these tablets. They get diarrhoea daily basis and end up staying in bed, o while the rest of their party are enjoying themselves! Some tourists come to Egypt taking these tablets, because their doctor advised them to do so! Unfortunately too many doctors giving such advice promotly once they know that Egypt is located in Africa, So they immediately advise their patients to take these tablets, two weeks before commencing their trip.
Your Medical Care:
I would advise you to bring a supply of any medicines that you take regularly, and bring the prescription too. Feel safe in the knowledge that in the unlikely event of serious trouble, your hotel or cruise boat staff will find, and provide, a doctor for you instantly. doctor
It is always a good idea to bring mosquito repellent for open-air night events, just to minimize the annoyance factor!
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