Travel with Children in Egypt
I remember the first time my parents took me to see the pyramids of Giza. Their grandeur evoked a fascination in my nine year old self that has never waned. That trip subsequently inspired my first better-than-average school holiday report, a lifelong obsession with travel and ultimately, this website. And the pyramids were just the start!
Families who travel with children in Egypt will find much to occupy their young minds.
For example:
Antiquities – Numerous gigantic, ancient wonders that will likely cause even the most disinterested child’s draw to drop wide open. Each one shrouded in mind boggling history.
Animals – Riding donkeys, horses and camels along the beach front, through the desert or over a hill and down into the Valley of the Kings…
People – The family is priority number one for Egyptians and travel with children to Egypt will likely evoke respect and affection from the locals. The friendliness and hospitality of the Egyptian people is a featured highlight of any visit to the country, and with such large families themselves, Egyptians have a seemingly natural mastery of entertaining young people.
Aqua fun – With so many action packed aquatic activities to engage in, it’s likely the bucket and spade will be forgotten on the sand. Swimming, snorkelling, scuba, banana boats, pedal boats, feluccas and more
Jeep Safaris – Tearing about the dunes and camping out under the stars.
Travelling Safley with Children in Egypt
If you do travel with children in Egypt, please bear in mind the following to ensure a safe but fun filled experience.
Tummy Upsets – Almost as clearly as I remember the Great Pyramid, I recall the constipation I experienced on the way home. Children are particularly susceptible to such bugs and anti diarrhoea medication may not be appropriate. You can minimise the risks of you children catching a tummy bug by watching what they eat and maintaining family hygiene levels at all times Read more tip for staying healthy in Egypt.
Sunshine – Young skin is particularly vulnerable to the power of the Egyptian sun. Even if it’s cool or cloudy, the sun’s powerful rays still find a way through. Cover your kids in high factor sun cream, give them a hat (and insist that they wear it) to avoid heat stroke, hydrate them regularly and allow them to swim in their t-shirts to avoid burning their backs.
Traffic – Event adults have to re-learn how to cross the street when they come to Egypt, so ensure children are supervised at all times when anywhere near a road.
Underwater Nasties – The biggest nuisance and danger to children swimming in the Red Sea are the pretty coral (often razor sharp) and sea urchins (black spiky balls attached to rocks beneath the surface) Particularly the latter – if stepped on – will pierce the skin with a black spine and cause incredible discomfort. The golden rule when swimming is ‘look but don’t touch’!
Organising family trips to Egypt
Alternative Egypt exists primarily to promote independent travel in Egypt and within the pages of this site you can book flights, find hotels, and
buy travel insurance. That said, there are a number of UK / European
tour operators that create and run group adventure holidays for families with young children. Some of the most
respected include Explore, Exodus and the Imaginative Traveller. You can read more about adventure travel tour operators in Egypt here.
For More Information:
Travel with Kids - General advice for travel with children in Egypt and the world over
