Middle East - Anthony Ham [167]
We receive increasing reports of items and money going missing from locked hotel rooms, and even hotel safes. Where possible, it’s best to keep your documents, cash and valuables on you at all times.
Note that terrorist bombings targeting foreign tourists, such as those most recently carried out in 2004, 2005 and 2006 in Sinai, do occur. The government has prioritised security, particularly in heavily touristed areas, and the resulting police checks, convoys and police escorts have been known to slow down independent travel in parts of the country.
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DISCOUNT CARDS
If you have an officially recognised student card you’ll be eligible for major discounts at museums and sites throughout Egypt. The best is the International Student Identity Card (ISIC), and it’s possible to organise this in Egypt if you didn’t get a chance before you left home. You’ll need one photo, proof of being a student, a photocopy of the front page of your passport and E£80. There are no age limits.
In Luxor you can get ISIC cards at the Nada Travel Service (NTS; Map; 095-238 4490; Petra Travel Agency Bldg, Sharia Ahmed Orabi; 8am-11pm), near Luxor Temple. In Cairo, go to Egyptian Student Travel Services (ESTS; Map; 02-2531 0330; www.estsegypt.com; 23 Sharia Manial, Midan el-Mammalek, Roda).
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EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
If you are looking for the Egyptian embassy in a country other than Egypt, there is a comprehensive listing of Egyptian diplomatic and consular missions at www.mfa.gov.eg.
Embassies & Consulates in Egypt
Most foreign embassies and consulates are open from around 8am to 2pm Sunday to Thursday.
Australia (Map; 02-2575 0444; www.egypt.embassy.gov.au; 11th fl, World Trade Centre, 1191 Corniche el-Nil, Bulaq, Cairo)
Canada (Map; 02-2791 8700; www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cairo; 26 Sharia Kamal el-Shenawy, Garden City, Cairo)
France Cairo (Map; 02-3567 3200; www.ambafrance-eg.org; 29 Sharia Charles de Gaulle, Giza); Alexandria (Map; 03-487 5615; www.ambafrance-eg.org; 2 Midan Orabi, Mansheyya)
Germany Cairo (Map; 02-2728 2000; www.german-embassy.org.eg; 8 Hassan Sabry, Zamalek); Alexandria (Map; 03-486 7503; 9 Sharia El-Fawateem, Azarita)
Ireland Cairo (Map; 02-2735 8547; 3 Sharia Abu el-Feda, Zamalek); Alexandria (Map; 03-485 2672; 9 Sharia el-Fawateem, Azarita)
Israel Cairo (Map; 02-3332 1500; info@cairo.mfa.gov.il; 6 Sharia ibn al-Malek, Giza); Alexandria (off Map; 03-544 9501; 15 Sharia Mena Kafer Abdou, Rushdy)
Italy Cairo (Map; 02-2794 3194; www.ambilcairo.esteri.it; 15 Sharia Abdel Rahman Fahmy, Garden City); Alexandria (Map; 03-487 9470; www.consalessandria.esteri.it; 25 Sharia Saad Zaghloul)
Japan (off Map; 02-2528 5910; www.eg.emb-japan.go.jp; 81 Corniche el-Nil, Maadi, Cairo)
Jordan (Map; 02-2748 6169; fax 02-2760 1027; 6 Sharia Gohainy, Doqqi, Cairo)
Lebanon Cairo (Map; 02-2738 2823; fax 02-2738 2818; 22 Sharia Mansour Mohammed, Zamalek); Alexandria (Map; 03-484 6589; 64 Tariq al-Horreya)
Libya Cairo (Map; 02-2735 1269; fax 02-2735 0072; 7 Sharia el-Saleh Ayoub, Zamalek); Alexandria (Map; 03-494 0877; fax 03-494 0297; 4 Sharia Batris Lumomba, Bab Shark)
Netherlands (Map; 02-2739 5500; www.hollandemb.org.eg; 18 Sharia Hassan Sabry, Zamalek, Cairo)
New Zealand (Map; 02-2461 6000; fax 02-2461 6099; North Tower, Nile City Bldg, Corniche El Nil, Ramlet Beaulac, Cairo)
Saudi Arabia Cairo (Map; 02-2749 0775; fax 02-2795 5038; 2 Sharia Ahmed Neseem, Giza); Alexandria (Map; 097-482 9911; 9 Sharia Batalsa, Alexandria); Suez ( 062-497 7591; 12 Sharia El-Guabarty, Port Tawfiq)
Spain (Map; 02-2735 6462; embespeg@mail.mae.es; 41 Sharia Ismail Mohammed, Zamalek, Cairo)
Sudan Cairo (Map; 02-2794 9661; fax 02-2354 2693; 3 Sharia al-Ibrahimy, Garden City); Aswan (Map; 097-230 7231, fax 097-234 2563; Bldg 20, Atlas)
Syria (Map; 02-2749 4528; fax 02-2749 4560; 18 Abdel Rahim Sabry, Doqqi, Cairo)
Turkey Cairo (Map; 02-2794 8364; turkemb@idsc.gov.eg; 25 Sharia al-Falaky, Downtown); Alexandria (off Map; 03-393 9086; 11 Sharia Kamel el-Kilany)
UK Cairo (Map;