“Egypt is the country of baksheesh. They say that Poles are not very generous. They rarely tip”

Klaudia Kolasa, nazwa.gazeta.pl: You mentioned that before your first trip to Egypt, you had a stereotypical view of this country. What does it mean?

Gosia Moneim: There was a stereotype in Poland that Muslims impose their religion and, besides, they are aggressive people. However, when I arrived in Egypt, it turned out that this was not entirely true. People are very open and helpful here. There are, of course, some exceptions, as with every rule, but they do not seek conflict. They are very family-oriented and love children. Without knowing me, they talked to me as if we had been friends all our lives. I fell in love with this country. Then I came here again and met my husband. Egypt has been my home for 16 years.

In 2023, Egypt was visited by as many as 14.9 million tourists. Despite a different culture, it is an attractive holiday destination, also for Poles.

Egypt has a lot to offer. The beauty of coral reefs and the marine life that inhabits them. History – this is where it all started. Experiencing it with your own eyes is a huge emotion. When I went to Luxor and visited the Karnak temple for the first time, I was very moved. I knew all this only from TV and I didn’t believe that I would ever be able to see it with my own eyes and touch the history from 3, 4 thousand years ago. years. What I like most is taking tourists on city tours. It is during this trip that you can see the real life of Egyptians and change your image of this country. Sometimes tourists ask me very strange questions before their arrival.

Coral reef – photo illustration Photo Arkadiusz Wojtasiewicz / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Can you give an example?

For example, if their daughter is blonde, should they dye her hair? “Because they kidnap,” I hear. I ask: Who is kidnapping? “Can I go outside the hotel? Won’t they kidnap me?”, “Will they not cheat?” – they are afraid. There are different people in different countries, but believe me, here the Ministry of Tourism, check-points and security are there to make tourists feel safe. Egyptians are people like us, they have families, children, they want to live peacefully, but they have certain rules that must be followed. You are not allowed to touch women in the street or kiss them in public. They keep their distance because they don’t want anyone to accuse them of crossing certain boundaries.

You run a travel agency. Perhaps at the beginning, as a warning: What mistakes do we most often make while on vacation in Egypt?

Tourists make many mistakes. They often carry all their money with them. Unnecessarily. I always say they should keep them in two or three places. The second mistake is alcohol. It happens that Poles, drunk, insult Egyptians, calling them “Arabs”. Holidays or not, you always have to maintain your manners. The third mistake is the clothes. I know that today’s women have beautiful “curves”, but showing them and exposing themselves in Egypt is not tactful. And the last, most important thing: keep your passport with you. Tourists who go outside the hotel do not have to, or even should not, take it with them. This is the only document thanks to which you can return to Poland. If it gets lost, you have to go to Cairo to make arrangements. Unfortunately, this involves high costs.

You mentioned clothes and alcohol. Egypt is a Muslim country and it is important to respect the local culture. What should we remember?

In hotels or on beaches, guests can wear whatever they want, but when we go out on the street, we must remember that different rules apply there. You should dress tactfully, without necklines and with your body exposed, because it will be perceived as disrespect for the prevailing culture. Secondly, young boys who have never seen a woman’s body may harass such people on the street. It should also be mentioned that in Egypt a man and a woman cannot live together before marriage. Failure to comply with this prohibition may result in imprisonment of up to 6 months.

Tourists sometimes start dancing when they hear the Quran being recited, thinking it is dance music. This is a huge tactlessness on their part. In Egypt it is also forbidden to walk on the street with alcohol. Here you can only buy alcohol in duty-free shops or restaurants.

Cairo, Egypt, August 18, 2011 Photo Wojciech Kardas / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

How to prepare for the trip?

Some people come to Egypt knowing nothing about the country they will be visiting. For example, they say that they want to go on a trip to Cairo and Luxor in one day. It’s impossible. First of all, I encourage you to read a little before arriving. Please remember that the bacterial flora in Egypt is different. I recommend starting to take probiotics before your trip and continuing to take them during your stay. What else? The temperatures are very high here. Sometimes we don’t feel them because there is a wind from the sea. However, you must remember to use high filters and hydrate your body. It is also worth taking mosquito repellent with you from Poland.

In Cairo and Alexandria, I met Egyptians speaking Polish on the street. I suspect this is due to numerous trips from Poland. What image of a Polish tourist exists there?

Egyptians like Poles because Poles are a cheerful people, they like to have fun and meet new people. However, Egyptians say that Poles are not very generous because they rarely tip. This is the country of baksheesh, or tipping. I always explain that if you come to Egypt, you have to spend some money on baksheesh. People here only get a small daily wage and often live on tips. If they don’t work, they don’t get paid, so it’s not easy for them to support their family.

So, in your opinion, the minimum tip amount is…?

I think between $1 and $5. It all depends on the amount of time spent. We should give a different amount to the person who delivered the suitcases from the reception to the room, and a different amount when we spend the whole day with him, e.g. on a ship.

I’m sure you have your favorite parts of the trips. What do you think is an absolute must, a must-do when spending your holiday in Egypt?

Being in Egypt and not seeing the pyramids is like being in the Vatican and not seeing the Pope. Cairo is the first place you must visit, but for me Luxor is magical. It is worth seeing the beautiful Temple of Hatshepsut, which was restored by Poles, but unfortunately we do not boast about it! The next point is the coral reef and snorkeling. The underwater world provides unforgettable experiences. And of course, a city tour of Hurghada, which allows you to learn about life from the locals’ perspective. The tour also includes a visit to a mosque and an Egyptian market.

Cairo, Egypt Photo Shutterstock

Speaking of the market: what is worth bringing back from your vacation?

I always bring a magnet from every place I go. This is enough for me as a souvenir. Personally, I love and recommend hibiscus because it is a healing tea. It has a very good effect on the skin. And of course, Egyptian spices, which are exotic and spicy. For women, I recommend hair and body cosmetics and cotton towels! They are half the price than in Poland. Egyptian cotton is the best.

Is haggling okay or not?

Yes. If we go into a store and something costs $10; we can immediately offer half the price, but in a polite way. Obviously, if something costs $10, don’t insist on paying one dollar. I have my own negotiation method: the faster the customer enters and leaves the store, the faster the price gets lower. If we go into a store and the seller sees that we are excited about something or that our child likes something, he will certainly not be willing to lower the price.

Gosia Moneim sent to the editorial office

In every country, there is no shortage of people in tourist places who want to earn money in an unfair way. What are the most popular scams in Egypt and how to avoid them?

In Hurghada, tourists who go outside the hotel and wait for transport for a booked trip are often the target. Sometimes there are fraudsters who impersonate a given company and extort money. I always emphasize that agencies that organize trips never collect money from hotels. It often happens that when paying for something you give $10 and dishonest people turn around and show you a dollar. They will want to prove that you only gave so much. People start to wonder and think that maybe they actually made a mistake. It also happens that when giving change, they give counterfeit dollars.

I repeat: Before you go, check twice or thrice. You should also be careful with taxi drivers. There are no taxi meters in Egypt. The price of the trip should be agreed at the beginning. We can check on Uber how much such a course costs. And one more important thing, we should never share our phone. Very often, a native wants to take a beautiful panoramic photo with our phone and then it turns out that he does not want to give it back without negotiations. We must remember that there are people everywhere who will want to cheat and take advantage of us. Always be vigilant.