The Lithuanians told what homework they should do before the holidays in Egypt and answered the question of whether it is necessary to prepare so much.

This time we chose the Sharm el Sheikh resort for a holiday for two reasons: we like snorkelling and scuba diving, so as many have told us, this resort is more suitable than Hurghada, and the second reason, this time, due to Given the general pandemic situation, I wanted to avoid bus tours and choose more unless spending more time outdoors.

There are many tourists? Are there queues and crashes? What are the requirements for masks and what are the restrictions on arrival? These questions also came up before we left, so we shared our experiences and tasks that we had to do before and during the holidays.

Preparation

The trip took place from March 14 to 21, 2021. Address – Sharm I Sheikh, Egypt. We bought the trip about 2 weeks ago. Our friend Greta described in great detail how to prepare for a trip to Egypt (read HERE).

Our task before the flight:

1. COVID-19 tests 72 hours before. before departure and certificates in English with official signature and stamp. Price for 2 people. – 180 Eur. The price depends on the place where the test is carried out, so it is advisable to register for the test only after purchasing the trip. This will increase the choice of times and places with lower prices.

2. Statement that COVID-19 + has been translated into English. Price for 1 person. – 5 euros + 13 euros. True, although we had a translation, upon departure from Sharm el Sheikh airport, the staff still invited a representative of the tour operator, who they trusted, to confirm that the document was correct.

3. Covid breakage insurance offered by Novaturas if there are more than 24 hours left. Until the exit test is positive, there will be an opportunity to change the dates (you may have to pay more). Price for 2 people. – 40 Eur.

4. Medical Expense Insurance: We purchased additional insurance to cover the costs of treating COVID-19. Price about 17 euros for 2 people. Only now have we thought that we could only insure 1 person, because the other is sick, and the credit card insurance is valid for other illnesses.

5. Test COVID-19 in Egypt. Price for 1 person. – 50 euros. Since a sickness case was no longer necessary for the return flight test, a sickness certificate with translation will be appropriate (paragraph 2). The cost of this test, as we discover later, can also fluctuate. Some end up going to the local hospital alone. For us it was convenient for the doctor to come to the hotel, take a sample and also bring the certificate to the hotel. Since it would have taken us a long time to travel to the hospital to do the test on our own, we saved a lot of vacation time.

6. 10-day return. Self-isolation can be reduced to 7 days by taking the COVID-19 test on your own. Price for 1 person. about 75 Eur. Not mandatory, everyone’s personal choice.

In total, the additional costs for us cost around 285 Eur. To test to shorten the self-isolation, another 75 euros. Since you are already sick, you will not need to isolate yourself.

Requirements are constantly changing both on departure and return, so it is best to keep track of your tour operator information as well as official information from the National Public Health Center. We also found a lot of useful information in the media articles, our compatriots share their travel experience in various Facebook groups about travel.

The use of masks

As the tour operator representative informed us, the wearing of masks is mandatory in Egypt indoors and on public transport. They are not mandatory for guests on the hotel premises.
Sharing our impressions of the trip on social media, they asked us if there is a strict vision of wearing masks. We had to use public transportation at the resort and we also did several excursions. It gave us the impression that if we were wearing masks it was up to the guide or driver who was transporting and supervising the group. On public transport, some locals and drivers wore masks in good faith, some had them under the chin or not at all. Also during excursions, in some cases everyone was reminded to wear masks, in some cases not. There were tighter checkpoints: when approached, they were often reminded to wear masks, as there is a fine for not wearing them.

Although one of us is fed up with COVID-19, we wear masks where we need them, that is, indoors and on public transport. Not because we avoided fines or someone reminded us, he noted. We used them mainly for ourselves and they did not cause us any inconvenience.

Hotels, cafes, other entertainment

After staying at the hotel, we didn’t feel much of a difference from previous trips. We were able to store food ourselves, the pools and spa services were working. True, only the toddler pool was heated. As the weather was warm enough it did not cause us any inconvenience and we were also able to swim in the sea. The distances between the hammocks from both the pools and the sea turned out to be sufficient and safe, and as the hotel area is large, we did not notice any meetings. Of course, this is only our impression and it is only about a hotel, so it is worth analyzing each case individually.

Once we were in a cafe outside the hotel, everything was in an open space, all the waiters were wearing masks. As for having to drive through other cafes, some of them operated, but there were hardly any other people.
We don’t attend other entertainments, like nightclubs, but as far as we knew, some of them work. As we mentioned earlier, this trip mainly wanted to be in open spaces, in nature.

Excursions

Sharing that we are traveling to Egypt, we have also received comments that it is not worth going to this country if you do not have the opportunity to see the pyramids of Luxor or Giza, as there are currently no tours. We have contacted a Novaturo representative and local tour vendors, which are organized and run. We also ordered some of them. Planning to see the pyramids of Giza, we chose the plane ride. Although we know that both the pyramids and Luxor are more convenient to visit from the Hurghada resort, this time we chose the Sharm I Sheikh resort for the holidays, both because it seemed more comfortable and because we wanted to avoid long bus trips in larger groups. Other excursions included nature trips, boating. The groups were small, we spent most of our time outdoors, and the minibus transfers were short.

We have also received questions about the flow of tourists, what are, or perhaps particularly intrusive traders, trying to make up for losses? Since we have not been to Egypt before, it is difficult to compare, but from the comments of the first there, we realized that the flows are now small. When we took a day trip by boat we saw at least a dozen other boats with groups, so from the side it seemed like things were going as usual. When we went to the pyramids of Giza, we were able to see them quite calmly and easily take pictures without other people in the background, we received notices that the flows to one of the most famous places to visit are really small.
Well, the merchants didn’t find us particularly interested. If we didn’t need something, we said “no thanks” with a smile and continued.

Anxiety about test results and potential problems.

We will admit that we could only fully relax and enjoy the next vacation only after receiving negative COVID-19 test results, meaning less than 2 days left. before the trip. Although one of us was ill and had not visited any place for at least a week before the trip, except for a walk in the fresh air, there was a slight anxiety because you could never tell. There was still some anxiety before the test was returned to Egypt. Precisely because we wanted to vacation safely, we did not choose tours that spend a lot of time on the bus, nor did we honestly wear masks where necessary, although most of the time no one reviewed it. However, as before leaving, there was a bit of anxiety, so all that’s left is to accept it.

We have read both in the media and on Facebook forums what would happen if the test was positive, so we also consider this worst case scenario in our minds. Of course, the open question of how things would turn out if the test was positive has been on my mind from time to time.

Is so much preparation worth it?

Speaking of all the steps to prepare for a trip and the added costs, we were surprised that planning a trip from the side seems to require a lot of preparation. Yes, we totally agree with that, but we understand that this is the situation at the moment, so in order to travel, you must accept it and be prepared for various contingencies, even when you seem to be ready for everything.
To the question of whether it is worth so much preparation for a week of vacation, we answer that it depends on everyone personally. Traveling during a pandemic has really become a demand for not only preparation and additional expenses, but personal responsibility as well, so if you don’t want to worry, it’s probably worth the wait.

We know that all the inconvenience caused by the preparation will be forgotten very quickly, and the impressions of the trip will remain for a long time. We also understand that no one can tell the exact time of the end of a pandemic, that is why we want to learn to travel safely, adapting to the demands, but also enjoying the joy of traveling.

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