Can Travelers Feel Safe in Egypt?

By Mary Hartman

Tell anyone you are traveling to Egypt, and the first question that pops out concerns safety.

"Will you feel safe traveling there?"

My husband and I did. It's not that we didn't think about our security. Indeed, we were scheduled to travel to Israel following our Egypt tour, but the Israel trip was canceled for safety concerns.

Unlike the situation in Israel, however, it's clear that in Egypt the government has pulled out all stops to protect its valued tourist industry. This is especially apparent after the 1997 massacre of 58 tourists at the Temple of Hatshepsut near Luxor. Police and security forces cover the country, not just at tourist sights, but along highways, in hotels and on the Nile River.

• Entering our hotel in Cairo, for example, we passed through security gates, of the same type installed at U.S. airports, and at Egyptian airports, as well.
• On streets in Luxor, Aswan and Edfu, for example, security forces occupy "bird cages" - small lookouts set atop pedestals 10 feet above the street. There they stand, at-the-ready, with guns trained downward. Is this intimidating? Yes, but only until you think back to earlier Egyptian atrocities and realize these men are here for your protection.
• Every mile or so along highways and secondary roadways, gun-toting men in traditional dress stand guard beneath small open-sided shelters. The shelters consist primarily of a roof supported with 4 x 4's. The small roof offers shade from the beastly hot summer sun.
• Police boats ply the Nile River. We were accompanied by a police boat on our felucca sail from the river boat dock in Aswan to the Old Cataract Hotel, a mile or so down river.
• Security forces were present at all dock sites along the Nile River. Guards were always present as we disembarked and then returned to the boat.
• Police escorts often rode on buses with us as we traveled from river boat to temples.
• Tourist sites are inundated with security. Police guards watch over activities at all temples and tombs. Dressed in gallabiyas, they also sit astride camels at the Pyramids of Giza. They may look as if they are there for the "photo op," and you can take pictures of them. But, beneath their robes, these policemen are holding high-powered guns.

The presence of guards does not preclude the possibility of another attack on tourists in Egypt. Such a tragic event is possible anywhere, but we feel that the Egyptian government is making a good-faith effort to put a stop to the atrocities committed by Muslim extremists in the past.

In a word, we felt safe in Egypt.