Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Egypt (Lonely Planet Egypt, 5th ed)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This book was recommended by the Egyptian agency which was helping us plan an independent tour. I quickly saw why. It is a concise, practical guide, giving down-to-earth accessible information. The general introduction to the history, geography, economy, and culture of Egypt, while only about 30 pages long, provides an appropriate starting point for a visitor along with a 3 page list of recommended readings for travelers who want or need more in-depth information (Susan Wilson's "Culture Shock! Egypt" would be a useful addition to the list). The brief overview of temple/tomb architecture and of the gods/goddesses (with handy line drawings) was especially helpful when fatigue led to information blur later in the trip. The "Facts for the Visitor" section was indispensible as it provided basic information on everything from visas to money to toilets. The metric conversion table inside the back cover was a blessing! The advice for women travelers and for traveling with children was especially helpful for us (a party of 2 women/2 young teens). The cautions perhaps encouraged us to be too guarded at first, but they also allowed us to gradually relax into our comfort zone with very few unpleasantries. The actual guide to places, sites, and activities suited our needs well. The maps provided were clear and helpful; the descriptions, histories, and commentaries of the various sites and locations interesting. The amount of information provided was quite appropriate (one, after all, has to be able to carry the book conveniently about). Where we felt we needed more information, we simply bought something more extensive on the spot or made a note to look for resources upon returning home. The information provided on Internet cafes was a godsend, if a bit fiddly to find; listing all the cafes in a single section or at least including a page number for each city in the table of contents or index would be most welcome. All in all, this was the most used guide that we took with us. It will definitely return with me next time.

Spent 2+ weeks in Egypt in April 2005, touring all the major sites with my husband, including the Sinai Peninsula, without a tour group. While I am generally a huge fan of LP and use them extensively, this country's edition was a little disappointing. It was slim on the specifics of the sites/museums and if you only have this book, you will need to pay for guides at the sites/museums, since you won't understand what you are looking at. Get the Rough Guide instead.

I knew nothing about Egypt before my recent trip to the country. So, I decided to pick up a Lonely Planet Guide on Egypt and I'm sure glad I did. The book filled me in on culture, money, religion, food, history, sites, language, travel and so much more. The history section was precise and just the right length. I especially liked the summary of the pharaohs and gods. It was a nice size to carry along. The summaries of the temples, burial sites, etc were really nice. There was information in the book on the sites that our guide did not tell us. The maps were also helpful. Others in my group were asking to see my guide book instead of reading their own non-lonely planet guide books throughout the trip. Overall, I was very pleased with this guidebook. If you are going to Egypt this book is a must. Or, if you want to learn about Egypt, this is also a great book.

I am so glad I bought and digested Lonely Planet Egypt before setting foot in Egypt recently. While the book is very good about places to see and things to do, it also has excellent information of what to watch out for. I can't stress enough some of the points made in the book about being vigilant, counting your change, respecting the religion, and not being swindled left and right. The book makes a point of how to deal with taxi drivers, hotel staff, tipping, and even shopping insights. Obviously the book paints a pretty positive picture of Egypt, but few people come back with positive attitudes about Egypt when they return, but no other book tells you point blank what to expect when you get there and how best to enjoy the sights and sounds of Cairo and the rest of the country. I can safely say that if I had not bought Lonely Planet Egypt, I may have even had much worse things happen to me there, so I really credit this book for saving my neck since Egypt is not the safest destination for American tourists nowadays - be sure to read the US State Department info before departing. Buy the book and be sure to think on your feet while you are there - those are the two most important things to have on hand in Egypt.

I have used several LP guides and this was the best one yet. I found the info to almost always be spot-on, and the writers of this edition present it to you with far more wit and humor than you would expect in a guide. I looked at a couple of the other reviews and noticed they were quite critical. This doesn't square with my experience at all. I spent 6 weeks in Egypt in spring 2003 and this guide was incredibly useful. Aside from the inevitable little mistake here and there, the only major inconsistency I found was that bus trips usually took about 20-30% longer than the guide estimated. that is, a 4 hour trip would usually take closer to 5. Other than that I had no complaints in 6 weeks of using this guide every single day.

I never travel anywhere without a Lonely Planet Guide. My trip to Egypt was no exception. I like them so much, I often buy the latest edition for places I have already been, just in case I get a chance to go again. This edition is especially nice, in that it only covers Egypt. The edition I used for my trip also covered the Sudan. So to save weight I had to rip out the Sudan pages before I even started the trip. The Lonely Planet guides provide information on everything, and are truely survival guides. I didn't backpack, but even if you stay in a great hotel and take a guided tour, there is no better way to get the feel of the sites and the country than reading you LP guide before you get there. The color pictures, maps and sketches of sites are excellent and well chosen, and the details of who and where to contact in an emergency may very well ensure your survival. But the best stuff is where to go for a particular food or drink and how to find that special place that the "tourists" don't visit. Don't leave home without it.

I spent about a month reading this book and the Rough Guide series while planning my trip to Egypt... Well, they were both OK, the RG by Dan Richardson is more practical while LP goes into more detail on places of interest. Incidentally, this is the first book I read with systematic description of Egyptian gods and their relationships. Through the fortnight trip (Hurghada - Aswan - Luxor - Cairo - Suez - Hurghada) the LP was what I read in the evening before going to museums or tombs and RG was what I carried around in my pocket through the day. I would recommend a serious traveller to buy both.

I have been a long time Lonely Planet user and have traveled extensively using them. However, this edition is inconsistent, biased and skimpy on details. I used this guide to climb/visit Mount Sinai. There was no information on getting a guide, getting up the mountain, or on what to expect. On part of the guide said it was an easy climb. Another part said it was "grueling." In addition, it did not give correct information about many sites in the Red Sea area, listing what could only be called tourist traps as desirable destinations. Seriously, at times it felt like the author had mearly driven by the site and hadn't bothered to get out to truly examine it.

Reviews for Cairo were acceptable, but as for the Red Sea/Mt. Sinai -- if you are headed there, find another guide book. In addition, historical accounts of the Egyptian/Isreali conflict needlessly biased. I appreciate opinions when it comes to dining, but not on the history of the region!

Just returned a week ago. While I cannot claim to be sorry that I brought this book with me everywhere I went while in Egypt it should be noted that after the Cairo section this book becomes increasingly vague. I understand that Mr. Humphreys was living there when he wrote this, which probably explains it. However, after reading about Cairo and spending the beginning of my trip there the text on the remainder of Egypt seemed frustratingly sparce.

This is a really terrible guide to a great country. You get the impression that the person who wrote this guide arrived in Egypt the day before you did, is rushing through, hardly understands what he is seeing, and is passing on his ill-informed and rather ignorant impressions. I suppose it is useful for finding a cheap hotel, but then so are many other and much better guides written by people with a sense of history, a feeling for culture, and a sense of adventure.