General Information

Money

The Egyptian pound is divided into 100 piastres. There are notes for 25 and 50 piastres and 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pounds as well as coins for 10 and 25 piastres. Credit cards are widely accepted at banks, hotels and upmarket restaurants, but check first. Many five-star hotels and banks in tourist resorts have automatic cash dispensing machines.

The local abbreviation for the currency is LE which stands for ‘livre égyptienne’ (French for ‘Egyptian pound’). Please note that if you have booked a trail, you will be travelling in some remote places and will not have regular access to cash machines or chances to pay by card. It is better to have a small amount of cash with you to make purchases of souvenirs, alcohol or anything else you might need, or to leave tips.

Although there is no obligation, tipping in Egypt is very much a way of life. Tips can be made in Sterling, Euros, US dollars and Egyptian pounds (LE). The following is to be used as a guide only:

There is a small entry fee to the temples that may feature on your visit. Prices payable locally:

It is considered the norm to leave a small amount for the chambermaid/housekeeper if you have used their services during a hotel stay and perhaps to leave a small amount at the hotel desk for the staff that have looked after you.

It is also considered customary to tip your riding guide at the end of your holiday and the amount is entirely at your discretion and is based on the level of service you feel that you received. Something along the lines of £5 – £10 per day would be around average but everything is gratefully received.

Climate

The climate of Sharm El Sheikh is a subtropical arid climate and the area is officially classed as being ‘hot desert’. Temperatures generally range from averages of 18 – 23C in January to 33 – 37C in August, but it is not unheard of for it to be several degrees higher than this during the summer months. Rainfall is rare and sunshine is pretty much guaranteed all year round.

Despite the hot overall temperatures, you will find that it becomes much cooler at night time compared to in the day, especially when you are travelling in more remote areas or through the mountain regions. For this reason we do recommend that you take a few warmer items to keep you cosy at night time.

Travel Insurance

We require that you take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy, including health cover, before you start your trip. Please ensure that your insurance covers unexpected losses or expenses e.g. lost luggage, stolen cash and credit cards or cancelled/missed flights. You should check any exclusion and that your policy covers you for horse riding and all the activities you want to undertake – you may not be allowed to ride without adequate travel insurance so please do send us your insurance information before you depart.

Please note that some insurance policies specify that you must be wearing appropriate clothing and a riding helmet in order to be covered for horse riding activities. We strongly recommend that you wear a riding hat during the rides (and when handling the horses) but if you intend not to, please make sure that you are still insured and can claim for medical expenses in the event of an accident.

NB. We recommend that you book your insurance as soon as you book your holiday (or as soon after as possible!) and include cancellation cover, as you will need to claim on your insurance should you have to cancel your holiday due to illness, injury or other.

Trip Cancellation Insurance recommended: In order to protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances interfering with your holiday, we strongly suggest that you purchase trip cancellation insurance.