General Information for Riding

The Essentials

Included in Riding Holidays

Accommodation: All riding holidays include accommodation
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided on riding holidays. Soft drinks & alcohol are payable locally. For mini-breaks please refer to your program for details of what’s included.
Guides: Riding and non-riding guides are inclusive
Beverages: Complimentary water bottles on riding trips
Horses & tack including saddle bags and water for each ride
Transfers: Shared transfers are included, private on request (see separate section below for further information)

Not Included

Insurance: We request you take out travel Insurance. Ask your local insurance company or travel agent about it. You will not be allowed to participate in the trail ride without having personal travel insurance.
Flights: International and local flights are not included.
Beverages: Soft and alcoholic drinks are payable locally.
Single supplement: Available on request.
Personal expenses
Please keep in mind that Egypt has a strong tipping culture and leaving tips is a way of life. We kindly ask that you factor this in to your budget $100 / £75 GBP to be paid on the first day of arrival. This goes into a tip kitty in order to tip hotel staff, porter, tour guides, riding guides, grooms, drivers, camel guides and boat guides for the week.

Practical Information

Riding level: Our holidays are designed for ‘riders’, especially set travel holidays that see many solo travelers coming together from around the world riding together. You should be confident on a horse at all paces, as a minimum up to canter. Beginners and less experienced riders are always welcome for private holidays. Please email us for more details
Group size: groups comprise a minimum of 2 riders and maximum of 10 riders
Horses: Arab and Arabian Cross
Saddles: Comfortable English leather GP, Endurance, Treeless and Western are available
Guides: Professional and multilingual guides, hosts and drivers
Passport: Required for all foreigners with a minimum of 6 months remaining
Visa: Payable at Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada and Sharm Airport on arrival $25. Cash only payment. Please be prepared
Vaccinations: Not required in the area where we ride (for other regions consult your physician)

Recommended Travel Gear

Valid international passport
Travel insurance
Pocket money (you can change EUR/£/USD in the airport)
A warm sweater and a jacket
4 or 5 t-shirts and minimum of 1 shirt with long sleeves.
Jodhpurs or jeans to ride with
Riding shoes or boots / riding shoes with mini-chaps or long chaps
A second pair of shoes for the evening
Swimsuit, comfortable clothing & a scarf (a nice Arabic scarf can be bought on location)
One towel
Toiletries
Sun cream
Water canteen
Camera
Mosquito repellent

Transfers

Please contact us regarding your transfers. Depending on your holiday choice you may have the offer of a free transfer during set arrival times, others may carry a small surcharge depending on arrival times and locations.

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.

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.

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).

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

East Bank:

Karnak Temple – 100le
Avenue of Sphinxes – Free
Luxor Museum – 100le
Luxor Temple – 100le
Mummification Museum – 100le

West Bank:

Valley of the Kings – 150le
Seti I Tomb – 1000le
Tutenkamun Tomb – 200le
Carters House – 60le
Hatshepsut Temple – 80le
Colossi of Memnon – Free
Habu Temple – 60le
Stone Factory – Free
Valley of the Queens – 150le
Tomb of Queen Nefertari – 1000le
Nobles Tombs – 80le
Workers Tombs – 80le

Suggested tips:

Restaurants 8-10%
Cafes/Bars 10%
Taxis (negotiate the price first) 5-10%
Chambermaids 15-20 LE
Porters 10-20 LE
Museums and site guides 10-20 LE
Toilets 1 LE

A full list of archaeological site and museum prices can be viewed/downloaded here http://www.egyptologyforum.org/Ticket_Price_Nov._2018_EN.pdf

Climate

The climate of Egypt 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.

What Should I Wear?

In order to get the very most out of your riding holiday we recommend that you consider a small investment on purchasing the correct kit, especially if you are planning to continue riding after your holiday.

Riding Equipment and Footwear

Riding hats are available at our stables, for your own comfort we advise you to bring your own hat which has been fitted to your head should you have one. Footwear is also important, you should wear a closed shoe or boot preferably with a small heel. Please note trainers or wellies are not acceptable as they are flat soled and can slip through the stirrup.

Riding Kit

It can get very hot abroad, so to avoid feeling sweaty and sticky all the time, try to stick to natural fabrics, especially cotton. There are many fantastic new products on the market, including full cotton seamless underwear, which is a blessing for long trail rides. Don’t forget about fine cotton socks too.

Trousers

Of course, nothing beats the comfort and protection that proper cotton breeches or jodhpurs afford for riding, but if you don’t intend to ride much after your holiday, you can get by with cotton tracksuit bottoms or leggings.

Tops

Should be fairly fitted, and it is better to have at least half sleeves for protection to the shoulders against sunburn or low hanging branches on the trail riding holidays. Even in the summer, they are just as cool and for the ladies, are much more “supportive” and comfortable so you can concentrate on learning in your classes. If you come in winter, it’s good to bring tops you can wear in layers, T-shirts, sweatshirts and vests. Sometimes it is quite cold and suddenly it gets hot, so it’s good to be able to add or subtract quickly.

Other Items

Sunscreen, camera, sunglasses, binoculars, lip balm, plasters, insect cream / repellent (just in case) are all highly recommended.

Mosquito repellent is a must! Those besky little things can be quite persistent. A good 12 hour spray is advisable, and after-bite cream and antihistamine tablets work wonders should you get bitten.

Saddle sores are not uncommon and often surprise the most experienced of riders used to long hours in the saddle. We have the best tack, saddles, and seat covers that we can offer, however a little extra care due to the dry heat is very much advisable. Emma suggests Lanacane Anti Chaffing Gel which is available in most chemists or online and is not at all expensive. Use every morning before you leave for riding to avoid tender spots, and it’s also very good for after to soothe.

Cold Sore Cream if you suffer in the sun, or tea tree oil is a great natural alternative.

Plasters: We carry a first aid kit on all safari trips, but it’s always advisable to have a packet yourself.