Many tourists have health concerns when traveling in other countries and these usually revolve around the cleanliness of the water, the safety of the food, potential illnesses and the standard of hospital care.  Keep reading and I will give you the facts on these as well as some conclusions I have come to in my 14 years of working in tourism.

In Egypt , everything is quite safe...except sometimes the tap water, which you may choose not to drink as the water in Egypt is highly chlorinated.

It is only safe to drink if you get used to it and you are willing to live in Egypt for a long time.  This actually doesn't mean that the tap water is polluted.  It simply means that you are not used to this water.  The same thing happened to me when I was in the UK once and attempted to drink the tap water, I got stomach cramps!!  I was simply not used to the agents in the UK water.   So my dear traveler, it is the same situation for you in Egypt .

It is much better to stick with the bottled water.  It is much safer and easier for your system during your trip.  That is why I would advise strongly, that you don't drink the tap water and use it only for washing.  However, you still can use it for brushing your teeth.

Tourists are often advised not to eat fresh fruits or vegetables.  But this means missing out on the best fresh food and some of the best taste sensations.   In Egypt , it is safe to eat fruits and vegetables, as long as the food has been washed.   You will find any good hotel or cruise boat will wash it before they cook it, so don't worry!  Don't eat from cheap local places, if you wish to eat local food then stick with Falafel or what we call Tamia, preferably from a known place such as the restaurants on the streets of Downtown.  Tamia is a very cheap, very safe and very tasty food.

In Upper Egypt while conducting a cruise tour, sometimes diarrhoea would affect the group a few days into the tour.  This was simply because of a change of weather and in many cases because of the change in the eating habits of the people on board.

When I meet my tour groups in Cairo , we usually spend two days together, visiting the sites and then we fly to either Luxor or Aswan .  Here we begin our 3 nights cruise and in many cases in the company of other groups we spend 7 nights on a 5 star De-Luxe cruise boat!

Two or three days into the cruise, I found out that the number of those who are joining the daily visits with me is dwindling!  When I asked about those who are not present, I am told that they had a bad tummy, or spent the night with cramps and diarrhoea, not the ideal way to spend your holiday.

In the beginning, it was really confusing to hear this news as I always take the time to fully brief the guests on the tips and tricks of a successful Egyptian holiday.  And yet some of them still get sick!  How come?

Everyone would assume it was the food that was causing the problem, others said perhaps it was the water!  I was always convinced it is neither the food quality nor the water they drink as they all stick with the bottled water.

It was really confusing as we all eat the same food, but only a few of us get the bug!

After a while I started to monitor closely, the eating habits of my groups.  And at the end, I was able to find the real reasons for sickness cases, and these are:

1. - The accommodation on the cruise boat is on a full board basis, and most of the time the meals are presented in an open buffet manner.  I noticed that some of the passengers ate each meal as if it was the last meal of their lives.

It was a complete change for their eating habits and total overload for their stomach capacity.  Not to mention, that at least 5 to 7 items on the buffet are types of food totally new for them.

2- Whenever we come back to the boat after finishing a visit, sweating and tired from wandering in the extreme heat, some passengers, rush to their fully air-conditioned cabins, and crash on their beds.  They forget that the air conditioning is on full power and they are totally wet from walking.  Here comes the danger, they easily catch cold, get back pain and their natural immune system becomes vulnerable.  Hence comes the sickness, diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration.

So the solution was simple, I stressed to my groups that they should not rush to their cabins right after each tour but try to acclimatize slowly and sit for while in the lobby before rushing to the cabin.   And once they are in their cabins they should turn off the air-conditioning immediately, then turn it on whenever the cabin becomes too warm.

I also advised them to remember that the food on the boat is actually never ending, and they should be aware not to change their eating habits and take it easy.

The result was amazing.  Most of the time, none of my groups members ever since had any sickness.  While other people from other tour groups staying on the same boat with the same itinerary, were getting sick.

And don't take malaria tablets, I have often seen people missing their whole trip and staying in bed as they were taking these tablets regularly and thus having regular diarrhea!!

Sometimes tourists come to Egypt and use these tablets as they are advised by their doctors back home.   Unfortunately, many of those doctors don’t check the health situation here, just panicking when it comes to their knowledge that Egypt is a country located in Africa !  They immediately advise their patients to take these tablets two weeks before commencing their trip.

The fact is, there is no malaria in Egypt .   We have not had a malaria case in the last 80 years.  However, it is always a good idea to bring mosquitoes repellent for open-air night events, just to minimize the annoyance factor.  When some tourists use these tablets during their stay they don't realize that one of the many side-effects of the tablets is simply diarrhoea!!   That it is, in turn, unnecessary, and it spoils their whole holiday.

Anyway, to cure any type of diarrhoea, there is an excellent antibiotic called Entoseed, which works very fast on removing the worst of the symptoms and putting you back on your feet in a hurry.  I would advise you to bring a supply of any medicines that you take regularly and bring the prescription too.  But feel safe in the knowledge that in the unlikely event of serious trouble, your hotel or cruise boat staff will find and provide a doctor for you instantly.