I dont drink alcohol at all and dont eat outside of the hotel either but if I like the look of something I will eat it .
Dont use hand gel either and I am generally not that obsessed about being extra careful . Have never had any problems at our normal choice of hotel in Egypt nor anywhere else in the world with higher temps .

If you drink alcohol to the excess especially lager, you will no doubt in my mind get cramps etc. I heard some Brit saying oh i am so ill, etc but he was drinking for most of the day, so obviously it never entered his head it maybe the beer !

I honestly don't think that has anything to do with it michelle . My husband drinks beer all day long and has never had a problem anywhere . Maybe that is actually the answer

I always use aircon (can't sleep without it) and always have wherever we stay in Egypt . My lads have theirs on so it's like a fridge when I go to wake them up in the morning . I was the only one that got what I firmly believe to be food posioning at the sonesta.

I sometimes get the odd day of cramping/running to the toilet and that is what I think your referring to Michelle. As said previously much of that maybe is down to change and body temps etc . I did infact have that whilst staying in nuweiba but it is very different to what I experienced with food poisoning .

I believe it's all down to restaurant management and maintaining stringent practices . The hilton in sharks bay where I normally go used to have a scottish guy as management . Not sure if that has changed but they suffered a bout of stomach problems late last year. Bad reviews were coming in daily and thankfully they seemed to get on top of it quickly by changing the kitchen management and going back to square one to make sure their stringent practices were being adhered to. They obviously wern't when guests were dropping like flies. I will be back there over easter so we will see.

Far too many people go down with something very different to the usual pharoahs revenge in Egypt . It doesnt stop me going back but maybe we shouldnt believe everything the Egyptian doctors or hotel like to tell us . It's not really in their best interests to say you have food poisoning .

lyn

I'm sorry but I cant agree either.

I never touch larger, but have been ill as well. The only time I was ill was in an AI hotel. The other times I went I stayed BnB and ate out at varios restaurants and didn't get ill. I am certainly not saying that you cant get ill from eating out in various restaurants in egypt, as it will all be down to the hygiene standards in the various kitchens. The good ones with decent hygiene you wont get ill, the bad ones with poor standards you will get ill from.

Airconditioning is used all over the world, in many countrys were there is never a whiff of this kind of problem. I don't see why aircon in Egypt should make you seriosly ill but aircon in Florida where I have been to a number of times not make you ill. It just doesn't make sense. I dont like aircon as it gives me a dry throat, but I beleive think it has ever given me salmonella.

It really isn't an issue whether people agree or not, all my facts have come from several doctors in resort, so having been really ill the first few times in the summer the doctors gave me a list as well as other holiday makers what to avoid and what may help you. It is a 3rd world country so knowing that i wanted as much information as i could get from all walks of life.

I am only talking about Pharaohs revenge as we call it, anything else i cannot comment on. I am certainly not saying my above post will help everyone, but those are my thoughts on how it has helped me and my husband. As for alcohol still people drink loads in the hot sun which causes dehydration, we have a drink when on holiday, its part of our relaxation to enjoy a tipple or two with our friends, i certainly didn't drink much water as again the Doctors said drink sprite.

I have helped with a lot of travellers who all thanked me for my recommendations, again it works for some and not others, mainly because we all have different immune systems and all hotels and food are not the same.

I agree you can get ill anywhere, i came back from Cyprus a few years ago really ill with E Coli 0157 have no idea where i got it from but was in agony, i also got food poisoning twice in the UK. it happens everywhere, cannot be stopped all together.

I agree i do not want to go on holiday to have a huge check list to read on what i can and can't eat, but saying that i am cautious, once you have been through it a few times to have to look at what you are eating and drinking to avoid the pain.

Forgot to add the AC what you were talking about doesn't give you salmonella, its a known fact that if you have 40 degrees outside and you have the coldest setting on your ac unit, the stomach muscles react once outside in the sun, that s what contributes to stomach cramps, your stomachs are so cold, so therefore the sun clashes with the cold and can cause cramps.

Another scenario is for example ice cold sodas or drinks with ice, drink them in the sun, it causes stomach freeze and again a cause of cramping for a few mins.

I think it's the doctors that make me even more suspicious Michelle.

They never ever take a sample so how on earth would they know. That put every case down to Egyptian belly , give you a magic potion or jab and send you on your way. Personally I think theres a big cover up going on with many hotels and their doctors.

When the hilton were having issues last year myself and another member contacted them with our concerns . We were first given a standard fob off but we both persevered and were then both given figures by them from the onsite doctor . A few cases of Egyptian belly was the doctors report (They have a name for it but can't remember what is was). Utter cobblers . We knew from returning guests and reviews that problems were a lot worse but one of the biggest problems I told them was the fact that the British dont complain . We suffer in silence and then put up a bad review when we get home . I never reported my illness at the sonesta , just continued to suffer and take what I'd bought from home which just proves my point .

We pushed for them to investigate further and the result was they gave reassurances they were appointing new kitchen management and make sure all staff had been given the appropriate training to stop the rot .

Getting them to sit up , take notice and admit there was a problem was the hardest part. They had taken their eye off the ball there to a huge cost .

I agree Lyn, a lot is a cover up, i suppose when i felt vulnerable when i and my family got ill (remember when mum collapsed?) i was worried sick. We put our trust in doctors. I certainly had a few points i had to raise when i went to the sonesta last year. Going back to Cyprus in June to a trusted hotel, lovely food and so far not ill. I am giving poor countries a wide birth until they get there act together.

Before we went away I gleamed as much information as humanly possible. Picked what I thought was a reputable hotel and hoped that we would be OK. How wrong I was! I have just typed into Google, "Egyptian stomach upset" the result 4,160,000 results, enough said really, if there was not an inherent problem why is there so much debate about it, whether on here or various websites? Anyway I will leave it at that as I will never go back again anyway, and if everything goes to plan we will be moving to Cyprus when my son goes to Uni later in the year.

Totally agree with Lyn about the Egyptian GP`s/Hotels covering up the problem.

Forgot to add only a poorly maintained A/C will actually make you ill, as long as the filters are changed regularly and it is well serviced you should not have a problem.

lynwestie wrote:

I think it's the doctors that make me even more suspicious Michelle.

They never ever take a sample so how on earth would they know. That put every case down to Egyptian belly , give you a magic potion or jab and send you on your way. Personally I think theres a big cover up going on with many hotels and their doctors.

When the hilton were having issues last year myself and another member contacted them with our concerns . We were first given a standard fob off but we both persevered and were then both given figures by them from the onsite doctor . A few cases of Egyptian belly was the doctors report (They have a name for it but can't remember what is was). Utter cobblers . We knew from returning guests and reviews that problems were a lot worse but one of the biggest problems I told them was the fact that the British dont complain . We suffer in silence and then put up a bad review when we get home . I never reported my illness at the sonesta , just continued to suffer and take what I'd bought from home which just proves my point .

We pushed for them to investigate further and the result was they gave reassurances they were appointing new kitchen management and make sure all staff had been given the appropriate training to stop the rot .

Getting them to sit up , take notice and admit there was a problem was the hardest part. They had taken their eye off the ball there to a huge cost .

Your worrying me Lyn what with my going to the Hilton Sharks Bay.

I am still going to follow all the useful advice that you have given over the years Michelle, at the end of the day I still think it pays to be sensible, but I do kind of feel it's 'in the lap of the Gods' as to if you get ill in Egypt, however much research you do.

It seems about 50:50 to me whereas in other Country's the risk is definately less, but I obvioulsy feel OK to go back and chance it, so fingers crossed (lets just hope it's not legs crossed as well )

Hope you have a great time doepsmc and that you don`t need to cross anything Even though we were ill we both loved the place and the people.

I think it is in the lap of the gods to a certain extent Chris and it's only the hotels that work hard at minimising the risk that keep their problems down .

I'm confident HSB sorted their problems but it just goes to show how their good name in high likelyhood of having no problems can go down the toilet when they take their eye off the ball or maybe change restaurant management .
I'm confident to go and return there as was Pat but I can no longer feel as confident at recommending them when people ask for advice on somewhere that has a good record . That is a shame but I'm hoping my confidence will be restored in April. Reviews look much better again now but unfortunately damage has been done .

As you are going a little later into the season than you normally go Chris and it wll no doubt be hotter, I would definately take all those precautions but it shouldnt ruin your holiday with you feeling so worried you avoid every bit of what you fancy.

Hi Lyn

A hotel with a great reputation like the Hiton Sharks Bay can lose that reputation really quicky when they are struck with this. After a couple of months of bad reviews on TA - people seem to report more on things that go wrong than things that go right - it makes you panic.

We had a brilliant time at the Holiday Village but I would worry about recommending it to others because of my jippy tummy - think it was from a not so fresh, fresh cream cake or some doddgy meatballs at lunch Yuck !

As I was ill virtually straight after eating and it was towards the end of the holiday I would have thought that if it was air c@n (only had it on for an hour or so before we went to sleep each night as it was March) or the heat I would have re-acted sooner as I was presumably aclimatised by then. Hardly drank any alcohol and no beer at all.

Mind you the HV now has the added problem of poo in the pool and lets face it that really is nothing to do with the hotel. It is kind of unfair on the hotels as knowing that has happened means I would probably never risk the HV again.

Same thing as me at the coral in Nuweiba . It was literally about 1 hour after I had eaten breakfast when I was struck down on our last day . After 4/5 sharpish visits back to the room (thank goodness we had kept it on ) and half a packet of imodium later I was fine for the 2 hour transfer & the flight back early evening and that was the last I saw of it.

Like you if it had any anything to do with a/c etc or too much sun surely it wouldnt of taken all week.

That was what I always describe as pharoahs revenge and very very different to that feeling of death I had with food poisoning .

I really dont know what gave me that at the sonesta but I have my suspisions about the fruit salad I was eating everyday at breakfast. I was the only one of us that ate it . The rest of my family were loading themselves up with all the delicious looking pastries but I was trying to keep a control of myself . The fruit salad contained a lot of melon and it was left sitting in a big bowl every morning . It wasnt refridgerated I dont believe and who knows how long ago it had been preparred or for how long it had been sitting there .

Yes I think Pharoahs Revenge is a good name for something that lasts 12 to 24 hours. Once you've had something for 3/4 days with those horrendous stomach pains you just know it's food posioning. I must be the only person who ever got that at the Belcekic Beach, ill for the last 4 days of the holiday, I just didn't have faith in the food after that, you lose confidence in it so cant enjoy, needless to say everyone else was still tucking in. Plus side was I didn't come back from holiday having put on any weight.

Plus side was I didn't come back from holiday having put on any weight.

Theres always a silver lining somewhere Chris . I usually do about 7lb but that year I managed just the 1lb gain .

been to egypt twice going a third time this year never had pharohs revenge (dodgy tummy) everyone i met over there who had one i asked them all the same question did you get your injections before you went all of them replied no. make sure yo get injections before you go and stick to what you know food wise dont over endulged you will be fine

I had all the recommended injections and never over indulged in anything, sun, food or booze and yet I still got severe food poisoning, and that was confirmed by my GP.

Its true to say any one can get it, if you escape it, or have a cast iron stomach you will be very lucky. Going in November me and hubby were fine for 3 weeks, but when we went in May, June, July and August we had to have the doctors injection which was not pleasant on your rear end. I always carried buscopan and found that worked, but the diarrhoea was another matter.I thought it only happened in the summer months, true to say its usually more frequent in the summer with some. But there were guests in November that were going to the pharmacy.

Hello we are travelling to Sharm el Sheikh in 4 weeks time. I read on this site a while back about a product that was available from Holland & Barratt that helps to prevent dodgy tummies!! I can't remember the name of it and I'm hoping someone on here may be able to help me.

Thanks
L x