I couldn't believe the souk.... we've been going to Luxor since 1992 and never seen the market so dead.

It's really not looking good for Luxor at the moment.

See this today posted in the Egypt Independent online news site:
EDIT: Sorry, but for copyright © reasons, material from other websites may not be copied and reproduced, please ONLY provide a weblink.

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/army-police-bolster-forces-luxor-protests-escalate

We are booked for Sharm (our third visit) in August, not too concerned though, I think you have a better chance of seein trouble in most of the town centres over here !

Ah, but Sharm isn't Egypt - so you have no need to worry The only Egyptians allowed in are those who work there.

Try taking a look at Luxor where they are experiencing big problems which is terrible for the local people as they rely only on tourism for their income. We're quite devastated - it's our favourite holiday destination but there have been protests outside the El Luxor hotel and on Television Street on a regular basis over the last month.

If Sharm isn`t in Egypt where is it?

Jeffro wrote:

If Sharm isn`t in Egypt where is it?

The Sinai peninsula to be precise , if staying in that area you don't even need to pay for a visa to enter , whereas in Cairo and Luxor you do need a visa .
By the " wink" in Cyprus 100 post she doesn't mean it's literally not in Egypt , but in reality sharm is nothing like real Egypt . I wonder how many people book to go to sharm and expect to see pyramids and temples nearby ?

You will need to pay for a visa if you are going to visit Ras Mohammed or Wadi Feiran during your stay in the Sinai. The free Visa is valid for up to 14days.

@andy66

Got it in one!

Sharm will never be the "real" Egypt for me, anyway! Totally man made, no history and as has been mentioned, not even a visa is required unless you want to go outside and see the real Egypt....

Morsi had appointed Adel el-Khayat as Governor of Luxor. His Political Group was responsible for the massacre in Luxor in 1997. I'd never go to Egypt again if he had still been there. Even so, it's doubtful I'll ever go again anyhow.

Link.

Yes, it was a pretty stupid move on Morsi's part to think holidaymakers would forget the massacre so quickly... I was working at First Choice when it happened and one of our resort reps (first season in Egypt) had a hell of a lot to deal with, which I won't go into here.

He vowed he will never, ever - go back to Egypt...

The local stall holders came running out of their small kiosks at the temple, risking their own lives and grabbing the tourists so they could shelter them inside their cabins once they realised what was happening.

Loungelizard wrote:

We are booked for Sharm (our third visit) in August, not too concerned though, I think you have a better chance of seein trouble in most of the town centres over here !

Since the revolution in 2011, the situation in both North Sinai and South Sinal is far more volatile than it was before.

There is a reason why the FCO only show the resorts that are hugging the coast line as being safe, personally there is no way I would go out into the dessert as various people are using it as a training ground and stated they would be doing so after the revolution.

This is a good site to get up to date information on Egypt

http://english.ahram.org.eg/

The site below gives the latest information and the background as to all the various incidents that have taken place there including specific incidents that have taken place in Sinia over the last couple of years.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt/safety-and-security

Im not convinced about the security in Sinia, having been half a dozen times, if by security it is the guys sitting in chairs under parasols on the Perimeter dozing in the sun all day everyday with a gun on their lap to be honest I woudn't have much faith in their protecting me if it all should all kick off in the resort.

our friends messaged us last week from Sharm. They had been told to stay in their hotel that night as a large demonstration was expected. We haven't heard from them since but obviously it didn't hit any headlines.

Daughter and her family are off to sharm in 2 weeks, she has been keeping an eye on things but as she is unlikely to set foot off the complex she is not worried as the red sea cost is one of the biggest earner of foreign cash the government and military are unlikely to let anything happen

I think if it carrys on for much longer it will get to a point where the resorts do start to be affected

Sharm is still part of Egypt and cant remain immune forever, all the people who work there live in Cairo and their families and friends are all in Cairo, that's where they go back and forth to.

You see posts on various forums that say that nothing will happen there as tourism is so important to the economy, but tourism was as much a huge part of the economy of Luxor as well and it is now empty of tourists , I dont see why the Red Sea will continue to be immume on an indefinate basis. I suppose if things calm down over the next month it could stay immume, but its all unknown at the moment.

I cant see the logic of the argument, the people who are demonstating etc have far bigger issues at stake and many of them are not involved in tourism at all, they are more interestred in the politics of the situation and moving forward democracy if they can.

Wizard HT Mod wrote:

Daughter and her family are off to sharm in 2 weeks, she has been keeping an eye on things but as she is unlikely to set foot off the complex she is not worried as the red sea cost is one of the biggest earner of foreign cash the government and military are unlikely to let anything happen

There isnt really any government there at the moment though Wiz, its unclear as to who is really in charge, unless it has gone back to being the military like it was in the days of Mubarak. Im sure that people that stay in the confims of an AI hotel will be OK though.

I don't really think that anyone can say Sharm is safe now. Does no-one remember 2005? We had a big thread about the bombings at the time but it has disappeared now. We do have a very long thread about the bombings in Dahab in 2006 here
Right now I don't think any place is safe in Egypt. It really does seem to be getting worse. I feel sorry for those who can't get out of their holiday without losing their money.

Fiona wrote:

I don't really think that anyone can say Sharm is safe now. Does no-one remember 2005? We had a big thread about the bombings at the time but it has disappeared now. We do have a very long thread about the bombings in Dahab in 2006 here
Right now I don't think any place is safe in Egypt. It really does seem to be getting worse. I feel sorry for those who can't get out of their holiday without losing their money.

Yeah I suppose I shouldn"t really say safe as nobody can guarantee anyone's safety anywhere Fi.

I'm sure I was flying back from Sharm at the same time the bomb went off in Dahab. Also the Gazala Gardens Hotel in Naama Bay was bombed before that and a hotel in Taba before that, and this was all prior to the current problems all of which now seem so much more serious.

MMM I was there the year of the bombings, we have also stayed in the Ghazala gardens, also we were in the sea the same time as the shark attacks and another dispute in Cairo, and my pops and nana died whilst out there. I think i bring bad luck to the place :/ but we are hoping to go back to the IL Mercato in January, i am hoping nothing will go wrong.

http://news.sky.com/story/1128329/egypt-hundreds-die-in-raids-on-morsi-camps
If Sky have got it right then hundreds of unarmed people have been killed.
Whatever the rights and wrongs this is major and surely must keep escalating. It's time for the FO to change it's advice so that holidaymakers can change plans without losing money