Before you embark on your exciting trip to Egypt, there are a few things you need to do beforehand. The first is to make sure you have adequate travel insurance in place to cover any unexpected costs, particularly medical or hospital treatments which might, unfortunately, become necessary. This is not meant to frighten you but simply to point out the realities of life, especially when it comes to overseas travel.

There are plenty of ways to minimize the expenses involved in travel insurance for instance, checking with your travel agent, or your credit card provider who might be able to offer special deals. Whichever way you look at it, it’s worthwhile taking the time to get proper coverage so you can enjoy your holiday with the peace of mind you expect.

After arriving in Egypt you will no doubt want to visit the local bazaars and buy something to take home. This will inevitably lead you into a process close to the heart of most Egyptians and that is to bargain for the best price. Most Westerners find this a challenging prospect and treat it as something which has to be done rather than to be enjoyed. Whatever you think, it’s important to know that this is an expected part of the buying process and you had better get used to it not just to get the best deal, but also to immerse yourself in this element of Egyptian culture.

There is no need to be overly stressed however, just follow a few simple tips and you are sure to come out unscathed! Here are a few tips you can follow.

• Know the Value. Before you start haggling you need to have some idea of what the item is really worth. You can find this out by doing some price comparisons either before you leave home or on the Internet. In some cases, particularly rugs, the value is something which only you will know. If you are prepared to pay a certain amount to get the rub of your dreams, then that becomes its value. Apart from that you have to have a fairly firm idea of what you are prepared to spend and what you think is reasonable.
• Respect the Culture. Whilst the bazaar stallholders are more than prepared to engage in the haggling process, there are limits to what they will tolerate. For instance, the cheaper the item, the less bargaining capacity you have. If you make a ridiculously low offer it could be taken as an insult and you will no longer be in a position to purchase the item. The stallholder will usually signal the end of the bargaining process with a sharp up tilt of his head. At this point you should withdraw gracefully.
• A good starting point is to offer about one third to a half of the original asking price. You should then gradually increase your price until you finally meet a happy medium, but never bid above your preset price. You must be prepared to withdraw from the bargaining process if you cannot get what you want.

We mentioned previously that it is important to have good travel insurance in place, and remember to include any expensive purchases you intend to make so you can be covered in the event of loss or theft.

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