Roof of Africa
Local Tour Payment: GBP240.00 per person
Local
Payment is part of your overall tour investment and is the easiest and most
economical way to
get hard currency to North Africa to help run
your trip. It goes toward a variety of
day-to-day local costs which cannot be pre-paid from UK. This is payable to your tour leader on
departure in English Pounds Sterling cash, Euros cash or US Dollars cash only.
Scottish Pounds are not accepted. We
will only accept $100 notes that are issued on or after 2000 as older notes are
more difficult to change. The Local Payment is a
guaranteed amount, set before your trip departs. We will not ask you to
contribute more once the trip is underway, as can happen with ‘group kitty’
systems.
£75 to £100 a week is a good start excluding side
trips. Of course this varies from person to person depending on how
much you drink, eat and how many souvenirs you buy. You can take your
money as a mix of Sterling traveller's cheques although travellers
cheques are often a hassle to cash and you often get a poor rate but
they offer the security if lost or stolen. It is often better to bring
all cash. Sterling, Euros and dollars are all good. There is a communal safe aboard the truck. Some
side trips and your visas must be paid for in US$ cash, bring at least
$200 US cash to cover these. It is best to take ½ of your money in US Dollars / Euros or Pounds cash and
the other half can be a Credit or Debit card with a PIN number to use in ATM
machines. If you are going to use a card
of any sort please inform your b ank before you travel that you are taking a
trip to North Africa. If you do not bring a
card then you will need to bring your spending money all in cash. If you are
concerned about carrying to much cash then Travellers cheques are advisable,
but we have had feedback from travellers that they wished they never took them
as they are difficult to change, commissions of 2% to 5% often charged, and you
will also need to bring your purchase receipt.
It is easy to get local currency from ATM machines in Egypt and in
some places in Tunisia BUT you can only withdraw local currency, sometimes only
small amounts of about $50 at a time, many machines will charge you for a
withdrawal and sometimes machines run out of cash or are not working. So always
have some cash US$ / Euro or GBP as a back up.
Tipping is usually expected. It is often more than a reward for services well done, but, as wages are extremely low, it is an accepted means of supplementing an income. Keep small change on you so as not to incur a large demand when it is seen you can afford more. Most prices are negotiable, especially in bazaars & markets. Many travellers find it a hassle having to bargain for everything you wish to buy, but prices are usually inflated so accept the tea or coffee offered, sit down, and if you are not happy, move on to another place. You are under no obligation to buy and don't be intimidated.
Student and Youth Cards: These give you big discounts to the ancient sites. Try to get one before you leave. These can also be obtained in Istanbul if you have a letter from your university.
Female Travellers
People in the regions we pass through are
generally conservative, especially about matters concerning sex and women. Muslim countries simply are not the place to
make a feminist statement. If you are not prepared to fit in with the social
code of the area the chances are you will be harrassed. Dress
conservatively. Keeping your arms, shoulders and legs covered will go a long
way to prevent causing offence and hassle to you. This is true for men as well as women. Avoid wearing tight or
revealing clothing.
Weather
The Middle East has extreme weather; with possible snow and
temperatures as low as minus 10*C in winter and possibly early spring
and late autumn in central Turkey, with highs up to 45/50*C in the
summer months ie June/July/August through the whole region. In very
cold weather we use hotels. If you want mild weather, travel in late
spring or early autumn. We see the weather as part of the experience,
in cold weather the days are normally clear and sights are empty of
tourists.
Accommodation and Food
We make use of hotels and restaurants when it becomes too cold to camp,
particularly in Turkey and the north of Syria. This is paid for out of
the local payment.
We camp with 2 person tents in campsites and
the desert and stay in hotel/pensions in shared rooms. In the summer months we
will camp around 70% of the time and about 30% in simple hotels/pensions,
although in the winter months we will camp less. Most places have showers and if they are hot,
that’s a bonus! It must be remembered that
the hotel/hostel/pension accommodation we use is an integral part of the
countries through which we travel and can suffer from common problems such as,
electrical failure, plumbing faults and other technical difficulties.
We
usually cook in groups of three on a rota system and you can expect to cook about once every
7 - 10 days, depending on group size. At breakfast everyone helps themselves,
usually cereal, toast and coffee (occasionally we may have a fried breakfast).
If we stay in a hotel breakfast is sometimes provided. Lunch is cold and the
cooking crew will put out bread, tinned food and maybe make a salad. In the
evening the cooks come into their own and this is your chance to impress or
flop! Don't worry, your tour leader and other members of the group will always
help and advise. Our crew will always do their best to
cater for Vegetarians or Vegans when the group are cooking but it must be
remembered that the variety of dishes available may not be the same as available
to meat eaters.
Participation
Participation
is essential. A successful and smooth tour depends very much on
everyone taking part in the duties that arise i.e. cooking, vehicle
cleaning and food shopping. With this in mind your crew will organize
groups on a rotating roster. The most successful tours are those where
everyone becomes involved as much as possible. These are not luxury
tours, so join in! In the end the more you put in the more you get out.
Group Size
Maximum in the Middle East is 24 passengers
You can change money in the airport banks and also get your US$15 / GB£10 visa before immigration. If you let us know your flight arrival details at least two weeks before the trip begins, we can organise an airport transfer to our departure hotel in Cairo, The Havana Hotel, 26 Syria Street, Mohandiseen, Cairo. Tel (02) 7490758. This is a newly refurbished 3* hotel and there are plenty of restaurants, cafés and banks nearby. Our crew will also be staying at the Havana Hotel from 2 days before the trip starts. If you arrive in Cairo some days beforeyour trip departs, we can reserve you a room for GB£15 per person per night, twin/double, or GB£20 single, including breakfast. This rises to £20 per personsharing and £20 for a single room during the high season of July and August and over the Easter holidays. Rooms are air-conditioned and en-suite and breakfast is included.These are excellent rates and we do not charge any booking fee for making the hotel reservation or airport transfer on your behalf. You pay the hotel direct on arrival. The airport transfer costs GB£9 per person and includes an experienced local rep who will meet you as you get off the plane and he will help you through Customs and Immigration and will also assist you to obtain your Egypt visa on arrival before you get to immigration. Please note, we cannot guarantee an airport transfer and the ‘meet and greet’ rep if we do not have your flight arrival details at least 2 weeks before the trip begins. A taxi direct to the Havana costs from about GB£8. If you decide to take a local taxi, have the address of the Havanna Hotel handy and make sure BEFORE you enter the taxi that the driver knows where you want to go and agree a price.
If you have a day or two in Cairo before the trip, the must sees arethe Pyramids and Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, Khan el Khalili marketand Mohamed Ali Mosque in the Citadel. You need two full days to get agood look at the sights. There are enough other places to see in Cairoto spend two weeks looking around the town
*Don't get Jordan or Syria visas beforehand, as you will have to pay for them again on route.
*Passports and inoculation cards with any Israeli stamps or indications that you have been to Israel mustbe replaced. This also applies for flight tickets in or out of Israel and any border stamps given when youexit Israel by any land border, particularly from Israel to Egypt
*Bring the appropriate currencies to pay for them as outlined below.
*You'll need 6 blank pages in your passport, which must be valid for 9 months.
*If you have dual nationality only use one passport.
Turkey: New Zealanders and South Africans do not need a visa. British and Australians do but they are only issued uponarrival in Turkey, they cost £10 for British and US$20 for Australians . Zimbabwe passport holders must obtaina visa before arrival in Turkey. You will need to take your passport, a passport photo, a bank statement, a letterfrom your employer and £25 to the Turkish Consulate: Rutland Lodge, Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, SW7 1BW. Youcan call the Consulate for more details on 020 7584 1078.
Syria & Jordan: Most nationalities need these and we get them on route. Syria costs US$15 and Jordan US$12, pay in US$ only.Zimbabwe passport holders need to contact us before joining for a special permit. There is a $5 exit fee from Jordan.
Lebanon: UK and Irish passport holders cannot get Lebanese visas on the border (for those wishing to do the day trip- they must be obtained before departure)
Egypt: All nationalities need a visa. South African and Zimbabwe passport holders must obtain a visa before arrivalin Egypt, not en route. You can get it from the Egyptian Consulate at 2 Lowndes Street, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 9ET,Tel: 020 7235 9719. The cost for British, Australian and New Zealand passport holders is £15, or you can get the visaas you enter Egypt at the border for US$15.