In late September 2026, Ukrainian tourist Sveta published a question online that instantly became one of the most discussed travel posts of the season: “We’re heading to Egypt (Sharm) in late September with a friend and 2 kids. What should we know?” In a short time, the thread gathered over 300 replies from women who had already been on holiday in Egypt — independently, with children, and without their husbands. The discussion turned into an informal yet highly practical guide, covering everything from communicating with hotel guides to choosing water and food. The XAB.info editorial team has compiled the key tips and contradictions from this discussion.
Rule number one: don’t give yourself away as first-timers
One of the most quoted tips in the thread concerns the first contact with hotel staff. A tourist who had been to Sharm el-Sheikh more than once warned categorically: “Under no circumstances tell the guide or the reception that it’s your first time in Sharm. Say any number above 5.” The logic is simple: once staff know you’re a first-timer, it instantly switches on “pushy sales” mode in guides and vendors — from pushing excursions to inflated prices for services. The second most popular tip along the same lines is not to rush into agreeing to offers made right at the reception or during the so-called “meeting with the guide.”
Excursions: where to save and where you overpay
Here the opinions of the participants diverged most noticeably. One tourist, drawing on personal experience, claims that excursions from the “official tour operator” can cost several times more than similar programs organized by local agencies. “Don’t go to the ‘meeting with the guide’, because they’ll try to sell you excursions from the ‘official tour operator’, ‘with insurance’ and so on, but such excursions can be even 5 times more expensive,” she wrote. At the same time, another Ukrainian urged not to buy excursions “just on the street” but to use the services of official representatives. On one point both sides agree unconditionally: the tour organizer must be checked via reviews, and prices compared before booking.
Water and food: a minimal set of rules
The water question was practically unanimous in the discussion. “Drink and brush your teeth only with bottled water. Be sure to take something for food poisoning, even if you don’t end up needing it,” one user wrote. A tourist who had travelled to Egypt alone with a child aged 1 year and 8 months called this “the only and main” rule: “Don’t drink tap water. Don’t brush your teeth with it (only bottled). Everything else is nonsense.” At the same time, she urged not to scare yourself before the holiday with dozens of possible problems, noting that a lot depends on your mindset, and that her trip with a small child went successfully. As for food, one participant said she chooses the simplest dishes made of one or two ingredients: “No salads — they dump all the leftovers in there and drench them in sauce. Only cucumber and tomato, separately. Soup — same story. No bolognese-type dishes either, better to have pasta and meat separately.” Another put the rule even more concisely: she prefers not to take anything drenched in sauce. It’s important to stress that this is personal experience, not a universal rule for all hotels in Egypt.
Sun, street and money: practical details
Sun protection became another topic. A Ukrainian who, at the time of her comment, was in Marsa Alam with her child, advised taking a high-SPF product: “SPF 70 — you won’t get burned, but your skin will look like a chocolate bar.” Another tourist reminded about the coral beaches and noted that in September it can be humid and windy. Street interactions were discussed separately: tourists are actively approached and shouted at — “beautiful, where are you going?” One participant advised simply not to pay attention to this, while another was more measured: “On the street they do bother you, but not out of malice — they’re good people.” In the financial block the advice was maximally specific: don’t change dollars on the street or in shops, but look for an ATM-exchange point with the official rate. Prices in pharmacies are worth checking, and for getting around Sharm, besides taxis, you can use shared minibuses — a ride usually costs about a dollar. Among places for walks, the tourist specifically named the Old Town and Soho Square. She separately advised against buying a local SIM card right away, recommending considering roaming instead.
Contradictory data
The main disagreement in the discussion concerns the channel for buying excursions. On the one hand, some tourists insist that “official” excursions from the tour operator offered at the reception are marked up by up to five times and that it’s better to go to local agencies. On the other hand, another group of participants warns that buying excursions “on the street” carries risks and recommends using only official representatives. Both positions agree on one thing: checking reviews and comparing prices is unavoidable. The second contradiction is in the assessment of street attention toward tourists: for some it’s an irritating factor requiring complete ignoring, for others it’s normal, non-aggressive behaviour by locals. The third, softer disagreement concerns food: the recommendations “don’t eat salads and soups” and “don’t take anything in sauce” are the subjective experience of specific users and cannot be extrapolated to all hotels and restaurants in Egypt.
