Egypt is dangerous, but not as dangerous as the US

Before I left California, numerous people were concerned about my safety in Egypt. "Isn't it dangerous over there?" most people have asked. Although I've only been here for 8 days, my answer would be "no more dangerous than back home."

Egypt has been on my bucket list as far as I could remember. Every child growing in the America hears about the Pharaohs, King Tut, Cleopatra, Pyramids, and the Sphinx, therefore associating Egypt with its rich and seemingly unreal history. Right now, Americans are associating Egypt with post-revolution instability. I don't have much input of the current political situation here, but I can say that Egypt is just as dangerous or safe just like any other stable country.

Sure Cairo is intimidating, but so are most big cities in America like Los Angeles and New York. Okay. So I admit that I do find Cairo more intimidating than LA (I've never been to NY) and most big cities I've been to.

Just like every trip, I've done research for the past few years, asking people about their personal experiences in Cairo. I received feedback ranging from "It's scary as a female solo traveler. The men are scary" to "it's perfectly safe for female solo travelers." In other words, everyone's opinion is subjective to their personal experiences.

Here are the results of my non-scientific research:

Yes, it helps to be accompanied by a man as you navigate the streets of Cairo, more so than other countries. It will thwart unwanted sexual attention.
But if you know where you are going, understand how taxis and the metro system operates, you'll be fine.
Criminal actively is rarely violent, and is subjected to be petty pickpocketing
Egypt is a very Muslim country, so showing respect by conservative clothing will also thwart unwanted attention.
STAY AWAY FROM PROTESTS! This is smartest warning to obey. This is where a foreigner will most likely get hurt.
Beach towns are very safe and most likely will never experience any political demonstration

Now here are my personal experiences so far in the 8 days I've been here:

Protests are not common
People are friendly and helpful
Provided that you treat locals with respect, they will treat you with respect even if you're American, Russian, or Israeli. People here don't judge you based on politics like some countries I've been to, nor do they gratuitously talk about unjust foreign relations and policies.
Beach resort towns like Dahab and Sharm el Sheik are very safe, and perhaps safer than most touristy places.
Stealing is deeply frowned upon because of the religiosity here. Therefore pickpocketing isn't frequent compared to places like Barcelona, and Latin America.

Travel is a vital industry in Egypt so locals can't afford to compromise the safety of foreigners. Sadly post-revolution publicity has had a negative impact on tourism. Hotels are no where close to booking their capacity and dive centers are not generating business compared to previous years. Shopkeepers and restaurant workers look bored. Everyone I've spoken to has said that this year is the worse.

In conclusion, Egypt is not particularly dangerous to travelers, as long as common sense is exercised. Personally I find it safer than most countries. The main thing I would warn about are the protests in Tahir Square, which doesn't happen frequently as of now. However, Cairo's international airport is safe, and if something happens in Cairo, flying out to a nearby town is feasible. If security is a concern, reputable and safe escorted transportation can be hired.

So what's up with the title of this blog entry? you may wonder. My point is that safety and security are relative and bias to one's interpretation. In recent years, US has experienced a string of public shooting sprees. According to an article in USA Today, a mass killing occurs at a rate of every 2 weeks in America. So should people who are thinking of traveling to US think twice before coming?