Traveling is rarely perfect. Some trips have more hiccups than others, and even the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Hopefully, if the situation allows, you’re able to work past the bad experience and find enjoyment in the remainder of your trip by letting what could be an incredible vacation become your own personal horror story.
Anyone who’s heard me talk about my trip to Egypt in 2013 knows that it was one of the highlights of my life thus far and had been the number one thing on my bucket list for as long as I could remember. I traveled alone on this trip and was not part of a group when I arrived, but it was absolutely incredible and took me to some of the places I’d only ever dreamed of seeing in person. I met amazing people and experienced international travel for the first time in a country that is not known for its luxury accommodations, safe cities, or indoor plumbing. It opened up my eyes to the world and how much you can learn and grow from traveling to places that are so different from your own, and I loved (almost) every minute of it.
But there is one story I don’t tell most people. It was a situation that was dangerous and terrifying. Had it gone any other way, I might not have been able to look back on the trip as a good one. It’s important to understand the risks involved with traveling to foreign countries and to make sure you keep yourself in safe situations. I made a mistake that put me in a bad situation, and it’s one I will never make again.
I booked my trip through a tour operator in Egypt with an excellent reputation, hundreds of great reviews, and wonderful people who helped customize a tour that took me off the beaten path and into some of the more remote archaeological sites that very few visitors ever bother with. The tour operator made all my hotel, transportation, site visit, and guide arrangements. Just like the job I currently do, once I landed in Egypt, they took care of everything.
I was greeted at the airport by a representative from the company. He had a sign with my name on it, which is always exciting the first time it happens to you. He escorted me through customs and immigration, then took me to my car to head to my hotel, which was on the other side of Cairo.
During the car ride, he provided a final itinerary, a cell phone, and a few instructions. The cell phone was so I could contact the tour company at any time for any reason. This was a great idea and something I was hugely thankful for later on. The cell phone had important numbers, including the main office and my tour guides for each location, already programmed into it. I was introduced to my driver, Hassan, for the Cairo and Minya portions of the trip. I was also told that I would always have both my driver and a guide with me. They would pick me up from the hotel in the morning and drop me off at the end of the day.
Once we arrived at the hotel, the representative got me checked in, and before he left me, he said something that stood out, “Don’t leave the hotel grounds. If you need anything, let us know”. Ok. That’s a bit of a red flag, but this IS Egypt. May of 2013 was just after a revolution, overthrowing the government in the process. It wasn’t the safest place in the world for sure and I was aware of that before arriving, but it did shock me that it wasn’t even safe to go walk down the street. It also made sense culturally. I was a single, white female in a Middle Eastern country, where it’s taboo for a woman to be alone under any circumstances. I heeded this warning, of course, and stayed on the hotel property unless I was with my driver and guide.
Things were good from there until the fourth day. At the end of the day’s tours, we were heading back to the hotel. We passed an area of the city near where my guide lived. We were only about 15 minutes drive from the hotel at that point and in an area we’d driven through several times, so I recognized where we were. My guide asked if it was ok if he jumped out there and left me with Hassan for the last 15 minutes back to the hotel. I’d been with him and Hassan for several days now and didn’t really think twice about it. I said sure, and we parted ways.
Almost immediately after I agreed to let my guide take off early, things got weird. Hassan, who spoke almost no English, suddenly became very interested in me. He kept looking at me through the rear-view mirror and smiling. He asked if I needed food or a drink with the few words of English he knew. I said “No” in English and in Arabic. I’d learned enough Arabic to say “yes”, “no”, “bathroom” and some general pleasantries such as “good morning” and “thank you”.
Despite answering his question in his own language, he stopped along the road we were on and jumped out of the car to get me a water. I thanked him and tried to pay him back, which he refused.
A couple of minutes later, he asked again if I wanted food. Again, I told him “No” in both English and Arabic, and again, he ignored me. He stopped and bought me a pita-like sandwich. Again, I tried to pay him back, and again, he refused.
I asked him to take me to the hotel. At this point, I was very nervous. The language barrier seemed to be a serious issue and even when I was attempting to communicate in his language, I was being ignored. I was at the mercy of this person and in a city where I’d been warned not to be out alone.
I made a point of gathering up my things so I could jump out of the car quickly at an intersection or something if needed. I made sure the door was unlocked and thought through what I would do if the driver turned off the street I recognized as being the way back to the hotel. I figured if things went too far, I’d jump out and find a woman to see if they could help me call a taxi back to my hotel. I actually looked up the word “help” in my Arabic dictionary.
The driver stayed on the correct street, but he continued to interact with me in a very uncomfortable manner. He wrote his phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to me, telling me to call him. He pulled a ring off his finger and handed it to me. I tried to refuse the gift, but he wouldn’t let me. He then pulled another piece of jewelry off his key ring and handed it to me, again, not letting me refuse it.
We finally pulled up to the hotel, and I had the door open before the car stopped. He quickly jumped out and came around to meet me before I could get away. He hugged me and kissed both my cheeks, which was common in Egypt but not welcome in any way.
When he finally let me go, I hurried into the hotel and told the bellman to make sure he left the property.
When I got to my room, I took a minute to freak out a little. I’m generally pretty unflappable, but this definitely got to me. I locked every lock I could, cried for a minute, caught my breath, and thought through my options. In theory, this man was supposed to drive me to the middle of nowhere. Menya is off every tourist’s radar. I would likely be the only white person for miles, and I had no idea if my guide was going to be able to be with me 100% of the time. What if he needs to grab tickets for something? Or even just run to the restroom? I also kept thinking I was overreacting. He hadn’t done anything other than show more affection than I wanted. He’d taken me back to the hotel unharmed and with no real detour other than two short stops.
I picked up the cell phone I’d been given and called the tour operator. I told them what had happened and asked if it was possible to have a different driver for the next day. The gentleman I talked to was shocked. He told me that, of course, they would have a different driver for me. They would also launch an investigation into Hassan’s behavior. They would reach out to my guide to reprimand him for leaving me early, although I did make it clear that I had approved this and that I was very happy with my guide. Before ending the call, the tour operator insisted that his general manager come to the hotel to discuss the situation with me and make sure everything was okay. I said this wasn’t necessary but agreed nevertheless.
About an hour later, the General Manager, whose name I don’t remember at this point, met me in the lobby with a gift and a large number of apologies. He had me tell him what happened again to make sure he fully understood everything. He assured me that the driver would no longer be working with his company and had made sure my guide understood that if he ever left a client alone again, he’d lose his job. I thanked him for taking good care of me and assured him that I was very happy with the services his company had provided and had been really enjoying my trip. Having been assured I’d have a new driver for the next day, I told him I felt much better about the situation and was looking forward to the rest of my trip, all of which was true. After taking a moment to freak out, I calmed down and was able to approach everything logically. I’d interacted with lots of people, and only one had been a problem. There was no reason to fear anyone or anything on the rest of the trip, just reason to be slightly more cautious.
I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the pool, which had an incredible view of the Great Pyramid, and a beer, which is kind of hard to get in a Muslim country.
True to their word, the next morning, my guide arrived with a new driver and a new vehicle. He asked what had happened, which was not the appropriate thing to do, but regardless, he was still kind. I gave him a brief overview but didn’t go into any detail. He didn’t need to know.
The rest of the trip went on as planned and was everything I ever hoped it would be. I was able to put the incident behind me and enjoy my trip. Since then, I’ve seen so many travelers let far smaller inconveniences ruin a vacation, and looking back, I’m really glad I was able to look past the incident and enjoy myself.
I am also really happy with how the tour operator handled the situation. At the time, I wasn’t in this industry and didn’t know what to expect when I called them. Now, I know that they did everything exactly right. I would have insisted on meeting with the client, I would have brought them a token of appreciation, I would have switched their driver, and I would have fired the old one. The General Manager even followed up with me the next day to make sure everything was going all right and again a few days later to make sure everything was still meeting my expectations. Again, this is something I would absolutely do as the General Manager of a tour operator.
My mistake was letting my guide leave a little early. Neither of us had any reason to think Hassan would do something inappropriate, but a general rule should be to stick with what the tour operator recommends. The guide or host doesn’t have a say over the tour. The planner designed the trip, and the planner knows what the expectations should be. I was told I would always have two people with me, and I should have kept two people with me.
Now, I travel all over Mexico and the Caribbean alone. Now, I am the planner. I know what’s safe and what isn’t. I advise my guests in the same way my tour operator in Egypt advised me, and I hope they heed any warnings I offer. The tourist cities we visit are nowhere close to as dangerous as Egypt, but common sense is necessary, and sometimes, what I consider to be common sense isn’t for everyone. Many people use tour operators and travel agents because they rely on their expertise to tell them where to go, what to do, and how to stay safe. I feel an obligation to make sure my guests have a great time and feel comfortable at all times, just like my tour operator in Egypt did.
I certainly learned from the experience I had in Egypt, and I feel that having been in an uncomfortable situation myself helps me better understand my guests when they feel uncomfortable in any situation they may find themselves in. It can be very scary to go to a foreign country, and from personal experience, knowing that someone will listen and help you in a bad situation is one of the best comforts I could ever offer.
