Hello Egypt!

I am extremely excited to be here! It’s the end of my second week and I’m having such a good stay so far. I visited the Great Pyramids of Giza with Mark over the past weekend and collided full force with an enduring challenge of being a world traveller: how to properly appreciate the great wonders of the world. How does one fully grasp and appreciate the moment they’re in without being carried away by theatrics?

It helps to know a bit about the places you’ll be visiting, even if you visit with a guide. I was glad to have Mark with me, so I had a bit of a back story and knowledge of the history of the Pyramids before our visit. I recall standing at the base and just being struck with awe. How were these structures constructed and how are they still standing – mostly intact after almost 5,000 years? There are many theories about this and it’s been so interesting to hear and read about them. By the time I leave the country, I would have come up with mine…

First Impressions of Egypt…

Somehow, I expected Cairo (Egypt) to be very similar to cities in Morocco, but the two countries (at least the place I’ve visited) are strikingly different. The ‘feel of the city’, its architecture (there are so many tall brown futuristic-looking buildings in the city), the food are quite different. I also found cities like Marrakesh and Casablanca in Morocco to be slightly more laid back than Cairo. The culture is slightly similar. Other than that, nothing much is.

Getting a Visa to Egypt from Nigeria

The process of getting this visa was quite easy and straightforward – well if you exclude having to fly down to Abuja to submit my documents. I arrived at the embassy at 9:00 am and got a number assigned to me. At 9:40 am, an official called our numbers and we lined up to gain access into the building.

After going through security, we proceeded to the main auditorium where I submitted my documents. A rep checked them and handed me a slip to come to pick up my passport later. That was it. My visa was approved after 7 working days and my passport was ready to be picked up after another 3 days.

PS: The Egyptian Embassy Address is;

Egyptian Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria
Plot 340, Diplomatic Drive,
Central Area, Abuja
Nigeria

The embassy opens from 9 am to 12 pm, Mondays through Fridays, except public holidays. These are the documents required for submission. Please note I applied for a business visa, it may vary slightly for a tourist visa. You can check out this post for more information.

• Invitation letter from Egypt
• Confirmed Hotel reservation
• International passport with at least 6 months validity a minimum of 2 free leaflets
• 6months bank statement/Payslip
• 4 passport pictures ( white background )
• Flight itinerary
• Filled Egypt visa form
• Resident permit for Expatriate
• Letter of Introduction
• Copy of Work ID card
• International vaccination certificate ( New Yellow Card)
• Medical fitness certificate
• Personal appearance embassy at the in Abuja

Getting to Egypt from Nigeria

If I could go from Nigeria to Egypt by road, honestly I would. I still hate flying but luckily, I had a good time flying with Turkish Airlines. The flight time from Lagos to Cairo by air using a direct service like Egypt air is about 5 hours. With Turkish Airlines, I had to transit through Istanbul first before heading to Cairo. The entire flight time including layovers was about 9 hours.

Is it safe to travel to Egypt?

So far, I’ve had no reasons to feel unsafe. I love the area where I am staying at and I’ve been to places close by, including the Pyramids. I am looking forward to seeing more of Cairo – which is the city I’ll be spending most of my time and if possible, exploring other places within the country.

Have you been to Cairo or any other parts of Egypt? What are some of your recommendations for places to visit and things to do?