Disabled travellers' guide to Egypt

If you're physically handicapped and you want to visit Egypt, take advantage of one of the many travel agencies now offering special packages for the disabled.

More importantly, perhaps, you should bring a companion with you. An escort is especially important since Cairo's traffic is chaotic and pavements are unsuitable for wheelchairs.

Inside hotels and at archeological sites, however, the extreme friendliness of Egyptians, who are always willing to help, usually makes up for the lack in facilities.

Timing is equally important. It is always recommended that you book your trip in autumn, winter or spring to avoid the simmering heat of summer.

Here are some of the facilities offered by Egypt for disabled travellers:

Airports

The first thing you need to know is what facilities are available at the airports. Things have improved over the years, and now both Cairo and Sharm El- Sheikh airports are equipped with lifts to carry disabled travellers on and off the aeroplanes. Cairo airport is also equipped with ramps, elevators and toilets for the disabled. Both Luxor and Aswan airports are built on one level making it easy for wheelchair users to navigate, however the toilets are yet unequipped for the disabled.

Transportation

Buses especially equipped for the disabled are rare and expensive. Organised trips with one of the agents providing packages for the disabled, however, should make special arrangements. Agents either provide disabled-friendly buses or equip buses to accommodate those in wheelchairs -- as does the Egypt for all team.

Hotels

Almost all five-star hotels have several rooms equipped for the disabled. Disabled-friendly rooms generally have wider doors and a layout that allow wheelchair manoeuverability. Bathrooms should also be wheelchair-accessible with support bars (beside the shower and the toilet) and a roll in shower.

Most three and four-star hotels, however, are not equipped for the disabled, although there are some exceptions: the 3-star Camel Dive hotel in Sharm El-Sheikh (+206 960 0700), the 3-star Domina Nuweiba hotel in Nuweiba (+206 950 0401), the 3-star Shams Safaga hotel in Safaga (+206 525 1781), and the 4-star Three Corners Rihana Resort in Al-Gouna (+206 558 0025).

It is noteworthy, however, that not all hotels that have rooms for the disabled are entirely disabled- friendly. Most hotels have ramps at their entrance gates, but a disabled guest may find the swimming pool or the restaurant inaccessible.

The Three Corners Rihana Resort and the Camel Dive hotels are, however, good choices for a wheelchair-user. The hotels feature ramps everywhere and a hard-sand beach that makes it easy for those in wheelchairs to access. (Beaches can generally be accessed with a click-and-go device: special wheels added to the wheelchair to make it possible to use on sand).

Some hotels, which are not specifically equipped for disabled guests, might still be a good option. The Movenpick in Giza (+202 385 2555) and in Luxor (+209 537 4855), the 4-star Basma hotel (+209 731 0901) in Aswan, and the 4-star Mercure (+209 538 0944) in Luxor are all built on ground level, and the doorways are large enough to allow wheelchairs to pass through.

Nile Cruises

Almost all Nile cruises do not cater for disabled guests, and the ramps leading to the boats are not accessible for wheelchair users. Amarco1 (+202 417 8392), however, is a new cruise managed by Optima hotels, which has four suites fully-equipped for disabled guests. The entire boat is disabled-friendly, and all corners of the boat, including the sun-deck, the ballroom and the restaurant, are accessible by wheelchair.

"More importantly, perhaps, the boat docks at special wheelchair-accessible docks affiliated to the armed forces," said Mounir Wissa, one of the cruise's owners. "We will also provide special buses for the disabled to transport them to archeological sites. Our ultimate goal is to introduce tourists with special needs to the same pleasures as those available to the able-bodied."

Sightseeing

Facilities may still be lacking in this area, but recently awareness of the problem has increased.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is now furnished with ramps and elevators, and medical care for the disabled. The Nubia Museum has been built according to the highest standards of disabled-friendly designs.

The Giza plateau is accessible by bus from which tourists can view the Pyramids and the Sphinx. The citadel, the papyrus museum and Khan Al-Khalili are all accessible by wheelchair.

Outside Cairo, most archeological sites are accessible, although there is always the possibility of being confronted with a situation where assistance might be needed, such as stairs or sandy areas. Disabled tourists can visit the High Dam, the granite quarries, and the Abu Simbel and Edfu temples in Aswan. The Philae Temple, however, remains unreachable by wheelchairs.

In Luxor, tourists can similarly enjoy visits to Al- Karnak Temple, the Hatshepsut Temple and the Valley of the Kings. In the Valley of the Kings, however, some tombs are not accessible except by foot, and signs have been posted to mark them.