A day in the life of an Egyptian...

Modern Egyptian lifestyles

Egypt Travel Plan lets you travel the way we personally enjoy travelling the most, in a way that will allow you to really get to know a new country and its culture. Who better to tell you more about modern Egyptian lifestyles, than an Egyptian?

Egypt is one of the most well known tourist destinations in the world. Many people in Egypt have jobs in the tourist industry. So does Ali el Felfela. He is one of the drivers that take travellers to and from attractions in and around Luxor in a minibus. He lives in a village on the rural west bank of Luxor. Although he is 28 years old, he still lives at home with his mother. This is quite common in Egypt, since children don't usually leave the home until the day of their wedding. Ali truly enjoys his job and enjoys talking to the travellers he drives around. Because of his conversations with travellers he's learned to speak English quite well.

Drink like an Egyptian

Ali’s workdays begin very early in the morning since most travellers want to beat the crowds and heat by visiting temples or tombs early. While his guests visit a site, Ali waits in his minibus for them to return. He often chats to one of the many souvenir salesmen that can be found trying to sell their wares to tourists at major attractions.

Once the guests return, Ali usually takes them to a coffee house. Coffee houses play an important role in the life of Egyptians. They are always filled with locals. Especially men enjoy spending their days here with cups of coffee and a water pipe. Ali usually comes back here in the evenings to meet up with friends or neighbours, but during the day he especially visits them with his travellers to have a cup of coffee or soda. Alcohol can't be purchased here and Ali doesn't drink alcohol at all. Egypt is a Muslim country and Ali was also raised according to the rules of the Koran. Drinking alcohol is not allowed in his religion.

Baksheesh please!

Tips (baksheesh) are much more common in Egypt than they are in the UK. Egyptians also give each other baksheesh. Not only in a restaurant, but for instance if someone helps them find a parking place or helps them put their groceries in a bag at the supermarket. It won't take long for you to get used to these small acts of service as a traveller.

Tips are an important part of income for a large portion of society. A large portion of Ali’s salary is also made up of tips he receives from travellers. They make for a very welcome addition to his modest salary. However his tips also show Ali how much his guests appreciate his services by the amount of tips he receives.

The crescent

Since he's on the road most of the time with travellers, Ali doesn't always find time to go the Mosque as often as he would like to. Sometimes he'll find a quiet place to pray in silence while his guests are visiting a temple. Most of his neighbours and friends visit the mosque daily. They bring along their own Koran and dress appropriately. Just before entering the mosque they'll comb their hair once more before they take their shoes off and enter the temple. The extrovert, talkative Egyptians become devout followers once they enter this sacred place.

Naturally the Islamic religion has its own set of holidays and festivals. Ali and his family look forward to Eid ul-Fitr (End of Ramadan) and Eid ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) all year long. During these festivities, the streets are filled with happy people and there's a very friendly, welcoming atmosphere that even appeals to tourists visiting Egypt. Most Egyptians also participate in Ramadan, the month of fasting. Ali is used to working all day without food or drinks during Ramadan; but as soon as the sun goes down he rushes off to home to enjoy an elaborate meal cooked by his mom for the entire family.