Which was supposed to be another quiet trip to a renowned tourist destination in North Africa ended up in frustration for a British tourist. According to the Daily Express newspaper, Penny Uro, lawyer and travel influencer, visited Egypt for the fourth time, but guarantees that it will also be the last: “I could barely wait to leave,” he wrote on social networks.
Complaints started on arrival
According to his more than 22,000 Instagram followers, Penny said the country “has been getting worse with each visit”, denouncing an environment that describes as “exhaustive”, marked by constant money requests, abusive collection schemes and constant pressure on tourists. The recently made trip included several episodes that led her to consider this tourist destination “exhausting and uncomfortable.”
The situation also began at Cairo airport, already near midnight, while seeking transportation with his young son and several bags. Penny says she was approached by individuals who passed Uber drivers and demanded payment in cash. One of them, according to the source mentioned above, even stopped the car before the airport exit, threw his bags to the floor and ripped off.
Everything required tip
In the hotel, the feeling of discomfort increased. The British stated that she and the remaining group members were the target of frequent verbal harassment by employees. An episode that highlights involved a cleaning man who followed her to the ladies’ bathroom and waited for her at the cubicle door, praising her appearance and asking for a tip.
“Even to charge the coffee machine button asked for money,” he said. Orders were not limited to the hotel. In the streets and tourist places, such as Vale dos Reis, the pressure to tips or buying products was constant. Penny describes situations where men grabbed the arms or bags of the visitors, insisting aggressively after hearing a no.
Guided tour with forced stops
The influencer also reported that, despite having hired a private tour guide, he led them to three stores, even after the group said that he did not want to shop. When they tried to leave the establishments, someone locked the door and it was necessary to pay the doorman to leave. “The guide always stayed at the door, probably because he knew what was going on inside,” he said, quoted by the same source.
Problems even on the return
The atmosphere was again tense at the airport, according to the newspaper. After the handbag undergoes security, an employee refused to deliver her to Penny without an extra payment. When she said she no longer had money, she was asked to write her personal data, including address, passport number and phone. Penny says he invented the data, picked up his suitcase and left the scene.
In accessing the airport bathroom, the situation was repeated: it was only possible to obtain toilet paper or use the washbasins for payment. Penny, who has Amex card and access to lounges, has noticed several times that entry into the lounge would be free, but on site was requested the equivalent of $ 175, about 203 euros.
“Every trip is worse”
The British ended the report by stating that although it visited the country other times, the environment has become unsustainable. “Nothing is done by courtesy, everything seems to be a pretext for asking money. I was constantly uncomfortable, even though I was accompanied by four men,” he concluded.
This experience led the British to say that it does not intend to return to this tourist destination.
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