Indian woman's video on Egypt trip says she was asked for money everywhere, draws mixed reactions

A video of an Indian woman describing her experience of travelling in Egypt is going viral on social media. She shared photos and videos from the Instagram account @wittyspace2, with the caption: "I stayed in the most scam-ridden country in the world."

Egypt's ancient pyramids, mummies and historic monuments draw tourists from across the world. This Indian woman's experience, however, was different.

In the video, the woman said that seeing the pyramids had been a dream for many years. On reaching Egypt, though, she found there were many hidden costs. A separate ticket is needed to enter the Giza pyramid complex, and an additional fee is charged to see each pyramid separately. Separate tickets are also needed to enter museums, to see particular artefacts and to visit places such as Tutankhamun's tomb in Luxor. She called it a "menu-like system", meaning one in which every item is charged for separately.

She also complained about transport during the trip. According to her, apps such as Uber work in Cairo, but there are problems in other cities. In Luxor, the app showed a fare of about 100, but local drivers were demanding Rs 1,000 to 1,200. In many places, people would come up to her, ask where she was from, and then ask for a tip.

The woman said she felt cheated again and again throughout the trip and wanted it to end as soon as possible.

The video has set off considerable discussion among travellers. Some praised Egypt's historic beauty and said that scams can be avoided with proper planning. Others shared similarly disappointing experiences of their own. Some said that after hearing all this, they would not go to Egypt.

One user wrote, "Thank you for the video. Egypt was one of my dream destinations. After hearing about your experience, I do not want to go there now."

Another user wrote, "Absolutely right!!! They will even charge you for looking at the ride you have booked from a distance."

A third user wrote, "I feel very safe travelling in Egypt, but the tipping culture is very bad. But the people in Egypt's villages are much better than those in the cities."

A fourth user wrote, "Cairo is very good; you just have to know how to see it, or else it is not your kind of place."

A fifth user wrote, "Tourist sites in Europe are not free either. That is how tourism works; and yes, taxis outside Cairo are not very good."

Many tourists complain about this. The experience resembles the complaints of many travellers. Tourist scams in Egypt have long been a subject of discussion, including overcharging, fake guides, expensive taxis and persistent demands for tips. The woman's video has brought these issues back into focus. Many users agreed with her, while some said that scams happen in every country and that one should be careful.