# Moving to Cairo next year - any advice welcome



## Sarah-lu

Hi there
We may be moving out to Cairo early next year - my partner in January and I will follow with our 3 year old and newborn sometime after April.
Please can you let me know thoughts and ideas of best places to live, where it is easy to meet other mums and toddlers (am dreading taking my daughter away from her friends here), ideas of social/country clubs, etc... 
I also saw a post from someone re shipping their stuff over - is that not a good idea? Is it a better idea to start from scratch and buy everything there? Furniture/electrical goods etc?
Any ideas and tis would be greatly received.
Thanks
Sarah


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## Sonrisa

Sarah-lu said:


> Hi there
> We may be moving out to Cairo early next year - my partner in January and I will follow with our 3 year old and newborn sometime after April.
> Please can you let me know thoughts and ideas of best places to live, where it is easy to meet other mums and toddlers (am dreading taking my daughter away from her friends here), ideas of social/country clubs, etc...
> I also saw a post from someone re shipping their stuff over - is that not a good idea? Is it a better idea to start from scratch and buy everything there? Furniture/electrical goods etc?
> Any ideas and tis would be greatly received.
> Thanks
> Sarah


Hello Sarah,

I moved to Cairo when my daughter was two and a half years old and my son was five moths old, so I kind of relate to your situation. It is really good that you know about your move with a few months in advance, so you can prepare your self and your family plenty before hand. 

If you can, get your hands into a book called "Cairo, the Practical guide" which contains invaluable information about the setting in process and an insight of what life in Cairo is like from an expatriate point of view. It also contains details about areas to live, schools, household staff, where to find groceries/furniture/clothes/babystuff/gardening tools and products and so on. Very useful. 

When I moved to Cairo and asked where to live, everyone shouted " Maadi" so to Maadi I went. I have regretted this decision for a while and whish I had moved to Rehab or even Zamalek instead. Ah well...these are some areas you may want to consider

Katameya: it's like living in your own paradise, away from everything, except goolfing club. Pros. Green, clean, you get to breath fresher air. Cons: A little Isolated, must drive everywhere. Very expensive.

Maadi: Suburbian, residential area, but also abbundant shopping. PRos: Shops that cater for the expat community. Many expats to mingle with. Life may be easier in Maadi with a baby and a toddler Some schools and many nurseries here. Cons: Dirty. Polluted. Dirty. Filthy. Overpriced.

Rehab: I would love to live here. Clean. Excellen Lycee Francaise has moved to this area. Some english school too in this area. Up and Coming. I was told by an expat "its like europe". Cons: Need a car, can not walk to places. 

Garden City/Zamalek: I loved it here too, wish I had moved there when I first arrived, you are in the middle of the hussle and bustle of Cairo and its cultural activities, yet you are in your own little posh corner. Nice. Expats are abundant in this area too. Cons: Noise and Pollution.


What else...where to meet other mothers? In the nursery, THe BCA Clubs/ CSA/ Ace Club/ katamey club. These are places to hang about where you will meet people. There are also many mother and toddler/ mother and babies groups. 

Your daugther is what three years old? Lol, most likely she will miss her friends for like five minutes. At this age, as long as she has her parents love, everything else.
is fine.

I would advice you against bringing any furniture although you may want to bring your electricals. Most flats for rent are furnished anyways. and it is a huge hassle to bring over furniture. Make a very detailed list of which ever items you decide to ship, as lots of stuff tends to get stolen. 

I think that's it? Uf, my fingers hurt. ANy other questions, ask. 

Welcome to Egypt


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## Sarah-lu

Hiya - thanks so much for the reply - I take it you're not loving Maadi then
Thanks for all the info - will have a look for the book... Hopefully we will be put up somewhere nice for long enough to look around and get an idea of the place before having to make a decision
If I think of anything else I will hassle you again - maybe see you next year
Sarah


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## Horus

Cairo is interesting, plenty to see and do but I don't think I could live there, very eye opening however.

I found it made my asthma really bad - I liked Giza but only stayed there as a tourist

It was a once in a life time experience waking up to see the pyramids and also see the sun setting on them and doing a few other things while the sun was going down on them but it's a family forum very romantic and exotic  

It's amazing to see them from the bedroom - I am stating the obvious but you can take a piece of paper and they are perfectly straight

I am still convinced aliens made them 

You will also see the one and only papyrus museum - probably 1 of 3,000 - it was hilarious to see the tourist buses pull up and people coming out with the scrolls of crap they paid 150 LE that you can get at the pyramids itself for about 20 LE or less


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## Sonrisa

Sarah-lu said:


> Hiya - thanks so much for the reply - I take it you're not loving Maadi then
> Thanks for all the info - will have a look for the book... Hopefully we will be put up somewhere nice for long enough to look around and get an idea of the place before having to make a decision
> If I think of anything else I will hassle you again - maybe see you next year
> Sarah


HI, 

Yes, I guess you cold say I don't love Maadi that much. If you are based in the UK at the moment you can get the book by amazon. 

Cairo the Practical Guide: 17th Edition: Amazon.co.uk: Claire E. Francy, Lesley Kitchen Lababidi: Books

I swear I have no comercial interests in anyone buying this book, I just really think that it is a must read for anyone who is planning to live in Cairo as an expat .

Horus, Believe it or not, I have never been to the pyramids, nor I want to. I have driven nearby, but never gone inside the plateau. I totally don't understand what is the big fuss about.. . They are just stones, right? I went once to the museum and was a big dissapointment. But I love Mar Gigris and the Citadel!


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## MaidenScotland

I have always said if I had a choice I would live in Zamalek... it has everything you need and other than sight seeing you would never really need to leave the island and yet parts of it still feel like a village.


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## txlstewart

Sarah-lu said:


> Hiya - thanks so much for the reply - I take it you're not loving Maadi then
> Thanks for all the info - will have a look for the book... Hopefully we will be put up somewhere nice for long enough to look around and get an idea of the place before having to make a decision
> If I think of anything else I will hassle you again - maybe see you next year
> Sarah


It depends on what part of Maadi you live in. I live in Degla--very nice. I have a good friend who moved to Katameya with her husband, 6 year old daughter, and is expecting a baby soon. They are moving to Degla as there is NO ONE for her daughter to play with. Yes, it's beautiful there, but everyone I know who has moved there has said their homes are extremely cold in the "winter" as there isn't any insulation in them. 

The school you choose will be very important....spend a lot of time researching it. The name of the school may contain "British" or "American" (or any nationality for that matter), but may not be of the standards you're expecting or looking for. There are many excellent schools here--get recommendations from friends or co-workers....

Good luck with your move!


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## Fatima

Hi, 

Why dont you try coming here on holiday to see if you really like it and could actually move here, if you like it then you could try looking for apartments etc as everyone has different taste. I know many people who thought wow, egypt is cheap and has great shops such as h and m, new look etc etc and when they arrive they were shocked. They stay for maybe 2 months, learn some arabic and they end up shipping all their stuff back. Lol i was one of them with my fam 5 years ago when i was 14. We said that we'll move and shipped and took or sold our stuff @home and when we arrived we didnt exactly like it here, i think it was because we had been to many other arab countries like bahrain, UAE, and syria and found egypt very different. Ofcourse alot of people do like it here and stay here long periods of time but this is something you should maybe try to do. Come here on holiday, stay for maybe 2-3 weeks and see what happens for there. lane:
Fatima


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## MaidenScotland

Two or three weeks tells you nothing as you are still in holiday mod.

Living here can give you a great life style if that is important to you.. maids, drivers etc but it is never easy everything here is a drama and nothing is straight forward which is fine for the fist few months you are here.. you smile and say well this is Egypt... but believe me years of it drivers you insane 
Have a read through all the posts and see what others think on different subjects.


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## Sarah-lu

Thanks everyone...
My partner actually lived out there for 5 years, and came back to UK 8 years ago - so he has the experience of living there with all the hassles - I am from Zimbabwe originally so know that nothing is always easy... I travelled around Egypt on holiday for a few weeks many years ago too (Horus I am one of those who flocked into the papyrus factory I'm sure) - and I love the idea of the history and pyramids and everything it all has to offer - perhaps I have a romanticised view of it all - but figure it will be a fabulous experience for us all as a family - and if it isn't all we thought it was, then its only a few years of our lives while Ed works out his contract and then we decide what to do next... At the moment I am sitting in my snug on the computer, wearing thick wooly jumpers, absolutely freezing, with the fire going, my daughter watching TV because it is too cold to play out in the garden... I reckon for now if we decide to take the job, it'll be a good move... Maiden I see on the posts that you are leaving for greener pastures - how lovley - Spain appeals hugely to me too - perhaps somewhere for us to think about in the future also - enjoy...
Thanks everyone else for input


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## MaidenScotland

I too am sitting here with the heating on... it does get cold obviously not nail biting cold but it feels damp here in the winter.

History... there is less history to see here than in the UK..


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## NZCowboy

Where to live ... commuting is a killer in Cairo, I would suggest close to work and or school. Its easier to travel to socialise as its not every day and your are more flexible with time. The stress of the daily grind of commuting to work, where one it day may take 30 minutes and the next day two hours, thats each way!


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## Sarah-lu

hi again everyone
Well it is happening - Ed has started out there last week and I have the enviable task of selling, packing and moving us now... Just anohter quick question re furniture - an earlier post said not to ship our furniture - just electrical goods? Can I buy really good quality furniture out there - beds, etc. Whatever we rent will not be furnished - I don't fancy living with someone elses things... so would it really be a good idea to get everything out there rather and put our stuff into storage here? Price wise is it reasonable there?
Thanks a mill
Sarah


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## Sonrisa

not sure what you mean by good quality furniture. IT's all question of taste and budget. 

Take a look Home Centre


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## bat

Sonrisa said:


> not sure what you mean by good quality furniture. IT's all question of taste and budget.
> 
> Take a look Home Centre


Hi not quite sure about the electrical bit chck that one as they tend to charge tax depending on your circumstances etc, bring small electricals in luggage.
Bat
If your company paying bring your furniture !!


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## Sarah-lu

Thanks bat - yes the company is organising the shipping so will go that route then.... Hope eveyone there ok with all the riots going on!! hhmm - perhaps not the best time to be moving out there 3 months & counting....


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