# Moving to Cairo



## pieandgravy

Hi everybody

I am soon moving to Egypt to live in Cairo where I will be working at a British school. I have never been to Egypt before, but am looking for advice and assistance to help me along my journey. At the moment as a first step, I am trying to decide which part of Cairo would be best for me to live in. 

Dahshour Route, Sheikh Zayed City - this is the location of the school. 

Maadi, Zamalek, Mohandiseen, Sheikh Zayed - these are the areas that have been recommended to myself.

At this moment in time I would welcome any input to help me get looking in the right direction. I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you in advance,
Chris.


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## MaidenScotland

Hi and welcome to the forum

I know teachers who came out last year for the British School and some stayed out in Sheikh Zayed City etc and others that stayed in Zamalek ( I believe you have apartments provided) well the ones that didn't stay in Zamalek wished they had, yes they have a journey to and from school each day but "life" is in Zamalek and surrounding districts. So if you don't mind commuting and you want a night life stay in Zamalek/Mohandiseen/Maadi

Maiden.

Maiden


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## pieandgravy

Hey and thanks for the reply.

The school does not provide apartments but it does subsidise rent, so it's up to me to get searching for them. They have asked me for the area in which I wish to live, so I'm not sure at the moment.

I see a lot of prices being quoted on the internet in $. I take it that this is American dollars? 




MaidenScotland said:


> Hi and welcome to the forum
> 
> I know teachers who came out last year for the British School and some stayed out in Sheikh Zayed City etc and others that stayed in Zamalek ( I believe you have apartments provided) well the ones that didn't stay in Zamalek wished they had, yes they have a journey to and from school each day but "life" is in Zamalek and surrounding districts. So if you don't mind commuting and you want a night life stay in Zamalek/Mohandiseen/Maadi
> 
> Maiden.
> 
> Maiden


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## MaidenScotland

pieandgravy said:


> Hey and thanks for the reply.
> 
> The school does not provide apartments but it does subsidise rent, so it's up to me to get searching for them. They have asked me for the area in which I wish to live, so I'm not sure at the moment.
> 
> I see a lot of prices being quoted on the internet in $. I take it that this is American dollars?



Yes American dollars.


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> Hi and welcome to the forum
> 
> I know teachers who came out last year for the British School and some stayed out in Sheikh Zayed City etc and others that stayed in Zamalek ( I believe you have apartments provided) well the ones that didn't stay in Zamalek wished they had, yes they have a journey to and from school each day but "life" is in Zamalek and surrounding districts. So if you don't mind commuting and you want a night life stay in Zamalek/Mohandiseen/Maadi
> 
> Maiden.
> 
> Maiden


What is the commute to Sheikh Zayed from these areas?

Zamalek and Maadi both have quite a few westerners living there and there are nice cafes/restaurants/Western supermarkets. Both are relatively clean areas and are generally safe (although an earlier thread highlighted that even in those areas there can be problems). I have rented flats in Mohandiseen and generally it is a nice area - again it has Western restaurants etc although I don't see many Westerners wandering around as I do in Zamalek. Allegedly one of the main streets is one of the "red light" districts. I have been followed regularly in Mohandiseen (by men in cars and on foot - at one stage it was almost a daily occurence) although the guys have never tried anything other than following me - to be honest I don't know whether this is the same in other areas.

I have always preferred living close to where I needed to be based in Cairo as I find the commuting horrendous and it's always easier to jump in a taxi to go out at night than to battle the traffic in the morning when you are under time constraints.


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## MaidenScotland

Beatle said:


> What is the commute to Sheikh Zayed from these areas?
> 
> Zamalek and Maadi both have quite a few westerners living there and there are nice cafes/restaurants/Western supermarkets. Both are relatively clean areas and are generally safe (although an earlier thread highlighted that even in those areas there can be problems). I have rented flats in Mohandiseen and generally it is a nice area - again it has Western restaurants etc although I don't see many Westerners wandering around as I do in Zamalek. Allegedly one of the main streets is one of the "red light" districts. I have been followed regularly in Mohandiseen (by men in cars and on foot - at one stage it was almost a daily occurence) although the guys have never tried anything other than following me - to be honest I don't know whether this is the same in other areas.
> 
> I have always preferred living close to where I needed to be based in Cairo as I find the commuting horrendous and it's always easier to jump in a taxi to go out at night than to battle the traffic in the morning when you are under time constraints.



Ohh Beatle we do not have red light districts/gay men/ aids/drug problems  but yes Gamat el Dowal is well known for picking up prostitutes and it is even worse when the gulf Arabs are in town . Yes it is the same in other areas, there is a brothel just beside me and I have been asked regularly " how much?" I didn't know it was a brothel until it was pointed out to me and then it all clicked into place.. now I can spot them lol


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> Ohh Beatle we do not have red light districts/gay men/ aids/drug problems  but yes Gamat el Dowal is well known for picking up prostitutes and it is even worse when the gulf Arabs are in town . Yes it is the same in other areas, there is a brothel just beside me and I have been asked regularly " how much?" I didn't know it was a brothel until it was pointed out to me and then it all clicked into place.. now I can spot them lol


Yes Gamat el Dowal is worse in the summer. As somebody pointed out to me, many of the prostitutes along there look eastern but dress in western clothes which is the same as me. I couldn't figure out at first why so many men were following me - it was like being the Pied Piper - in one surreal incident, they started following my friend and I. We jumped in a taxi as we needed to pick someone up from the airport. We were then followed for the next 40 minutes by these 2 guys in a car who were holding up their mobile numbers on pieces of paper.

I don't want to distort things though - I have been followed in England before and felt really scared, whereas along that street it's so busy I feel more annoyed than anything else.


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## MaidenScotland

Beatle said:


> Yes Gamat el Dowal is worse in the summer. As somebody pointed out to me, many of the prostitutes along there look eastern but dress in western clothes which is the same as me. I couldn't figure out at first why so many men were following me - it was like being the Pied Piper - in one surreal incident, they started following my friend and I. We jumped in a taxi as we needed to pick someone up from the airport. We were then followed for the next 40 minutes by these 2 guys in a car who were holding up their mobile numbers on pieces of paper.
> 
> I don't want to distort things though - I have been followed in England before and felt really scared, whereas along that street it's so busy I feel more annoyed than anything else.


Personally I am insulted...don't get me wrong I have no problem with prostitution but I do find it insulting to be approached in the street.. I am sure I look more expensive than a street walker


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## fibyfarid

pieandgravy said:


> Hi everybody
> 
> I am soon moving to Egypt to live in Cairo where I will be working at a British school. I have never been to Egypt before, but am looking for advice and assistance to help me along my journey. At the moment as a first step, I am trying to decide which part of Cairo would be best for me to live in.
> 
> Dahshour Route, Sheikh Zayed City - this is the location of the school.
> 
> Maadi, Zamalek, Mohandiseen, Sheikh Zayed - these are the areas that have been recommended to myself.
> 
> At this moment in time I would welcome any input to help me get looking in the right direction. I look forward to hearing from you!
> 
> Thank you in advance,
> Chris.


Hey there,

i recommend you stay in maadi there are a lot of british people live there and even the british embassdor lives there,also mohandseen and zamalek are great places,but u better stay away from elshiekh zayed it may be the nearest area to your work but u r not gonna like it,it seems like a desert.i think maadi is your best choice,green everywhere,and nice area and neiouberhood.
good luck


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## reemaa

pieandgravy said:


> Hi everybody
> 
> I am soon moving to Egypt to live in Cairo where I will be working at a British school. I have never been to Egypt before, but am looking for advice and assistance to help me along my journey. At the moment as a first step, I am trying to decide which part of Cairo would be best for me to live in.
> 
> Dahshour Route, Sheikh Zayed City - this is the location of the school.
> 
> Maadi, Zamalek, Mohandiseen, Sheikh Zayed - these are the areas that have been recommended to myself.
> 
> At this moment in time I would welcome any input to help me get looking in the right direction. I look forward to hearing from you!
> 
> Thank you in advance,
> Chris.



i think maadi is a good choice but it is very faaaar from Sheikh Zayed City i recommend you stay in maadi and try to find another school in maadi and iam sure that you'll find one because there is many international schools in maadi


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## elrasho

pieandgravy said:


> Hi everybody
> 
> I am soon moving to Egypt to live in Cairo where I will be working at a British school. I have never been to Egypt before, but am looking for advice and assistance to help me along my journey. At the moment as a first step, I am trying to decide which part of Cairo would be best for me to live in.
> 
> Dahshour Route, Sheikh Zayed City - this is the location of the school.
> 
> Maadi, Zamalek, Mohandiseen, Sheikh Zayed - these are the areas that have been recommended to myself.
> 
> At this moment in time I would welcome any input to help me get looking in the right direction. I look forward to hearing from you!
> 
> Thank you in advance,
> Chris.


Hi,

How did you manage to score a teaching job but not actually be in Egypt? And as for areas I'd go with what Maiden said


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## Beatle

How did you manage to score a teaching job but not actually be in Egypt? [/QUOTE]

There are websites for teaching jobs abroad but as far as I was aware you need to have an actual teaching qualification to apply: TES Connect - Teaching Jobs, Teaching Resources & Community


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## txlstewart

I have a teaching job in Cairo and have never been to Egypt. I went to a recruitment fair sponsored by a search company specialising in teaching abroad--the fair was in London (UK) while living in Texas... Will move to Maadi in less than two weeks.


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## elrasho

txlstewart said:


> I have a teaching job in Cairo and have never been to Egypt. I went to a recruitment fair sponsored by a search company specialising in teaching abroad--the fair was in London (UK) while living in Texas... Will move to Maadi in less than two weeks.


That's awesome, I need to get to one of these teaching fairs! Looking at http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Fairs/p!egakl?mode=show_prospects_bycat&id=4 I will already be in Egypt when the next fair starts


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## txlstewart

elrasho said:


> That's awesome, I need to get to one of these teaching fairs! Looking at Teaching Fairs I will already be in Egypt when the next fair starts


I went through a search company that also has a fair in Dubai just after the first of the year. It's for next year, however. You can always sign up to be a relief/substitute teacher....teachers are notorious for having babies mid-year!


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