Israel:

Entry Regulations:

All Canadian citizens require a Canadian passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of your entry into the country. An entry visa is not required for American and Canadian citizens.

Please check with your country’s Foreign Affairs office to find out about entry requirements for non-Canadians and Americans.

Climate:

The climate in Israel is considered to be Mediterranean.  Although most of the year is hot and sunny, winter can be cold, especially in the mountains and at night.  Winter is also the rainy season, so make sure to bring rain gear.   Eilat has a nice climate all year round.

Currency:

The local currency is the New Shekel (ILS). The New Shekel is valued to the Canadian dollar at a rate of 3.58 ILS to CAD$1 and 3.75 ILS to US$1.  As exchange rates fluctuate many times every day, this rate might not accurately reflect the rate during your trip. Please check exchange rates closer to your date of travel.

Electricity:

230V AC, 50Hz

Tip: This system may differ from the one you use at home. If it is different, please purchase an adaptor from a travel store near you, to take advantage of the power ports in your hotel room.

Language:

Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages. English is widely spoken.

Health Requirement:

No vaccination certificates are required unless coming from an infected area. For all health requirements and recommendations, travellers should check with their doctors for change in requirements.

Airport Facilities and Tax:

Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv is the main airport in Israel. Eilat Central Airport also handles some international traffic. No departure tax is imposed.

Shopping:

There is a wide variety of shops in Israel.  Bargaining is common only in the markets.  Sh0opping areas range from malls to small markets.  Tourists can receive a refund on the VAT tax they paid at certain stores.  Shops are usually open from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday.  Some shops close for an afternoon siesta from 1 (or 2) until 4 in the afternoon.  On Friday shops usually close for the day between 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., and most places of business in Jewish areas do not open on Saturdays.

Cuisine:

Israeli cuisine has been fused with cuisines from all over the world. Some Israeli favourites include gefilte fish, chopped salads, and falafel.  Western food is widely available in Tel Aviv and other major cities.

For more information please visit:

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=135000

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/128/country_guide/Middle-East/Israel.html

Jordan:

Entry Regulations:

All Canadian citizens require a Canadian passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of your entry into the country. A visa is necessary to enter Jordan, which can be obtained upon arrival at the airport for 10 Jordanian Dinars. A photo is not necessary.  Please note:  As of January 1, 2011, the fee for the entry visa will increase to 20 Jordanian Dinars.

Please check with your country’s Foreign Affairs office to find out about entry requirements for non-Canadians and Americans.

Climate:

Most of Jordan has a desert climate with little or no rainfall, summer temperatures soaring especially during July and August, the hottest and driest months of the year. Amman and the Jordan Valley have more pleasant weather during spring and autumn, when days are sunny and temperatures moderate. During winter the weather can be extremely cold, especially in Amman, accompanied by snow, rain and wind.

Currency:

The basic unit of currency is the Jordan Dinar (JOD). At present, the exchange rate is JOD.67 to CAD$1 and JOD.71 to USD$1. As exchange rates fluctuate many times every day, this rate might not accurately reflect the rate during your trip. Please check exchange rates closer to your date of travel.

Electricity:

The current is 220V AC, 50Hz.

Tip: This system may differ from the one you use at home. If it is different, please purchase an adaptor from a travel store near you, to take advantage of the power ports in your hotel room.

Language:

The official language is Arabic but English is understood by most people involved in the tourist industry and by middle to upper class Jordanians.

Health Requirement:

No vaccination certificates are required unless coming from an infected area. For all health requirements and recommendations, travellers should check with their doctors for change in requirements.

Airport Facilities and Tax:

The main airport is Queen Alia International in Amman. The departure tax is formulated into the price of your airline ticket.

Shopping:

Every town in Jordan has a Souk – a market. These Souks sell handmade jewellery, carvings, and other local specialties. You’ll be awed by the intricacies of the traditional ostrich egg painting or the mosaic making. The Souks offer original masterpieces at a good price. They are open everyday, except on Friday when they are open past 4pm.

Cuisine:

Jordanian cuisine is an eclectic mix of Middle Eastern and traditional Jordanian cooking. Adding fresh fruit and dairy to the classic Middle East cuisines gives Jordanian cuisine a special flavour that so many relish. Alcohol consumption is legal in restaurants, but during the holy month of Ramadan, tourists are only allowed to drink in hotels.

For more information please visit:

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=144000

http://www.visitjordan.com/

Egypt:

Entry Regulations:

All Canadian citizens require a Canadian passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of your entry into the country. An entry visa is required which can be obtainable upon arrival in Cairo.  The current fee for Canadian passport holders is US$20.  It is recommended that travellers obtain their visa from an Eyptian Diplomatic Mission so they do not experience lengthy delays upon arrival. A return/on-ward ticket is needed to enter Egypt.

Please check with your country’s Foreign Affairs office to find out about entry requirements for non-Canadians and Americans.

Climate:

Egypt is a very large country - when it is chilly and wet in Alexandria, it can already be hot in Aswan.  The best time to visit the majority of sights, including the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings, is from February to April and October to November, when it is hot enough to know it's the ‘Land of the Sun', but not too hot to be enjoyable. At this time, the skies and sea are a perfect blue.

In April, the hot, dusty Khamsin wind blows from the Sahara, making the touring of sights troublesome: during an intense sand storm, vision may be reduced to a few meters.

Currency:

Local currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP).   The Egyptian Pound is valued to the Canadian dollar at a rate of 5.72EGP.  As exchange rates fluctuate many times every day, this rate might not accurately reflect the rate during your trip. Please check exchange rates closer to your date of travel.

Traveller's cheques and foreign currency are easily exchanged in hotels and banks. U.S. dollars are preferred, particularly at tourist sites. Most major credit cards are widely accepted, although some merchants prefer cash or may charge a fee for payment by credit card. MasterCard may be refused in banks, hotels, shops, and travel agents because of its link to the failed Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI - its former backer).

Electricity:

220/240V AC, 50Hz

Tip: This system may differ from the one you use at home. If it is different, please purchase an adaptor from a travel store near you, to take advantage of the power ports in your hotel room.

Language:

Arabic is the official languages. English and French are widely spoken.

Health Requirement:

No vaccination certificates are required unless coming from an infected area. Immunization against polio is advised because of the persistence of polio in Egypt. Precautions against hepatitis E should be considered. Immunization against hepatitis B and tuberculosis is sometimes advised. Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present in the Nile Delta and the Nile Valley; avoid swimming and wading in fresh water.

Travellers should be aware that the Egyptian Ministry of Health has put in place body temperature check measures at Egyptian ports of entry to counter the spread of the H1N1 Influenza. Individuals with a high fever may be subject to examination or further testing at a public hospital (Homeyat) where they will be kept for 24 hours while waiting for the results. If the results of the H1N1 test is positive, travellers will be quarantined at the hospital for treatment, which can last a week or longer.

For all health requirements and recommendations, travellers should check with their doctors for change in requirements.

Airport Facilities and Tax:

The main airport is Cairo International which is approx. 24 km to the city centre.

Shopping:

The most interesting shopping area for tourists in Cairo is the old bazaar, Khan-el-Khalili, specialising in reproductions of antiquities. Jewellery, spices, brass, copper utensils, cotton goods and Coptic cloth are some of the many special items. There are also modern shopping centres available, particularly near Tehrir Square. Haggling is expected, and usually encouraged: goods do not have a fixed price, but are worth whatever the vendor feels happy selling at in balance with whatever the buyer is happy purchasing for at any given moment in time.

Cuisine:

Egyptian cuisine combines many of the best traditions of Middle Eastern cooking. There are both large hotel restaurants and smaller specialist ones throughout the main towns. Some of the larger hotels in Cairo and its environs have kitchens serving top-quality cosmopolitan dishes. In the centre of Cairo, American-style snack bars are also spreading. Restaurants have waiter service. Although Egypt is a Muslim country, alcohol is available in cafe-style bars and good restaurants.

For more information please visit:

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=79000