"Ramadan Kareem! It always amazes me how quickly time passes, and once again students of ILI get to experience the rich tapestry of Arabic culture during Ramadan. This month long festival which brings calm city days and festive evenings provides ILI students with an endless supply of activity and cultural learning to occupy their time after school and homework.

"And of course our teachers and staff are more than happy to provide our students with in class cultural lessons and special traditional phrases so that they might engage positively with local Egyptians.

And indeed they do engage! Due to our very central location, our convenient class times (8:30-2:30), our friendly and local staff and extracurricular activities, students find getting into the community easy and rewarding. Especially during such an exciting and optimistic time in the history of this country."

Learn more about AmeriSpan's Cairo Arabic school

AmeriSpan participant, John S., was learning Arabic in Egypt during the recent crisis and was kind enough to complete a questionnaire about his experience and outlook on the current situation.  Please note that AmeriSpan offered a full refund for any unused classes and lodging and when the US State Department issued a travel warning. We were unable to contact John due to blocked communication systems to find out if he was going to leave as they recommended. However, John is an adult and the final decision was his-  he chose to remain in Egypt.  Further, John mentions that he went to Tahrir square and watched the protests.  AmeriSpan does not condone this.  We want to be clear about this. When traveling abroad, we strongly urge our participants to avoid political protests, labor strikes and other confrontational gatherings.  This is the case whether in Europe, Asia, Latin America or Africa.

Special Note to Adult Participants and/or Parents: if you or your child is the type of person that is too curious and would ignore our advice to stay clear of political protests then avoid programs in countries or cities where there is some political turmoil.  Let's be clear, our staff and hundreds of our past participants have been in countries during coups, strikes, natural disasters and protests with no problems over the last 18 years because they AVOID the large gatherings and hot spots. Laws are different and you do not have the same rights that you have in your home country. There is no reason to take risks while traveling abroad.  In our opinion, John S. was fortunate but took unnecessary risks during the Egyptian crisis.

1. Prior to your program in Egypt, were you nervous about your trip? Did you research your trip?
I was not nervous, I enjoy a little adventure..

2. Did you take any precautions prior to traveling or after arriving?
I made sure my passport was good and contacted my bank to allow me to use my bank cards in Egypt.

3. Was the school helpful? Did they discuss the situation with the students? Did the school recommend any precautions?
The school was very helpful and offered good advice for getting around Cairo and Egypt and avoiding any problems.

4. Did you personally encounter any problems or witness anything that made you feel unsafe?
I was in Tehrir Square almost every day during the protests. I did not feel as if I was in danger.

5. Did you hear of problems from other participants in this program?
No.

6. Overall, what are your thoughts about AmeriSpan continuing to offer programs in Egypt?
This program is very good, and after asking around at my hotel and asking students in other programs about their experiences, it is my opinion that AmeriSpan's school is probably the best Arabic school in Cairo. We learned more in one month than other students learn in three months – at a fraction of the cost.

 Learn more about AmeriSpan's Arabic school in Cairo

Over the past few days, there has been a lot of news coverage of the ongoing protests and evacuations in Cairo, Egypt.  AmeriSpan has been receiving a fair amount of questions on the safety of travel to Cairo, Alexandria, and surrounding areas in the coming weeks, and for now we are keeping our ears to the ground as we await details from our partner school. As the internet and texting have been shut off by the Egyptian government, contact with Egypt is difficult. 

Our analysis:

The U.S. State Department has recommended that American travelers avoid travel to Egypt until this social unrest dies down.  US Citizens currently in country will be evacuated.  Its website has frequent updates and information regarding contacting the U.S. Embassy and Department of State in Cairo concerning evacuation plans and travel to Egypt. 

AmeriSpan will be waiving fees of any students signed up for Arabic classes in Cairo who need to postpone or cancel.  As always, we invite any concerned students to contact us with any questions.  We will be updating this page as new information arises.

Here are links to sources providing background information and constantly updated information regarding this situation:

US Department of State's Travel Warning for Egypt

CNN's Unrest in Egypt: Questions and Answers