‘Please do your research’: Women book ‘luxury’ Egyptian retreat. There’s no bathroom, hot water, or heat

A group of women went on a “luxury trip” in Egypt. Then, they discovered that “luxury” meant sleeping inside a cave with no central air conditioning or hot water on a mattress with no bedframe.

TikTok creator Liv Margre (@livmargre2) posted a video showcasing a recent trip and her friends took to Egypt.

In her video, which has over 2.3 million views as of this writing, she shows the “luxury” experience that frankly had her and her friends frightened for their lives. They were cold, isolated, and waiting for a driver in an area that felt unsafe.

In the post, Margre says, “Please do your research before booking any retreats to Egypt.” Her friends did not clarify whether or not the retreat explicitly stated it would have the amenities she identified as missing, but they did note that the stay wasn’t at all what they expected.

Were the women scammed?

Margre did not identify where she was staying with her friends, although she referred to the destination as a “camp.”

Egypt has a number of all-inclusive resorts that are on the cheap end, but most of them do not match Margre’s description or environment. What Margre most likely accidentally booked was a sham “resort” booked for a low cost.

According to TikTok commenters, experiences that are booked with a low budget can have very similar amenities, especially in areas like Bando.

“Egypt can be safe and is a beautiful trip, just not on a budget,” one viewer said. “[If] you go to Egypt, you need to book something like the Ritz Carlton, an international brand. It’s not safe to be in no Airbnb type settings, you will get taken.”

What happened to Lara Logan?

There’s another reason why commenters were skeptical. Egypt isn’t necessarily a place many women travel to on their own, according to many online discussion threads and blogs. Commenters on Margre’s post said they probably wouldn’t have made it their destination of choice in the first place.

One commenter left an ominous message, saying, “No one remembers what happened to Lara Logan in Egypt and it shows.”

They’re referring to the former war correspondent who worked with publications like CBS and Fox News.

In 2011, Logan was violently assaulted while reporting in Egypt, which drew attention to the nation’s culture of violence against women.

That year, CNN reported, “A survey in 2008 by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights claimed that 98% of foreign women and 83% of Egyptian women” had been harassed because of their gender.

In the years since her assault, which occurred while covering the Arab Spring, Logan has drawn attention to this issue.

Is Egypt a safe place for women to travel today?

Rates of violence against women have improved since 2011, but it still may not be safe for women to travel alone. Online blogs and publications refer to it as a “safe place to travel” but it’s difficult for women to travel solo there. It can still be dangerous.

Plus, Egypt has completely different legal standards for assault, coercion, and other crimes. In April 2025, Tiba discussed gaps in Egypt’s legal processes, such as different legal expectations of the burden of proof and concepts of consent for such violence. Comparatively, Egyptian legal systems may require reform to match pro-feminist and pro-women definitions of these crimes.

There’s also still a cultural gap in how Egypt approaches women’s rights, leading to an admitted culture of violence against women. Egypt still has not met multiple distinct marks of gender equality, and there are still areas where travel can be risky.

Happily, Margre and her friends made it home safely, which she confirmed in the comments section of her post.

We’ve reached out to Margre via TikTok direct message and comment for more information about her stay in Egypt. We’ll let you know if she responds.