CAIRO - Egypt is a country that is as bewildering as it is mesmerising. Away from the Pyramids of Giza, the thousand-year-old temples and the animals grazing idly by the river Nile is a way of life that I simply could not understand.

For one, there is the fact that traffic rules don’t exist. As our guide explained: “The lanes on the roads are only for decoration.” To cross the road, you just have to “close your eyes, put your foot down, and just go”. Mind you, that is very distressing news for a Singaporean who dutifully waits for the green man to come on before crossing the road.

Then there were the groups of men with camels, mules and horses at the Pyramids of Giza who walked into my shot on purpose and asked to be paid because I had taken photos of them. And, strangest of all, was the man who placed a baby crocodile on my head with no warning and for no apparent reason.

But if there is anything I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t need to be a ninja to navigate the streets of Cairo. All you need is some agile maneuvering, and the following tips:

TIP 1: Travel with an experienced guide, at least for the first few days. I usually prefer to navigate cities on my own, but I really appreciated having a guide who wasn’t just able to take care of the logistics of transport, lodging and sight-seeing, or put the temples and pyramids we were seeing in context, but also explain how things worked in the country, like how much souvenirs and taxi rides should reasonably cost. Apparently, vendors or drivers sometimes quote prices that are several hundred times higher to trap silly tourists.

TIP 2: Write the Arabic names of streets or places on pieces of paper, or take photos of nearby monuments, in case you get lost and need to ask for directions - like me, when I got lost in the immense Khan el-Khalili bazaar on my last day in Cairo.

TIP 3: Can’t find Egyptian pounds in Singapore? Bring US dollars instead and change your notes at the airport or at banks in the city.

TIP 4: Be sure to get smaller notes, because you’ll need to tip constantly. I found myself having to search for loose change every time I entered a sightseeing spot – men with camels, restroom attendants and even security guards invariably offer their services (without invitation) and expect to be tipped. If you don’t have change? Just hide behind the nearest Caucasian guy, like I did.