2005 July,Our 25th Wedding Anniversary my husband & i went to Egypt (a trip he's always wanted to go on)so i booked to fly to Cario from Paris,we were picked up at the airport,we had three days in Cario,than we flew to Luxor to join our boat for a cruise down the nile,stopping off to see the sites............it was a fantastic holiday, one we will never forget......hightly recommended........
Hi The trip to Egypt sounds just a little like our recent trip for 10 days, very hectic early mornings, trips in minibuses, a cruise up the Nile, a fantastic balloon ride to see the sun rise over the Valley of The Kings and Karnack Temple. Quite simply the most amazing experience ever, and our tour guide Mohamed was full of local knowledge and fun to be around. Would certainly consider revisiting.
i went to egypt on a short break of 5 days i stayed in cairo i went to the egyptian museum u need time to see everything i also took in mohamed ali mosque which was lovely and of course the pyramids although on the edge of the town they must be seen i visited the famous khan el khailli bazzar where haggling is a must. cairo not the prettiest place in egypt but to get a feel of the culture is great and the people are so welcoming i felt like royalty highly recommend it
Yes Egypt is historically very interesting but it has its down side especially in the capital Cairo. There is a lot of obvious poverty. Children as young as 4 years old selling postcards whilst begging at the same time.Traffic control is chaotic. People crossing roads amongst the speeding traffic. It was just like watching " Chicken dares". A very large proportion of the poulation live in unfinished block of flats. The guide explained that if the buildings had een finished people are expexcted to pay for services etc and so to offset this they choose to live in a very unsightly unfinished , window less etc buildings. To tell the truth I was appalled and depressed by what I saw. Apparently there are the very rich and at the other end the very very poor and all this is very obvious when one visits the touristic sights, where amongst the common touts you are also expected to pay 5 Euros to the police officer on duty who offered to take your picture with your camera. In fact he hangs on to the camera till he gets his money back. In a way I am glad I went but I will never go again. I just did not expect so much povert in such an historic place.
@carlosdaisy.....time to wake up to reality. You are probably living in a comparative paradise. Wake up.....! 90% of the world is different...poor, dirty, hungry, crowded and unnerving. Its good that your eyes have been opened! Having said that Egypt is a wonderfull country, mainly because of the wonderfull people there, 90% of them live in "close to edge" squalour but still laugh and smile, never lose their humour and are proud of their country. Us westerners could learn a lot from them. Ive been to Egypt 10 times now and have a deep love for the place. It may be too in your face for some people.....they should just stay home or spend vacations in Club Meds! For me..give me Egypt anytime!!
Going Egypt on the 12 Sept reading all your thoughts i am relly excited about my trip and will see all what you have spoken thank you all (not carolsdaisy)
wt i like most about cairo is that streets r never empty till 4 or 5 am it really makes u feel at home ,ppl r friendly ,traffic is crazy but its really cool place . as a egyptian i also recommmend (sharm el shaikh) the redsea there is wonderfull.i hope u all enjoy ur time in egypt .
Just got back from Egypt and had a wonderful time, however.... a few tips for travellers.... Having experienced both Luxor and Aswan i strongly recommend people to stear towards the later. Luxor was comparatively dirty and the people were not as friendly (on the whole). The town survives on tourism and there are many locals out to earn a few pounds by 'helping you out'. e.g. offering to take your bags to the hotel from the taxi, all of 4 metres, then following you around till you either tell them to get lost or give them money. I am an experienced traveller and i felt harassed going out of the hotel. Many people found refuge in Maccie D's or KFC!! Sayiong that, the Valley of the Kings and the Temples in Luxor are amazing, if not the town itself. Aswan, however is one of my favourite destinations i have ever been to. Beautiful, people are friendly and polite, the boat trips are outstanding and the sites are awe-inspiring. I recommend a trip to Lake Nassar, Abu Simbel and Muhammad Al Fayed's Perfumerie. Situated on the Nile itself, Aswan is a commercial town not reliant on tourism and surrounded by the desert. Climb the sand dune at sunset for a fantastic view of the desert, Lake Nassar and the town. tips: carry your own luggage etc around to avoid harrassment for tips(Aswan your ok!) check what times the police convey leaves for different towns if flying to one destination and travelling on to another Be prepared for lots of tombs Avoid the Karnak Sound and Light show (far to long and confusing) The bazaars often price thing 3 times as much for tourists. You have to haggle. Summer is very hot (40 degrees +) but alot quietier. Roughly 10% of the tourism compared to their winter season. There are over 500 cruise boats in operation on the Nile, only 5% are 'luxury'!) Check the name of the boat before you travel and check it out online as many were very old and grotty. You can not travle at night on the Nile, so be prepared to be moored up alot of the time with mass trips organised.
I recommend the Pyramisa Isis Hotel in Aswan for the perfect holiday in Egypt.
In addition, and in reference to what carlosdaisy and ianperetmills have said; Egypt has had the same prime minister for 20 years or so, the more educated Egyptians openly say the government is quite corrupt and a shop window effect is occuring in Egypt. The richer are getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer, this is controlled by the government. They only want the tourists to see the wealthier parts of Egypt. The poverty around the main cities adds to the experience of the holiday and you should take the time to speak to the these people as they are more genuine then those in the cities and they will bend over backward to speak to you and help you without chasing you for a few pounds!!
The trip to Egypt sounds just a little like our recent trip for 10 days, very hectic early mornings, trips in minibuses, a cruise up the Nile, a fantastic balloon ride to see the sun rise over the Valley of The Kings and Karnack Temple.
Quite simply the most amazing experience ever, and our tour guide Mohamed was full of local knowledge and fun to be around. Would certainly consider revisiting.
Having said that Egypt is a wonderfull country, mainly because of the wonderfull people there, 90% of them live in "close to edge" squalour but still laugh and smile, never lose their humour and are proud of their country. Us westerners could learn a lot from them. Ive been to Egypt 10 times now and have a deep love for the place. It may be too in your face for some people.....they should just stay home or spend vacations in Club Meds! For me..give me Egypt anytime!!
Having experienced both Luxor and Aswan i strongly recommend people to stear towards the later. Luxor was comparatively dirty and the people were not as friendly (on the whole). The town survives on tourism and there are many locals out to earn a few pounds by 'helping you out'. e.g. offering to take your bags to the hotel from the taxi, all of 4 metres, then following you around till you either tell them to get lost or give them money. I am an experienced traveller and i felt harassed going out of the hotel. Many people found refuge in Maccie D's or KFC!! Sayiong that, the Valley of the Kings and the Temples in Luxor are amazing, if not the town itself.
Aswan, however is one of my favourite destinations i have ever been to. Beautiful, people are friendly and polite, the boat trips are outstanding and the sites are awe-inspiring. I recommend a trip to Lake Nassar, Abu Simbel and Muhammad Al Fayed's Perfumerie. Situated on the Nile itself, Aswan is a commercial town not reliant on tourism and surrounded by the desert. Climb the sand dune at sunset for a fantastic view of the desert, Lake Nassar and the town.
tips: carry your own luggage etc around to avoid harrassment for tips(Aswan your ok!)
check what times the police convey leaves for different towns if flying to one destination and travelling on to another
Be prepared for lots of tombs
Avoid the Karnak Sound and Light show (far to long and confusing)
The bazaars often price thing 3 times as much for tourists. You have to haggle.
Summer is very hot (40 degrees +) but alot quietier. Roughly 10% of the tourism compared to their winter season.
There are over 500 cruise boats in operation on the Nile, only 5% are 'luxury'!) Check the name of the boat before you travel and check it out online as many were very old and grotty.
You can not travle at night on the Nile, so be prepared to be moored up alot of the time with mass trips organised.
I recommend the Pyramisa Isis Hotel in Aswan for the perfect holiday in Egypt.