Egypt

  • Egypt

    Dahab

    February 7, 2017 - By 

    Sinai, that triangular peninsula that rests between the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea, is nothing like the rest of Egypt. Dahab in particular is absolutely nothing like one could imagine in the Arab world. In fact, during our incredible week in Dahab, we often forgot that we were still in Egypt. Yes, camels and bedouins can be found roaming about, but the landscape sparkles with beauty, the laid-back atmosphere relaxes the soul, and the chaos of traffic does not exist. Hookahs and even beer were also not uncommon. Catering to independent backpackers, hippies, wanderers, scuba divers, and beach junkies, Dahab’s…

  • Egypt

    A White Desert Christmas

    January 26, 2017 - By 

    It seems as if most people traveling to Egypt only have enough time to check out the “must-do’s” which include the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian museum in Cairo, the magnificent archeological sites in Luxor and further to the south, and the handful of souqs and bazaars tucked in the cities. Once we exhausted the list of “must-do’s” in a brief two weeks, we spent our final 1.5 weeks in Egypt doing what we wanted to do. This not only entailed travel to Egypt’s lesser known natural landscapes, but also the wonderful void of giant tour buses and aggressive touts. Doing…

  • Egypt

    Luxor

    January 22, 2017 - By 

    It seems now that many travelers opt to skip Cairo entirely (I don’t blame them; it is rather hectic and disgusting) and head straight to Luxor for all its archeological treasures. While the sites are wonderful and the city is large enough to host an endless array of restaurants and hotels, Luxor has one major problem: its plague of touts.  I read that touts in Luxor are possibly more aggressive than the touts in Cairo and Giza, and with the decimated tour industry, touts are more hungry than ever. But rather than falling into the easy cycle of frustration and anger,…

  • Egypt

    Cruising Along the Nile

    January 16, 2017 - By 

    In addition to the pyramids, I couldn’t help but sign up for another touristy Egyptian excursion: a multi-day cruise along the Nile. Cruise ships sail from Aswan to Luxor for 4 days/3 nights (which is what we picked) or against the current from Luxor to Aswan for 5 days/4 nights. I read that one of the cheapest options is through viator.com, and we paid $280 each for what typically would have been the high season in mid-December. We even opted for a group tour for the lowest price, but somehow ended up with a private guide anyway. Yay! After independently exploring…

  • Egypt

    Aswan & Abu Simbel

    January 8, 2017 - By 

    Along a beautiful section of the Nile lies the idyllic city of Aswan, the largest city in southern Egypt, with sleepy Nubian villages spilling to the river. Aswan is about as far south as most travelers will reach in Egypt, with most likely an extra excursion even further south to the famous temples of Abu Simbel, only ~40 km from the Sudanese border. Without the noise, pollution, traffic, and aggression seen in Egypt’s other cities, Aswan is a relaxing escape from it all with plenty of wonderful sites to take in. And last but not least, Aswan serves as the…

  • Egypt

    A Couple Days in Cairo

    December 29, 2016 - By 

    Cairo is one of those cities that you can love…if you have the luxury to avoid living in it. My native Egyptian friend left Cairo and Egypt altogether and can rant about his pure loathing for the city.  At first I thought it was only his pessimistic nature, but I quickly learned from other locals that Egyptians generally hold great disdain for Cairo; they only live there to work. The city is exhilarating and fascinating as much as it is dilapidated, filthy, and inefficient, and if you have a tolerance for such chaos plus a few days to spare then…

  • Egypt

    An Independent Pyramid Tour

    December 26, 2016 - By 

    Considering how far the Great Pyramids of Giza are from Cairo, I thought, “Why not spend a couple nights in Giza and check out the sites from there?” After all, the pyramids are one of the main reasons why people come to Egypt. Plus, staying in Giza not only allowed us to leisurely explore the Great Pyramids but also other less notable pyramids in the area. Then I discovered a couple of budget hotel options in Giza that sealed the deal. Can’t beat this terrace view for $30 per night, right? Sound and light show in the evening from the terrace:…

  • Egypt

    Before Going to Egypt

    December 23, 2016 - By 

    For an incredibly foreign country, I can’t imagine any tourist or traveler arriving to Egypt without having done any prior research.  Upon my homework, I repeatedly came across the same information: 1. Since the revolution of 2011, tourism in Egypt has been decimated. Once the top tourist destination in the world, Egypt’s hotels, restaurants, and tourist districts now struggle under pathetic despair. Egypt’s notorious temples and iconic sites that once saw mass tourism and rapid deterioration can now be enjoyed without anyone else in sight. As an independent traveler, it’s easy to think, “This serenity is wonderful!” but second thoughts immediately become…