Cairo, Egypt pt2
Where: Cairo
Time of Year Visited: July
Weather: Very hot, dry and sunny. In the evenings/night hot and humid
Flights: Egypt Cairo to London Heathrow £440 (3 adults= £ 146.66 per person)
Accommodation: Oriental Hostel situated in the middle of Cairo, it included breakfast and we had an en-suite triple room. I would suggest bringing small things like towels, shampoos and conditioners and shower gel.
£41.49 for 3 adults for 2 nights. (£13.83 per person)
Currency: Egyptian pound (£1 sterling= £19.55 Egyptian/ £100 Egyptian= £5.08 Sterling)
Getting Around: You will need either a driver, a rental car or get picked up and dropped off for excursions. Walking can be very difficult due to the heat/sun and there are a lot of sellers/ merchants who are waiting for any tourist looking individuals. There are also a few pick pockets and charmers to be wary of (if you choose to venture out on foot). Exploring by foot is not impossible but be aware that there are a lot of people in Cairo and the crowds can be overwhelming; however, us going out on foot and exploring was one of the best ways we learnt about Egyptian culture and how the people really live out there.
Excursions: Our first night in Cairo one of the hostel workers Mustafa showed us around and gave us a quick tour of the immediate area (shops and touristy food spots). He suggested a cruise on the River Nile.
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| Sunset on the Nile |
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| The Cruise Ship- M.S. Nile Smart |
We were tired and hungry from the journey from Hurghada; however, we decided that we should take every opportunity to do as much as we can. Mustafa walked us from our hostel to the River Nile, the journey was quick and easy by foot and we boarded the cruise ship M. S. Nile Smart. Our ticket included a sunset cruise, a buffet meal, desserts and drinks (shisha was at an extra cost). The cruise was slow which allowed us to take in the views of Cairo, the food was amazing, there was also entertainment which included belly dancers and a monkey show, and the staff were great!! My favourite part of the whole cruise was relaxing on the upper deck, watching the stars after eating. Overall, I would recommend doing the cruise if you can, although we did not book ours online there are online ticket options- I have added the link below:
https://www.getyourguide.com/cairo-l92/dinner-cruise-on-the-nile-maxiem-in-cairo-every-night-t11735/
The main reason we went to Cairo were the Pyramids of Giza. We chose to not book online as we wanted to help the economy directly. The next day we were picked up (with the organisational help of our friend Mustafa) and was driven to the edge of Giza. We then met one the elder men who owned camels and staff who knew their way through the dessert. We paid 3500 Egyptian pounds (£182/3 = £60.66 each) and this included food after we finished at the Pyramids.
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| Inside the temple ruins |
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| Before the Gates |
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| My brother on a horse x Pyramids |
Before you get inside the desert you will be stopped at the gates by guards, make sure you have a scarf to cover your head (or they will force you to buy one on the spot), make sure you bring enough water and if possible something to cover your shoulders (the sun is very unforgiving and sunburn will happen easily). The experience was indescribable, growing up with a keen interest in Egyptian history to see the Pyramids and Sphinx in real life was outstanding for me. I would recommend to anyone travelling to Egypt, they are as grand as you think they are. A must see!
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| Journey through the desert |
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| Me, my sister ft Pyramid |
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| Hieroglyphs |
After the pyramids our tour guide took us to Siwa perfumes. This seemed small from the outside but inside there were three floors of souvenirs. We were first shown a glass making presentation, then was brought upstairs to see all the types of glass souvenirs available and how the perfume scents were mixed. Now this was not part of our plan and we felt kind of ambushed, but our tour guide convinced us if we did not want anything we did not have to buy.
Well, the hard sell came, and they did not let up! At first, I was pissed off as I was tired and just wanted to get back to have a shower and rest before our flight home the next day but after taking the time to listen to the sales pitch and smell some of the scents I came around. Between the three of us we ended up purchasing 4 scents and the shop manager threw in 4 glass perfume burners and Egyptian tea for free!
They were lovely people and although I could have done without the sales pitch at the end of a long day, I still use the perfumes 2 years on. All four scents have lasted well and as only a small amount is necessary to burn to fill a room, I still have half a bottle left! I would say, if you’re not looking for souvenirs or any type of hard sale, outline this beforehand, or directly after the Pyramids so they don’t take you to the shop. I noticed, once they get tourists to the shop, they only get their commissions based on if the tourists buy something. This leads to very pushy tour guides who rely on those commissions. I completely understand they struggle financially, and this is all part of their livelihood, but if you know you are not going to buy anything tell your tour guide- it will help avoid a hard sale, a waste of your time and a salty tour guide.
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| Scent 30- Secret of the Desert (2 years of use) & perfume burner |
Overall: I would completely recommend Cairo to anyone looking to visit Egypt. I would suggest only going for a few days (2 was enough for us) and to keep your wits about you. Tourism does help the economy greatly so if possible, buy tours out there in cash and try to tip in restaurants/ bars but that is down to personal preference.
5 out of 5
★★★★★
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