posted
i am planning on visiting egypt and cairo in particular for the full visa of 180 days. is there anything i absolutely must do or places to go while im there? i want to plan it all before i go so i dont waste time.
Posts: 17 | From: UK | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
I lived in Egypt for a while, and ended up marrying an Egyptian. My personal favourites which I would recommend to you are:
1. Visit the Khan el Khalili bazaar. Haggle with the merchants, drink the tea or karkadeh they will offer you, buy some gold!
2. Travel by felucca or train to Luxor. Take a balloon trip while you are there, visit the old town and drink coffee in one of the bars with the locals. Buy alabaster from one of the workshops in the desert.
3. Go snorkelling on one of the reefs, either at Sharm el Sheikh, Hurgada or El Gouna. Totally unforgettable experience.
4. Eat grilled pigeon (hamam) and local bread at a desert restaurant just outside Cairo.
5. Drive to the white beaches along the coast near Alexandria.
6. Rent a horse and ride out into the desert near the pyramids.
7. Eat icecream in Dairy Queen and (Egyptian style!) pizza in Pizza Hut.
8. Have the brunch buffet in the Hilton.
9. Eat traditional Egyptian food at Felfilla in downtown Cairo.
I'm not sure what my final budget will be yet but it should be around $15,000 or £8,000 uk sterling. thats about $550/£300 a week to include all living and renting. do you think this is a realistic budget? I am unsure of living costs in cairo. i might consider a working visa and find work teaching english for a while. I'm not even sure if i will come back to england or not. anyway thanks for the help so far.
posted
thanks, i didnt know that! got a few ideas of where to go and what to do. is there anyone who has similar plans for around january next year as i dont really want to travel alone? and it would be nice to make new friends.
Posts: 17 | From: UK | Registered: Apr 2004
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thanks, i didnt know that! got a few ideas of where to go and what to do. is there anyone who has similar plans for around january next year as i dont really want to travel alone? and it would be nice to make new friends.
Posts: 17 | From: UK | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
For that kind of money, you'll be able to do quite a bit in your 6 months. You'll have money to travel. In 6 months, you'll have time to get off the beaten path and find adventures that will come your way. Have a great time.
Do plan on going to the Red Sea and to Upper Egypt during the first part of your 6 months while the weather is a bit cooler. By April it starts to become pretty warm down south, and while prices are less out on the Red Sea in the hotter months, there is a good reason for that....IT'S HOT!!!!!
Another thing to plan to do early on is a White Desert camping trip. You pretty much need to have that completed before May as it gets too too too hot out there. A trip to Siwa should be on your agenda too. Siwa is a long way away from everything, but absolutely worth seeing once. Go for 4-6 nights and really see it and enjoy it.
posted
just wondering, would be be a good idea to rent/buy a car while im there and travel just by jeep?
Posts: 17 | From: UK | Registered: Apr 2004
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What is the craziest place in the world you have ever driven in before without an accident or being terrified? Give us the answer to that, and maybe someone can give you an idea if you would survive Cairo traffic. It isn't like many other places in the world. If you are expecting people to use lights at night, or stay in their lane, or basically apply any rules of the road that most countries require, I'd suggest use your money for other modes of transportation. Besides, anything but the cheapest FIAT is going to be pretty expensive and take a big bite out of that budget you have.
Posts: 3246 | From: Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
thanks for everyones help so far, i have a rough idea of where i'll be going and for how long. once i'd write down everything i wanted to see and do i realised that six months should just fit it all in!! I'd better start saving!! good job its pay day on friday!!!!!!
Posts: 17 | From: UK | Registered: Apr 2004
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