Pharaonic Cairo: Pyramids & Egyptian Museum; my highlight: Red and Bent pyramids (about 30 minutes by car from main pyramid; usually you're at the plateau with only a handful of people; nobody selling anything; only guys who have camels are the tourist police.

Islamic Cairo: from Khan el Khalili to Cidatel; my highlight-Ibn tulun mosque, again usually uncrowded; or the Suleyman pasha mosque within the Cidatel - little tiny one behind the military museum, nicely preserved and built in 1500s.

Coptic Cairo: entire area of Cairo. One of the few places in the world where you'll find a synagogue, a church and a mosque. Highlight: Ceiling of the Hanging Church - built to resemble Noah's Arch. Museum is great too.

Aswan: it's a pretty laid-back place and not too much to do except sail the nile and relax so I'd recommend: waste the afternoon on the balcony of Old Cataract Hotel over a drink and watch the fellucas; feed the cats on the elephant island (they always take tourists there and there's boatloads of friendly cats roaming the island looking for handouts, LOL); and take a camel ride...heard this was the best place in egypt to take a camel ride - there's a little monastery or a chapel-like strucutre on a hill overlooking the river..seems a beautiful afternoon trip is to go up with via camels..it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere but you're not.

Luxor
lots of people living there on this forum so I'll leave this one for them. Personally, everything is beautiful and any monument that's not part of the major tourist route is usually almost empty. I'd recommend getting up early and doing a sunrise balloon ride.

Hurgada
haven't been, sorry.

Sharm
diving. I'd recommend you do a diving certificate bcs it's great fun and very easy. Otherwise: take a snorkel boat (full day) to the Ras M. Park (coral, underwater "park"); rent bikes and do sunset ride into desert/tea with beduins (these are organized in tours- you'll see signs everywhere). Take a trip to Mt. Sinai - about 2 hrs by car. Sunrise climb or just stay a couple of days at the hotel that's within the monastery; be sure to visit their museum as they have some of the oldest books in the world in their collection.

I know a lot of people here love Luxor but personally it leaves a bad taste in my mouth because of the sellers' tactics and hastle. If you can survive the corniche then the pyramids are a breeze in comparison. Definitely don't skip Cairo...it's like...well, I don't have a comparison really but they're completely different places and you won't get a true sense of Egypt until you visit both. You'll either love or hate Cairo, it's one of those cities. About all the specifics...sorry, the only hotels I know are near the airport and downtown and in the 5-star range. I also haven't been out to the pyramids in at least a couple of years (as I said, I prefer to drive out to the unspoilt Bent pyramid on the weekend instead of being with the tourists and the sphinx). But keep in mind the pyramids are on a big, big open plateau...it only feels crowded at the sphinx.

the taxis are much cheaper in cairo than in luxor as far as what they charge for the distance/time... but taxis right outside of hotels tend to heavily overcharge bcs they all speak english and cater to foreigners in hotels only.

the train station is the main one, and it's the ramsis station... from there to the pyramids will take you anywhere btw 30-60 minutes depending on traffic (Ramses station is always filled with traffic and the flyover can get bottlenecked if there's a broken car, etc.). It's been a while since I took a taxi to giza, so I'm going to say if you get out of the taxi and stick LE30-40 to the driver through the window, he'll be a happy man and will thank you. (An egyptian would pay maybe LE15-25, and if you caught a taxi at a hotel, they might try to tell you anywhere btw LE50 to US50, depending on how gullible you look , LOL)

Actually, I would recommend you email Debbie... I'm not drumming up business for her, it's just that's what I do when a friend or colleague asks me... she charges less than a regular tour agency and shows you the stuff that expats tend to know, so it's a more intimate egypt. I don't know what your budget is, but you can probably arrange an orientation tour of some kind with her so you get your bearings on the first day and then if you ask her nicely, she can give you the contacts for the drivers she uses. That way you can rent a taxi for the day and not have to stress about that part. (And no, I don't know what the people she uses charge, but I'm sure it's much more reasonable than A&K or Thomas Cook who will charge you about $150 a day for car wt driver...really overpriced)

quote:

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Originally posted by gary:
ExptinCAI ??
we are booked for 2 weeks on jan 5th in luxor and we were going to spend 4 days in cairo this time but have heard that the hassle at pyramids is now really bad , big fence all around the pyramids and mac donalds is ugly !
we were going to cancel coming to cairo but after what you said there is to do , now having 2nd thoughts (you make it sound wonderful) are you a tour rep ???
anyway we would like to stay at the oasis , right next to the pyramids apparently . is this hotel nice ? , if you have heard of it .
how much are we looking to pay a taxi to take us to the places you mention from our hotel ?
is it still possable to approach pyramids by horse or camel ( fence been built )
what train station do we get of for our hotel is it giza or cairo ?
is the hassle at pyramids really THAT bad , bearing in mind we are used to luxor hassle ?
taking 1st class train on sun night and going back wednesday night, is this enough time to do the things you reccomend ?
sorry bout 'all' the questions , but , you really seem to know what your talking about .
if its easier my email is
garyde@blueyonder.co.uk
best regards
gary

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quote:

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Originally posted by gary:
ExptinCAI ??
we are booked for 2 weeks on jan 5th in luxor and we were going to spend 4 days in cairo this time but have heard that the hassle at pyramids is now really bad , big fence all around the pyramids and mac donalds is ugly !
we were going to cancel coming to cairo but after what you said there is to do , now having 2nd thoughts (you make it sound wonderful) are you a tour rep ???
anyway we would like to stay at the oasis , right next to the pyramids apparently . is this hotel nice ? , if you have heard of it .
how much are we looking to pay a taxi to take us to the places you mention from our hotel ?
is it still possable to approach pyramids by horse or camel ( fence been built )
what train station do we get of for our hotel is it giza or cairo ?
is the hassle at pyramids really THAT bad , bearing in mind we are used to luxor hassle ?
taking 1st class train on sun night and going back wednesday night, is this enough time to do the things you reccomend ?
sorry bout 'all' the questions , but , you really seem to know what your talking about .
if its easier my email is
garyde@blueyonder.co.uk
best regards
gary

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Hi Gary,
I've been to Cairo 3 times now.
I'm also used to the Luxor hassle but in Cairo, the only hassle you'll get is at tourist sites, pyramids, khan el khalili etc... On Cairo streets you are almost invisible.

We took overnight sleeper train from Luxor to Cairo 3 years ago, we got off at the Giza Station.
Our hotel was less than 10 mins taxi ride away - Les Hotel 3 Pyramids, 229 Pyramids Road, view of pyramids from rooftop bar. It was cenral and there was a shopping centre with great supermarket (like Tesco) just 2 mins walk away and a McDonalds and KFC nearby if desperate for "food". We took the local microbus, 25 piastres (5 pence Sterling back then) straight down this long raod and got off near the Mena House Oberoi Hotel and walked up to pyramids entrance.

If your hotel is in Giza/Pyramids area, best to get off at Giza Station.

Last year I stayed at the Mena House Oberoi Hotel which is at the entrance gate to the pyramids. From here we were quite isolated, had to take taxi into Cairo city centre.

We paid (even if we overpaid it was still a good price) LE50 (about £5 sterling) for one way taxi fare to Cairo Museum, journey took 30 to 40 minutes.
If we didnt want overpriced dinner at our hotel, we had to take taxi to another hotel in city centre. But it was great being so close to the Pyramids, the view from our garden room was amazing.

I have an idea where your Oasis Hotel is. I have checked internet, it seems to be on the same road as Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel. I remember our taxi always took us this way, it was like a motorway, a busy road with several hotels on but nothing much else around. You'd be taking taxis to shops, hotels and pyramids.

I can see pics of the hotel inside and out but nothing of a Pyramids view, it may be a low rise hotel with no view. (view is very important to me). I read on one site that your hotel has a courtesy bus into city centre? that's really good, our hotel didnt do that although outside where Pyramids Road ends at the entrace to pyramids at Mena House end, there was an air con coach, no. 357 which went into city centre, it left every 20 mins, paid LE2 single fare but could never get it on return to hotel, had to take taxi back.

Have you alrady booked Oasis Giza Hotel? if not, have a look at other hotels, even on the main Pyramids Road or in city centre area where you will at least be nearer shops and restaurants.

Well of course there are all the famous things Valley of kings, Hatshepsut and Karnak. However it is hard to get a flavour of the place with a million other tourists around.

So my three things would be

Quiet tour of West Bank I like to take people to deserted places where they are the only visitors Tomb of Ay, Seti I temple and nobles tombs of Roy and shu Roy. My guests go away with a totally different perspective of Egypt.

A donkey ride along the ridge from the workmans village, past Hatshepsut and to the Valley of Kings. As good a view as the hot air ballons but a tenth of the price.

Felucca ride along the Nile watching the sunset and a meal provide by Tutankamun resturant the best food on the West Bank

the Oasis Hotel at Giza does look lovely, the gardens, the pool area, if it is where I think it is, there's not much else around.
The price is good but you would be relying on taxis, which are cheap and there's one flying by every 30 seconds.

My experience of hotels and courtesy buses are not good, 2 weeks at Isis Hotel in Luxor 5 years ago and the bus did not run once, 2 weeks at Luxor Sheraton 3 years ago and we got it twice. But that's just my unlucky experiences.

The hotel we stayed at on Pyramids Road we booked through a local travel agent outside the Old Winter Palace, Luxor. He had lists of hotels and we read through them. We booked the overnight sleeper with him too.

We booked Les 3 Pyramides Hotel, 229 Pyramids Street, Giza. 3 years ago we paid $40 per room (not per person) per night. The hotel was classed as 4* but really 3*, it wasnt a flashy hotel but it was perfect for our needs. Big spacious bedroom, rooftop bar, lovely restaurant in shape of a boat, good breakfast, an unusual and colourful entrance to the hotel.

To be honest, when we read our hotel was on Pyramids Road, we actually believed Pyramids Road was a tiny dirt track road leading direct to the Pyramids. Boy we got a shock when we got there. We couldnt see the Pyramids from the main road. We checked in and up to rooftop bar to take in the view and then we saw them in the distance. It was fantastic!

I dont know how to book that hotel directly. I have browsed interent, it's listed in some travel sites but no way of booking it with them.
Bargainholidays.com have about 20 hotels in Cairo to browse and book, including your Oasis hotel.

octopustravel.com worth a look too.
they offer the Europa Hotel which was opposite ours and is a 3* and according to octopus travel, seems to be just under £30 per room per night.
The hotel is on the busy Pyramids road but you're close to civilisation and shops, and those dirt cheap white microbuses that run up and down the main road, one way down to Pyramids, the other way as near to Museum or city centre as you can get. If you get off too soon or too far, quick cheap taxi ride takes you.
This is where the Oasis Hotel would seem more appealing due to it's quiet location.

I have a re-occuring back injury (from a road traffic accident 5 years ago) with circulation problem in leg (you would never know to see me as I walk normally 90% of the time) which flares up when I sit for a length of time or in awkward position, even as long as 1 hour, I end up crippled for days. We like our privacy, we didnt want to be sitting amongst strangers who might be chatting insomniacs or snorers and spoil our sleep. Then again I could wake up roaring in pain with cramp in my leg, so it wouldnt be fair on fellow passengers either.
(by the way, I'm only 30, not an old fogey but do carry a collapsable walking stick with me).

We booked a cabin in the overnight sleeper from Luxor to Cairo and back. The cabin was compact but enough for our needs. I had the bottom bunk and my better half drew the short straw and got the top bunk.

Have a look at www.sleepingtrains.com

It was a bumpy ride and we didnt get the best sleep of our lives but we'd do it again if we had too. There was a toilet a few doors down the corridor and our evening meal and morning breakfast was brought into us, the porter would footer about and fold away top bunk so that we would be sitting side by side on a sofa. I enjoyed the food, I'm a fussy vegetarian, he is a meat eater, we swapped around our foods and were happy with our arrangment.

I know many tourists have been happy albeit a little stiff with the recliner seats on the overnight train, it's cheaper too.

quote:

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Originally posted by Samia:
OK, Hurghada.... scuba dive!! Even if you've never done it before.... you can't do the Red Sea and not dive!! Hurghada is more' down market' than Sharm... diving is cheaper. Sharm is more like Costa del Sol than Egypt.
Spend an evening around the harbour at El Gouna... a short bus trip from Hurghada, well worth a night out..
Go to Alf Leila Wa Leila, rent a horse, gallop in the desert!! Magical!!
Just chill in the coffee shops and watch the tourist women falling in love with the Egyptian men!!!
If you need a good dive centre, contact me!

[This message has been edited by Samia (edited 15 September 2004).]

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quote:

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Originally posted by nisma:
my mother is worried about getting sick by me diving in egypt. we are from the us and she has heard so much about not drinking the water etc. please let me know anything about what to do to travel there and diving thanks

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Depending on the sensitivity of your stomach you may or may not be able to cope with the change. For that reason it is a good idea to drink bottled water in a foreign country rather than spend 3 days out of a 14 day holiday with a gippy tummy.

If you are going to a place to live 3 days is nothing so you take the plunge.

Egyptian water is very safe, in fact that way so many people don't like the taste. It is so heavily chorinated.

I drink local water all the time so does my teenage daughter. We had no problems adjusting and have got used to the taste.

So tell your mum not to worry

you can post at our new forum : http://www.ha22.com/forum

quote:

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Originally posted by nisma:
[b]my mother is worried about getting sick by me diving in egypt. we are from the us and she has heard so much about not drinking the water etc. please let me know anything about what to do to travel there and diving thanks

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Depending on the sensitivity of your stomach you may or may not be able to cope with the change. For that reason it is a good idea to drink bottled water in a foreign country rather than spend 3 days out of a 14 day holiday with a gippy tummy.

If you are going to a place to live 3 days is nothing so you take the plunge.

Egyptian water is very safe, in fact that way so many people don't like the taste. It is so heavily chorinated.

I drink local water all the time so does my teenage daughter. We had no problems adjusting and have got used to the taste.

So tell your mum not to worry

[/B][/QUOTE]

quote:

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Originally posted by nisma:
talked to a man at a local resturant about how to dress and what the weather is like the end of Dec thru Feb. i have an 8 year old coming with me plus a teenager and my mother. he told me to really watch the little one due to they can get stolen very easy over there. is that true? just trying to learn as much as possible before we go, so any help from anyone is great.

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No it is not true, what a load of rubbish. I brought my daughter here first when she was 8 and never worried about her safety for an instant. either this guy was having a joke with you or he was trying to wind you up. which ever there is not a word of truth in what he said.