We have just returned from our wonderful and too short trip to Cairo and Luxor (9 nights). I would like to thank everyone who provided me with great tips and advice to my neurotic questions. I hope what I list below will be of use to others who are also planning a trip to Egypt in the near future. Below is a summary of Cairo. I will add the Luxor part in a seperate posting. You will see that our trip was taken in a very leisurely pace. Visiting sites in the mornings or late afternoons and in the afternoons spent lounging by the pool or wandering around aimlessly. This is how we wanted to do it but you can definetly do Cairo in two-three days if you want. We went independently and used a travel agent to book flights and hotels and transfers (airport-hotel) only (no tours or guides) and found that with two guidebooks (Lonely Planet and the french Routard) in hand it was great.
Cairo: Arrive 8pm. Changed small amount of money at airport bank upon arrival for tips etc. Transfer to hotel via travel agency.
Hotel was the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Wonderful beautiful hotel, excellent location at the tip of Rhoda Island. We had a corner room on the 34th fl. (windows on both sides of the room with a view of the Cairo night line to one side and the Pyramids (albeit a distance away)on the other. Had several meals in the food court in the shopping mall attached to the hotel so the food is cheaper and more casual than dinner in one of the hotel restaurants but clean and piping hot, prepared as you order. The hotel is new and perhaps because of that sometimes the service was slow and waiters and staff seemed inexperienced. We had to call housekeeping every night because every night they forgot to replace one towel or had taken away the bath mat and not replaced it etc. etc. We are wondering if that was a ploy to get tips?
Day 2: Breakfast, changed money in bank (open 24 hrs!)in the hotel, all rates are pretty much consistent. Visited the pyramids in a taxi. 30 LE for the day, negotiated on the street, not in front of the hotel. Were taken to a papyrus museum/shop but it was ok, driver was not too pushy about it. Taxi driver drove us all over the pyramids so did not have to walk around. Had one incident were a tout tried to get money out of us by following us around and shouting out explanations about the pyramids even though we did not ask. When we gave him a couple pounds to make him go away he complained it was not enough!
Visited inside the small pyramid and I was limping around for the next two days, just shows you how steep the climb down is or how out of shape I am! Afternoon in the hotel lounging around. Evening: Sound and Light show. Yes, it is cheesy with Sphinx shouting out in frightening tones the history of Egypt etc. but for me it was an opportunity to spend a bit more time gazing and sitting next to the magnificent pyramids...It was cold so bring a sweater. (Did this on our own as well, the hotel package when we asked was US$ 30 for transport and entrance.) We caught a taxi outside of the hotel for 15LE, bought our tickets at the ticket booth there, caught a taxi back for 15LE. Much cheaper than going with a package and same thing.
Day 3: Walked to Egyptian Museum along the Nile, it is right behind the Nile Hilton and we used that to orient ourselves. Hot and pharaoh-ed out after two hours inside. We walked past the things that did not catch our eye and stopped to look at those treasures that did. The room with Tutankhamen's treasures were wonderful until a huge group of spaniards overtook the room, waited a bit til they left and had the room to ourselves again. There were little benches all over where you could sit and rest.
Camera had to be left in a little storage booth next to the ticket stand. Could not bring it inside at all, this was not very clear until we got to the entrance of the museum and after we passed the security thing. Trek back to depose of camera.
Day 4: Khan Khalili bazaar and around. The bazaar is great! I loved the sounds and smells and the whirlwind feel. Stepping back into the past as you take the winding little back alleys with old men smoking and kids running around. Gold shopping. From my experience in the Gulf, gold is not as great a bargain as thought in Egypt. Still bought a necklace as souvenir.
Evening we dined on the 41st floor of the Grand Hyatt's revolving restaurant. It takes one hour for the restaurant to make one round and you get a nice view of all of Cairo. Food was not that interesting, you pay for the view here. Reservations are definetly needed, we booked when we arrived and they only had an opening three days later. Must order Entree, Main course and Dessert as a 'rule' so told us our waiter, so be very hungry! Attire should be button down shirts and slacks for men. No t-shirts, jeans or shorts nor sandals for men. A romantic place and you cannot beat the view.
Day 4: Pack and off to Luxor on a 5 am flight!
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