- Egypt
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Having returned from a memorable Nile cruise with Discover Egypt I must say this is the time to go!
Despite the negative exposure in the media there is no social unrest on the stretch of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan. Our guide said that 90% of the Nile cruising ships are tied up because of the massive drop in visitors and the consequence is that the river is peaceful and uncluttered, and the fabulous historic sites are relatively deserted. We did not queue anywhere, had wonderful access to the tombs and temples and were able to take photographs with ease and without hordes of tourists. The local guides are desperate, many have lost employment, and they hope a more positive message can be promulgated by visitors returning to the UK. Despite their concerns and uncertain future, they show exceptional enthusiasm, impressive knowledge and a proud command of English. Go now while it is quiet, safe and cheap!
A bar at the very top of what some say is the ugliest building in Aswan. Set on its own island the top level bar has a spectacular view over the entire city: sipping delicious (and seriously dangerous!) cocktails with a floor to ceiling view of the sun going down and the lights coming on over this bustling Egyptian city, while hearing the call to prayer, is something I'll never forget. And to top it off - your view isn't spoiled by the ugliest building in the city!
Elephantine Island, Aswan, Egypt
+20 97 230 34 55
Google map: bit.ly/ViW7Ao
Where dusty, old walls once stood as plain as the day they were built, there now is a plethora of colour, design and empassioned messages.
If you are visiting Cairo then take the time to visit Tahrir Square as well as the streets surrounding it and you will find a wealth of exciting street art adorning the city's previously sandy walls.
From Midan Tahrir walk up Mohamed Mahmoud street, beside the old American University of Cairo buildings, and then zig-zag around the streets to the east of the square to see the ever-changing canvases.
As you travel around Cairo, or Egypt, itself, keep your eyes open for street art, as it is now prevalent in every community and district.
To avoid drawing unwanted attention to yourself or mis-understandings around the sensitive issue of the revolution and politics in Egypt, using large DSLR cameras to take photos should be avoided. Follow the advice of the British Embassy regarding visiting Tahrir Square, especially on Fridays, as it is often used for large gatherings.
Midan Tahrir, Mohamed Mahmoud street and the area between and around these streets.
Google map: bit.ly/Q3oq75
Bikya is a cafe, bookstore and arts venue that manages to balance a relaxed atmosphere with being cool and quirky.
The books are all second-hand and are a real mix between the dusty old and the hardbacked new. The contrast between the modern decoration and traditional building is where the 'quirky' comes in to it, and the varied seating means you can have a brief visit or browse more leisurely while you grab something from the cafe.
Bikya occaisionally hosts live music, but also exhibits the work of local artists on the walls, and you can buy CDs and locally crafted products.
There are two branches of Bikya, one downtown and the other in the southern suburb of Maadi.
23 Dr. Zaky Hassan St.، NASR CITY، Nasr City, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
+20 2 24046688
Google map: bit.ly/PxjVUc
Bikya (new Maadi branch)
40 El Hadeyek Street (off Road 9, near McDonalds)
Nearest Metro: Sayarat El Maadi
* Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her homepage is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
Townhouse Gallery isn't just a gallery but is really a hub for artists and arts activities that runs across a number of streets just off Talat Harb.
You can use the Townhouse Gallery website to find out what is going on; maybe an exhibition, or a gig, but the cafes that spill on to the streets and the open-fronted artist's studios are worth a visit in themselves.
www.thetownhousegallery.com
Hussein El Me'mar Pasha Street
+202 2576 8086
Google map: bit.ly/N11u8M
* Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her homepage is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
On A Caravan is an arts festival that takes place in Cairo and aims to bring together artists from the East and West.
The festival includes an art exhibition of pieces created under a common theme (2012's theme is 'The Road Ahead'), as well as other music, film or literature events that also aid cultural understanding.
On A Caravan 2012 festival in April/May 2012 www.oncaravan.org/exhibition4/index.htm
On A Caravan main website www.oncaravan.org/index.htm
Events take place in Maadi a suburb in southern Cairo. Take the Metro to El Maadi station and then walk up Port Said Street, or ask a taxi for Port Said Street (5LE).
Google map: bit.ly/I2Ayyp
* Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her homepage is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
Egypt is open for business. Go NOW while there are so few tourists! Sad for the Egyptians who are desperate for tourism to pick up again, great for us as there were so few people at all the famous sites - Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel etc. No trouble, no problems. We also had a brilliant guide whose name was Amin. The crew on the boat were wonderful as was the food. Longwood Holiday agents were also very efficient.
Over the last few years they have been gradually renovating Al-Muizz street in the heart of Islamic Cairo.
Al-Muizz street is over a kilometer long, but the northern stretch from the busy Al-Azhar street to the old gate of Bab Al-Fotouh is the place to be.
Walk this section of the street at night and the mosques and madrassas are lit up beautifully. Young couples and families will be sitting on the benches and you can join them or the late-night shoppers from the Khan El Khalili.
Walk and talk; the renovation has been controversial in its manner and style - see for yourself and decide.
You can get in to many of the mosques along the street and sometimes the 'key master' will even let you climb the tower to give an amazing view of the historic district.
Shari'a Al-Muizz Il-Din Allah
Al-Muizz street crosses Al-Azhar street at the foot bridge near Midan Hussein.
If you want to get off the beaten track a bit in the Cairo area then Casual Cairo Detours will help you do exactly that.
The tours they organise give a unique insight into Egypt as they use local guides and drivers along with their expat English-speaking guide who accompanies each trip.
Their tours allow you to see and experience parts of Egypt that most travellers would find very difficult to access on their own.
They are really friendly and offer the perfect way of seeing more of Cairo and the delta area.
www.casualcairodetours.com/
+2(02) 2415 2726
Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her homepage is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
Siwa Oasis is the place to go in Egypt if you really want to get away from it all. It can be 10 hours by road from Cairo and when you arrive in the unique culture of this oasis you will be far far away from Egypt's capital in more ways than one.
Somewhere Different is a family-run villa in the heart of Siwa Oasis. The villa has four bedrooms and is set up for self catering (including breakfast supplies replenished each morning with fresh supplies) but traditional food and the centre of Siwa is just five minutes walk away.
When booking the villa, Somewhere Different can also arrange your transport between Siwa and Cairo and arrange tours with local guides for when you are there.
I would recommend the tour of the local sites by donkey and cart (a.k.a Siwa Taxi) and the day in a 4x4 on the dunes.
The best thing about Somewhere Different is a beautiful villa and excellent trips that I could not have organised myself. I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
www.somewheredifferent.com/siwa/siwa.html
Market Sq, Siwa, Matrouh, Egypt
+20 (0) 46 921 0111
Google map: bit.ly/w9r6su
Muhamed Ali Street in central Cairo is a great street for just walking along. The first part of the street (as you walk from Midan Attaba) seems dedicated to sign-makers and mobile phone accessories, but get beyond this and you will find the workshops of the amazing craftsmen who make the country's most famous musical instrument; the Oud.
The craftsmen are very welcoming and are often happy for you to watch them work (sanding the wood, or gluing and binding the body of the instrument) or to show you the double-stringed tuning of the finished pieces.
Muhamed Ali Street runs from the base of the Citadel and the mosques of Sultan Hassan and Al Rifai, to Attaba Square. The Oud Workshops are at the Attaba end of the street. If you cannot find the street sign, then you can ask a local, or look for the shops as described on a one-way street (traffic flowing towards you).
Google map: bit.ly/zZT1MF
* Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
An alternative and uncrowded way to see Mount Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery. Sheikh Sina is Bedouin run, the guides have local knowledge and as a couple we had our own guide. Most tourists climb up Mount Sinai to see the sunrise and the summit can be busy. This walk up the basins of Ras Safsafa is an alternative path. There are a series of basins joined to Mount Sinai, each with a small chapel and garden. Setting off mid-morning we didn't see another soul until we were about half an hour from the summit in the late afternoon. There are amazing views down onto the monastery that most people never see. We took our time with a gentle walk up to the basins and had a simple lunch and rest at Elijah's Basin, just below the summit. We then climbed to the summit for the sunset where there were a handful of people. The view and the colours illuminating the rocks were beautiful. Afterwards we made our way back down to Elijah's Basin where we stayed overnight; our overnight bag which had travelled by camel was waiting for us. The night sky was incredible and the Bedouins cooked us supper which included delicious fresh, warm flatbread. In the morning we emerged from our warm camel hair blankets and tucked into breakfast while watching a very long stream of people climbing down from the summit after the sunrise. The walk down the Steps of Repentance to St Catherine's Monastery, where we rejoined the crowds, was knee-shattering but our guide was attentive and supportive, even carrying our overnight bag! The pace of the walk, the land and sky scapes and the Bedouin people made this an unforgettable experience!
www.sheikhsina.com/english/
El Milga, St. Katherine, South Sinai, Egypt
+20 69 347 0880
Handmade gelato in Cairo is a real treat. The picture window in Stavolta means you can see the kitchen where they experiment with flavours, that vary each week depending on what is in season. Date with roasted almond, hibiscus, gooseberry and coconut have featured, but these go brilliantly with regular flavours like dark chocolate and cheese cake. They offer free tastings but at 10LE for a scoop it's easy, and fun, to experiment!
www.stavolta.net/
Stavola, 39 st, 231 Maadi, Cairo
Google map: bit.ly/xZHR8B
Maadi, Cairo
Take the Metro to El Maadi and then take a taxi to 'Degla' or walk if you have a map of the Maadi area.
Not that you're coming to Cairo for pizza, but if you do, then you should make a trip to the southern suburb of Maadi and find La Rosa. Their pizza is the best Italian thin-crust and their steak is cooked to perfection (and at 60LE it is half the price you'd pay in the UK). Excellent service and you can bring your own alcohol.
La Rosa
19, Road 231
Maadi, Cairo
Google map: bit.ly/w8C6oN
02-25167337
Take the metro to El Maadi and then take a taxi (ask for 'Degla, shareeya miteen w'wahed w'talateen' / Degla Road 206) or make the 15-20 minute walk if you have a map of Maadi.
If you fancy eating a burger in Cairo, then there is only one place to go; Lucille's.
Lucille's is in the southern suburb of Maadi and has the best burgers in Cairo (or the world if you are to believe Time magazine
www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1639839,00.html). The burgers taste amazing, with the chilli burger being a meal and a half.
To drink, try their homemade ice tea, which is served with syrup on the side so you can make it as sweet as you like. On weekends (Friday and Saturday) a proper breakfast of pancakes and biscuits is served all day alongside their burger and southwest menu.
www.lucillesrestaurants.com
Lucille's, 40, Road 9, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt
+20 (0)2 23592778
Google map: bit.ly/A9vUkY
Take the Metro to El Maadi and then walk south along Road 9 and you will find Lucille's on your right after about 10 minutes.
Now is the best time to go to southern Egypt – the weather is perfect and the locals will be particularly pleased to see you after a lean year. The Winter Palace’s grander rooms and elegant late 19th century façade overlook the Nile, and conceal from the bustle of the Corniche a lush and well tended garden. You can relax with a drink or a swim after a day exploring the sights, and watch the desert sun turn even the drabbest building to gold as the sound of the muezzin rises from mosques all around. For a romantic dinner, albeit without alcohol, go to the atmospheric Sofra, where delicious mezze are served on round brass tables under hand-blown glass chandeliers.
www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-1661-sofitel-winter-palace-luxor/index.shtml
Corniche el Nile street Luxor
(+20)95/2380425
Google map: bit.ly/H3jLOJ
www.sofra.com
90 Mohamed Farid St.
+20 95 2359752
Google map: bit.ly/HmHdos
+20 95 235 9752
A popular downtown club that hosts live music and DJs every night, has a very decent drink and bar menu and good atmosphere. The website is great for directions (!) and listings. A top venue that hosts live music nearly every night.
It’s worth saying that, despite the name of the club, the music on offer is not all jazz!
www.cairojazzclub.com/
197, 26th July St.Agouza
+202 3345 9939
Google map: bit.ly/urs2Qj
What to tell the taxi?
197, 26th July St. Sphinx square
* Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
The church of Saint Samaan is beautiful and any visit to it will be a moving one. The huge cave that holds the church has been carved out of the Moqattam hills that overlook Cairo on the eastern edge of the city.
Moqattam is home to a large Coptic Christian community who collect the city’s rubbish and sort it by hand for recycling. There are various charity projects running in the area to help this marginalised community make a fair living. The Association for the Protection of the Environment (APE) is one of them, and they can organise visits into the area to see the church and their workshops where they produce recycled paper and cloth goods.
www.garbagedreams.com/
www.ape.org.eg/
cavechurch.com/home/index.asp
* Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
Egypt may not be known for its beer, but if you visit Egypt you may want to try a local Stella (not Artois) during the course of your stay. If you want to drink it where the locals drink, then you’ll need to find a ‘baladi’ bar (‘baladi’ roughly translating as ‘local’ in Egyptian). Some of these bars are real ‘spit and sawdust’ places, but they’ll all offer you a beer and a glimpse into drinking beyond your hotel bar. The Stella Baladi Map will help you find your way around.
www.stella1ofus.com/category/stella-nightlife/baladi-cairo-bar-map/
* Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
There are so many restaurants in Cairo with international influences that you could easily visit for a week and not sample any traditional Egyptian food, but you’d really be missing out.
If you are out and about exploring in Cairo and want a quick, cheap and filling meal then Egyptian fast food is the way to go.
Cheap, simple dishes that are popular are ‘koshary’ (with its layers of rice, macaroni, pasta and lentils this is a carb-overload, but very filling and served with a little tomato sauce and with lemon and spicey sauce on the side) and ‘shawerma’ (marinated kebab meat served in a wrap or roll). You should also try falafel (‘tameya’), stuffed vegetables (‘mashi’) and 'fuul' (fava beans) which are often served in round flat bread ('aish baladi').
Arzak and Gad are both chains of Egyptian fast food restaurants. There are branches of both all over Cairo and they serve Egyptian fast food (and 'traditional' fast food of burgers and fries if you're feeling less adventurous).
Most restaurants will have a counter where you place your order, pay and are given a receipt. Take this receipt over to the serving counter to pick up your food. Some branches will also have a second 'back' room with table service, AC and bathrooms.
www.arzakegypt.com/home.asp
Maadi Grand Mall, 12 Road 257, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt
+20 2 5195282
Google map: bit.ly/v7Qcdo
Gad restaurants: bit.ly/ttEkNY
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