http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34412 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34412 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34002 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34002 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34001 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34001 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33999 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33999 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33982 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33982 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33819 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33819 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33774 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33774 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33773 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33773 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33772 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33772 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33741 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33741 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33376 It’s worth saying that, despite the name of the club, the music on offer is not all jazz!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33376 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33375 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33375 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33374 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33374 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32959 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32959 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32958 Starters that you should look out for include dips like babaganough (aubergine) and tahina (sesame) which will come with the round Egyptian flatbread known as ‘aish baladi’ (in many places this will arrive steaming to your table as it is probably cooked on site). You should also try falafel (‘tameya’) and stuffed vegetables (‘mashi’).
A classic main you might try is ‘molokheya’, which is a broth made with greens that is often served with a meat and rice. Many places will serve a range of grills including ‘shish tawook’ (chicken), ‘shish kebab’ (lamb) and ‘kofta’ (minced meat on a skewer).
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).

For dessert you might try ‘om ali’ which is pudding rice, bread and raisins in sweetened milk.

If you're visiting the Khan El Khalili you'll be hounded to visit one of the many cafes on the main square, but venture in and you'll find the Khan El Khalili Restaurant (and Naguib Mahfouz Cafe). This is an excellent restaurant with attentive service and good food. A real haven from the hustle and hassle outside. They accept credit cards (a rarity in Egypt), and in the cafe area musicians play traditional music.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32958 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32957 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32957 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32930 Walk between the high cliffs along the flat valley bed, or take a quick scramble up the right-hand side of the Wadi just after the gate. From the top of the cliffs you get views over the southern and eastern parts of the city, stretching over to the pyramids. At the weekend you’ll share Egypt’s ‘Grand Canyon’ with walkers, joggers and picnicking families.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32930 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32929 On a good day you can spy the Cairo Tower and the pyramids in the distance, but don't feel disappointed if the Cairo smog puts their form out of reach as your eyes will be kept busy picking out the colour and movement of daily life as it flits across the grey canvas of the city below you. You can see the cars glistening as they drive along the Autostrad road, and this silvery streak through the city almost looks like a branch of the Nile. See if you can spot the different historic minaret styles that give a clue to the date of each mosque’s construction in he surrounding area.
If you can visit the Citadel on a Friday then do so: although you aren't able to go inside the Mohamed Ali mosque during Friday prayers, you can time a visit to experience the striking sounds of the call to prayer as it rings out across Cairo. To be looking out from the Citadel when the call to prayer goes out in the city of a thousand minarets is breathtaking.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32929 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32928 Your first pause for breath is at the top of the gate, where you can walk around at roof-level and peer down onto the streets below as boys cycle with balanced racks of bread on their heads, and women hang out their washing from the windows or on roofs that are also home to the family goat or pigeon coop. Then climb the dark and narrow spiral staircase in either of the two towers, to the first or second balcony and even braving the final few metal rungs if you have a head for heights and nerves of steel. Up here you can see the Citadel and Al-Azhar park, and can continue to marvel at daily life as it goes by like a busy scene in Where’s Wally.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32928 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32927 If you really want to splash out then you can have dinner in the restaurant, but a more affordable way to enjoy the view of central Cairo is by having a drink in the bar on the floor below the restaurant. They have a minimum charge, but two or three drinks will usually meet it.
The best time to go is just before sunset as you'll see the sun going down behind the pyramids, and the city lights coming alive.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32927