When you visit the capital city of Egypt, the beautiful and chaotic city of Cairo, you should be prepared as it is a very large city of 83 square miles with 19 million inhabitants. It is not a picturesque city for tourists but instead it is noisy, polluted, crowded and very chaotic but with a magic and charm that has been handed down through the millenia. However, this is the entry point for most travelers to Egypt and the base for some famous sights such as the Great Pyramids and the famous Cairo Museum the home of Tutankhamun's treasures.
Driving yourself through Cairo is definitely not recommended as the traffic is just crazy. It is best to take organized tours, metered taxis or private hire cars with a driver and leave the driving to the locals. Don't expect to get anywhere in a hurry. For instance it is a good 2 hour journey from the airport to Giza where the pyramids are located and at least an hour from downtown Cairo to the pyramids.
Many 5 star hotels are available in Cairo including many of the worldwide chains. Most of the hotels offer several restaurants to choose from, day spas, pools in fact everything you could want to fill in your time when you are not out enjoying the sites.
The Great Pyramids and the Sphinx of course are the main attractions here. They are located in the Giza plateau just outside the city. There are three pyramids with the largest being the Great Pyramid which was supposedly built by King Cheops in 2650 BC. The second pyramid was built by King Chephren, Cheops' son and the third by King Mycerinus, son of Chephren. Of course the photo opportunities at the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx are just wonderful.
A visit inside the Great Pyramid is highly recommended for an extra admission charge but this is not recommended if you are remotely claustrophobic. The tunnel leading to the Kings Chamber in the Great Pyramid pyramid are not comfortable at all. You have to walk in a semi crouching position all the way because the tunnel is quite long and not very high. The insides of the pyramids are obviously also not air conditioned so temperatures are hot but at least the entire path is now electrically lit.
Outside on site, there are numerous people offering camel rides. They are a real novelty since there are not many opportunities to ride a camel in the desert with the Great Pyramids in the background. But be warned that some of these camel owners will try and get as much out of the unsuspecting tourist as possible. Negotiate with a few of them before hand. One such story from an unsuspecting toursit tells how a camel ride was bargained for the equivalent of $7 US which is quite reasonable. After the ride was paid for, the camel owner passed over the actual duties of working the ride to his teenage son. During the ride, his son kept hinting that he expected a tip which is normal practice by everybody offering services to tourists. At the end, a $2 US tip was offered but the son was expecting a ridiculous amount of $30 US and got angry when he realized that amount wasn't going to happen. The tour bus driver who was watching the entire incident had to come over to 'rescue' the tourist. I've always found that a little charm and humour goes a long way when negotiating prices in Egypt. Prices are usually much lower than back home anyway and the locals are paid a pittance compared to the wages back home in Western countries.
A must see attraction is the Cairo Museuam where some of the most important and priceless ancient Egyptian attractions are housed. The treasures of King Tutankhamun including the famous gold mask are at the Egyptian Museum. The treasures are extremely impressive as each object was made with such fine detail. It is interesting to note that although Tutankhamun's treasures are impressive, the boy king was not one of the major pharaohs. So one can just imagine what the treasures of the other pharaohs would have been like. The other antiquities at the museum are also quite impressive so one can easily spend a good portion of the day here. The building is grand so roaming through the halls you can have a real "Night at the Museum" (ref the movie) experience. There are many artifacts together that were not designed to be housed together so the energy in the museum is really quite extroadinary. This really becomes apparent if you see the Museum after hours as you will when you join a SpiritualEgyptTours.com tour of Egypt. This is when the Museum really comes to life. Our guide has many stories to tell of unusual and unexplained occurances that have happened in the Museum over the years. They are building a new modern Museum in Giza and is shaping up to be very beautiful. But I'm rather fond of the energy that has been created in the current Museum.
Egypt's population is 94% Muslim and 6% Coptic Christian. As expected, there are some marvelous looking mosques in Cairo that are worth seeing and they would usually be in the agenda of most organized tours. The markets such as the Khan El-Khalili bazaar are interesting experiences too. At these markets, one can shop for spices, perfumes, jewellry, brass, copperware, ceramics, fabrics including Egyptian cotton and many more souvenir items including replicas of ancient Egyptian treasures. Be prepared to shop around and bargain though. Prices for the same items can vary greatly at different shops. Many shop owners are welcoming to customers and will often offer a soft drink or a cup of tea. But Egyptians are hard sellers and will put on the pressure to buy so don't be intimidated because they respect someone who matches them at the bargaining table. Most prices can be brought down even if the sellers appear irritated in fact this is part of the process. Some will even follow customers out the door still trying to get the sale. So be warned that the Egyptian markets are not relaxed places to shop but can be a lot of fun.
To get a change of pace in Cairo, you can take a ride on the river Nile on local sailboats called feluccas. However, if you are going to travel to other parts of Egypt, a ride on a felucca in the Aswan area because the scenery is more beautiful, and the river is quieter and more peaceful. There are some restaurants located in Cairo with surprisingly pleasant outdoor terraces overlooking the city and the Great Pyramids in the distance. Your tour guides will know where they are and will likely include one in the tour's itinerary if you ask them.
One thing you will need to get used to as a tourist in Egypt is the sight of many uniformed security personnel armed with machine guns. They are stationed at all the tourist sights, airports, major hotels, shopping centres and the Egyptian Museum. At these locations you can expect to have your bags put through a scanner and you will need to walk through a scanner as well before entry is allowed but it really isn't a big deal. Tourism is the life blood for Egypt so they take protecting tourists very seriously.
A trip to Egypt is an adventure of a lifetime. Travelling through Egypt is usually very safe and the Egyptian people are very friendly and acccommodating. Book a tour with SpiritualEgyptTours.com and experience Egypt without the crush of the crowds of tourists and discover an Egypt that only a few get to experience.
Travelling to Egypt and seeing the Great Pyramids, the last remaining of the 7 ancient wonders of the world, is a once in a lifetime trip for many people. Because of the travel distances involved for most tourists who go to Egypt, advance planning is definitely required and you are advised to go with a tour group that specialises in Egypt Travel. SpiritualEgyptTours.com can assist you in planning your once in a lifetime visit because they know Egypt and are partnered with Egypt's leading Travel Agency to bring you the absolute best tour experience that will create memories for a lifetime.
By Rhonnda Fritz SpiritualEgyptTours.com
Travel to Egypt with SpiritualEgyptTours.com and visit the sites of Ancient Egypt with private and exclusive access to many of the sites without the crush of other tourists. Experience Egypt through the eyes of locals. Travel in 5 star comfort staying at luxury hotels and experiencing an Egypt that many tourists do not have the opportunity to see.
Click Here to View the Itinerary for the next upcoming tour to Egypt by Spiritual Egypt Tours in September 2011
Click Here to View the Itinerary for the Tour to Egypt in December 2012