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Two weeks in Egypt



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 11th, 2007, 07:35 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
Marc Lurie[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 209
Default Two weeks in Egypt

Hi,

I've never been to Egypt but I have the opportunity to go there for 14
days at the end of December.

I fly into Cairo, and I am hoping to meet up with a friend in
Alexandria if he can get there by a specific date. If I can't meet up
with the friend, I will be left to my own devices for the fortnight.

1) Will I find enough to keep me occupied that long?

2) Should I hire a vehicle? I'm quite comfortable with driving in
foreign countries.

3) Can I make on-the-fly accomodation plans while in Egypt, or should
I book accomodation well in advance?

4) Is camping a possibility?

5) While I'm there what must I ABSOLUTELY NOT miss? Bear in mind that
I've seen my fair share of souks and markets, high-priced resorts,
faux "authentic" tourist traps, and those places that are in every Nat
Geo and school books etc. I hate crowds of gawking tourists too.

I look forward to getting some of the sage advice that I've come to
expect from this NG ;-)

Regards,
Marc - Johannesburg
  #2  
Old July 11th, 2007, 03:15 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
Alan S[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,163
Default Two weeks in Egypt

On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:35:27 +0200, Marc Lurie
wrote:

Hi,

I've never been to Egypt but I have the opportunity to go there for 14
days at the end of December.

I fly into Cairo, and I am hoping to meet up with a friend in
Alexandria if he can get there by a specific date. If I can't meet up
with the friend, I will be left to my own devices for the fortnight.

1) Will I find enough to keep me occupied that long?

2) Should I hire a vehicle? I'm quite comfortable with driving in
foreign countries.

3) Can I make on-the-fly accomodation plans while in Egypt, or should
I book accomodation well in advance?

4) Is camping a possibility?

5) While I'm there what must I ABSOLUTELY NOT miss? Bear in mind that
I've seen my fair share of souks and markets, high-priced resorts,
faux "authentic" tourist traps, and those places that are in every Nat
Geo and school books etc. I hate crowds of gawking tourists too.

I look forward to getting some of the sage advice that I've come to
expect from this NG ;-)

Regards,
Marc - Johannesburg


I'll be there for 9 or 10 days next March.

My own plan is fairly simple. A couple of days in Cairo,
which I'll pre-book via www.asiarooms.com or a similar site
because I like to know where to tell the cab to go from the
airport. The train up the Nile to Aswan, a cruise boat back
to Luxor over four or five nights, then the plane or the
train again back to Cairo, with a side trip to Alexandria to
finish. While in Cairo I'll see the obvious things - Giza,
Museums etc and of course the people. I'll probably book the
final hotels during that couple of days in Cairo at the
start, when I can see what is available.

While that's my own plan, I'll be interested to see what
suggestions you get; as it's still only a plan.


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/
latest: Self-Testing and Type 2 Management
  #3  
Old July 11th, 2007, 10:39 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
Miguel Cruz[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 176
Default Two weeks in Egypt

Marc Lurie wrote:
I've never been to Egypt but I have the opportunity to go there for 14
days at the end of December.

I fly into Cairo, and I am hoping to meet up with a friend in
Alexandria if he can get there by a specific date. If I can't meet up
with the friend, I will be left to my own devices for the fortnight.

1) Will I find enough to keep me occupied that long?


I spent over a week just walking around Cairo, and I was disappointed to
have to leave.

The train to Alexandria is comfortable and convenient. Take the express
train, and pay the extra US$1 for first class.

2) Should I hire a vehicle? I'm quite comfortable with driving in
foreign countries.


Hahaha, say that again after you've seen traffic in Cairo. Makes Saigon
or Lagos look like a garden party. Traffic lights are totally ignored. I
am not saying that in a comical or hyperbolic way; I mean that they are
totally ignored. Everyone just honks and barges through. People drive
with their side mirrors folded in because those extra few inches make a
serious difference when cars are 6-abreadst on a 3-lane road. Stopping
for any reason is a sign of weakness. If the car in front of you is
taking too long to advance through the red light into the intersection,
a gentle nudge never hurts.

3) Can I make on-the-fly accomodation plans while in Egypt, or should
I book accomodation well in advance?


No shortage of hotel rooms in Egypt. It shouldn't be a problem to sort
it out as you go.

miguel
--
Hit the road! Photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
Detailed airport information: http://airport.u.nu
  #4  
Old July 12th, 2007, 07:36 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
Marc Lurie[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 209
Default Two weeks in Egypt

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 05:39:14 +0800, Miguel Cruz
wrote:


I spent over a week just walking around Cairo, and I was disappointed to
have to leave.

Good to know.

The train to Alexandria is comfortable and convenient. Take the express
train, and pay the extra US$1 for first class.

Thanks for the advice. I will certainly look at that option.

Hahaha, say that again after you've seen traffic in Cairo. Makes Saigon
or Lagos look like a garden party.

Well, that answers that one. :-) Actually, I meant that I might hire
ar car to travel around Egypt, not in Cairo itself. Is that an option?


No shortage of hotel rooms in Egypt. It shouldn't be a problem to sort
it out as you go.

Excellent. I hate having schedules when I travel.

Thanks for the good info. Miguel. I appreciate it.

Marc
  #5  
Old July 12th, 2007, 01:46 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
Alfred Molon[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 137
Default Two weeks in Egypt

See my two travelogues:
http://www.molon.de/travelogues/Egypt/2003/
http://www.molon.de/travelogues/Egypt/2001/

and the photos to get an idea what there is to see and do:
http://www.molon.de/galleries/Egypt/
--

Alfred Molon
http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe
  #6  
Old July 13th, 2007, 01:47 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
Nisse PowerMan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 47
Default Two weeks in Egypt

Alan S wrote:

On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:35:27 +0200, Marc Lurie
wrote:

Hi,

I've never been to Egypt but I have the opportunity to go there for 14
days at the end of December.

I fly into Cairo, and I am hoping to meet up with a friend in
Alexandria if he can get there by a specific date. If I can't meet up
with the friend, I will be left to my own devices for the fortnight.

1) Will I find enough to keep me occupied that long?

2) Should I hire a vehicle? I'm quite comfortable with driving in
foreign countries.

3) Can I make on-the-fly accomodation plans while in Egypt, or should
I book accomodation well in advance?

4) Is camping a possibility?

5) While I'm there what must I ABSOLUTELY NOT miss? Bear in mind that
I've seen my fair share of souks and markets, high-priced resorts,
faux "authentic" tourist traps, and those places that are in every Nat
Geo and school books etc. I hate crowds of gawking tourists too.

I look forward to getting some of the sage advice that I've come to
expect from this NG ;-)

Regards,
Marc - Johannesburg


I'll be there for 9 or 10 days next March.

My own plan is fairly simple. A couple of days in Cairo,
which I'll pre-book via www.asiarooms.com or a similar site
because I like to know where to tell the cab to go from the
airport. The train up the Nile to Aswan, a cruise boat back
to Luxor over four or five nights, then the plane or the
train again back to Cairo, with a side trip to Alexandria to
finish. While in Cairo I'll see the obvious things - Giza,
Museums etc and of course the people. I'll probably book the
final hotels during that couple of days in Cairo at the
start, when I can see what is available.

While that's my own plan, I'll be interested to see what
suggestions you get; as it's still only a plan.


Sounds quite OK, I would add a full day for Pyramid excursions outside
Giza, hire a taxi with driver, go south to Saqqara and the Bent and the
Red pyramids, check them inside.

Also remember, the Giza pyramids only open twice a day, morning show
plus afternoon show. There are a very limited number of tickets, be in
time to buy a ticket, don't miss the sun boat museum at Giza.

Go INSIDE the pyramids, very exciting how it was built.

In Cairo the modern subway is cheap (50 piasters last time I was there),
but avoid the rush hours. The subway is fast and cheap.

Why not see Port Said and the boat traffic if you have extra time?


/Regards, Nisse





Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/
latest: Self-Testing and Type 2 Management


--
Remove the obvious part before replying by mail please!
  #7  
Old July 14th, 2007, 03:36 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
Alan S[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,163
Default Two weeks in Egypt

On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:47:23 +0200, Nisse PowerMan
wrote:

Alan S wrote:

On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:35:27 +0200, Marc Lurie
wrote:

Hi,

I've never been to Egypt but I have the opportunity to go there for 14
days at the end of December.

I fly into Cairo, and I am hoping to meet up with a friend in
Alexandria if he can get there by a specific date. If I can't meet up
with the friend, I will be left to my own devices for the fortnight.

1) Will I find enough to keep me occupied that long?

2) Should I hire a vehicle? I'm quite comfortable with driving in
foreign countries.

3) Can I make on-the-fly accomodation plans while in Egypt, or should
I book accomodation well in advance?

4) Is camping a possibility?

5) While I'm there what must I ABSOLUTELY NOT miss? Bear in mind that
I've seen my fair share of souks and markets, high-priced resorts,
faux "authentic" tourist traps, and those places that are in every Nat
Geo and school books etc. I hate crowds of gawking tourists too.

I look forward to getting some of the sage advice that I've come to
expect from this NG ;-)

Regards,
Marc - Johannesburg


I'll be there for 9 or 10 days next March.

My own plan is fairly simple. A couple of days in Cairo,
which I'll pre-book via www.asiarooms.com or a similar site
because I like to know where to tell the cab to go from the
airport. The train up the Nile to Aswan, a cruise boat back
to Luxor over four or five nights, then the plane or the
train again back to Cairo, with a side trip to Alexandria to
finish. While in Cairo I'll see the obvious things - Giza,
Museums etc and of course the people. I'll probably book the
final hotels during that couple of days in Cairo at the
start, when I can see what is available.

While that's my own plan, I'll be interested to see what
suggestions you get; as it's still only a plan.


Sounds quite OK, I would add a full day for Pyramid excursions outside
Giza, hire a taxi with driver, go south to Saqqara and the Bent and the
Red pyramids, check them inside.

Also remember, the Giza pyramids only open twice a day, morning show
plus afternoon show. There are a very limited number of tickets, be in
time to buy a ticket, don't miss the sun boat museum at Giza.

Go INSIDE the pyramids, very exciting how it was built.

In Cairo the modern subway is cheap (50 piasters last time I was there),
but avoid the rush hours. The subway is fast and cheap.

Why not see Port Said and the boat traffic if you have extra time?


/Regards, Nisse


Thanks for the suggestions; I'll look into them. Time is one
problem. I have a lot to see in a short time and I've found
it wise to include "do nothing" days in the itinerary. Even
if just to get the laundry done, some essentials shopping,
and so on.

Bear in mind I'll have come from Angkor, Petra and Agra and
be heading off via London, New York and Washington to
Yucatan and Mexico City. Egypt will be the longest period in
one country. It'll be hectic, but fun.

How safe is it for a 60yo 6' tall obvious Westerner to
wander around freely in the bazaars and subways? I had no
problems wandering the back streets of Istanbul; is Cairo
similar in that respect?


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/
latest: Self-Testing and Type 2 Management
  #8  
Old July 15th, 2007, 09:17 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
Miguel Cruz[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 176
Default Two weeks in Egypt

Alan S wrote:
How safe is it for a 60yo 6' tall obvious Westerner to
wander around freely in the bazaars and subways? I had no
problems wandering the back streets of Istanbul; is Cairo
similar in that respect?


I am not so obviously a westerner but most people seemed to figure out I
was a foreigner (the big camera helped). In Cairo I walked everywhere
that seemed interesting, no matter how back-alleyish, run-down, or
deserted, day and night. At no time did I feel threatened in any way.
Also, nobody ever warned me to be careful, something I find often
happens in places where there is real danger.

On the subway I accidentally got in the ladies-only car (it seemed so
much less crowded!) I got a lot of tittering and moved back to the mixed
car at the next stop, where I just got more snickering from the men. One
of them gave me a congratulatory clap on the shoulder with a big grin.

The subway is quite crowded, and I could imagine there might be
pick-pocketing, but I never felt (or lost) anything.

miguel
--
Hit the road! Photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
Detailed airport information: http://airport.u.nu
  #9  
Old July 16th, 2007, 02:29 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
Alan S[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,163
Default Two weeks in Egypt

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:17:31 +0800, Miguel Cruz
wrote:

Alan S wrote:
How safe is it for a 60yo 6' tall obvious Westerner to
wander around freely in the bazaars and subways? I had no
problems wandering the back streets of Istanbul; is Cairo
similar in that respect?


I am not so obviously a westerner but most people seemed to figure out I
was a foreigner (the big camera helped). In Cairo I walked everywhere
that seemed interesting, no matter how back-alleyish, run-down, or
deserted, day and night. At no time did I feel threatened in any way.
Also, nobody ever warned me to be careful, something I find often
happens in places where there is real danger.

On the subway I accidentally got in the ladies-only car (it seemed so
much less crowded!) I got a lot of tittering and moved back to the mixed
car at the next stop, where I just got more snickering from the men. One
of them gave me a congratulatory clap on the shoulder with a big grin.

The subway is quite crowded, and I could imagine there might be
pick-pocketing, but I never felt (or lost) anything.

miguel


Thanks Miguel


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/
latest: Self-Testing and Type 2 Management
  #10  
Old July 29th, 2007, 10:47 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
me[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 55
Default Two weeks in Egypt


Go INSIDE the pyramids, very exciting how it was built.

I believe that only the first 150 visitors are allowed inside the
Pyramids

 




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