wareontheglobe Egypt

2 Fast Days In Cairo, Egypt: Mosques, Souks, and Pyramids.

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IMG_2844.jpegAfter Dan and my Nile River cruise last April ended in Aswan, Egypt, we flew from Aswan to Cairo to end our trip sightseeing around Cairo and of course, visiting the Great Egyptian Pyramids! Arriving in Cairo after spending a week in small towns was a bit of a wake-up and an interesting way to end our trip. Many people we spoke with on our trip, both tourists and Egyptians, advised that Cairo would be our least favorite place in Egypt, and categorized it as a dirty, dangerous, sprawling city. We didn’t find this to be the case AT ALL and actually had a ton of fun in Cairo! That being said, it is a CRAZY HUGE city with a million things happening at once. This post talks about what we did in Cairo and our experience in the city in 2019 (pre-COVID)!

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From the Carlton Hotel’s rooftop bar, The Roof Garden, overlooking the Egyptian Supreme Court in Downtown Cairo on a Saturday afternoon.

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Al-Sahaby Lane: A Fun Dinner In Luxor, Egypt.

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Al-Sahaby Lane is a good, while touristy, Egyptian restaurant right in the middle of Luxor, very close to the Luxor tourist souk and within walking distance of the river cruise port and the Temple of Luxor. Al-Sahaby Lane is located on the roof of the Nefertiti Hotel (there are many steps and I did not see an elevator). Reservations are not required and the restaurant is most certainly casual.

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Entrance to Al Sah-aby Lane from the street.

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Highlights of Aswan: A Pleasant Surprise In Southern Egypt

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Aswan, Egypt. Its a small city in Southern Egypt, home to the High Aswan Dam, an unfinished obelisk, the Philae Temple, and the Old Cataract Hotel (of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile fame). Its also a really gorgeous city set along the Nile River and the gateway to Abu Simbel. The locals were friendly and, notably (and somewhat surprisingly), it felt more progressive than the other cities that we visited in Egypt. For all of these reasons, I loved Aswan, and I would love to go back and spend more time.

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Pretty flowers everywhere in Aswan.

We visited Aswan at the end of a 5-night Nile River cruise earlier this year. I knew nothing – at all – about Aswan prior to visiting and would have certainly skipped Aswan absent our cruise itinerary. However, I am so glad we stopped, as it was the prettiest city that we visited in Egypt! I kept saying that it reminded me of a Greek island. And it really did!

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A Day Trip To The Abu Simbel Temples – Worth The Time And Effort.

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Prior to planning our trip to Egypt, I hardly knew anything about Abu Simbel. Yes, I had heard of it and I *kind of* knew what it looked like, but nothing more. At all. But, as soon as I dug into Abu Simbel, a visit was absolutely non-negotiable. Planning this “must do” activity turned out to be more work than anticipated, as its a flight from Cairo or Luxor or 6-hour round trip drive from Aswan! In any case, we worked it out and it was one of both Dan and my favorite activities in Egypt, rivaling even the pyramids!

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Shara sunrise en route to Abu Simbel.

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Eating Our Way Through Downtown Cairo!

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Dan and I were very interested in trying Egyptian food, so in planning our trip to Cairo, we booked a food tour shortly after we booked our flights! For any foodies planning a trip to Cairo, this is a GREAT idea (especially if you are not Egyptian and/or don’t speak Arabic) because it allows you to try really local food from vendors who may not speak English and see the heart of old Cairo (which can be quite overwhelming!). Its also a good idea if you are taking a Nile River cruise, because the food on those cruises is usually not Egyptian!

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Fruit market in Downtown Cairo.

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