Snorkelling in Sharm el-Sheik
Although diving is the best way to see the dazzling marine life and coral, Egypt's spectacular coastline is accessible without a wetsuit. Simply wade out with a mask or snorkel or take a glass-bottomed boat from the shores of Sharm el-Sheik and the fish will come to you.
River Nile cruise
Plying the river between Luxor and Aswan, boats provide the quintessential Nile experience. They generally last between three and five days. Egrets flock to the water's edge and Egypt's ancient archaeological wonders including Kom Ombo unfold like a storybook along the bank. White-sailed feluccas ply the river, or splash out for a trip on a dahabiya, a luxury furnished wooden boat.
Luxor temples
Straddling the Nile, Luxor is the site of the ancient city of Thebes. On the east bank lies the spectacular Temple of Karnak featuring epic statues, obelisks and lotus-columned halls. In the city centre is Luxor Temple, spectacular when lit up at night. Rise above the land of the Pharaohs in a hot-air balloon and take a god's-eye view of the colossal works of ancient mortals.
Mount Sinai
For centuries, pilgrims of different denominations have been making the journey up historic Mount Sinai to witness the sunrise across the desert landscape. The three-hour trek is breathtaking, but if it sounds too ambitious, stay overnight at St Catherine Monastery, hire a camel and walk down in leisure.
Khan-el Khalili bazaar
Take a trip to Cairo's famous labyrinthine, medieval Khan-el Khalili bazaar, where haggling for spices, copper, perfume and trinkets has been refined into an art form. Don't miss Fishawi's tea house; in business for over 200 years, it is the ultimate place to people-watch.
Go golfing
While it's not a sport readily associated with Egypt, the country is now making quite a golfing name for itself and offers around 20 courses. They range from locations within sight of Cairo's Pyramids – the most famous being the Mena House Oberoi 18-hole course - to settings alongside the Nile and the Red Sea.
Siwa Oasis
One of six oases in the vast Western Desert, Siwa is a peaceful haven with palm-fringed salt-water lakes, and the famous Oracle of the Temple of Amun once visited by Alexander the Great. The town is dramatically crowned by 13th-century fortress ruins of Shali, best climbed at sunrise or sunset mainly due to the fierce sun. Siwa is also a good base to make excursions into the desert by jeep.
Diving in the Red Sea
The Red Sea justly deserves its worldwide reputation for underwater adventure. Teeming with a colourful marine life, the crystal waters are landscaped with coral and dramatic drop-offs. The Ras Mohamed National Park, a headland 20km west of Sharm el-Sheikh, shows off the underwater world at its best.
Camel market (Souq al-Gamaal), Birqash
Not the place to buy your souvenirs, but this frenetic (and certainly fragrant) trading takes place most mornings (0700-1400) and is an entertaining assault on the senses. Camels are transported from Sudan, and prodded and poked by potential purchasers. The market is located around 35km (21 miles) from Cairo on the Western Desert fringe.
Suez Canal
The best way to see this great feat of modern engineering is by boat; the view from the Peace Bridge that crosses the canal near Isma'iliya, is a good second best. The sight of giant tankers plying the narrow channel between the Red Sea with the Mediterranean is simply surreal.
City of gold
Kom Ombo ('city of gold'), 30km (18 miles) north of Aswan is a largely Nubian settlement, known for its Temple of Haroeris and Sobek. Another common destination on Nile cruises is Edfu, famed for the largest and best-preserved Pharaonic Temple in Egypt, the Temple of Horus.
Saqqara
Few visitors know before arriving in Egypt that the country's Old Kingdom precedes the building of the pyramids by many centuries. Saqqara was the ancient capital's necropolis, crowned by the Step Pyramid. Nearby Dahshur is famous for the Bent Pyramid and a huge field of royal tombs.
Islamic Cairo
It's bustling and busy in ancient Islamic Cairo, but the crowds thin out along the serene street of Al-Muezz Al-Din, with spot-lit mosques and mausoleums lining the pedestrianised cobbled street. A local will, doubtless, offer to take you up a minaret; ascend the one at Al-Azhar Mosque – home to the world's oldest university for panoramic views.
Aswan
The former frontier town of Aswan is a popular stopping-point for cruise liners, and the feluccas (wooden boats) drifting along the river at sunset is one of Egypt’s enduring sights. Attractions include Elephantine Island in the middle of the Nile, and the nearby Island of Plants upon which Lord Horatio Kitchener built a beautiful botanical garden in the 1890s.
Alexandria
Nestling the Mediterranean, Egypt's "second city" has a French colonial atmosphere and a relaxed Greek influence, a mix of continental patisseries, art deco architecture and crowded sandy beaches in summer. Don't miss the mosaics in the Roman Amphitheatre, the hi-tech Bibliotecha, and the new underwater museum filled with Cleopatra's sunken relics. A walk along the corniche is a good way to work up an appetite for a freshly-caught fish for dinner.
Back to Egypt
Disclaimer:
Content in the country guide is updated every 3 months and is to the best
of our knowledge accurate and up-to-date. The information contained is
intended as a general guide - any opinions or travel advise expressed are
not necessarily those of AME Info FZ LLC.
The information is provided in association with Columbus Travel Publishing
Limited and my not be republished or reproduced in anyway without the prior
written consent by the publisher.
All information made available from within this product is provided without
warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited
to, any warranties as to merchantability, non-infringement or fitness for a
particular purpose. We accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or
inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from this information.
AME Info FZ LLC or Columbus Travel Publishing Limited shall not be liable
for any technical, editorial or typographical or other errors or omissions
within the information accessible through this product.
Whilst changes are periodically made to the information herein AMEinfo.com FZ
LLC or Columbus Publishing Limited does not warrant that information
currently accessible is either up-to-date or accurate.
All product names mentioned herein are subject to the trademarks and/or
trademark rights of their respective owners.
3D Animated Flags used in this section is courtesy of www.3DFlags.com
Please contact us if you have any questions or
corrections to the content in this section.
Information in this section was last updated: Fri Apr 12 2013
