Anyone been to eygpt?

[manunited1]

We are hoping to go to eygpt for a week next year, ideally seeing all the main sites and hopefully doing the hot air balloon over the nile !

any tips how to do this, best time of year to go, who to book with? Ive not a clue where to start!


thanks :confused2
alli x

[rfw1]

we did a nile cruise in june ten years ago. it was a memorable trup , however it was unbelievably hot. (50c+ in places) .

one person left a camera on the deck of the boat and something inside melted!

[carolynn38]

Hi Allison,
if you are looking at all the main sites and the Nile then I think you will be looking at Luxor rather than the Red Sea area.

I absolutely adore Luxor and have been a few times, but it can appear as a culture shock for first timers.

First of all, time of year is important. It gets VERY hot so please bear that in mind. I have been in June, when it was nearly in the 40's, so I would suggest going either March, April or Oct Nov time.

Have a look here for seasonal averages

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/62405.html#History

[URL="http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/DisplayIntlNORMS.asp?CityCode=62405&Units=both[/URL]

http://www.cosmos.co.uk/destinations/Egypt

Places to stay, if you want to be right in the centre then the Old/New Winter Palace is a good choice, but personally I prefer Steigenberger Nile Palace (which used to be le Meridien)

http://www.cosmos.co.uk/destinations/Egypt/Luxor/Luxor/Steigenberger-Nile-Palace

Good location as it is walkable to the centre, and if you go the other way there is a small shopping area with shops, restaurants etc.

I have always found Lucor to be very cheap once there, but there is a LOT of poverty, and the begging can get a bit much at times, so be prepared to be polite but firm with your no's.

Eating out is great, from tradition English fare (not my think TBH) or Italian, Indian etc to the more varied Lebanese etc but some restaurants can be 'dry'. Eating in the hotels is fine though, and there are some fab places, including a really nice place in the Old Winter Palace.

In terms of things to do, there is LOADS, but be prepared for some early starts. Because of the heat, many tours leave quite early.

You have museums, temples, Nile river cruises, and of course hot air ballooning (which we did for my boyfriends 30th) but you will find these go along the Nile (Valley of kings etc) and not across it due to safety.

Personally, for a first trip I would look at either doing 1 week Nile cruise (just look out for Egypt belly and keep washing your hands) and then a week in a Luxor hotel.

If you only have a week, then stay at a decent hotel (check out trip advisor) and book with a trusted UK operator - most do Luxor and TBH, this way you can book all the trips with them and know you are going to be safe and looked after. Cosmos are quite good and cheap. A week next Oct flying form London will cost you approx £500 per person.

If you have any other specific questions, then ask away.

[manunited1]

hi carolyn , thanks for all the info,I really appreciate it !


allison x

[Dabies]

I went for a day trip when we went to Cypress a number of years ago. We cruised to Port Said and then took a coach down to Cairo, we went upto the Pyramids and drove past the Sphynx (we were behind schedule apparently). We also went around the Museum in Cairo. We then returned to Port Said and got back on the boat

Although it was only a day, the best part was the museum, I found the Pyramids a big dissapointment, they're fantastic to look at, but when we went inside one of them, it was literally a small rectangular room, with almost nothing in it. Plus all the traders outside are very annoying and will not leave you alone.

Sorry it's not too helpful for your plans, but I would recommend visiting the museum. :smile:

[Dylan]

We are just about to book Sharm el Sheik for next April, mainly because we couldn't cope with the temperatures in July & August (45-50 degrees!). We are going to book a 'Fly to Cairo' excursion from Sharm as well as a trip to Giza.

We picked up an 'Egypt' holiday brochure from Thomas Cook, priced up the same holiday on the internet and have found it £600 cheaper! Just rang Thomas Cook who have said that they will at least match the price if not better it - can't say fairer than that!

[winnie97]

weve been to sharm el sheik we stayed at the hyatt regency (club level)the hotel was absolutly beautifull we actually hated sharm( imagine the tackiest bits of blackpool and then put it in the desert) itself you either love it or hate it we hated it but the hotel was great right on the beach had a dive school, spa everything we did a quad bike ride through the desert that was really good and we went on a day trip to the pyramids that was good as well .we booked through thomson ala carte brouchure. were going again aug 09 this time going back to sharm but staying in the savoy(club level) have booked flights through travel republic and rooms through hotel rooms direct. this time we dont plan to leave the hotel and have a lovely chilling out week by the pool

[carolynn38]

There is a HUGE difference between 'real' Egypt (Cairo and Luxor and the Red Sea area (Sharm, Hurgharda etc).

If you are looking to experience Egypt and its historical background then it has to be either Luxor or Cairo.

I have also been to Sharm (Hyatt regency funny enough), and TBH I could have been anywhere is the world. There isn't much culture or history to speak of, and although the diving is great and there are some wonderful hotels (and you can't beat the weather), its is just a basic pool/beach holiday.

[Tarot]

Hi
I have done a Nile cruise, through Thomson, and it was a fantastic way to see as many of the sites as possible. We travelled along the Nile stopping at various places. We also had the opportunity of taking a flight on a small aircraft to Abu Simbel. The experience really was great and we met some lovely people on the cruise. It was all very well organised.
The second week we went to El Gouna, a very small and unspoilt (although almost artificial in that it has been built out of lagoons on the red sea) resort. We stayed at the Movenpick hotel, i think it was its first or second year of opening and had a brilliant time there too, very very different to Luxor/the Nile but still amazing. I will definitely be going back one day. Oh and from El Gouna was did a very long day of travelling up to Cairo to see the pyramids, Cairo Museum etc.
It really is an amazing place to go. And we went in June when it was very very hot!

[juless77]

Hi winnie /carolyn hope I am not hijacking this thread but would the hyatt be any good for teenagers

[carolynn38]

Hi winnie /carolyn hope I am not hijacking this thread but would the hyatt be any good for teenagers

The Hyatt had a good selection of pools to choose from (3 I think - although one was adults only), including a lazy river and a corkscrew slide, but this was quite tame.

The location of the hotel was fabulous if you plan on doing plenty of diving or snorkeling, as it was located right on the Gardens Reef (meant to be the best spot for snorkeling etc) and there was a great pontoon which jutted out from the beach into the sea.

If you wanted to get into Sharm though, you would have to use a taxi.

In terms of eating, it had a great Thai as well as a Souk which provided both entertainment as well as a good range of food.

So would it be good for teenagers - well to be honest, when we went in Nov a few years back, I would say it is a more adults friendly resort. That is to say, there were not many children, and It was on the 'quiet' side.

I would say it depends what your children want from the holiday, and what ages they are. There was no kids club I could see (but then I wasn't looking) and it wasn't the most livliest of places, BUT it was very beautiful, and the location for snorkeling was the best.

It also wasn't cheap (for Sharm anyway), but I have recommended it to friends before now, who have been and enjoyed it.

[anna68]

I love Sharm great for some sun and relaxation. We stayed at Movenpick Casino twice, great location for strolling into Naama Bay. Want to try Hyatt next time.

We went with Thomson twice, cannot fault them and would look to go with them again.