Egypt
EGYPT
LOCATION
MUST DO
- Riding camels near the Great Pyramids
- Photo ops at The Sphinx
- Exploring the local markets in Cairo
- Egyptian Museum of Antiquities
- Day trip to Alexandria
Trip Details
When: November 2011
Where: Cairo, Alexandria
How: Norwegian Jade cruise ship
TRAVEL TIPS
- You’ll need to negotiate prices of taxi, camel rides, and souvenir prices beforehand.
- Many will agree: It’s not worth it to pay to go inside the pyramids. The lines are usually way too long, and it’s very dark, cramped, and smelly inside. You can’t see very much.
- Only drink bottled water and avoid food from street carts.
NOTES
I visited Egypt for 2 days as part of a Mediterranean cruise. Driving into Cairo, we were discouraged at first by the amount of traffic and smog because the former was a waste of time and the latter might prevent us from actually seeing the Great Pyramids. Our tour guide assured us not to worry and that the sun would burn off the smog later in the day. He was right! It ended up being a beautiful day to admire one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World. I was also impressed by the amazing artifacts at the Egyptian museum. As it was a few weeks before elections were held, we were careful to avoid the many crowds of protesters near Tahrir Square. I preferred our next stop, Alexandria, a city by the sea where we encountered mostly friendly residents rather than harassing street vendors.