Egypt Travel Guide

The best time to visit Egypt depends on where you want to go. Generally speaking, winter (December to February) is the tourist high season and summer (June to August) is the low season in all parts of the country except on the coasts, and to a lesser degree in Cairo. Hotel prices reflect this.Weather-wise, June to August is unbearable almost anywhere south of Cairo, especially around Luxor and Aswan, where daytimetemperatures soar up to 40°C. Summer in Cairo is almost as hot, and the combination of heat, dust,pollution, noise and crush makes walking the city streets a real test of endurance. On the other hand, a scorching sun might be exactly what's wanted for a week or two of slow roasting on the beaches of southern Sinai, the Alexandrian coast or the Red Sea - just be prepared to fight for hotel rooms with locals on their summer holidays and Gulf Arabs escaping the even greater heat in their home countries.When visiting somewhere such as Luxor, winter is easily the most com-fortable time. Cairo isn't quite as pleasant, with often overcast skies and chilly evenings, while up on the Mediterranean coast Alexandria is subject to frequent downpours resulting in flooded, muddy streets. Even Sinai's beaches are a little too chilly for sunbathing in January. The happiest com-
promise for an all-Egypt trip is to visit in spring (March to May) or autumn (September to November).

The story of ancient Egypt is the story of Egypt's relationships with its neighbours, for its wealth attracted some and its strategic location on the Mediterranean and Red Seas, and on the trade routes between Africa and Asia, attracted others. When it was strong, it controlled the gold of Nubia and the trade route across the Levant - not for nothing was the image of Ramses II crushing the Hittites at Kadesh splashed across so many temple
walls. When it was weak, it caught the attention of the power of the moment. In 663, the Assyrian leader Ashurbanipal sacked Thebes. A century later the Persians were in control of the Nile. In 331 BC, Alexander the Great moved against the Egyptians and incorporated them into his Hellenic empire. In 30 BC, Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus Caesar, annexed the country as his own property. Arab armies stormed through in the 7th century AD just as Ottoman ones did in the 16th century. But by the end of the 18th century, the arrival of Europeans heralded the start of a very different age.

Despite the ever-present - though slim - threat of an Islamist uprising, the two biggest challenges facing President Mubarak's government as this book goes to print are not associated with an election backlash, religious extremism or global terrorism. Nor are they related to the constant international and opposition denunciations of press censorship and other infringements on human rights in Egypt. The single biggest threat to the NDP's hold on power is the irrefutable fact that Egypt is in serious economic crisis, and has been for many years. The national economy, often described as a basket case, has to cope with
a massive growth in population, rise in unemployment, and decline in the value of the Egyptian currency. Perhaps of greater concern is uncertainty over the health of President Mubarak. When the national paper Al-Dasturran rumours of the president's ill health in September 2007, the editor was arrested for damaging the public interest and some US$350 million was withdrawn from the Egyptian stock market by nervous foreigninvestors. The president's demise is an inevitability - he was one of the Free Officers who overthrew the monarchy in 1952 - but the succession is far from clear. The constitution states that power passes to the vice president, but Mubarak has always refused to appoint one. Many rumours surround the president's son, Gamal Mubarak. But whoever does succeed the current president will only do so with the blessing of the armed forces.

With ancient Egypt's history focused on its royals, the part played by the rest of the ancient population is frequently ignored. The great emphasis on written history also excludes the 99% of the ancient population who were unable to write, and it can often seem as if the only people who lived in ancient Egypt were pharaohs, priests andscribes.The silent majority are often dismissed as little more than illiterate peasants, although these were the very people who built the monuments and produced the wealth on which the culture was based.Fortunately Egypt's climate, at least, is democratic, and has preserved the remains of people throughout society, from the mummies of the wealthy in
their grand tombs to the remains of the poorest individuals buried in hollows in the sand. The worldly goods buried with them for use in the afterlife can give valuable details about everyday life and how it was lived, be it in the bustling, cosmopolitan capital Memphis or in the small rural settlements scattered along the banks of the Nile.

Most Egyptians seem to have bathed regularly and used moisturising oils to protect their skin from the drying effects of the sun. These oils were sometimes perfumed with flowers, herbs and spices, and Egyptian perfumes were famous throughout the ancient world for their strength and quality. Perfume ingredients are listed in ancient texts, along with recipes for face creams and beauty preparations, and cosmetics were also used to enhance the appearance. Responsible for the familiar elongated eye shape, eye-paint also had a practical use, acting like sunglasses by reducing the glare of bright sunlight and explaining why builders are shown having their eyes made up during work. Both green malachite and black galena (kohl) were used in crushed form, mixed with water or oil and stored ready for use in small pots. Red ochre prepared in a similar fashion was used by women to shade their lips and cheeks. Some Egyptians were also trained to apply cosmetics and perform manicures and pedicures.Although most people kept their cosmetic equipment in small baskets or boxes, the wealthy had beautifully decorated chests with multiple compartments, pull-out drawers and polished metal mirrors with which they could inspect their carefully designed appearance.

The Greek historian Herodotus observed that Egypt was the gift of the Nile and although it might now be a cliché, it also happens to be true. Ancient Egyptians called it simply iteru, the river. Without the Nile, Egypt as we know it would not exist. The exact history is obscure, but many thousands of years ago the climate of North Africa changed dramatically. Patterns of rainfall also changed and Egypt, formerly a rich savannah, became increasingly dry. The social consequences were dramatic. People in this part of Africa lived as nomads, hunting, gathering and moving across the region with the seasons. But when their pastures turned to desert, there was only one place for them to go: the Nile.Rainfall in east and central Africa ensured that the Nile in Egypt rose each summer; this happened some time towards the end of June in Aswan. The waters would reach their height around the Cairo area in September. In most years, this surge of water flooded the valley and left the countryside hidden. As the rains eased, the river level started to drop and water drained off the land, leaving behind a layer of rich silt washed down from the hills
of Africa. Egyptians learned that if they planted seed on this fertile land, they could
grow a good crop. As more people settled along the valley, it became more important to make the best use of the annual floodwater, or there would not be enough food for the following year. A social order evolved to organise the workforce to make the most of this 'gift', an order that had farmers at the bottom, bureaucrats and governors in the middle and, at the top of this pyramid, the pharaoh.Egyptian legend credited all this social development to the good king Osiris, who, so the story went, taught Egyptians how to farm, how to make best use of the Nile and how to live a good, civil life. The myth harks back to an idealised past, but also ties in with what we know of the emergence of kingship: one of the earliest attributions of kingship, the pre-dynastic Scorpion Macehead, found in Hierakonpolis around 3000 BC, shows an irrigation ritual. Which suggests that even right back in early times, making use of the river's gift was a key part of the role of the leader.

By international standards Egypt is still fairly cheap, though admission fees, guided tours and private transportation can really hike up the price.If you're a hard-core budget traveller, it's possible to get by on about US$20 a day or maybe less, though you will have to stick to the cheapest hotels, eat the staple snacks of fuul (fava beans) and ta'amiyya (felafel), use the cheapest local transport and limit your sightseeing. At the other end of the scale, Egypt has plenty of accommodation charging upwards of US$200 a night, and some of the better restaurants will set you back US$20 per person or more.Taking a middle route, if you stay in a modest hotel with a fan and private bathroom, eat in low-key restaurants frequented by locals (allowing for the occasional splurge), and aim to see a couple of sites each day, you'll be looking at between US$30 and US$50 a day.Getting around the country is cheap: the 10-hour train ride between Cairo and Luxor can cost as little as US$6 in 2nd class, and even domestic flights on EgyptAir can cost as little as US$35. However, private taxis in convoys between tourist destinations can get pricey, though these are often the safest and most comfortable way to travel.The major expense is going to be the entry fees to tourist sites. Foreigners are seen as dollars on legs, so places where they flock tend to be pricey. A complete visit to the Giza Pyramids costs more than US$50 in admission charges, while seeing the mummies at the Egyptian Museum costs about US$25. However, if you have a valid International Student Identity Card (ISIC), you can rack up some serious discounts. Of course, no card will make you exempt from the seemingly obligatory demands for baksheesh, which can seriously drain your wallet if you're not careful.

The city of Alexandria (Al-Iskendariyya) is the stuff that legends are made of: the city
was founded by none other than Alexander the Great; sassy queen Cleopatra made this
the seat of her throne; the entrance to its harbour was marked by the towering Pharos
lighthouse (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World); and its Great Library
of Alexandria was renowned as the ultimate archive of ancient knowledge. Alas, fate dealt
the city a spate of cruel blows: today no sign remains of the great Alexander; the city of
Cleopatra's day has been mostly swallowed up by the ocean; the Pharos lighthouse col-
lapsed long ago; and the literary treasures of the Great Library were set to numerous
torchings. To add insult to injury, Egypt's consequent Muslim rulers moved the capital
to nearby Cairo, ignobly thrusting the once influential metropolis into near obscurity
for centuries.In the 19th century a cosmopolitan renaissance had Alexandria flirting with European style decadence, but it was cut short in the 1950s by Nasser's wave of change. Today, even though the city plays second fiddle to Cairo, modern Alexandria feels like a teenager eager to forge its own identity. The daring new library of Alexandria signalled a brave leap into modernity, the first tentative steps of a city ready to revamp itself for the future. This town is also swooping in on the role of Egypt's culture vulture - legions of young artists and writers are finding their voices and new cutting-edge venues are providing
a stage for their prolific output. But whether the new Alexandria forges its own unique path
forward, or follows the West's shopping-mall model of a brave new (air-conditioned) world,
remains to be seen.Alexandria, the famed ancient metropolis of the ages, is not easy tofind in the city that bears its name today. Nevertheless, the city doffs its hat to an impressive past and successfully marries its 19th-century grandeur with the vibrancy of an energetic youth. This is an ideal place to spend a few days sipping coffee in grand, old-world cafés at breakfast; pondering the city's glorious past at its copious museums before or after lunch; and topping it all off with mouthwatering fish fare over sunset-lit dinners.

Let's address the drawbacks first. The crowds on a Cairo footpath make Manhattan look like a ghost town. You will be hounded by papyrus sellers at every turn. Your life will flash before your eyes each time you venture across a street. And your snot will run black from the smog. But it's a small price to pay, to visit the city Cairenes call Umm ad-Dunya - 'the mother of the world'. This city has an energy, palpable even at three in the morning, like no other. It's the product of its 20 million inhabitants waging a battle against the desert and winning (mostly), of 20 million people simultaneously crushing the city's infrastructure under their collective weight and lifting the city's spirit up with their uncommon graciousness and humour.One taxi ride can span millennia, from the resplendent mosques and mausoleums built at the pinnacle of the Islamic empire, to the 19th-century palaces and grand avenues (which earned the city the nickname 'Paris on the Nile'), to the brutalconcrete blocks of the Nasser years - then all the way back to the days of the pharaohs, as the Pyramids of Giza hulk on the western edge of the city. The architectural jumble is smoothed over by an even coating of beige sand, and the sand is a social equalizer as well: everyone, no matter how rich, gets dusty when the spring khamsin blows in.So blow your nose, crack a joke and learn to look through the dirt to see the city's true colours. If you love Cairo, she will love you back.

Egyptians are conservative, especially on matters concerning sex and women - Egyptian
women that is, not foreign women.An entire book could be written from the comments and stories of women travellers about their adventures and misadventures in
Egypt. You're almost certain to hear chat-up lines such as 'I miss you like the desert misses the rain', which might be funny if they weren't so constant and intimidating. Most of the incidents are nonthreatening nuisances, like a fly buzzing in your ear: you can swat it away and keep it at a distance, but it's always out there buzzing around.The presence of foreign women presents,in the eyes of some Egyptian men, a chance toget around these norms with ease and withoutconsequences. This belief is reinforced by dis-torted impressions gained from Western TVand by the inappropriate clothing worn by
some female tourists. As a woman travelleryou may receive some verbal harassment at
the very least. Serious physical harassment and rape do occasionally occur, but more
rarely than in most Western countries.

With a living history stretching back several millennia, it's no wonder that so many tourists in Egypt never give a thought to exploring its underwater world. Of course, while landlubbers are busy sweating bullets and dodging touts in the desert, divers are plunging into the Red Sea's clear depths, and finding themselves surrounded by one of nature's most magnificent sights.In 1989, a panel of scientists and conservationists chose the northern portion of this 1800km-long body of water as one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World. Here divers will find coral mountains, shallow reefs swarming with brightly coloured fish, sheer drop-offs disappearing into unplumbed depths and coral-encrusted shipwrecks, all bathed in an ethereal blue hue. Indeed, the Red Sea boasts a legendary reputation among diving enthusiasts, and un-doubtedly deserves its status as one of the world's premier underwater destinations. The two jewels in the Red Sea's crown are Ras Mohammed National Park, home to the 'Holy Trinity' of Shark Reef, Eel Garden and the Yolanda, and the WWII wreck of the Thistlegorm, a British warship first discovered in the 1950s by Jacques Cousteau.The strongest appeal of the Red Sea is that you can tailor your diving holiday to your own travelling style. Independent travellers spend more time than they planned in the backpacker-friendly village of Dahab, and to a lesser extent Nuweiba, while package tourists enjoy their creature comforts in the resort towns of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada. If you truly want to maximise your underwater time, there's no better option than a week on a dive safari.Regardless of your travelling style, however, the Red Sea never fails to impress, and is one of the top highlights of any trip to Egypt.

On the northern end of the First Cataract and marking the country's ancient southern fron-
tier, Aswan has always been of great strategic importance. In ancient times it was a garri-
son town for the military campaigns against Nubia, its quarries provided the valuable
granite used for so many sculptures and obelisks, and it was a prosperous marketplace at
the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes. The first document mentioning Aswan, rather
than the older island settlement of Abu, date to the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC) and use the ancient Egyptian word swenet, meaning 'trade', a name that later became the Arabic As-Suan, meaning markets.Today, slower than most places in Egypt, laid-back and pleasant, it is the perfect place to linger for a few days, rest the eyes and the mind, and recover from the rigours of travelling along the Nile. The river is wide, languorous and stunningly beautiful here, flowing gently down from Lake Nasser, around dramatic black-granite boulders and palmstudded islands. Colourful Nubian villages run down to the water and stand out against the backdrop of the desert on the west bank.With so long a history, there is plenty to see in Aswan, but somehow the sightseeing seems less urgent and certainly less overwhelming than, say, Luxor, allowing more time to take in the magic of the Nile at sunset, to stroll in the exotic souq, one of the best outside Cairo, or to appreciate the gentleness of the Nubians. Most tour groups head straight for the Temple of Isis at Philae, taking in the Unfinished Obelisk and the dams on the way, but the rarely visited ruins of ancient Abu and the small Aswan Museum on Elephantine Island are fascinating, as are the exquisite botanical gardens and the Nubia Museum.But Aswan is more than just a tourist town; a governorate capital, it has a large population of educated bureaucrats and a good university. Some days, when all the cruise boats seem to unload their tour groups at the same time, it is no longer as relaxed as it was a few years ago. But much of the time the heat, the sweet smells of spices and the slow pace take hold of the visitor. Few things are more calming than to glide on a felucca between the islands and the rocks at sunset, or failing that to sit on the banks and watch the Nile go by.The best time to visit Aswan is in winter, when the days are warm and dry. In summer the temperature hovers between 38°C and 45°C; it's too hot by day to do anything but sit by a fan and swat flies, or flop into a swimming pool.

The city's governor claims that Luxor is the world's greatest open-air museum, but that doesn't come close to describing this amazing place. There's nothing like the grandeur of ancient Thebes. Florence Nightingale called it 'the deathbed of the world' and likened it to the writings of Shakespeare. It's one of the few places in the world that deserves to be called unforgettable.Although the modern East Bank city has grown rapidly in recent years, the setting is still breathtakingly beautiful, the Nile flowing between the modern town and the West Bank necropolis, backed by the enigmatic Theban escarpment. Scattered across the landscape is an embarrassment of riches, from the temples of Karnak and Luxor on its East Bank to the temples of Deir al-Bahri and Medinat Habu, the Colossi of Memnon and the Valley of the Kings. Thebes's wealth and power was legendary in antiquity, its god Amun feared across the Mediterranean and Asia. By the late 18th century, its legend lured travellers from Europe. Since then, fuelled by tales of treasure and pharaoh's curses, huge numbers have made pilgrimages here Today's visitor risks being surrounded by coachloads of tourists as they are herded through tombs and templesat a furious pace, and lost amid a sea of jostling groups. But with a little planning and flexibility the biggest crowds can be avoided and the magic of the Theban landscape and its unparalleled archaeological heritage can be enjoyed in relative peace.