Hussein El Me’mar Basha Street, Cairo
When the Townhouse Gallery gift shop is fully stocked, it’s a very good shop.
Category: Cairo
Khan al-Khalili is a major commercial market in the Islamic district of Cairo. Every Saturday & Wednesday weekly at 8:30 pm in Wiekalet El Ghouri Al Azhar St. Cairo there is a free dance show. I would recommend you check it out.
Welcome to Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
1089 Corniche El Nil
P.O. Box 63 Maglis El Shaab
Garden City 11519, Cairo, Egypt
Tel: 20 (2) 2791-7000
Fax: 20 (2) 2791-6900
Great location for afternoon tea or cocktails along the bank of the Nile River. They have a great dinner buffet and a very upscale Neiman Marcus department store attached to the hotel. You will find very little made in Egypt because the majority of the things are made in Europe and are over priced because of import taxes.
One package tour I would recommend in Egypt is a Nile Cruise. Most tours begin in Cairo and allow you time to explore the city and then cruise up or down the river. When you book a Nile cruise, the shorter the tour the less you see of Cairo. Most tourists only have one to one and a half days in Cairo. This is not enough time to get a feel for the city and you will be missing a lot.
Some tours will have the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and the Pyramids together in one day. After you’ll be in Aswan or Luxor for the cruise. No matter how much money you spend, you will most likely see the same temples and Valley of the Kings. The only difference with price will be accommodations of the hotel in Cairo and on the cruise ship and quality of food.
Hotel Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor & The Sofitel Legend Old Cataract at Asawan
Winter Palace Luxor
If you start or end your Nile cruise in Luxor, make sure you stop at Hotel Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor. My last cruise on the Nile started in Luxor. Instead of having dinner on the ship, I chose to have dinner at the Winter Palace where my boat was docked. It’s a piece of history you should not miss. Attire is semi-formal, ladies could wear a cocktail dress or pant suit and men could wear a jacket. Do not wear shorts. There is a dining room in the hotel and one in the back by the pool. If you can make a reservation, try to make it for the dining room in the hotel or just go for drinks.
Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel
The Sofitel Legend Old Cataract at Asawn is the queen of hotels written up in Agatha Christie’s murder mystery Death on the Nile which you must read before going to Egypt. If you have a chance to stay one night I would recommend it or even to have dinner in the most wonderful dining room. It’s fun to be a part of history when you go into great hotels. Please dress for the occasion. Make a reservation ahead of time for dinner. I walked from my ship about 5 minutes to the hotel.
I’ve taken two cruises through Key Tours International. They were very organized cruises. On one cruise, there was just two of us added to a German group. We also had our own tour guide. The food was very good and the staff on the ship was incredibly helpful. I would definitely recommend Key Tours.
If you are looking for something on the higher-end, there is a luxury tour given by Abercrombie & Kent, Inc. I have yet to take this cruise (its a little too pricey) but I know people who have and loved it! They usually stay at one of the Four Seasons Hotels in Cairo and then begin their cruise on the Nile.
'Sun Boat IV' with Abercrombie & Kent Tours
-DO hire a driver and a tour guide for when you have extra time on your own it will save you time
-DO let the people you are with know where you are going so they know how long you will be
-DO keep an eye on your groups departure time
-DO take a large number of single dollar bills. They will be needed as tips. It will be very difficult to find single Egyptian Pounds. They are very scarce.
-DO negotiate before getting in a cab or on a camel (stick to it and have your money ready)
-DO negotiate price on all merchandise. If you like something, make an offer. If offer is refused ‘say no thank you”, with a smile, and then walk away. Just keep walking away and the price will go down.
-DO take a bunch of single one dollar bills to use as tips in developing countries
-DO always know what the value of the country’s currency is before you go so you don’t spend more than you intend
-DO include home address, cell phone number and trip plans in case luggage is lost- this should go within your bag
-DO take a photograph of the contents within your bag so you have a record of all your belongings
-DO take a photograph of your bags so you can prove what it looked like
-DO avoid checking bags and use compartments on the plane in front of your seat (towards the front of the plane) so you can grab it quicker on the way off the plane
-DO make your bag super visible, with writing and colors, so others do not take your bag in the baggage claim. I can see my bag a block away because I know the unique color.
-DON’T be afraid of people in Egypt, they love Americans (because we are the best tippers). On a side note, I have heard stories about Egyptians helping lost Americans for free.
-DON’T walk across the street alone (make sure you have an Egyptian between YOU and the TRAFFIC- They are experts about crossing the street. Like they say “walk like an Egyptian” what they mean, is “walk with an Egyptian”)
-DON’T expect any free gifts at the Pyramids (they always want something in return)
-DON’T buy the first thing you see if it is over priced. Walk two stores down and you will find the same thing, possibly cheaper.
-DON’T walk around alone if you are a woman who does not tolerate a little harassment well
-DON’T leave your bag open, sounds like a no-brainer but people do it!
-DON’T put your wallet in your back pocket because you will be pick pocketed
-DON’T let strangers take your picture unless you ask them
-DON’T buy theater tickets from anyone on the street
Hard Rock Cafe Cairo
Grand Hyatt Cairo
Corniche El Nile, Garden City
Cairo, Egypt
Tel: +202-2532-1277
Fax: +202-2532-1289
If you must go to a Hard Rock Cafe in Cairo, go after 9pm otherwise it can be pretty empty. The item you should buy from Hard Rock Cafe, if available, is the ‘mummy teddy bear’ which you unwrap and you have the Tutankhamun teddy bear underneath.
Hard Rock Cafe- Cairo
16 Saray El Gezira Street
Cairo, 11211 Egypt
Phone: 20 2 27283000
Fax: 20 2 27283001
Sales: 20 2 27394639
Toll-free: 25100200 8004326626
This is my favorite hotel in Cairo. Even if I could stay at the Four Seasons I would rather stay at the Cairo Marriott Hotel which is on the island of Zamalek. This hotel is formerly a palace built for the opening of the Suez Canal for Empress Eugenie and Emperor Francis Joseph.
My favorite spot is the ‘promenade’ because you can sit there for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a beautiful garden. At breakfast time you may even see a crow swoop down and steel a pastry. At night there is a parade of people from around the world and it’s enjoyable to sit and people watch. You can ask for any menu of their restaurants to sit and eat on the promenade.
Promenade
Promenade
The concierge are great and if you need to rent a driver and a car they will be helpful.
Pyramids’ Road, Giza,
Cairo, Egypt
Tel: +20 2 33 77 3222
Fax: +20 2 33 77 0718
One of Egypt’s most luxurious hotels, the Mena House sits at the foot of the great Pyramids. The Mena House was once a royal hunting lodge and was converted to a hotel in 1869. It also was the first hotel in Cairo to have it’s own golf venue. For elaborate decor and awe-inspiring views I would suggest staying at the Mena House Oberoi. I love going to the Mena House for lunch after walking around the pyramids. The food is excellent. It’s a great place just to relax and have a beer!
Windsor Hotel
19 El Alfi St.
Downtown Cairo, Egypt
Tel: 02 5915277
The Windsor Hotel offers a unique experience in the history of Cairo. Once an officer’s club during World War II, you will feel like you’re in the movie Lawrence of Arabia. I suggest you only go there for drinks and appetizers. If you would like to stay there, I would recommend you look at a room before you decide to check in.
