Egypt Travel Blog

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Reflections on the Media and the Arab Spring in Egypt

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When I was in Egypt in early January of 2011, only a few weeks before the outbreak of the Egyptian Revolution, everything seemed perfectly normal. The government seemed as stable as it had been for the past 30 years and there was zero indication that a revolution was about to happen. But just about two weeks after I left Egypt on that trip, a few protests started growing … [Read more...] about Reflections on the Media and the Arab Spring in Egypt

The Best Dang Food 30 Cents Can Buy

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I’ve always been a YUGE fan of carbs, especially pasta. But nothing on the entire planet beats the carbo-loaded awesomeness of the closest thing Egypt has to a national dish. It’s called koshari, and it’s ahh-mazing! Oh and it costs like 30 cents at today’s exchange rates. Koshari looks like a super simple meal to make, but it’s more complicated than you would think. It … [Read more...] about The Best Dang Food 30 Cents Can Buy

Tracing the Physical Legacy of Cleopatra

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On this year’s International Women’s Day today, Egypt Travel Blog would like to pay homage to one of ancient Egypt’s most famous figures and a woman whose life and legacy are worthy of remembrance. Cleopatra is one of the most famous women in all of human history. She was a beloved queen of an ancient people who skillfully forged powerful alliances through love, lust, and … [Read more...] about Tracing the Physical Legacy of Cleopatra

The Desert Desert

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So in Arabic, sahara means desert. So in English when we say the Sahara Desert, we’re actually saying the Desert Desert. Funny, huh? That’s not unlike how we treat many other Arabic words in English. And we don’t even realize that many of our words actually derive from Arabic. Take algebra, for example, which kinda means “the algebra” or alcohol, which means “the alcohol.” … [Read more...] about The Desert Desert

The Importance of Patience at the Pyramids

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There’s a way to truly experience the awe and majesty of the Pyramids of Giza and a way to wholly miss that experience. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen clients and other visitors miss out of the full experience of their first approach to the Pyramids, and it always kills me on the inside to see that experience slip away from them because of a lack of patience. Most … [Read more...] about The Importance of Patience at the Pyramids

New Discoveries

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One of the amazing things about Egypt is that the entire country is still an active archaeological site. With over five thousand years of history under its sands, the slice that we know about and have uncovered so far is by no means all there is to be discovered. When you visit the Pyramids couples, Memphis, the Valley of the Kings, and many other sites, you may notice … [Read more...] about New Discoveries

Best Exchange Rates Ever!!!

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Holy Mummies! If you've ever wanted to travel to Egypt and get an amazing bang for your buck, there's no time like the present. In an attempt to meet the economic and financial conditions of the International Monetary Fund and secure major international loans to help fund the government, Egypt's Central Bank just floated the Egyptian Pound in the international currency markets. … [Read more...] about Best Exchange Rates Ever!!!

Christmas in Egypt

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Visitors to Egypt in the winter months might be surprised to find festive lights and Christmas trees scattered across central Cairo and certain other parts of Egypt. If you thought that by coming to an Islamic Middle Eastern country you’d be leaving the trappings of Christmas behind in the West, you were wrong. Significant parts of Egypt still celebrate Christmas, especially … [Read more...] about Christmas in Egypt

The Khan el Khalili

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Experiencing the Khan el Khalili always tops the list of things to do when visiting Cairo. While in any other Arab country you might just refer to the old city’s souk or bazaar, Cairo’s souq has its own special name because it is the undisputed souq of souqs. It is unique not only in size and density but also in history, continuity, and authenticity. While the main parts have … [Read more...] about The Khan el Khalili

Travel and Turmoil

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Video from October 2012 when American cable news channels were still showing "turmoil" on loop for ratings and clickbait.  Many travelers may be deterred from traveling to Egypt during periods of political turmoil. But not all turmoil is the same, and some periods when the news media are be portraying chaos in Cairo may actually turn out to be perfectly safe and even ideal … [Read more...] about Travel and Turmoil

How Not To Handle A Tourism Crisis: Lessons From Egypt

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NOTE: THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE HUFFINGTON POST TRAVEL SECTION. A LINK TO THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE CAN BE FOUND HERE.   Tourism ministries, boards and offices the world over are finally waking up to the reality that developing a substantive relationship with the American market can be an extremely lucrative investment. We are a nation of over 300 million … [Read more...] about How Not To Handle A Tourism Crisis: Lessons From Egypt

The American University in Cairo

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Many visitors to Egypt might be surprised to learn that one of Egypt's leading educational institutions - and the top-ranked institution of higher learning in the country - is actually an American university, or rather The American University in Cairo. AUC, as it is known, was founded in 1919 by the Presbyterian Church's mission to Egypt, but the school quickly became a leading … [Read more...] about The American University in Cairo

Flashback: The Other Old Cairo

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I tend to think of there really being two Old Cairos. The first is, of course, what most people who live in and visit Cairo refer to when they talk about Old Cairo. This would be the area of modern Cairo in which ruins and remnants from many of the city's magnificent prior eras are situated, including various churches, synagogues, mosques, and the remains of ancient Roman … [Read more...] about Flashback: The Other Old Cairo

The Deaf KFC

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If you really want a heartwarming experience in Cairo with a side of fried chicken, go check out the deaf KFC over in the Dokki neighborhood of Cairo. This place has been there for at least a decade, and it’s right around the corner from my very first apartment in Cairo. It’s right off of Midan Galaa, just across the square from the Cairo Sheraton and right beside the Chicken … [Read more...] about The Deaf KFC

The Sleeping Dogs of Karnak

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One of my favorite sites to visit in Egypt is the Temple of Karnak, located just north of downtown Luxor in southern Egypt. The sheer scale of its massive pylons, the enormous girth of the lotus-topped columns in its Hypostyle Hall, the near excessiveness of the hieroglyphic reliefs, the serenity of some of its less-trafficked outer rooms all combine to make a visit to Karnak a … [Read more...] about The Sleeping Dogs of Karnak

The Egyptian Museum

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The Egyptian Museum, which holds the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world, is centrally located right off of Cairo’s now-famous Tahrir Square, one block over from the Nile River downtown. The museum authorities keep changing whether you can or cannot bring cameras into the building every few years. If you do bring one during one of the periods when it's … [Read more...] about The Egyptian Museum

Introducing Egypt Travel Blog (.com)

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Egypt is the type of destination that tourists, especially independent travelers, seriously need to research thoroughly before visiting. There are many, many wonderful things about this country to see and experience, but there are also far too many things that can frustrate and confuse the unprepared traveler. A visit to the land of the Pharaohs is a must at least once in your … [Read more...] about Introducing Egypt Travel Blog (.com)