Top 5 Places to Go in Egypt

After a wonderful month and a half in Egypt, I thought it would be nice to reflect on some of the highlights of my time here and compile a list of things to do for anyone who is planning on coming for a week-long vacay, for those who will be working here for a stint of time, and for those who will get stuck in this amazing country like I did ;) 

I was initially planning on staying only for a few weeks, but quickly made the decision to extend my stay. I can't stress it enough how much I have enjoyed my time here: the beautiful sights, the culture, the history, the delicious food, and most importantly the amazing people. 

So, here it is: Anna's top five list of places to go in Egypt.

1. Dahab

Often compared to Goa, India, Dahab is a laid-back town on the Red Sea which offers pretty much any type of activity you could ever ask for: 

- scuba diving at some of the worlds best diving sites (check out www.adventurespot-dahab.com)

- wind surfing

- kite surfing

- ATV rides in the desert

- horseback along the beach 

- camel rides to a Bedouin camp...

...and the list goes on ;) 

There are tons of restaurants, cafés and hotels lining the boardwalk that runs along the Red Sea. You can lay back and enjoy the sun, smoke shisha in front of your very own fire pit in one of the restaurants (tip: most will give you free appetizers and shisha if you play your cards right), or haggle with the store owners for the best price on the souvenirs: silver lamps, spices, or my personal fav, Dahab pants ;) 

2. Sharm el Sheik

Ah, the charm of Sharm! 

There are definitely a LOT of Russian tourists here, but they have clearly caught-on to the right idea: if you're looking for a clean place to lay back and relax for a week or two, Sharm is the way to go. 

It boasts multiple five-star hotels at reasonable prices, and has a great boardwalk with most of the same souvenirs that you will find in Dahab along with every type of restaurant that you could ever hope for. 

Personally, I only stayed for one night. It was a bit too sterile and resort-y for me, but who doesn't love a few days lazing by the pool at a gorgeous hotel for a bargain, amiright?! 

3. Cairo 

I'm kind of cheating with this one: Cairo is like a huge umbrella of awesome places to go, in my opinion. After the laid-back atmosphere of southern Sinai, Cairo is a bit of a shock to the system - lots of people, crazy traffic, noise, and smells.

It is an epicentre of awesome sights and things to do. Here are some of my personal faves:

Pyramids of Giza: Who goes to Egypt and doesn't see the pyramids?! 

Answer: no one. Okay fine, maybe there are people who sneak in and out without seeing these magnificent triangular structures, but don't be that person. Just do it. 

And kiss a sphinx while you're at it. 

Felucca on the Nile River: Who wouldn't love hanging out on the Nile river on a boat, drinking Sakara beer and soaking in the sights?! 

My question exactly. 

Pyramids of Imhotep in Saqqara: Personally, I found that there was a lot more energy to the pyramids in Saqqara. It is the first step pyramid ever built in Egypt, and although it is not 'the pyramids' that everyone thinks of, I think it is still worth a visit.

It's extra fun when an ATV ride is thrown in the mix ;)

Khan al Khalili Market: If you're looking for any type of souvenir, be it a silver lamp, a camel leather bag, a rug, jewelry, clothes, alabaster, gold, you name it, you can find it at Khan al Khalili Market. It is an experience in itself to walk down the alleyways and see the different stalls, to go to one of the restaurants in the square. It is way more relaxed than I expected, and I felt safe the whole time I was there. 

Loved it!

Garbage City & Cave Church: Not for the faint of heart, but if you are looking for an intense cultural experience (trying to avoid recommending something along the lines of slum tourism that you find in East Africa...) I would definitely recommend making a stop at the APE market in Garbage City to see the amazing handmade carpet and jewelry from recycled materials, and to see the Coptic cave church that is carved into the side of a mountain.

Cairo Museum: I wasn't able to make it to the museum, but there are great exhibits on the pyramids and mummification if Egyptian history turns your crank. 

Ain el Sukhna: Only an hour and a half drive from Cairo (again, I'm totally cheating by adding this to the Cairo section - forgive me?) Ain el Sukhna is a fav weekend getaway spot for Cairo-dwellers. It's easy to get to, it's on the Red Sea (*ahem* can someone say 'beach time'?!), the hotels are super affordable, and there are great golf courses. 

What more could you ask for?

4.  Alexandria 

I was unfortunately not able to get to Alexandria during my time in Egypt, but I have heard so many amazing things about the city that I feel like it needs to be included on this list ;) 

Roman Ruins: There are Roman ruins right in the middle of the city. Such a cool contrast - historical and modern all at the same time! 

You can also check out some of the artifacts in the museum - a lot has been unearthed from beneath the sea!

Fish Dinner: Fish for dinner, fish for lunch, or fish for dinner. I have been told that Alexandria is da bomb-diggity for fish in Egypt. That almost warrants a trip here in itself ;)

Mediterranean Sea: The sea-side views in Alexandria are breath-taking. The water is a bit chilly during the summertime, so I've been told by my diving friends, but it heats up in the summer fo sho. There's supposedly also some really interesting underwater ruins - something to add to the bucketlist!

5. Upper Egypt - Aswan and Luxor

I was also unable to make it to Upper Egypt - counter intuitively located in the south of the country - but it is definitely on my list of things to do on my next trip! 

[Surprise Momster, I'm coming back for more ;)]

How to Get There: Most people get a  cheap return flight from Cairo to Luxor since the drive would be pretty gruelling even without all of the checkpoints. I also heard that the overnight train from Cairo is a good way to go - it is a cheaper and comfortable way to go. You go to sleep, wake up and have some breakfast and then you have arrived! 

Valley of the Kings: A must-see for any history buffs or those seeking a spiritual connection. Many gurus from different spiritual beliefs have come here for the amazing energy it holds. Something to experience first-hand!

Abu Simbel: One of the amazing temples in the area, most people visit it in the morning to beat the heat. If you want to avoid the crowds, try going at night when the heat has calmed down and most of the guided tours are wrapping up ;)

Hot Air Balloon: I have been told that this was the most magical thing to do in Egypt - to take a hot air balloon  ride at sunrise overlooking the pyramids, corn fields and desert. 

Cruise on the Nile River: My parents did this before I got to Egypt, and they recommended it for anyone who is a mega history buff and wants to see as many pyramids and temples as possible. It involves quite a few early mornings, but it's totally worth it for the amazing places you get to see! And without the glaring sun beating down on you ;)

Hanging Out In Dahab, Egypt

It's official: I love Dahab. 

I mean, what's not to love? The boardwalk that runs along the Red Sea is lined with vendors selling their wares, always eager to barter for the best price on the spices, clothes, perfume, jewelry and silver lamps that cover their shops walls. 

The restaurants look out onto the water, most equipped with lawn chairs that sit only about a foot away from the waters edge. 

Now that's what I'm talking about. 

You can spend your days doing activities: diving at the amazing sites that are only about a 15-20min drive away, kite boarding or wind surfing, or just biking around. 

Or you can just take it easy, eat some delicious food, smoke some shisha and meet new friends, which is what I've been doing for the past week ;) 

I can't believe it's already been a week - it's like time moves faster here, I swear. 

It must be all the good company. Gotta love the cat companions that always seem to know the perfect time to appear ;) 

But seriously, this is the first time that I have actually gone out for meals completely by myself, and haven't spent a whole meal solo. I always end up chatting with my table neighbours, exchanging diving stories - I'm not the only one who has caught the diving bug. It seems like every other person I talk to either has their dive masters or is an instructor. 

If not another customer, I end up chatting with the employees at the restaurant or cafe. I have had many interesting conversations, and love how open people are to talk about their lives and their country with me. Most of our conversations end with something along the lines of 'hopefully people will start coming back to Egypt after the elections, insha'Allah, god willing'

I really hope that things pick up again in Dahab. I have felt so safe here - everyone is so laid back that I couldn't imagine anyone having a problem here, other than the harmless hawking by the vendors here ;) 

'Miss, you dropped something - my heart' or 'Come take a look at my shop - looking is free!'

When my Mom first told me that we were coming here, I was a bit nervous since it is located in the Sinai, which was an area that was in the news quite often due to violent protests. However, I did not realize before coming that there is a big difference between northern Sinai, which is where most of the trouble has been taking place, and southern Sinai, which is where Dahab, Sharm el Sheik and Ras Mohammed are located. Turns out she wasn't totally crazy to bring us here after all ;)

The flats that I've been staying at

I now understand how people get stuck here. I was chatting with an Italian guy at a coffee shop the other morning, and he was telling me how he had come here on vacation 12 years ago and went on his first dive. He loved it so much that he switched out of political science and started commercial diving. More than 5000 dives later, he is certified to teach pretty much anything under water and held the world record for the deepest dive back in 2007 - over 250m deep. He said that he would have 3 minutes after these dives to get to a decompression tank and spend sometimes weeks inside since it would take too long to do all of the safety stops while under water. Crazy pants. 

Anyway, I am sad to be saying goodbye to Dahab, but it's time to return to Cairo and hang out with Momster and my little sister before heading out on the next leg of my trip in about a week. 

Look out Thailand, I'm comin for ya ;)

Return to Dahab, Egypt

Hi friends! 

Hope you are all having a wunderbar week so far :)

I ended up getting a ride back to Dahab with the diving guys after our diving trip to Hurhada over the weekend. I mentioned it before, but weekends here are Friday and Saturday, so it is already mid-week for us here. 

Not that it really matter for me these days - I tend to lose track of the days. Which, if you have never experienced this before, is probably the most amazing feeling ever. 

I can officially say with confidence that I would not - I repeat NOT - recommend making the drive from Hurghada to Cairo to Sinai all in one go. 

It took us about 7 hours to get back to Katameya, where my mom lives. We had to drop some people off in Ma'adi beforehand, and got stuck at a couple of check points. I have gotten used to multiplying the time that you expect something to take by two...

Anyway, I ran in and packed my bag - I've gotten very fast at doing this - and grabbed some snacks and then off we went. 

Falafel sandwich. My fav. 

My compadres for the trip included the driver, Mohammed, one of the owners of the diving center* we go through, Bassem, and George, who heard that we were driving back to Dahab and met us on the side of the highway at about midnight. Too funny. 

*Note: if ever you are thinking of doing any diving in Dahab, Ras Mohammed or Sharm (they can also hook you up with boat diving in Hurghada or Alexandria) def check out Aventure Spot diving center in Dahab (www.adventurespot-dahab.com) - they are the bestest! 

Anyway, the drive itself was a bit crazy. I have only ever made the trip with a van-load of other foreigners, but I was riding solo this time (although obviously in good hands). 

We stopped at a random restaurant area just before the tunnel going under the Suez to wait for Bassem's brother, Abdu, who had dropped off the American teachers. We took tea and had sandwiches - a white hotdog bun with a couple of slices of Egyptian cheese (not to be confused with Canadian cheese - it all tastes a bit funky to me here, but I felt rude to say no). 

Once the drivers had eaten their full and had a couple of teas, we headed towards the tunnel. They said that the next check point would determine whether we would make good time to Dahab or not. We stopped at the check point and the driver turned on the van's lights inside to show that I was there. He spoke to the soldier out the window and all I understood was 'Canadian'. 

We pulled up and a group of soldiers, wielding huge guns, opened the sliding doors. One of the guys started to go through my purse, taking everything out one by one and checking to make sure I wasn't carrying anything - alcohol, drugs or guns. Once he was satisfied I had nothing, he said something to the guys and they laughed and closed the door. I asked what he said: mthey said you take care of this girl, and we said don't worry we will and slammed the door'. 

Oh boy. 

We went on and had to stop every half hour at a check point, so it was a sleepless night for me. It went smoothly though, and we arrived in Dahab at around 8am - a good amount of time considering they had to explain why I was there every time. 

Needless to say, I had a loooong nap  once we arrived. I'm staying at the diving studios at a cute little apartment with a kitchen. 

Looking forward to a week of relaxing by the Red Sea :) 

Diving at the Underwater Canyon and the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt

Hi friends! 

It's been another couple of days since I posted an update. We are still in Dahab, Egypt and are just packing up our stuff and getting ready to move to another hotel in Dahab on the north shore where there are legit white sand beaches and kite surfing galore - so excited to get my tan on! I already have the craziest tan lines from wearing random shirts during our many (many) activities, so I have to even it out a bit ;) 

Diving the Underwater Canyon and the Blue Hole 

On January 3, we decided to go for another dive. 

Because we're addicted ;)

We went to the underwater canyon, which I did as my first check dive way back when (how many days ago was that?! Haha the days are kind of getting away with me...).  It was super cool diving here again, although we weren't able to go down into the canyon this time, but we saw the bubbles that floated up through the ground from all of the divers in the canyon below. 

We then went over to the blue hole, obviously riding in the back of the trucks. I've literally neve had so many rides in the back of a pickup truck before in my life. Loves it! 

I think that the blue hole was my fav dive so far - it's this large 'hole' in the middle if the ocean. We went down the 'chimney', which is a big tunnel - I went down the second part as well with another guy that we were diving with, which took us down to about 35 meters below the surface. Crazy cray. 

It's weird because you can actually feel your mind processes slowing down a bit when you're that far under water. 

We then met up with the rest of the group and went along the side of the blue hole and saw some of the most beautiful coral that I've ever seen. 

Another successful diving day!

Biking in Dahab, Egypt

Hi friends! 

Hope you are all doing well :) 

I woke up this morning and went for a run along the Red Sea in Dahab. 

I can't get enough of this view! 

After breakfast and a bit of time lazing around in the sun, my family and I rented some bikes to see a bit more of the town. 

We ended up riding along the beach, which was tricky but so beautiful. 

We stopped to watch some kiddies fishing. 

And then continued on our way

So many pretty sights. Our bikes were pretty brutal - my chain fell off three times and had no gears to speak of - but it was a fun way to sightsee all the same! 

Made me miss Mr Blue, my bike at home, a bit. But let's be honest - ain't nobody biking at home in the minus 40C snowy weather ;) 

Sorry, that was mean. Sending warmth to everyone back home!