Anyone been to Egypt ?

[Easy 10]

Trying to decide on the honeymoon destination at the moment (in August). I'm kicking around the idea of Sharm al Sheikh, as price-wise it seems quite reasonable compared with the more mainstream Canaries / Balaerics / Greek isles. And its a lifelong ambition of mine to visit the Valley of the Kings and the pyrmaids. I'm not all that keen on bombs though.

Anyone been ? Recommended ? Or wouldn't you touch it with a shitty stick ? Looks like George is eyeing up a new campaign in Iran at the moment, so if that kicks off between now and then, I guess I'll stick with the Isle of Wight. But assuming we havn't descended into armageddon between now and August, I'd be interested in your thoughts / opinions.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Even my thoughts?

 

[Easy 10]

Very much so. I had you in mind as I compiled it MB, despite our differences over George Michael.

 

[Caveman]

It’s too pharaoh way for me.

 

[aftershavedave]

went to hurgada a couple of years ago which i'm told is a bit like sharm...ie nice enough to relax in but not much to see apart from the red sea.

we took a bus from the local market for £2 (guided visit was £50!)to luxor and the valley of kings, tut etc and stayed overnight. perfectly safe and friendly people.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Very much so. I had you in mind as I compiled it MB, despite our differences over George Michael.

hehe

Cool.
I've not been to Egypt, so i can't give you any first-hand experience, but i've always thought it to be the most romantic place. The temperature, the people (from what i have heard) and the history ought to make it a time you'll never forget, which i suppose is what you want from a honeymoon.
I'm sure the Canaries are nice and all to relax after the stress of wedding organisation, but to have an adventure together at the outset of your union would be wicked. Sets a beautiful tone, i think.

 

[Highfields Seagull]

I've been to Luxor and visited the valley of the Kings/Queens and some nearby temples and it was excellent. The Pyramids are nowhere near this part of Egypt.

One thing I would say, if you are going in August it will be very very hot. I think I went either late July or early August and day time temperatures were around 40-45C. To have any chance of doing anything in this sort of heat, we'd get up really early and do stuff before it got too hot, then go back to our hotel for a siesta (air-con is a must). We'd then go back out again in the evening when it had cooled down a bit again.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Trying to decide on the honeymoon destination at the moment (in August). I'm kicking around the idea of Sharm al Sheikh, as price-wise it seems quite reasonable compared with the more mainstream Canaries / Balaerics / Greek isles. And its a lifelong ambition of mine to visit the Valley of the Kings and the pyrmaids. I'm not all that keen on bombs though.

Anyone been ? Recommended ? Or wouldn't you touch it with a shitty stick ? Looks like George is eyeing up a new campaign in Iran at the moment, so if that kicks off between now and then, I guess I'll stick with the Isle of Wight. But assuming we havn't descended into armageddon between now and August, I'd be interested in your thoughts / opinions.

How about Eilat? It's right at the bottom of Israel, with the Jordanian border at one end of the beach and the Egyptian border at the other. You can do trips to both from Eilat. Plus there's a wee airport that does internal flights to Jerusalem. Eilat also has a really cool underwater observatory, some of the best reefs outside of the Great Barrier Reef, it seems to be left completely unscathed by all parties involved in the scraps in the region and all in all it's pretty laid back.

 

[caz99]

sharm el sheikh is supposed to be very nice, however they did bomb the hilton there last year. there are a few places round the red sea that are very cheap.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Not been to the Valley of the Kings but I have been to Cairo a couple of times. Fascinating city, loads of people and traffic, and the Museum there is stuffed full of amazing stuff (unless you, like me, happened to go at a time when the Tutenkhamun stuff was on display in London!)

But one thing is for sure. You WILL get the shits! No matter what precautions you take, I promise! Don't have any drink with ice in it, only clean your teeth with bottled water, don't eat any fruit or salad that may have been washed, but still allow three extra days for a dose of the squitters!

Personally I was a bit dissapointed in the pyramids. They are right at the end of a dual carriageway and on the edge of an unattractive part of the city, but I think they are one of the things everybody should see and make their own minds up. Would have been much more impressive many years ago when presumably they were effectively out in the desert (a totally useless piece of information for you unless you have a time machine ) The Son & Lumiere was good though.

 

[Curious Orange]

Went to Cairo as part of a school trip many years ago. The pyramids and sphynx are facsinating. Cairo Museum is well worth a visit too, never seen so much gold in one place before or since in my life.

 

[gts big bruv]

Went a couple of years ago ,did the works .5 day nile cruise from Aswan to luxor ,absolutley brilliant guided tours to every temple relic ,but be prepared to get up early as they start at 6 in morning! ,5 days in Hurgardah (not a lot there apart from diving and tended to have random powercuts) and then on to cairo which was a bit of a dissapointment KFC about 30 yards from the Sphinxs.
The Egyptians are great people ,but take lots of change as you have to tip for everthing ,even handed 3 sheets of toilet paper as you go into the toilet cost a pound (Egyptian ) and as i had the trotts most of the time it was quite expensive !

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Personally I was a bit dissapointed in the pyramids. They are right at the end of a dual carriageway and on the edge of an unattractive part of the city

Picky or WHAT

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Been to Cairo and Alexandria three times. Never had the shits... but that's probably because I've a stainless steel stomach after so much travelling. The food in Egypt is fantastic... especially fish if you're by the sea.

The musuem in Cairo is worth the whole trip on its own. The pyramids were a bit of a dissapointment.... you get harassed constantly and there isn't that much to see.. Son et lumiere fantastic though.

Wouldn't worry about the terrorism angle. you've got more chance of being hit by a car crossing the road than being involved in a terrorist 'action'. Take that from someone who has had the experience of the real thing.

As always I would still reccomend Turkey over absolutely anything else on offer.... but I'm biased

 

[Man of Harveys]

I was in Sharm for two weeks in November just gone. It was brilliant: cheap, sunny with amazing scuba diving with fantastic instructors. Shark Bay was where we learnt. It's very easy and cheap to get flights to Cairo and Luxor with Egypt Air from Sharm but be sure to book them directly with the airline as the small travel agents around the place just herd you into silly day trips, which is a hopelessly inadequate amount of time for either place.

I'm a cynical, embittered and frankly fairly unpleasant old git. But I've never seen anything as strikingly awe-inspiring as the pyramids - the only remaining one of the seven wonders of the world in not to be sneezed at. We only meant to go for an hour or two but ended up spending the whole day there just taking them in. Amazing doesn't do them justice.

 

[Superphil]

One thing I would say, if you are going in August it will be very very hot. I think I went either late July or early August and day time temperatures were around 40-45C. To have any chance of doing anything in this sort of heat, we'd get up really early and do stuff before it got too hot, then go back to our hotel for a siesta (air-con is a must). We'd then go back out again in the evening when it had cooled down a bit again.

It really willl be sooooo hot in August, I seriously suggest you think of somewhere else unless you really can cope with the heat.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

You must go to Luxor. Valley of the Kings and Queens are breathtakingly superb. Carnack ( not sure about spelling) Temple ( part of the James Bond film with Jaws in and Barbara Bach, huge fan, was filmed there) is the best cultural thing I've ever seen ( or will be until Falmer is built). There are also some very good hotels in Luxor so plenty of time to chill by the pool or be with your lady wife.

Cario's pretty cool but it's pretty intense getting around. The Pyramids are ok but I was a bit disappointed after all the hype.
Aswan is ok although a long way south. Not much to do there really and again I thought the Dam was a let down.

But Easy 10 be warned, it will be absolutely boiling in August so be preapred for lots of early starts as you really don't want to be the mad Englishman in the mid day sun there.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Funny things, opinions. Sully and I agree the Pyramids were disappointing (spelt it correctly this time ) while Curious and MOH found them fascinating.
The answer? Go see for yourself, make up your own mind (then you can bore other people on here with your opinons like we all are )

 

[Man of Harveys]

O ye underappreciators of the great pyramids, just think about this: until as recently as the 19th century, the great pyramid at Giza was still the tallest building in the world - I think it might only have been overtaken by the Eiffel Tower.

The time of the birth of Christ is actually nearer to our own time than it is to the time of the construction of the pyramids at Giza - it is quite something to walk around in a 4,500 year old room deep inside a man-made mountain of stone. Even if a German hippy does suddenly does start singing, as happened to us.

And to expect them to be in the middle of the desert in splendid isolation for tourism's benefit, rather than being part of the urban sprawl of modern Cairo is a bit romanticised - it's a bit like being disappointed that not all Indian people ride around on elephants and do rope tricks or that Chinese people don't have pigtails and talk like Charlie Chan.

The Egyptians have done well at least to preserve the other side of the pyramids as desert. I actually found the contrast of a modern cityscape - with TV towers, 60s skyscrapers etc, with the unmistakable profiles of those pyramids part of the mix unforgettable.

 

[Easy 10]

Brilliant, thanks for all the advice and opinions peeps. This place is such a fountain of knowledge on EVERYTHING.

I've seen a few package deals where you can stay for a week at a hotel in Sharm al Sheikh, and within that week you get a 2 night excursion stopover in Cairo to go and see the sights, which sounds ideal. I would have sex with a camel if it meant spending a day in the Valley of the Kings, it sounds awesome. But then again, I'd have sex with a camel just to get Sky Sports in my hotel room.

Think I'll do it.