Category Archives: Travel in Egypt

E is for EgyptAir

EgyptAir is the country’s national airline and is celebrating it’s 80th birthday this month! While I have only flown internationally with EgyptAir a handful of times, I am becoming quite a frequent flyer on their Cairo-Sharm El Sheikh route operated by EgyptAir Express. The bilingual in-flight magazine, Horus, ran a feature article on the history of the company.

A few highlights from the historic timeline of EgyptAir:

  • May 7, 1932 – “Misr Airwork” is founded.
  • 1933 – In two 4-seat passenger planes, regular flights are scheduled between Cairo – Alexandria – Marsa Matrouh.
  • 1936 – First airline to land in Jeddah and El Medinah in Saudi Arabia
  • 1946 – Company is nationalized and renamed “Misr Air”
  • 1960 – Misr Air is renamed “United Arab Airlines”; first long-distance direct flight from Cairo to London
  • 1971 – “EgyptAir” is decided on as the international name for the company
  • 2005 – E-tickets introduced
  • 2007 – EgyptAir Express is established
  • 2008 – Became an official member of the Star Alliance Group, the first Arab airline to do so
  • Today – EgyptAir flies to 79 international destinations and 12 local cities, with over 1500 weekly flights. The  newest fleet of airplanes can carry more than 300 passengers. A big change from the original 4!

E is for Ecolodge

Egypt is home to several ecolodges, each with its own unique style. You can stay at an oasis ecolodge in Siwa, Dakhla, or Bahariya. There are several ecolodges along the Red Sea coast near Marsa Alam. Aswan and Wadi Natrun also boast ecolodges. And, of course, there’s Sinai – where Basata, an ecolodge on the coast between Taba and Nuweiba, is a well-known getaway for adventurous Cairenes. There are also two ecolodges located in St. Katherine’s Protectorate – one of them being Mt. Sinai Ecolodge, pictured above.  We just returned from a gorgeous weekend at the lodge! And a fantastic hike to the top of Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa). It’s a great time to visit Sinai – we pretty much had the summit to ourselves. :-)

T is for Tourist Attractions (and, yes, most of them are safe)

Well, needless to say, a lot has happened here in Egypt over the past several weeks. If you haven’t heard, there’s been a revolution. (Those are not words I ever thought I’d type!) The Egyptian Revolution of 2011, also being called the 25 January Revolution, led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak on Friday, February 11.  Mubarak handed over power to The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

The army and Egyptian citizens are beginning to rebuild their government and repair the damages (physical, financial, and emotional) to the country and her people.  One of the areas severely hurt was, of course, tourism. Many tourists and foreign residents left the country during the protests and clashes. But Egypt would like you to know that most of the tourist attractions are safe and open for business! In fact, many of the attractions and seaside resorts remained quiet and free of protests the whole time.

Visit the Egyptian Tourist Authority to learn more about the amazing tourist attractions and destinations that the country boasts. There’s the Nile Valley with Marsa Martrouh, El Alamein, Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan. You can travel to Sinai and visit Taba, Nuweiba, Dahab, or Sharm el Sheikh. There’s also Ras Mohamed National Park and St. Catherine’s Monastery. For real adventurers, desert safaris in the Western Desert, Sahara, or Sinai are a must! These safaris are my top choice. What’s yours?

Spread the word…Egypt awaits!

Facebook user? Considering clicking ‘yes’ to attending this Support The Tourism in Egypt event.

T: Taxis

A typical street scene in Cairo – a driver and his taxi waiting for a passenger! Black and white are the usual colors of Cairo cabs…but if you look behind this taxi, you’ll see what looks like an older, all-white taxi. Some may be all-black. Private cab companies have popped up in the last few years and their color of choice is yellow. And white is the color of the “new taxis”: the government has been buying old run-down taxis from the drivers and giving them incentives to purchase new and better-running cars. The best thing about the new taxis – working meters!! Now, there’s a change for the better. :-)

You can get to most places within Ma’adi for between LE 3 – 6 ($.55 – $1.06).

Don’t want to hail your own taxi? Try one of the private companies:

The Blue Cab – one of the private cab companies in Cairo – great for arranging late night trips to the airport!

Cairo International Taxi – taxi service within Greater Cairo

Cairo Taxi – from Cairo airport to your hotel, including assistance with luggage, navigating customs, etc.

Travel Etiquette

Travel Etiquette for Tourists in Egypt

by Guest Contributor Nick Steele

Egypt is the most popular tourist destination in the Middle East. Almost everyone wants to see the pyramids or take an Egypt Cruise on the Nile. It’s a country with a long and rich cultural history; however, the behaviors and customs are different from those in the United States or Europe. The old saying about being like a Roman when in Rome is particularly true in Middle Eastern countries like Egypt.

Family and religion are of utmost importance to Egyptians, so a major consideration when visiting Egypt is that the main religion is Islam and much of the social customs and etiquette are influenced by this fact. This means that certain foods and substances will be avoided by devout Muslims. These include alcohol, drugs of any kind and pork. In the areas where there are a large number of tourists, Egyptians will likely not be offended if you drink alcohol in their presence; however, it is good etiquette to only drink moderately in these circumstances.

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