We were only in Egypt once and not recently but yes we did extend our trip to enjoy the sights. We figured, when are we likely to get back here? I am glad that we did because it was pretty amazing.
We flew Alitalia from the Midwestern US and changed planes in Milan. We considered spending topside time in Italy but then decided that we were more likely to get back to Italy some day than Egypt and so we wanted to spend our time in that historic region. We were there shortly after 9/11 and we haven't been back.
We flew to Cairo and connected to Sharm-el-Sheik; it was a long trip. We spent a couple of days relaxing in Sharm and then boarded the liveaboard for a week of wonderful diving. After leaving the liveaboard we traveled back to Cairo and enjoyed the local culture and sights.
The Egyptian Museum is vast and amazing, the Pyramids and Sphinx are fabulous but I regret taking a horse cart ride to see them because the driver kept beating the horse mercilessly (I had to threaten "no tip" to get him to stop), the bazar in old Cairo was a fun experience, too.
Don't waste your time at the Pyramid light show at night. It may look cool in the James Bond film but it's really hokey. We didn't venture inside the pyramids because you had to stoop and almost crawl through tunnels and up rickety ladders. But my husband did succumb and took a camel ride and it was a high-point for him!
Now I wish that we had spent more time and traveled further afield, maybe to Luxor or Karnak or go to Petra in Jordan. It was a wonderful trip, we met many fantastic local people, and the diving was fabulous - but concerns about the current political situation have kept us from going back. I'm glad that we went when we did.
A few other comments. We were often accosted by aggressive street vendors and I didn't care for that but you just have to politely and firmly decline.
We bought some lovely items at excellent prices. I am not usually a big shopper when we go on vacation, but this was a special trip. I got a beautiful lapis necklace, perfume, and lovely Egyptian glass ornaments and bottles.
I was not a big fan of the food but it was okay and usually pretty inexpensive. I get tired of couscous and falafel. Alcohol is not readily available in Egypt and it is expensive. You can usually get a drink in hotel bars but it will be pricey. You should drink bottled water and be careful about food and water borne illnesses. Some fast food places were available at that time, I remember eating at a Burger King and seeing a TGIF on a river barge.
The Nile was terribly polluted and I wouldn't even want to dip my hand into it. Traffic in Cairo was insane, the city has the population of NYC in half the space and many areas of great poverty. If it is a two-lane street there will be at least 5 lanes including bicycles and donkeys. Traffic lights are more of an opportunity to speed up and honk your horn! Cars only use their parking lights at night, not their headlights. My husband usually likes a challenge but even he didn't want to rent a car and drive in Egypt.
We were there during October and the weather was fantastic, hot but never humid during the day and cool at night. The water temp was in the upper 70s, around 78. I understand that the air temp can be brutally hot during the summer months.
As I said, it was a long time ago so things may have changed, but it was a wonderful experience. I'm so glad that we did it!
