Egypt

Bedouin Dining by the Beach
One of the main attractions of Dahab is the unique on-the-ground dining experience. Many restaurants offer a Bedouin like, laid back setting of large colourful cushions and low tables placed close to the beach.
Most of these restaurants have also fish stalls where you will be asked to choose your fish and have it prepared the way you like it. The food is exquisite and quite cheap. After finishing your meal, you can just lean back on the cushions and relax for as long as you wish.

The 1001 Nights Show
The “Alf Layla wa Layla” or “1001 Night” show is an event you just can’t miss on your vacation in Hurghada, on the Red Sea. The show is held daily at the open-air theatre in Hurghada.

This exotic and very oriental spectacle depicts scenes from the Pharaonic era, ancient cults and the legend of Scheherazade. The performance includes sound & light effects, traditional Nubian music played on drums, horse riders and belly dancers. The show is preceded by a Traditional Egyptian dinner.

The Pharaonic Village
Spend a day in Ancient Egypt at The Pharaonic Village. Walk around and meet everyone from the Pharaohs to the pyramid workers, the boat makers to the farmers; learn about how they lived and spent their time under the Ancient Egyptian sun.

You will find out how people were mummified, what they believed, and why they built the beautiful monuments that people have been travelling to Egypt to see for centuries. A day in The Pharaonic Village will enable you to better understand the temples, pyramids, and tombs that you will be seeing on your Egypt vacation.

Cleopatra’s Beach
Cleopatra’s Beach is a wonderful bay located on the opposite side of the biggest lagoon in MarsaMatrouh; its clear waters surrounded by rocks give the impression of a vast, square pool in which, according to the legend, Cleopatra came to bathe – with her lover, Mark Anthony.

Ruins of one of her palaces were uncovered on the hillside opposite the pool and it seems that a subterranean passage lead from the “villa” to the beach, perhaps allowing cosy midnight swims!

Nile Cruise
Cruise from Aswan to Luxor and go for brief felucca sailing excursions to visit world renowned monuments and secluded islands. During the first two days, you’ll get to explore the High Dam, the Granite Quarries and sail to the Temple of Philae and KomOmbo.

You also have the option to sail the Nile by felucca around Kitchener’s Island to visit the famous botanical garden. During day three, you’ll love the Horus Temple of Edfu and the Galabiya party. During day four, you’ll see the best of Luxor, visiting the Temple of Karnak, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Valley of the Kings and Queens, and Luxor Temple.

Coptic Christmas – January
Following the Coptic calendar Christians in Egypt fast for 43 days from the 25th of November to the 6th of January in celebration of the fast which Moses endured when he received the Ten Commandments. During this fast the Coptic Christians refrain from eating products such as meat, poultry, eggs and milk. On the last day of the fast there is a church service at midnight which in Cairo is addressed by the Coptic Pope in honour of the Coptic Nativity. People wear new clothes and after the church bells are rung marking the end of the fast many Coptic Christians head home to begin their feast and exchange gifts whilst meeting family and friends.

Cairo Book Fair- January to February
The popular Book Fair not only offers a wide range of publications, it also has a number of exhibitions and literary activities, providing the fair with a great deal of versatility and interest. Well known local and international authors, publishers and distributors are present at the fair which is one of the biggest literary events to take place in Egypt. The event features lectures, readings, book signing and panel discussions on a range of topics and often presented in a variety of languages as well. Past speakers have included Anthony Horowitz, David Almond and Quentin Cooper.

Sun Festival at Abu Simbel – February & October
Ramses II built his temple at Abu Simbel so that the internal chamber would light up two times a year: once on the anniversary of his ascension to the throne (in February, around the 22nd), and once on his birthday (in October, around the 22nd). Every year during the Sun Festival, crowds gather before sunrise to observe the stream of light gradually sneaking through the stone and enlightening the statuettes of Ramses, Ra and Amun in the central chamber. Only the statue of Ptah– the god of darkness – remains in the shade even on these two special days of the year!

Spring Festival – March to April
The Spring Festival is a long celebrated national festival that dates back 2700 BC with the ancient Egyptians who celebrated it as Sham Ennisim which was a day of renewal or creation of life. Now the festival is known as Sham El Nessim, which means smelling the air, which is thought to be beneficial on this day. Many Egyptians will travel to the countryside, public parks and gardens or along the bank of the river Nile to relax and take in the beneficial air. It is also popular for people to take picnics and dine outside, with salted fish,onions, lettuce and beautifully coloured boiled eggs all traditional items that often feature on the menu and symbolise good health, luck, fertility and hope.

Ramadan – July to August
Ramadan is a special time for Muslims as it was during this time that God revealed the first verses of the Quar’an to the prophet Muhammed. During Ramadan Muslims fast from dawn through to sunset and are not permitted to eat, drink alcohol, sin or smoke during this time, with exceptions for the very sick, elderly or young who do not have to partake in fasting. Colourful lanterns are displayed both within people’s homes, inside mosques and on the streets during the month of Ramadan making many of the cities streets incredibly bright and colourful. Many tourist sites and attractions will often open late and close early during this time. The feast of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan with families gathering together for a large celebratory meal.

Cairo International Film Festival – November to December
The prestigious International Film Festival was first held in 1976 and continues to attract some of the most renowned figures from the film world. There are three main competition categories during the festival – one for Digital Film, International Film and Arabic Film that draw in competitors from around the world. There are also many other awards for internationally renowned actors and directors that have in the past included the likes of Nicolas Cage, Peter O’Toole and Richard Gere.

Pyramids of Giza
Located just outside of the outskirts of Cairo on the esplanade known as the Giza Plateau, the Great Pyramids of Giza is the must-see Ancient Egyptian landmark. The Khufu’s Pyramid, is the greatest pyramid of the complex: a truly overwhelming sight. It is the only surviving wonder of the ancient world ! When gazing at this colossal structure, there’s no way to escape the feeling of being dwarfed…The two smaller – but still huge – pyramids in Giza are those of Khafre and Menkaure. A few steps to the east you will notice three small (20 m high) piles of rumble: the queens’ pyramids, tombs of Khufu’s wives and sisters.

Nearby, on the Giza Plateau, you’ll also find the Great Sphinx and the Solar Boat Museum. The site is also where the Sound & Light Show at Giza takes place, and where every newcomer to Egypt experiences Giza camel rides for the first time.

Karnak
The sound and light show at the Karnak Temple complex narrates the achievements of great Pharaohs, while describing the great treasures of ancient Thebes.

Elephantine Island
Probably the most beautiful place to visit in Aswan! The Elephantine island is a truly paradisiacal spot with wonderful gardens and some truly significant artifacts.

It is a great place to spend some leisure time, wandering among the colorful houses of the Nubian villages Siou and Koti, fishing in the Nile, or having a picnic on the river banks.

Philae Island
The ancient island of Philae was a sacred center for the cult of Isis and the location of a great temple complex now known as Philae Temple. For millennia, Philea Island attracted pilgrims from all over the world. It was flooded and eventually became fully submerged after the creation of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser.

The flooding prompted the UNESCO initiative to preserve the magnificent Temple of Philae. It was dismantled and relocated to Agilkia Island, which was renamed Philae Island. Take a felucca cruise to sail to Philae Island and see the magnificent Ancient Egyptian ruins.

Catacombs of Kom el-Shouqafa
Initially the Catacombs were built for a single wealthy family practicing a fusion of Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman religion; the Catacombs of Kom el-Shouqafa entombed over 300 mummies.

See bearded serpents crowned with the crowns of upper and lower Egypt, the hovering solar disc above the archway and customary funerary deities joined with Graeco-Roman motifs. The catacombs are a monumental testament to the enduring myths of Ancient Egypt despite centuries of Greek and Roman rule. Kom el-Shoqqafa means literally “piles of shreds.” It was discovered by pure chance in 1900 when a donkey drawn cart fell into a pit.

Cleopatra’s Palace
There’s something magical about Cleopatra’s Palace where legend has it that Mark Anthony and Cleopatra declared their love in 37 BC. Next to the ruins of the ancient palace, you can also see some of Cleopatra’s sun boats, around which are littered dozens of clay amphorae that once contained wheat or wine depending on their shape and size.

Your diving instructor will probably tell you that, if a woman throws a penny or a flower in the water at this particular spot her wish about her loved one will come true! And nobody said men can’t try it as well.

Jeans
The song ‘Ajooba’ was shot at The Great Sphinx Of Giza, Giza, Egypt.
The movie is all about Vishu and Ramu who are a pair of Indian twins living in America with their father, Rajamani. Madhumita (Aishwarya Rai) and her brother come to America to get medical treatment for their ailing grandmother. Vishu falls in love with Madhumita, and the couple has everyone’s blessing, except for Rajamani, who is estranged from his own twin brother. He only wants his sons to marry twin sisters, so Madhumita pretends to have a twin in order to please him. As Madhumita puts on a charade by creating Vaishnavi, all goes well, until Ramu falls in love with Vaishnavi. Now the truth must come out, before Madhumita has to marry both of Rajamani’s twin sons.

Kabhi Khushi Khabhi Gham
The Song ‘Suraj hua madham’ was shot in Bahriya & The Great Pyramids, Giza Plateau, Giza Egypt.

The movie is all about YashwardhanRaichand who is a man who has always followed traditions. He believes that the parents take the best decisions for their children. So when his foster son Rahul falls in love with a peppy middle-class girl Anjali, Yashwardhan disowns him. This creates a rift between the two egotistical men. Rahul marries Anjali, moves to London with her and her younger sister Pooja. Years later, Rahul’s younger brother Rohan arrives in London, determined to reunite his family.

Maine Dil Tujhko Diya
The song ’ Thoda sa pyar hua hai’ was shot in Bahriya, Egypt
The story revolves around Mr. Varma who is a very wealthy businessman and would like his only daughter Ayesha Verma to be married to his business associate Chopra’s son Raman Chopra. But soon Ayesha starts to attend college and falls in love with Ajay. Ajay is responsible for the College’s security and has many enemies, one of which is Bhai-Jaan who threatens to have him eliminated after the festival of EID is celebrated. Due to Ajay’s hot temper, Mr. Varma disapproves of him as his son-in-law, but Ajay is dedicated to winning his love, Ayesha and will do so under any condition.

Singh Is King
The song ‘Teri ore’ was shot at The Great Sphinx and Pyramids, Giza, Egypt.
The song ‘Jee Karda’ was shot at The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut – Deir El Bahri, Egypt.

The story is a comic caper about Happy Singh, a Punjabi villager who goes through a series of misadventures and eventually becomes the King of the Australian underworld.

The Mummy
Most of the movie was shot all over Egypt showing the beautiful country.
The story is about an American serving in the French Foreign Legion on an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Hamunaptra. An English librarian called Evelyn Carnahan becomes interested in starting an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Hamunaptra. She gains the help of Rick O’Connell, after saving him from his death. What Evelyn, her brother Jonathan and Rick are unaware of is that another group of explorers are interested in the same dig. Unfortunately for everyone, this group ends up unleashing a curse which been laid on the dead High Priest Imhotep. Now ‘The Mummy’ is awake and it’s going to take a lot more than guns to send him back from where he came from.

The Mummy Returns
This sequel to The Mummy was also shot all over Egypt and once again showcased the beautiful country.
Many years ago, in Ancient Egypt, the Scorpion King led a menacing army, but when he sold his soul to Anubis, he was erased from history. Now he is only a myth…or is he? Rick and Evelyn O’Connell are still discovering new artefacts, along with their 8 year old son Alex. They discover the Bracelet of Anubis but someone else is after the bracelet. High Priest Imhotep has been brought back from the dead for a second time and wants the bracelet to control the Scorpion King’s army. Imhotep has Alex and with the bracelet attached to him Alex doesn’t have long to live. Rick & Evelyn must save their son.

Aswan Bird Watching
Sailing the Nile River on a felucca gives you great bird watching opportunities. You’ll be able to spot the Green Heron, migratory water birds such as the Egyptian Goose and hope for a chance encounter with Black Kites as they circle above the west bank of the Nile.

You might also spot Egyptian Vultures – a rare sight.

Blue Desert
Located a few kilometres from St. Catherine’s Monastery, the Blue Desert is a 14 km area where rock formations in the desert were painted by Jean Vera Me in 1980 to commemorate the peace between Egypt and Israel following the 1979 Camp David Peace Accord.

The contrast between the yellowish-brown sandstone and the blue painted rocks looks like an extremely vivid desert mirage.

El-Omayed Biosphere Reserve
One of Egypt’s two national parks, the Omayed national park covers over 700 sq. km of the Mediterranean Coastal Desert. The El-Omayed Biosphere Reserve is abundant with diverse flora.

While protected, there are some areas designated as small scale traditional agriculture and off limit zones that are clearly demarcated. El-Omayed Biosphere has stunning limestone ridges, coastal dunes, steep depressions and a massive inland plateau. Here you’ll find endemic plants such as the Echinopstaeckholmianus and endangered plants such as the Four-toed Jerboa, otherwise known as Allactaga tetradactyla.

Coloured Canyon
One of the natural wonders of the Sinai, the Coloured Canyon can be visited from Taba. It’s a maze of sandstone rocks in hues of yellow, purple, red, magenta and gold reaching up in some places a height of 40 meters.
The uneven forms and height of the rocks sometimes make climbing necessary, so be prepared and try to get there as early as possible, not only because of the weather but also to avoid the crowds. Although you may decide that the magic of the place is best enjoyed when you are on your own, with a guided tour of the Canyon you do not risk getting lost amidst the hue of colours.

Ras Mohammed National Park
Ras Mohammed is the most famous national park in Egypt and one of the most famous diving sites in the world. A national park that is located between the rich coral reefs of the Red Sea and the inland desert of the Sinai – it covers the coral headland at the southernmost tip of Sinai.
At the southern end of the headland there is a small stand of Mangrove (Avicennia marina). Beneath the crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea there are coral reefs teeming with life and a diversity of species. Slightly further offshore you could spot dolphins, including Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus). The area hosts White Stork (Ciconiaciconia), during their annual migrations.

El-Gouna Shopping
El-Gouna is a holiday shopper’s paradise with its lively outlets in the downtown area, souvenirs, ethnic or high fashion, you can find it all here.

El-Gouna’s downtown vicinity offers a variety of interesting and exotic shopping arcades, bazaars and boutiques, as well as cafes, bars and restaurants. Either of these would be a welcome break during your shopping spree.

Bir Sigam & Bir Sitta Hot Springs
Soak in the heat at Bir Sigam, a hot spring that can help overcome rheumatism. Located at 7 km east of Bahariya on the Cairo road, the spring is usually crowded in the day but empty at night.

Take to the hot springs after a hard safari through the White Desert. Bir Sitta helps relieve back pain and joint ache after camel riding. The large hot bath contains traces of sulfur, which is said to aid muscle and joint recovery. It is about 5 kilometers from the main town and easy to reach by car.

Cleopatra’s Pool
One of the most famous attractions in Siwa is Cleopatra’s pool, a stone pool fed by a natural hot spring, where the Egyptian queen herself is said to have swam on her visit to Siwa.

Tourists have all been doing the same for years now; after all, a nice swim is so refreshing after a hot summer day tour!

Egyptian Cuisine
When it comes to food, Egyptians know how to delight. They are exceptionally generous natured, you should never expect to be fed small portions and always be prepared for unexpected extras on the house, such as freshly baked bread and dips, or a refreshing after-meal cup of “karkadeh” (hibiscus tea).

Egyptian cuisine caters to all types of palates, including hard-core carnivores, vegetarians and vegans. It might not be as diversified as other Middle-Eastern cuisines, but it is simple and tasty and mostly comprises of vegetables, herbs, lamb and chicken.

Khan al Khalili
This centuries-old souk in the heart of old Cairo is a must for anyone who has the shopping bug or just wants to experience the real hustle and bustle of an Arab city. Take cash and sharpen your bargaining skills.

This is the best place in town to buy novelty T-shirts, souvenirs with your name printed in hieroglyphics and those little bottles of coloured sand that have pictures of camels in them.