Frommer's Egypt

345 Pages·2008·3.982 MB·English

by  Matthew Carrington

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Egypt
1st Edition
by Matthew Carrington
Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s:
“Amazingly easy to use.Very portable,very complete.”
—Booklist
“Detailed,accurate,and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.”
—Glamour Magazine
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—Des Moines Sunday Register
“Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.”
—Knight Ridder Newspapers
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About the Author
Matthew Carringtonhas lived and worked in the Middle East as an editor, writer, and,
most recently, photographer, for the last 10 years. He has done spells as an editor at the
American University Press in Cairo, as publications director at the American Research
Center in Egypt, and as editor of The Cairo Times.He also devoted a year to founding
Egypt’s most frequently censored English-language publication, Cairo Magazine. Work
has taken him to Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Iraq, and his writing and pictures
have appeared (amongst other places) in The Guardian,The Globe and Mail, and The
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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ISBN 978-0-470-25929-0
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Contents
List of Maps vi
1 The Best of Egypt 1
1 The Best Purely Egyptian 7 The Best Budget Hotels . . . . . . . . . . .5
Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8 The Best Restaurants . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
2 The Best of Ancient Egypt . . . . . . . . . .2 9 The Best Christian Cultural Sites . . . . .6
3 The Best Islamic Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 10 The Best Resorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
4 The Best Shopping Experiences . . . . . .3 11 The Best Diving Spots . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
5 The Best High-End Hotels . . . . . . . . . .3 12 The Best Museums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
6 The Best Midrange Hotels . . . . . . . . . .4
2 Planning Your Trip to Egypt 10
1 Regions in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 8 Sustainable Tourism/Ecotourism . . . .36
2 Visitor Information & Maps . . . . . . . .14 Frommers.com: The Complete
3 Entry Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Travel Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
4 When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 9 Staying Connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
5 Getting There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 10 Packages for the Independent
Traveler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
6 General Travel Resources . . . . . . . . .22
11 Escorted General-Interest Tours . . . . .41
The Egyptian Pound, the U.S. Dollar,
the Euro & the British Pound . . . . . .23 12 Getting Around Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . .41
What Things Cost in Egypt . . . . . . . .24 13 Tips on Accommodations . . . . . . . . .43
7 Specialized Travel Resources . . . . . . .31 14 Tips on Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Fast Facts: Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
3 Suggested Egypt Itineraries 55
1 Cairo in 3 Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 5 Western Desert/4-Day
2 Cairo & Alexandria in 5 Days . . . . . .57 Desert Safari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
3 Luxor:3 Days of Ancient Egypt . . . . .58 6 Sinai Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
4 Luxor & Aswan:5 Days
of Ancient Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
4 Active Vacation Planner 65
1 Activities A to Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
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iv CONTENTS
5 Cairo 72
1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 5 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
The 30-Second Taxi 6 Outdoor Activities A to Z . . . . . . . .116
Survival Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 7 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
The Neighborhoods in Brief . . . . . . .77 8 Cairo After Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Coffee Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
3 What to See & Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 9 The Gay & Lesbian Scene . . . . . . . .122
4 Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 10 Day Trips from Cairo . . . . . . . . . . . .122
6 Alexandria & the North Coast 127
1 Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
7 The Sinai Peninsula 156
1 Taba Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 4 St.Catherine’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
2 Nuweiba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 5 Sharm el Sheikh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
3 Dahab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
8 The Red Sea Coast 186
1 Marsa Alam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186 4 Hurghada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202
2 El Quseir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 5 Gouna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
3 Safaga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
9 Upper Egypt 215
1 Luxor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216 A Nile Cruise: Set a Course
Karnak Sound & Light Show . . . . . .225 for History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
Slow Boat to the Past . . . . . . . . . . .228 2 Aswan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
10 The Western Desert 254
1 Siwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 4 Dakhla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277
2 Bahareya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266 5 Kharga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285
3 Farafra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274 Darb al Arbein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288
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CONTENTS v
Appendix A:Egypt in Depth 292
1 History 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 2 Egypt Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306
Dateline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293 3 Recommended Reading . . . . . . . . .309
In the Beginning: The Story 4 Egyptian Food & Drink . . . . . . . . . .311
of Egyptian Cosmology . . . . . . . . . .299 5 Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .312
Who’s Who: A Guide to the
6 Arts & Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Key Gods & Pharaohs . . . . . . . . . . .302
Appendix B:Useful Terms & Phrases 318
Hieroglyphs: An Ancient Mystery . . .319 2 Menu Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .322
1 Basic Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319 3 Travel Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .324
Index 327
General Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327 Restaurant Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336
Accommodations Index . . . . . . . . .334
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List of Maps
The Regions in Brief 12 Dahab 163
Cairo & Alexandria in 3 to 5 Days 57 St. Catherine’s Monastery 173
Luxor & Aswan in 3 to 5 Days 59 Sharm el Sheikh 176
Western Desert Safari 61 Red Sea Coast 187
Sinai Peninsula 63 Luxor 218
Cairo Metro 81 Aswan 243
Cairo 84 The Western Desert 256
The Giza Pyramids 87 Siwa 258
Zamalek 103 Bahareya 268
Northern Egypt 128 Farafra 276
Alexandria 130 Dakhla 278
Central Alexandria 145 Kharga 286
The Sinai Peninsula 157
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Acknowledgments
This guide would never have been finished without the generous support of many people.
I particularly want to acknowledge the patience and warmth of countless Egyptian small-
business owners who unquestioningly toured this hurried stranger through their restaurants and
hotels, cafes, stores, and offices, letting me bounce on the beds, sniff under the sinks, and ask
intrusive questions about their business practices. You guys are what make Egypt a great place
to be a tourist.
A partial list of people to whom I owe specific thanks: Nancy Albert, Sa’ad Ali, Abdullah
Baghri, Eman Morsi, Ahmed Moussa, Paul Schemm, Amr Shannon, Ahmad Aboul Wafa, Tara
Todras-Whitehill, Peter Wirth, and Abu Zahra.
And finally, to my wife Veronica Coulter, without whose research, forbearance, patience,
imagination, and hot chocolate this would never have been finished: Thank you.
Any omissions and errors remain entirely my fault and responsibility.
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An Invitation to the Reader
In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and
more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information
with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommenda-
tion, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to:
Frommer’s Egypt, 1st Edition
Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
An Additional Note
Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is especially
true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making
your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experi-
ences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to
stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets,
all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets.
Other Great Guides for Your Trip:
Frommer’s Morocco
Frommer’s Israel
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Frommer’s Star Ratings,Icons & Abbreviations
Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value,
service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system.In country, state, and regional
guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your
time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three
stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to
the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very
highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).
In addition to the star-rating system, we also use eight feature iconsthat point you to the
great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists.
Throughout the book, look for:
Finds Special finds—those places only insiders know about
Fun Fact Fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun
Kids Best bets for kids and advice for the whole family
Moments Special moments—those experiences that memories are made of
Overrated Places or experiences not worth your time or money
Tips Insider tips—great ways to save time and money
Value Great values—where to get the best deals
Warning Warning—traveler’s advisories are usually in effect
The following abbreviationsare used forcredit cards:
AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa
DC Diners Club MC MasterCard
Frommers.com
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features regularly to give you instant access to the most current trip-planning information
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1
The Best of Egypt
E
gypt is such a big and varied country that it’s hard to know where to even start
describing its best, most intense, and most satisfying places and moments. Every time
I’m in the country, I think I’ve found the best of Egypt, and every time I go back, I
find something new that convinces me afresh that this time, finally, I’ve got them.
Egypt offers everything, and more, from sunrise in the desert on the edge of the Great
Sand Sea, to sunset over the granite mountains of the Sinai where they meet the shim-
mering azure of the Red Sea, to trailing my fingers in the cool waters of the Nile from
the back of a faluca after a day of exploring underground tombs. Below are some
highly subjective “best of” lists that I invite you to use in building your own Egypt
adventure. I am certain that as you try out some of the places and activities that I have
savored over the years, you’ll find your own way to appreciate and experience them,
and to make the story of Egypt your own.
1 The Best Purely Egyptian Experiences
•The Call to Prayer from the Citadel slipped away. Look around at the fad-
(Fatimid Cairo): As the sun sets over ing posters, and watch the regulars
Fatimid Cairo, dozens of mosques come and go. See p. 148.
send out their calls to prayer. With •Tea at the Old Cataract Hotel
flocks of pigeons circling in the (Aswan): If it was good enough for
golden light and the last sun of the Winston Churchill and Agatha
day picking out the highlights of Christie, it’s good enough for me.
the domes below, the ancient chant- This is a great place to catch the sun-
ing surrounds you and takes you to set; the sun turns the dunes on the
centuries past. See p. 95. other side of the famous First
•Cairo Tower (Cairo): From this Cataract of the Nile to a reddish gold,
tower in the middle of the city, your and the falucas drift back and forth.
view encompasses everything from See p. 251.
the Great Pyramid in Giza all the way •Sunrise at the Summit of Jebel
to the Moqattam Hills on the other Moussa (Mt. Sinai; St. Catherine):
side of the valley. For just a moment, This is where Moses is said to have
it feels as though you can actually get received the tablets containing the
your head around this extraordinarily Ten Commandments. The view
complex, vibrant city. See p. 82. across the rugged red mountains of
•A Cold Beer at the Cap d’Or the Sinai as the sun rises is unforget-
(Alexandria): No visit to Alexandria is table. See p. 171.
complete without a stop at this back- •Tea at Fishawy’s (Cairo): What could
street pub, which retains the ambi- be more Egyptian than drinking sweet
ence of an era that has now all but tea among the spices, gewgaws, and