Cairo - Post Report Question and Answers
What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Luxor and Aswan including a Nile Cruise are astounding! The Pyramids!! The history here is amazing and you'll never run out of things to see and do. - Mar 2023
Aswan and Luxor are stunning places to visit. Other places closer to Cairo make for great weekend trips (Fayoum, St. Catherine's Monastery). - Aug 2022
Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria - there is SO MUCH TO SEE. That's the hardest part, finding time for all the tourism! - Aug 2022
We could spend the entire two year tour only traveling and vacationing in Egypt and not be bored or disappointed. There is so much to see and explore here! Our favorite trips have been a Nile Dhahabiya cruise, snorkeling in Sahl Hasheesh and Dahab, and a relaxing weekend in Fayoum. The history here is incredible and the ancient temples, tombs, and artifacts are true wonders. And if you need a break, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Turkey are easy quick flights away. - Mar 2022
Hot air ballooning in Luxor Felucca rides on the Nile Swimming in the Med Sea and Red Sea ATV rides and submarine/boat in Sharm Visiting the pyramids and museums I wanted to ATV around the Pyramids but didn't get to and I've heard the Nile cruises between Aswan and Luxor are great. - Dec 2021
All the pyramids and historic sites! They are everywhere and AMAZING! Sharm el-Sheik!! Diving/snorkeling in Hurghada and Soma Bay! The different mosques! Boat cruise to Luxor and Aswan! Alexandria!!! Go everywhere you can! Egyptologist tour guides are inexpensive and you can hire them for private. So much history to experience here, it is just phenomenal! - Feb 2021
Great diving and beach opportunities on the Red Sea. Plenty of historic sites up and down the Nile to keep anyone busy. Souq's and bazaars are amazing, and there are many museums to explore. No shortage here! - Jan 2020
A private boat cruise down the Nile from Luxor to Aswan. All of the people we've met and friends we've made. The Egyptian Museum which is chaotic and badly labeled but is still so compelling. There is so much history and culture here it's hard to absorb it all. - Jun 2018
Great exploring and history! The pyramids are as amazing as they sound. Abu Simbel was very cool and we plan to do a Nile River Cruise. The Red Sea resorts are amazing. - Jan 2018
Many people rave about Egypt and its wealth of historical treasures. I honestly was let down time after time by what Egypt had to offer. I did enjoy the pyramids and Sphinx but Luxor was a let down. Overall, for me, it boiled down to paying a lot for low quality. Honestly, my best trips were to Europe. Direct flights to the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, etc. are cheap and quick. You pay more but you get what you pay for and without any of the hassles of traveling in Egypt, including people constantly trying to gouge for every little thing. Traveling in Egypt just wore me down and I never truly enjoyed it. - Sep 2017
Traveling through Upper Egypt (Luxor, Aswan) and Alexandria. - May 2017
Hard to single any out. Egyptians are some of the friendliest and open people you will find. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. Great sense of humour. I work with mostly Egyptians and I love it.
It's also, in my view, one of the most culturally rich and diverse countries in the world. There is so much to see and do. You'd need a lifetime. - May 2017
Camping in the desert (currently no longer allowed unfortunately), the friends we made, the cheap/safe/delicious food (none of us had food poisoning even once), going to outdoor balls, time spent at the pool club, really enjoyed our compound housing. And the sunshine (even with the bad air, which wasn't that bad most days). - Jan 2016
Nile cruises, visits to ancient sites - Jan 2016
Nile cruise Luxor-Aswan, Abu Simbel, felucca rides on the Nile, water taxis, Red Sea resorts - Jan 2016
There is a large expat community we enjoy mingling with. We have also enjoyed our Egyptian friends. We have very nice colleagues who have invited us out/over on several occasions. - Oct 2014
Seeing all the sights that I had only seen in movies or read about in books. I also like that we spend a lot more time together as a family here. - Aug 2014
Nile Cruise to Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbal, seeing the Pyramids, Coptic Cairo, The Khan, felucca rides, Nile River Taxi's, Egyptian Museum. - Aug 2014
Highlights - desert camping, Luxor, felucca rides, community feeling, beaches, proximity to Europe for travel... The school CAC is great. - May 2014
Desert exploring, seeing historical sites. - Apr 2014
Egyptian history. - Mar 2014
Desert camping is number one. Felucas on the Nile, snorkeling in the Red Sea, being assaulted by bedouins at the pyramids. - Jul 2013
I've bridged two revolutions; we were on ordered departure when I arrived for this assignment and are on ordered departure as I leave. The highlight has been Cairo's now-chronic instability, which has dramatically changed the face of this tour from people serving in Cairo as late as 2010. - Jul 2013
Getting mugged at the pyramids, having a knife pulled on me by a taxi driver, being on a Felukah that turned over. - Jun 2013
Felucca rides on the Nile, wandering the streets of Islamic Cairo, shopping in Khan el-Khalili, the camel market, traveling all over the country, desert camping. - Jun 2013
Touring the country has been the best part of the tour. Prior to the revolution, my family and I went to Mount Sinai, which is now off limits to US Embassy personnel. However, I have toured extensively since the revolution, including Sharm El Sheikh, Aswan, Luxor, Lake Nassar, the White Desert, Alexandria, Hurghada, and El Gouna -- as well as all over Cairo. I usually drive myself and have no problems. Desert camping in the winter and sand-boarding are definite highlights. - May 2013
Luxor/Aswan was nice. - May 2013
Being able to fly so many places on EgyptAir, biking in the desert and around Cairo, doing a Nile cruise. - May 2013
Diving in the Red Sea, seeing amazing sights, interacting with Egyptians (and living through a revolution - though that may not be a positive highlight!) - Feb 2013
None to date. The security situation has placed a number of locations I'd like to visit---including the bulk of the Sinai---off-limits. I don't dive, don't particularly enjoy touristy seaside resorts, and haven't had a chance to visit Upper Egypt yet (which I'm sure will be worth the trip). But otherwise, the fluid and unpredictable security environment has made me cautious about wandering about. - Feb 2013
RnR - Mar 2013
Resilient Egyptians and traveling out of Cairo with my family to other cities in the region. - Mar 2013
getting to see riots, political violence, and crime scenes up close. - Feb 2013
Nothing; Of the 100 countries I have visited, including many throughout Africa and Asia, Egypt is my least favorite, and I pray that I never have to return. Egypt has about a 10% recidivism rate for tourists, which tells you something. It is awful and just getting worse, as security is becoming a real problem. - Jan 2013
Driving! - Nov 2012
Visiting Sharm El Sheikh, seeing Luxor and Aswan - Sep 2011
The 25 January Revolution, the Great Pyramid, Road 9 in Ma'adi, Alexandria/the Med, Egyptians - Aug 2011
Antiquities, the Red Sea, Siwa. - Aug 2011
I like to go to the Red Sea. There are some big resorts there, but there are also quiet camping places that offer better snorkeling/diving. The coral reef is fantastic. Also, seeing the historical monuments and floating on the Nile are pretty great. Right now, it is amazing to watch the government and the people try to sort things out and form a democracy. It's a pretty incredible time. - Jul 2011
Their are many. Seeing the Great Pyramids at Giza riding around the complex on a camel. Hiking Mt. Sinai and Mt. St. Catherine's. Living through the Egyptian Revolution (part of it) it was both extremely fascinating and scary at times. - Jun 2011
Exploring Egyptian history, learning to dive and taking extended live-aboard dive trips, enjoying the Red Sea resorts. - Sep 2010
In my opinion there are none. Except for the ability for my husband and chidlren to ride their motorcycles in the desert. - Jun 2010
