bobbietilkens

Hi there!

Well, we finally decided on Egypt for our honeymoon! I am so excited - this is a dream honeymoon for me - I am an art history professor.

I've read some amazing posts here, and would love some suggestions.

We are flying into Cairo 6/15/08 and leaving to come back to the US 7/6/08.

First of all, are we nuts for going to Egypt in June? Will we fry?

* Snorkeling is a must (from the shore would be great if possible)
* As I mentioned in the title, we are independent travelers and prefer to stay at smaller properties and avoid crowds when possible - we like "authentic" experiences.
* Abu Simbel is a must.
* What about renting a car in Egypt?

Basically, I would love to hear how you think we should spend the 21 days...we definitely want to do some exploring, but we don't want to be constantly on the go. So, what are the "must sees?"

Anyone have any unknown gems as far as hotels/restaurants/towns, etc.?

Thanks a ton!

Grcxx3

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I know others will post with some wonderful suggestions, but let me throw out a few....

1. Yes, you will be VERY hot in June/July. But you can work with it. Plan your tours in the mornings and plan inside things (or relaxing at your hotel or a the pool) in the afternoons. Evenings will be warm, but comfortable. Dress appropriately (hat, sunglasses, light weight clothing, sunscreen).

2. Snorkling can easily be done from the shore at both Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh. El Gouna (just north of Hurghada) is also quite nice. Can't give you any more details....I hate to get my face wet, so snorkeling isn't my thing!

3. FORGET about renting a car. You just don't even want to go down that road (LITERALLY). Driving in Egypt is not for the weak hearted. It is chaotic, to say the least. Just put that thought out of you head right now and make other plans!

4. Definitely do a Nile Cruise. With your background, you might also consider an extra couple of days in Luxor to see some of the things that the cruise tours don't cover.

Those are the only words of wisdom I can come up with for now. I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions!

Have fun planning!

Grcxx3

ttt

sunshine007

No, you're not crazy, but you need to take it easy and follow the advice that you will be given. There's a great terrace restaurant (the food isn't great, but the location is) in the Marriott on Zamalek. Relax there. Go to one of the Starbucks style coffee shops & hang out & people watch.

There's much you can do in Egypt for three weeks. Spend a week in the South Sinai or on the Red Sea -- there's snorkeling, glass bottom boats, trips to St. Katheine's Monestary, hking trips in the Colored Canyon, etc. Even the hokey Bedouin Feast from Sharm was fun, if you have the right mood.

Yes on the Nile Cruise & Abu Simbel. There are a couple boats which go from Luxor to Abu Simbel on Lake Nasser. They are nothing like the Nile cruises. Try running Lake Nasser on this site. You can take a felucca on the Nile, but it's pretty rustic, I hear.

Then take a week based in Cairo. There are interesting museums and palaces to see which are not as much a part of touristic Cairo. I think the Palace in Shubra (north of downtown Cairo) is open for viewing, plus the new Coptic Museum & I think the Islamic Museum might be open by then.

There are a lot of fabulous mosques that will interest you. Plus the Khan al Khalili has some interesting buldings. You just have to slow down & look around for them. They've just made a new pedestrian mall along the route from one of the old Babbs (gates.)

I think that the Lonely Planet Guides to Cairo and to Egypt should provide you with some more destinations. I refer to it when I'm looking for new places to go. There are horse drawn carriage on the Corniche and in Zamalek along the Nile. And, and, and.

With that much time, Alex is worth an overnight but no more than that.

It's too hot for the desert. Maybe you could go to Wadi Hitan (the Whale Valley) with it's 40 million year old whale fossils and great scenary.

Don't rent a car. Rent a driver & a car with a/c. Or, if you really want to experience the true Cairo experience, take one of the black and white cabs.

You'll have a great time.

doohickey

Hi Bobbie,

Let me know if a visit to St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai is something that strongly interests you. If so, I'll provide more detail and some web links for you.

Congratulations!

-doo

bobbietilkens

Wow! Thanks for the great info.

Sunshine and others:

We are trying to figure out where to base ourselves for snorkeling...we want a town that isn't super crowded and developed, yet has great below-the-water scenery. We don't scuba, we only snorkel. Hotel names would be super too!

Also, you mentioned the boats that go from Luxor to Abu Simbel - this is not a nile cruise? How does it differ?

So am I correct in thinking that the Nile cruises are only from Luxor to Aswan?

Can you reccommend any companies for the boating/cruises?

Grcxx3

I think Sunshine meant that the Lake Nasser cruises go between Aswan and Abu Simbel. The Nile cruises that most people take go between Luxor and Aswan.

As for snorkling, I would suggest Sharm el Sheikh. From there you can snorkle and explore the Sinai. I would recommend staying outside of town (away from Na'ama Bay and the boardwalk area) at one of the big resorts. Almost all of them (just need to verify) have snorkling right from the shore and most of them have rental shops right onsite. The coral reefs extend right to the shoreline, so there isn't much of a beach. Many of the hotels have floating piers that go out right to the edge of the reef. Great snorkling.

I've stayed at the Hyatt Regency and at the Movenpick Golf resort. Both are quite nice. I have friends who only go to the Four Seasons or only go to the Sheraton. And, I think a couple of new ones have opened up since the last time I was there.

If you want to go into town, many of the resorts offer shuttle services or it's just a short 10+ minute taxi ride.

lerasp

for snorkeling, skip Hurghada and go to Sharm. it's developed, not charming and lots of package tourists but snorkeling is out of this world! i think one of the best shore reefs is in front of Sheraton. rates there are pretty cheap and it's a fantastic resort. I stayed there for $55 and $70/night last year. Dahab is also supposed to be good, but I haven't been there. I think for Egypt, small and charming is not always the best option. it's not Europe. while I usually stay at small B&B's when I travel, it was a blessing to come back after a hot, dusty day filled with chaos and crowds to an oasis of a nice hotel with a pool. and nice hotels are super-cheap (compared to world prices on average). Many of reefs around Hurghada are damaged from too much activity and the better spots are a boat ride away. to me, it had bit downtrodden feel in general, although El Gouna is very nice (albeit an isolated enclave).
Luxor - absolutely a must! but i dont' know how you will handle the heat. you have to go to the Valley of the Kings and it's real desert. There's a lot to see. but it takes some time to get out there from Luxor, so going back and forth for short trips (i.e. early morning trips before it gets hot) will get annoying. dunno. I was there in november and heat was hard to take for a full day of staying out (specifically in the Valley. rest is fine). but sights are unmissable!
I don't know if I would want to spend a week based in Cairo. It will be hot and crowded and noisy and dusty. lots of things to see, but hardly a honeymoon setting. Definitely 3, maybe 4 days. perhaps stay a day or two by the pyramids and then couple days in Cairo itself. There's couple nice hotels by Pyramids (Mena House and Le Meridien) with views of Pyramids from your room.
I'm a diver and have dived in all major parts of the world (SE Asia, Caribbean, Australia) and to this day, the BEST diving was in Sharm. the marine life is phenomenal

Grcxx3

I love El Gouna and that's usually where we would go for beach getaways, and while it's a lovely little village, the snorkling does not compare to Sharm.

sunshine007

Yes, I did mean Aswan.

When I said Cairo-based I meant the greater Cairo area which includes the Pyramids.