livonia

I will be traveling to Egypt (the Red Sea) in May with 2 children. Would you recommend Cairo or Luxor as a point of interest?

livonia

forgot to mention that the children are 6 and 3.

gatorbill

IMHO I think that's too young to really like the temples at Luxor, I think they will find that rather boring. I think they may have more fun visiting the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo and seeing the Royal mummies, the treasure's of King Tutankhamun, and visiting the pyramids and the Sphinx at the Giza plateau.

--gatorbill

sf7307

I personally think they're too young to enjoy what Egypt has to offer, period, so if you're taking them anyway, focus on what you will find interesting.

Percy

I have to agree, I think that 6 and 3 years old is too young to understand about what Egypt has to offer.

However they could look at some of the items in the Cairo Museum .......... and at the Pyramids,they could just look at the 3 big "formations".

I do not think they would want to sit on a camel at the Pyramids.

Also the temperature could be in the high 90's F in Luxor.

Don't want to spoil your trip, just giving you my opinion



In my opinion I do not think they would appreciate Karnak and/or Luxor Temple..... too much history

sf7307

Also, be aware that the Egyptian Museum is not air conditioned. It can be suffocating in there. In a way, it adds to the "charm", but I don't think the kids will appreciate it.

sandi

Besides being unbareably hot, even for adults (the farther south you go the hotter it gets... in the 100s) the children are really too young to appreciate a trip to Egypt or most other places (save Disneyland type).

The Museum might be fun for a while, but they're likely to tire and be bored. And, of course, the NO a/c, except for the Royal Mummies (you pay extra to enter this room) and the Tut exhibit.

As above, arrange what you'd like to do/see, but be flexible with your destinations and time spent so you can get back to a/c or the hotel pool.

That said and without children, I'd like to believe there is some sort of children's amusement park or entertainment in Cairo or even Luxor... pipe in you Egypt residents... Debbie can you hear us?

Grcxx3

If you go to Cairo, your kids might enjoy the Pharonic Village. It's about as close to Disney as Egypt can get. It is very kid-oriented (6 year old will be more entertained than the 3 year old) and gives a very "kid-friendly" education in Egyptian/Pharonic history.

I took my kids when they were in 3rd and 4th grades. It starts off with a neat boat ride thru some side channels of the Nile, introducing all the major Egyptian gods. Then there are re-productions of Egyptian temples, someone making bread, and lots of cool stuff. Then in the museum is a sort of recreation of what King Tut's tomb looked like when Carter found it.

If my memory serves me right....it is on the west side of the Nile, not too far from the pyramids.

Here is a link -

http://www.pharaonicvillage.com

Where are you staying on the Red Sea? There are sometimes some neat excursions you can do.

Grcxx3

Oh - and I think your kids would be bored stiff at the Egyptian Museum. It is a WONDERFUL place, but unlike a lot of other museums, there is nothing oriented for kids (no hands on exhibits, etc).

Percy

Yeah Debbie !!...can you help this person about children sites in Cairo !!


livonia, I know you love your children but 100 F heat and seeing places that they cannot yet relate to...will lead them to become frustrated, bored and tired.

Good Luck on the trip

jmcdo

Definitely Cairo - of course it all depends on the attention level of your kids. Luxor is beautiful, but it involves a lot of walking on uneven ground. Felucca rides are fun though.

I just came back from an Egyptian trip with my children (13 & 10). If you are staying at a nice hotel, they can go swimming when it gets too hot. The sound and light show at the pyramids is fun, but it may be a bit long for the 3 year old. The pyramids, sphinx and the boat museum in Giza are great for kids. Be sure to take them to see the camels at the pyramids although I can't recommend riding the camels. I thought I was going to fall off the camel and take my 10 year old down with me!

I brought some Model Magic so the kids could make their version of the sphinx and the pyramids. There is a lunch place with an excellent view of the sphinx. One of my favorite pictures has our creations sitting on a wall with the real sphinx in the background.

Grcxx3

http://www.touregypt.net/kids/

The above site might have some things your older child would enjoy.