Couples Holiday to Eygpt

[Sonak]

Hi all, has anyone been to Eygpt as a couple to see the Pyramids ets?

Looking to go maybe mid Jan 2010 and interested to stay near the Pyramid attractions etc

Are there any nice hotels nearby and affordable?

Thanks for an info in advance

[Lil O'lady]

Depends on what you consider a nice hotel. There are a number of large resort-type hotels on the main roads into Giza, so a hop and a skip from the Pyramids and Sphinx. We went in 2004, but stayed in a hotel in the diplomatic district of Cairo, because we hate being cooped up in resort hotels. If you want the whole resort-type package then things like excursions will be available - they will cost above the odds and inevitably lead you to a shop or shops belonging to friends and relatives.
We booked a private tour guide, such as the one available here: http://www.private-gu...overy-egypt/index.php and were taken to sites in an air-conditioned people-carrier.
Travelling completely independently ie without a tour guide is possible in Egypt but you need to be pretty tough as you get mithered to death by people selling stuff and the authorities pay special attention to you - they are uneasy about westerners mixing freely with their inconvenient ideas about democracy.
You can get taxis to take you places very cheaply but beware of price scamming - agree what you will pay before you get in.
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[Lil O'lady]

In Cairo and the surrounding area you can see the Pyramids - not forgetting a ride on a camel and the sun-boat museum, Khan el-khalili, the alabaster mosque, the old christian quarter, the Cairo museum, the ancient capital at memphis, the step-pyramid, and the pyramid at Meydum which is miles less crowded than the Great Pyramid at Giza - being able to take these in at your own pace with someone knowledgeable who you can question is fantastic. Another advantage of a local guide is that they will handle all payments into sites, which include the inevitable 'baksheesh' -bribe.
There are loads of hotels you can book independently through sites such as booking.com. Watch out for locations, as Cairo is huge and has terrible traffic problems, so you don't want spending too much time in a traffic jam. We flew with BA, which was very comfortable.

[Sonak]

Thanks for your reply Lil O'Lady.....what I mean by nice hotels is for example well maintained clean, simple and welcoming. We want more of a relaxing holiday and not to see too many tourists & children but at the same time we want to see local markets, shops, soak up a bit of sun etc but be able to see the attractions too i.e.with buses.

We would like to go all inclusive just because its less hassle finding the flights, hotel and tranfers seperately which can be expensive too. We also don't want to spend too much but a reasonable amount to get a good quality holiday for my husband and I!

[Lil O'lady]

This is the hotel we used: http://hotellongchamps.com/
While the website does not seem to use secure payment, we did not experience any problems - the lady owner is Egyptian and married a German guy, who sadly passed on a few years ago, but she maintained a very high standard.
You need to know that most town-centre hotels are in multi-occupancy tower blocks! As I recall, this hotel is the 'third' layer - ground floor is a small hospital (!), second floor a different hotel. Don't let this put you off if you choose to select your own city hotel, but it pays to know about it in advance.
The lady owner has some contacts with guides and a driver who will take you places, and as she caters to many academics the likelihood is their quality will be assured.

[Lil O'lady]

PS the Hotel Longchamps will pick up / set down at the airport, very reasonable price as quoted in website - you just need to pay the guy cash. You can get small denominations at the airport as you buy your visa.
It all sounds like hassle but we did not find it troubling - we had an incredibly enjoyable stay.