The beaches were rather empty but the sunset over the Sinai mountains was breathtaking
Dahab has all the goodies Sharm El Sheikh has but without the soaring prices and extravagant luxury. It is town full of budget hotels and cozy restaurants and bars. Most of its sights are under water and it has rightfully grown into a reputable diving hub. Find out what places we discovered and how we spent our last days in Egypt relaxing in a true backpackers paradise.
Sharm El Sheikh is a name most people are familiar with, even if they never actually went to Egypt. This once tiny fishermen village grew into a strategic port for the Egyptian Naval Forces due to it’s location at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba. It lies at the tip of the Sinai peninsula and has become a popular tourist destination once the region got more stable. After the revolutions in Egypt tourism declined but the city was one of the first to rebound.
Unfortunately, since then, the city itself was targeted in some terrorist attacks and lately the Sinai region (especially the North) has become unstable again with the presence of ISIS and other extremist organizations. Despite of all this turmoil (and because of it) Sharm-El-Sheikh is a very secure place, unless for the risk of overspending. You can’t get near without passing elaborate military checkpoints, since Egypt simply can’t afford tourist to stay away. Find out why our backpacking trip included this resort destination in this post and how you can add a touch of luxury.
The tourist information stand was closed and we ended up getting lured into a random hotel waiting for a guide to make us an offer
Everyone has heard of Luxor and it’s temples or of Giza and It’s pyramids. However when people think of Aswan they think of the dam. Although the official name is Nasser Dam, after the President under whose rule the dam was built. Nevertheless people did often hear about Philae Temple. Likewise I think anyone that knows anything about Egypt will confirm they heard about Abu Simbel. To admire those wonderful sights the perfect base camp is Aswan. Trips to these are often part of any group travel that stops in Aswan. However arranging all of it yourself as an independent traveller is not always as easy as stepping on a bus. Find out in this post how we handled it.
We were accompanied most of the way by a guy, who claimed he only wanted to practice his English, but was firmly directing us to another supposed government shop
Luxor is, together with the Pyramids in Giza, one of the crown jewels of Egyptian tourism. This unfortunately means that just like in Giza, the town is rigged with tourist traps. Without any knowledge about the correct prices and practices, you will get ripped off. Find out how we experienced Luxor and prepare yourself for your own adventure.
Abdol, driving like a complete demented maniac, took us to the most wonderful spot for sunset
Siwa is the ideal place to escape the touristy Temples and Pyramids all around the Nile Delta and Valley. But getting there is not always easy and neither is finding your way around. The town is nothing like the other cities in Egypt and the people don’t even consider themselves Egyptians. They have a different language and culture, which in many ways was more pleasant for us as independent travellers. In this post you will find what to do how much it will cost you to explore this beautiful oasis.
Lunch in Greek Club with an amazing view over the harbor and the bay
Alexandria has played a very important role in Egyptian history. Founded by the infamous Alexander the Great and Capital of the last great Dynasty of Pharaoh: the Ptolemies. If that name does not ring a bell, I’m sure you’ve heard of Cleopatra, the last of the Hellenistic rulers of Egypt. This city has had it all over the centuries. It was the center of Mediterranean trade, with its enormous harbor and famous lighthouse of Pharos. It was called center of knowledge due to the vast collection of books and scripture in its gigantic library. However when the Muslims invaded they ignored the capital of Egypt and nestled themselves in Cairo. Since then it has been conquered and reconquered several times, destroying its heritage and pushing it in the background. In two days we explored the remnants of that glorious past and it’s path to renovation.
We woke up to our alarm in our Junior Suite of the Hilton Pyramids Golf Hotel. Even though it was 8 AM I got up immediately when I realized this would be the day we would visit the Pyramids of Giza. I had seen pictures of them all my life, seen them in movies, heard and read about them many times. Today would be the day I could actually stand next to them, touch them, climb them, go inside. It is one of the highlights of every trip to Egypt, but being an independent backpacker/traveler did make it a bit more complicated. This is our pyramid story.
We literally left him biting of his nails when he realized his mistake
We had started preparing and packing already some days before our flight. Since I was still working that week and Daisy still had school we used our nights. It was going to be a three-week trip after all. Although Egypt is not the end of the world, we did want to avoid having to buy a lot over there for financial reasons. Our flights from Madrid to Cairo and back were cheap. As a result the timing was also rather bad. We were scheduled to take off in Madrid at 1:30 AM. So we left our apartment late in the evening around 10 PM, said bye-bye to our homicidal fish: Mad Max, and hoisted our backpacks (which ended up to heavy anyway) on our backs.
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Adventures
