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Egypt is probably the world's oldest civilization having emerged from the Nile Valley around 3,100 years ago, historically.
Egypt is probably one of the oldest vacation spots. Early Greeks, Romans and others went there just for fun, and to see the wonders of some of mankind's earliest triumphs.
But Egypt is much more than Pyramids and monuments. It is also Red Sea scuba diving, hot night spots, luxury hotels and five star restaurants. It is romantic cruises down the Nile on festive river boats, a night at the grand opera and it is a cultural experience like none you have ever experienced.
Egypt is a land bustling with life, sound, visual beauty and excitement. More than anything else, we want you to think of Egypt as fun. For thousands of years, it has been the playground of emperors and kings, and we hope you will take the time to find out why.

Language:

Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes

Major Religions:

Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94% (official estimate), Coptic Christian and other 6% (official estimate)

Ethnic groups:

Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European 1%

Gross domestic product:
(total value of goods and services produced annually) $267.1 billion (1997 est.)

Exports:

$5.1 billion, primarily crude oil and petroleum products, cotton yarn, raw cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals

Imports:

$15.5 billion, primarily machinery and equipment, foods, fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods

Alexandria and the immediate area around the City.
It could in fact be argued that this area extends to Marsa Matruh to the west on the coast. The area has a Mediterranean feel about it, and the attraction is the Mediterranean Sea, and to the people of Cairo, a somewhat cooler climate.

Cairo and the immediate area around the City.
Cairo has everything. Cairo has great hotels, entertainment, restaurants, all manner of monuments from throughout the history of Egypt and it is often the entry point for most people visiting Egypt. It even has bowling allies and several golf courses to chose from.

Hurghada and the surrounding area,
particularly El Gouna. Not to far apart are El Gouna, Hurghada and Safaga, and these areas contain just about everything a tourist would like to have, with the exception of ancient monuments. They make up for that with every variety of water sports, several golf courses, casinos and more. The Red Sea area has less of an Egyptian feel, but not as European as the Sinai.

Sharm El Sheikh,
and the surrounding area including Sharks Bay. This is the Sinai super-site, again with most everything any tourist might wish. There are even some wonderful Christian monuments nearby, and the water sports, as at Hurghada, are all inclusive. This is not to say that there are many more tourist destinations, particularly on the Red Sea and in Sinai, and on Egypt's mainland interior, the oases. However, in much of the rest of the mainland interior, travel and destinations are limited. However, the tourist super-sites encompass perhaps ninety-five percent of the ancient monuments, and most else there is to do in Egypt.

Alexandria and the North Coast
Beautiful beaches and Mediterranean resorts.

The Delta from North of Cairo to the Mediterranean East of Alexandria
With Tanta, Zagazig, Dumyat, Damanhur, El Mansura, Benha

Cairo and the Lower Nile Valley from Cairo to El Tabbin
With Abu Sir, Dhashur, Giza, Meidum, Saqqara

The Lower Nile Valley from El-Minya to El-Minya
With Atfih, Beni Suef, Ihnasya el Madina, El Lahun, El Minya

Upper Nile Valley from South of El-Minya to Qena
With Abu Tig, Akhmim, El Araba el Madfuna, Asyut, El Badari, Dairut, Durunka, Girga,Hiw, Sohag, Qena, El Qusiya

Luxor/Thebes, from South of Qena to North of Idfu
With Luxor and the Surrounding Area

Aswan and Nubia, from Idfu to Abu Simbel
With Elephantine Island, Kitcheners Island, High Dam

Red Sea
With El-Gouna, Hurghada, Suez, Berenice, Ain Sukhna, Al-Quseir

Sinai
With El Arish, Ras Mohamed, Dahab, Taba

extent, taking my family to Egypt recently was an experiment. More and more, whole families are vacationing in Egypt, and that means bringing along children of all ages. So, I wanted to know a little more about how this works out, for both parents and kids. And the answer is...pretty well! Everyone came home happy, from a memorable and enjoyable trip. But we, as a family, made a few discoveries along the way.

Egypt as a tourism destination is all grown up. It has matured into a place with something for everyone, including each member of your family.

A specific member of a family with specific interests often encourages a trip to Egypt. Where tours are concerned, that interest is usually in classical antiquities, though it may also be driven by an interest in mythology, scuba diving, or even New Age discoveries. Regardless, it is probably unusual for every member of a household to have the same reasons, or the same level of desire to visit Egypt. This particularly applies to children, but may also be just as applicable to one's spouse. Therefore, certain allowances must be made to satisfy everyone.

Though our son is interested in Egypt, nevertheless getting him up early for tours everyday not only proved to be a challenge for him, but on a few occasions, a challenge for my wife as well. There were days where I heard the dreaded, "What kind of vacation is this anyway...too much work!", which mostly meant, "leave me alone, I want to sleep a little longer And while my wife did participate in most
break. A certain amount of understanding is in order, as well as allowance for some mix of activities.

After the first week, and urging my son not to miss anything, we came to a better understanding, and established a better pace. He was truly interested in the monuments and sightseeing, but sometimes he wanted to relax, wake up late, and go swimming or participate in some other activity. As we allowed this to happen, things went much more smoothly. A few times, my wife opted to sleep in and take in some shopping instead of seeing monuments.

Today, Egypt is more then ancient monuments. In fact, it is unlikely that most of the tourists who come, do so for classical antiquities. Indeed, current statistics point to Egypt's largest draw as being beach destinations on the Red Sea and Sinai, and every day this country seems to add new entertainment adventures.

For a typical family, including some of these non-antiquity diversions may be a great idea. Perhaps your husband isn't that keen on the antiquities, but playing on a championship golf course in the shadows of the Pyramids would give him real bragging rights back home. For back home. For that matter, what about a game of bowling along the Nile, or even a fishing trip on Lake Nasser, where record breaking fresh water fish have been caught. For many women, Egypt is simply a shopper's paradise and Cairo is one big mall. What makes this all so special is it is easy for a spouse to play golf or shop while the other takes in Sakkara or Old Cairo. For kids, there are always the swimming pools found in most hotels, but there are also amusement parks, Internet Cafes, and even youth clubs at many of the better hotels. Younger kids tend to love shows including belly dancing and whirling dervish, and generally doing the "night thing" with parents. They also seem to love riding camels and horses, as well as sail boats on the Nile. Older kids can enjoy just getting out on their own a bit, as well as visiting the discos and other entertainment found at many hotels.

Sometimes we found a "taste of home" was called for. No problem as a trip to McDonalds, Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays, or even the Hard Rock Cafe is a good fix. Even my wife, who has a much more exotic taste for foods than I, every so often craved a cheeseburger. She found the McDonalds in Luxor to be exactly like home, of course with the exception that it overlooks the Temple of Luxor.

Building in a side trip to Sharm El-Sheikh was a real bonus for the family. While this is still Egypt, it feels nothing like the Egypt of the Nile Valley. It is a well-organized vacation beach resort, with all manner of water sport, from scuba to parasailing, and with no small amount of shopping and nightlife, including good live shows all along the promenade. And again, one spouse can easily take a side trip to St. Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai, while the rest of the family suntans.

Never underestimate having friends along for the trip. Optimally, it is great to travel with family friends, particularly where families have similarly aged children. This can be a real godsend for the kids, but also for the parents. There is plenty to do at most hotels, but having kids along of a similar age will encourage them to take advantage of every entertainment, as well as giving the grownups a break. Of course, sometimes its nice to have along good adult friends as well.

It is all a matter of diversity, and the more diverse the family's interests, the more diverse of a vacation one should plan to Egypt. If you don't leave out Cairo's major league opera and art galleries, the beach, sports of all kinds, chances are that everyone in your family will have the time of their lives.

This is a master index to all articles and essays on Tour Egypt. However, it does not contain all information listed in our Antiquities Section or our Travel Guide. There is considerably more information to be found through the Tour Egypt Home Page.

Historical Egypt:

Alternative Thought
Ancient Egyptian Culture
Ancient Egyptian Writing
Ancient Egyptian People
Building and Construction in Ancient Egypt
Discovery of Ancient Egypt
Government, Kingship and Law in Ancient Egypt
Historical Egyptian Sites

Pharaonic
Christian
Islamic

Knowledge in Historical Egypt

A first time visitor to Egypt who wants a classical (pharaonic antiquities) experience would do well to book a Nile cruise. Of course modern airlines shuttle tourists to the southern region of Egypt, but historically the Nile cruise was really the only way to visit the temples and tombs located along this stretch of the river. It is still a popular means of visiting upper Egypt and has many advantages to other means of travel.

First of all, it is very nice to unpack and once and have your hotel travel with you, rather then the hectic routine that accompanies the stop and go itineraries of air and land tours. But besides the more relaxed mode of travel, there are other significant advantages. Nile cruises often visit a wider variety of antiquities along the banks of the river. But equally important, they also allow the tourist to gain a prospective of the rural Egypt, where people live much the same way they did even thousands of years ago, in mudbrick homes, tending their fields with wooden plows and moving produce via donkey. It is a wonderful experience to sit on a shaded deck of a floating hotel, sipping an iced beverage while watching 5,000 years of culture slowly drift by.
Nile cruises may very considerably, but typical Nile cruises are either three, four or seven nights. The shorter tours usually operate between Luxor and Aswan, while the longer cruises travel further north to Dendera, often offering day tours overland to more remote locations. Therefore, a fairly complete 14 day tour of Egypt might include several days around Cairo, seeing the pyramids, museums and other antiquities, a short flight to Abu Simbel in the very southern part of Egypt surrounding a seven day Nile Cruise.




The usual cruise is aboard a Nile cruiser, often referred to as a floating hotel. Indeed, the better boats have most the accommodations of a land based hotel, including small swimming pools, hot tubs, exercise rooms, nightclubs, good restaurants, stores and even small libraries. Depending on what one is willing to pay, rooms may be very utilitarian and small, or larger then some land based hotel rooms. Some boats even have suites available. Better boats will always have private baths, air conditioning, and TVs. It is common for there to be video movies each night, and some boats are equipped with cameras allowing passengers to view the countryside from their TV. Floating hotels also offer various entertainment. Many of the boats have dance areas with disco or even live entertainment, and most offer a variety of nightly shows. These might include cocktail parties, Nubian shows, belly dancers and whirling dervish, plays and even dress up parties where guests don traditional apparel. Like land hotels, meals onboard most Nile cruisers are usually buffet style and include hot and cold food along with a variety of international and local cuisine. Most all boats have good modern water filtration, which is fine for showering, but it is still recommended to drink bottled water, which the boat will have aboard.

A much more adventurous style of Nile cruise, very different from the floating hotels can be arranged aboard feluccas, Egypt's traditional Nile sailboat. Most falucca trips are short, enjoyable trips of several hours, but multi-day felucca cruises can be arranged aboard larger vessels traveling between Aswan and Luxor. There is really no comparison between cruising the Nile on a floating hotel and a falucca. The accommodations on a falucca are primitive. Tourist sleep in the open on deck and the sailors double as cooks.

Around the middle of April, locks on the Nile river are closed due to water levels, ultimate time for a Nile cruise is between October and mid April, when the weather is fairly cool, but the locks are all open. However, most cruise boats operate all year. If the locks are closed, cruise operators will arrange boats on either side of the locks, and a transfer must be made between boats.

Finally, pricing, as with land hotels will also have a large range, based on both the boat and the accommodations. Expect decent boats to range in price between about $55.00 USD to almost $300.00 USD per night, with seasonal increases of between 25% to 50% during Christmas and Easter. See also:

· Love on the Nile
· More on Nile Cruises
· Nile Cruising on the Mirage

Golf on the Red Sea:

One often here's of the scenic views surrounding golf courses around the world. Walk into any real golf enthusiasts home or office and one is likely to see beautiful landscapes in Scotland or England, or even the US. But no where else in the world can one play golf in the shadows of the Great Pyramids, or play 18 holes in the morning, and then visit the mountain where Moses passed down the ten commandments in the afternoon.

And there are few rain checks. In Egypt, the weather is almost certain to accommodate ones desire to play golf (and perhaps, sight seeing, shopping and other activities might accommodate a bored spouse at the same time). And for the sporting man or woman, there are many other activities such as scuba diving in some of the best spots in the world.

Egypt has some very wonderful courses including the Gary Player course at Soma Bay on the Red Sea. And most courses either adjoin, or are a part of fabulous hotels, such as the one at the Mena House in Cairo.

· Alexandria Sporting Club in Alexandria
· The Cascades, Soma Bay on the Red Sea
· Dreamland Golf & Tennis Resort, Cairo
· The Gezira Club, Cairo
· Jolie Ville, Sharm el Sheikh in Sinai
· Katameya Heights, Cairo
· Mena House Oberoi, Cairo
· Mirage City, Cairo
· Pyramids Golf Course and Country Club, Cairo
· Royal Valley Golf Club, Luxor
· The Steigenberger Golf Club, El Gouna

As the worlds largest man-made lake, Lake Nasser is approximately 310 miles in length (1550 square miles) and, in places, can reach a depth of 600 feet. The lake was created in the 1960s when the world famous High Dam was built. Together with the old Aswan Dam (built by the British between 1898 and 1902) it provides irrigation and electricity for the whole of Egypt. It is named for Gamal Abdel Nasser, president of Egypt from 1956-1970. The southern third of the lake is in Sudan and is called Lake Nubia. The lake is 312 miles (480 meters) long and covers an area of 2026 square miles (5,248 km2). It has a maximum depth of 426.5 ft (130 m) but its mean depth is 82.6 ft (25.2 m). The Egyptian portion is 202 miles (324 km) long and has a shoreline of 4,875 miles (7,844 km). Part of the area Lake Nasser covers today was once the site of the temples of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II around 1200 B.C. The temple was moved but other sites of historical significance was submerged. Thirty-two species of fish, as well as Nile River crocodiles, are found in the lake. 80,000 tons of fish a year are caught.
The shoreline is a variety of desert landscapes, hilly and rugged, or flat and sandy with clean freshwater beaches.
The lake is remote and thinly populated by peasant fishermen, the local residents are Bedouin camel and sheep herdsmen who are occasionally seen grazing their flocks on the sparse vegetation at the edge of the lake.
There are an impressive variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles. More than 100 species of birds have been recorded: Wild duck, Egyptian geese, pelicans, herons, egrets and various species of hawks, kites, falcons and eagles will be among the birds seen. In most areas there are crocodile and monitor lizards, other types of wildlife include Dorcas gazelle, jackals, desert fox, and various smaller desert mammals.
Lake Nasser is a place where a small group of anglers have literally hundreds of square miles to themselves.
Lake Nasser has arguably the best freshwater fishing in the world for both Nile perch and Tiger Fish. There are also several species of catfish; the legendary giant Vundu being the biggest. Two species of Tilapia also inhabit the lake and give a good account of themselves on a fly rod. All told there are some thirty two species of fish in the lake.

Also See Egypt Travel News and our complete Travel Guide for more Information on Culture, specifically Destinations in Egypt. Also see Ancient Sites and our Monuments in Egypt Guide.

The Bahariya Oasis, Part I: The Western Desert by Jimmy Dunn
Why pay 20 million dollars for a trip into space when you can go to the moon for so much less? OK, its not really the moon, but the landscape is surreal; alien in every way, and it changes from one moment to the next. It is the type of place that creates wonder in adults, where such feelings were long ago thought lost. It is a land not yet fully explored, with twists and turns that reveal ever changing landscapes. This is the Bahariya Oasis, and the nearby, or rather, encroaching western desert.

A Brief Look at the Sinai by Jimmy Dunn
The Sinai is a land of majestic granite mountains, colorful and more alive then many might suspect. But there are also beautiful beaches and exotic escapes.

Cairo International Conference Center by Dr. Maged El-Bialy
Egypt has long been the focal center of Africa and the Middle East, but while the capabilities of the facilities available were never in doubt, the proper facilities to conduct the larger conferences had not been available. To insure the capability to set up international and local conferences and conventions The Cairo International Conference Center (CICC) is the result of tireless planning and careful execution.

Camels, and Trekking in Today's Sinai By Angela Wierstra
The "great and terrible wilderness" of the Bible has turned into a luxurious holiday paradise. Sinai has become well known for deluxe resorts located on the beaches of the Gulf of Aqaba and is famous for its extraordinary underwater world.

Camel Trekking in the Sinai by Joyce Carta
Non-divers and even non-snorkelers, would be charmed by Dahab. It's local flavor blends resolute Bedouin independence with the panache of seascapes bordered by the fierce Sinai mountains topped off with a waterfront full of curiosity shops, crafts and tented, fire-lit seafood eateries.

Coptic Christian Museum by Jimmy Dunn
More then simply an archive of Coptic history, the Coptic Museum intricately weaves a web between religions at the end of the pagan era, and the beginning of the Christian period. It is a case study in the formative years of a major religion that grew, and sometimes intermingled, and sometimes borrowed from that of an ancient religion that it was replacing.

Cultural Park for Children Cairo, Egypt by Jimmy Dunn
The last time you were in Cairo, you probably missed the Cultural Park for Children, even if you took your kids along for the trip, and even though your tour probably came within a stone throw away from the park. Located in the Sayyida Zeinab area in the heart of medieval Cairo near the Ibn Tulun Mosque, the park has won the prestigious Aga Khan award (1992) for architecture, and is a favorite of area children. It is also a fine place for your own kids to soak up some local culture, actually come in contact and even play with the children of Cairo. Of course, it is also entertaining. Here, one finds a complex full of libraries, art studios, rooms with computers and video games, playgrounds, fountains and several areas for theatrical and performing arts.

A Day At the Pyramids by Adel Murad
Friday the 11th of January 2002 was an unusually cold day. Most residents of Cairo took a battering of a cold snap which saw the rare event of hail storms and flooding. The streets were empty, and the taxi driver took only 45 minutes from Heliopolis to the ticket office on the Giza plateau. The driver was very pleased with his first fare of the day (LE 25 / $ 5.5) that he decided to wait and take us back some 90 minutes later. Friday is the weekend in Cairo, and businesses and schools take the day off. It was our last day in Cairo before flying back to London. I had promised my son, Hadleigh, that on this trip we are going to go inside the Great Pyramid. But 10 days earlier, there was a power cut in the area, so we ended up going into some nearby tombs and riding horses.

Getting Around in Cairo by Jimmy Dunn
We take a look at taxis, not for the first time, and we take a first look at the Cairo Metro. Taxis are one of the main ways to get about in Egypt, but knowing how they operate can save hundreds of dollars, and knowing that the Cairo Metro is a clean safe and utterly inexpensive alternative can even save even more.

Into the Wilderness of the Sinai by Kate Nivison
Nothing could capture Egypt's desert wilderness of Sinai better than that wonderful scene from David Lean's great desert epic, Lawrence of Arabia. A rashly brave Lawrence, played by Peter O'Toole, has announced that he will cross the Sinai Desert to take news of their surprise capture of the port of Aqaba to the British in Cairo.

Luxor Tombs & Temples open to the public & ticket prices by Jimmy Dunn
We are often asked about site pricing, and which antiquity sites are open and available to the public.

Marsa Alam, Today and the Vision to Come by Jimmy Dunn
Many modern guides to Marsa Alam describe it as a fishing village on Egypt's Red Sea coast 132km (82mi) from Al-Quseir. However, with a new international airport, a number of other planed tourism projects and many new hotels, it is rapidly becoming much more than a fishing village. Marsa Alam sits on the T-junction between the Red Sea coast road and the road from Edfu which sits on the Nile river about 230km (142mi) inland.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Center for Indian Culture in Egypt by Dr. Maged El-Bialy
Egypt and India are two countries with great civilizations. They both have a mystical Venusc, which simply lures you to hypnotically fall into the experience they offer. Both cultures are similar in hospitality and welcoming attitude. So a trip to the Indian cultural center while you are touring Egypt will definitely boost the pleasure of the trip and you will experience a mixture of Egyptian and Indian culture. Situated in the heart of downtown Cairo, the Center for Indian Culture offers visitors and members an escape to India within the two floors of this large center.

The Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary (Muharraq Monastery) by Jimmy Dunn
The Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary, also known as the Muharraq Monastery, or simply the Burnt Monastery, lies on the path of the flight of the Holy Family in Egypt. It is located about 60 km from Assiut (327 km south of Cairo). The Monastery is referred to as "Al Muharraq" because "muharraq" is an Arabic word which means "burn or wound inflicted by fire" and the Monastery was partially burned by foreign invaders in the middle centuries. The monastery is unusual in that it is not located in the desert. The site is considered very holy to Egyptian Copts who have nicknamed the location the "Second Bethlehem".

Museum of Islamic Art by Dr. Maged El-Bialy
The museum of Islamic art is truly a wonderful reservoir of Islamic antiquities. It has a vast supplement of about 10200 artifacts that one cannot explore in a single day. The museum displays arts from the different Islamic eras that Egypt passed through including the Fatimid, Turkish and Persian periods

My Cairo by Jimmy Dunn
Cairo was a grand city when many of the world's huge metropolises were but babes. Yet she remains a city cloaked in excitement and mystery, dark secrets and bright celebrations. She is a city that often mixes both the many cultures of the world, with the many ages of the world. She offers up cuisine from her French, sometimes new age culture from her Germans, enterprise from her Americans all the while embracing her Egyptian heritage from the dawn of civilization. She mixes modern religion with ancient traditions as easily as her streets accommodate Mercedes and donkey drawn carts. America has no claim as a melting pot in relations to Cairo, for Cairo melts both time and culture into one city that can embrace us as no other.

My Favorite Neighborhood in Cairo by Jimmy Dunn
There are many nice places with good neighborhoods where one may stay in Cairo. Downtown is always fun with its many tourists hotels and a variety of restaurants and many, many stores. Some people like other notable areas include Helipolois, closer to the airport and sometimes a good place to stay when conducting business, Giza, where the great pyramids are located and a number of my ex-pat friends live in Egypt. There is also Dokki which is usually considered to be nicely upscale with many fine stores and restaurants. However, my personal preference is Zamalek, perhaps because I am most familiar with the area, but also because it is an upscale area with much to offer.

National Parks and Reserves (Protected Areas) of Egypt by Jimmy Dunn
Today, there are some 21 national parks in Egypt, of which perhaps the best known and one of the oldest is at Ras Mohamed on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Only established in 1983, this is actually a marine reserve that is, to the outside world, most familiar to scuba divers. Here, one finds mangrove trees, along with some 200 species of coral, around 1,000 species of fish, along with various birds such as Osprey and White-eyed gulls, but also endangered turtle populations and even threatened mammals such as the Dorcas Gazelle.

Nature Reserves of Egypt: Abu Galum by The Egyptian Government
Abu Galum is one of the picturesque nature reserves in the country. With its high mountains, narrow sinuous valleys (wadis), freshwater springs, coastal sand dunes, gravel alluvial fans, raised fossil coral reefs and low lying saline sabkha, it is not surprising that this small area of the Sinai peninsula houses 165 plant species.

Nature Reserves of Egypt: Lake Qaroun, The World's Oldest Nature Reserve by The Government of Egypt
Lake Qaroun nature reserve in Egypt's Fayyoum, the oldest in the world, is distinguished by its matchless environmental and natural assets. Within this reserve that comprises 1155 sq. km of land and 230 sq. km of water, both the old and modern civilizations have converged. Lake Qaroun is a safe haven and warm cradle for thousands of migrant birds fleeing the severe cold of Europe. It is also the incubator and the happy nest that embraces infant birds on the lake islets during reproduction time. Various kinds of fish live in the lake waters, while many species of mammals, reptiles and birds live in this wonderful reserve. Moreover, the reserve abounds in rare fossils, archaeological and geological formations.

Nazlet-el-Samaan (Giza) by Jimmy Dunn
The story of how Nazlet-el-Samaan came into being is a fascinating one. In the old days when the Egyptian princes took guests to the pyramids they sometimes arranged a horse riding display as part of the day's entertainment. Some eighty years ago a Turkish prince gave a desert party at Giza. A large tent had been erected for luncheon. The flaps on the front were thrown upward so that the guests might watch a riding display.

Neil Bush Family Visits El Gouna by Hazel Heyer
On 21 March 2001, together with his family and Ignite! CEO Kenneth Leonard, Neil Bush arrived in El Gouna aboard the luxurious private plane owned by his host Hamza El Khouli, chairman of the First Arabian Development Company. Hazel Heyer interviews the US President's brother about his stay at this exotic Red Sea resort.

Night of the Jackal by Tim Baily
At one of our camps, situated on a large island, a family of Golden Jackals (6 all told, Mum Dad and 4 youngsters) have been stranded, away from the mainland, by the rising waters of the lake. These lovely creatures, about the size of a small Alsatian dog, have become remarkably tame because we feed them.

Nuweiba by Jimmy Dunn
Nuweiba, which means "bubbling springs" in Arabic, is a 7-km long town stretched along the Aqaba coast of the Sinai Red Sea. Developed from a barren isolated place with no infrastructure into a promising and attractive tourist destination, Nuweiba has just recently been discovered by tourist investors who have established hotels along the coastline south and north of Nuweiba, connecting it with Taba in the north and Dahab in the south

Off the Beaten Path in the Sinai by Jimmy Dunn
While thriving a short time ago, Nuweiba, Taba and Dahab are now all but deserted. The reason for this is simple. These areas were major destinations for many Israelis vacationing in Egypt who are no longer coming due to the conflicts in that country. Yet they are far away from any such problems, and today they are quite, peaceful areas, unencumbered with large numbers of tourists, with prices that can't be beat.

The Other Side of the Sinai Ras Sidr by Mark WhiteMost people who have an interest in Egyptian travel are certainly familiar with Sharm el-Sheikh, on the southern tip, and may also know of the resorts which line its southeastern shores, such as Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba. However, most non Egyptian travelers are far less familiar with the Sinai's western coast, facing the Gulf of Suez. One resort along this coast that warrants considerable attention is Ras Sidr.

Rawdah (Roda Island) by Jimmy Dunn
Today there are two main islands in the Nile at Cairo, though this was not always the case. Zamalek, more familiar to many tourists because of its several five star hotels and upscale restaurants and entertainment, did not exist in the dynastic period. Rawdah (Officially Al Manyal ar-Rawdah but commonly known as Roda outside of Egypt) island, is composed of bedrock and probably always existed, though its placement in the Nile has changed. In the Dynastic period, it was referred to as Per-hapi-n-On Which means the House of the Nile of On, and it was this name that was probably mistranslated by the Greeks as Babylon.

Revival of the Library of Alexandria by the Egyptian Government
The Egyptian Government, in co-operation with UNESCO, has decided to resurrect the old dream to endow this part of the world with an important focal point for culture, education and science.

Seven Girls' Monastery at Wadi Feiran by Jimmy Dunn
The biblical Rephidim is today's Feiran (Firan, Faran, Pharan) Oasis in the Sinai. The Greek Seven Girls' Monastery (it may be referred to as the Monastery of Moses, the Monastery of Feiran, the Seven Sisters Monastery, the Monastery of the Seven Nuns or even Dir Za'ir Monastery) is located on a spring in the middle of the oasis where it is thought that Joshua defeated the Amalekites while Moses and Aaron gave prayerful support. Many visitors to Egypt who go on to the Sinai will visit the convent on their way to or coming from St. Catherine's Monastery. Today, the Seven Girl's Monastery falls under the authority of St. Catherine's Monastery. The Wadi Feiran is a beautiful four kilometer area surrounded by palms, vines and trees and is the Southern Sinai's largest oasis, often called the "Pearl of the Sinai".

The Sinai Might be More Fun by Jimmy Dunn
Recently I was told that Egypt's Sinai is closer to the East Coast of the US then Hawaii. That is not correct, but it is only a little more then another hour's flight away. And depending on how hard one looks for airfare, the cost of getting to each location can be very similar, though perhaps once there, Sinai is a bit less expensive.

The Snow White Desert by the Egyptian Government
The richness and variety of Egyptian landscape is endless. At least if you ever decide to visit the White Desert, that's the message you'll get. It is a vast stretch of land in the Western Desert that borders Baharia Oasis to the north and Al-Farafra to the south.

A Tour in Egypt's Mohammed Ali's Mosque by Muhammad Hegab
"Do you see this great mosque? It's called Mohammed Ali's Mosque. He was one of the greatest governors of Egypt in the modern age. When he came to power in the 19th century, he saw that it was necessary to build a big mosque in The Citadel to be a place for prayer and other tasks".

Visiting the Valley of the Kings by Jimmy Dunn
As I write this article (January 8th, 2002), Egypt is experiencing a cold spell. In fact, long time residents of Luxor, across the river from the Valley of the Kings, insist that they cannot remember a time when it was colder. For many Luxor vacationers, this is bad news, because they come here not to sightsee, but to enjoy the temperate climate. These tourists come from various European countries to escape their harsh winter climates. It is grand tombing weather. Tombs can be swelteringly hot, particularly deep in the summer months. Therefore, it is best to visit the Valley of the Kings during the late autumn, winter and early spring months. For example, temperatures in Luxor during November usually range from a high of 31c (88f) to a low of 13c (55f). Still, it is best to get an early start, and this is particularly true during warmer months.

Walking Tours of the Sinai by the Egyptian Government
The National Parks of Egypt has created Protectorate Development Programs that provide a wide variety of information on the Saint Katherine (Catherine) Protectorate

The Western Desert of Egypt: Adventure Travel at its Best by Cassandra Vivian
If I were talking about Tutankamun, this article would attract readers automatically, such is the draw of Ancient Egypt. But I am talking about Kharga Oasis, Gebel Uwaynat, and the Great Sand Sea. Although all of them have mysteries as tantalizing as those of ancient Egypt, they are for the most part unrecognizable names in the United States. If I told you Medusa turned men to stone in the Western Desert, would that hold your interest? If I said after his 12 labors Hercules rested in the Western Desert, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra romanced here, Antony and Cleopatra faced defeat here, and the first Allied victory in World War II took place here, would that do it? If I said the heroine of the Academy Award winning film The English Patient died in one of its caves --- ahh haa, now I gotcha, don't I??

Zamalek by Jimmy Dunn
Zamalek is one of my favorite sections of Cairo is Zamalek, an island in the Nile that basically lies between modern downtown Cairo and Giza. It is an upscale, garden area with a number of attractions as well as many embassies, schools popular hotels and some of the better budget hotels. It seems that Khedive Ismail popularized the island when he built his summer palace on there, and a number of royal families followed suite. There are several legend's surrounding Ismail's palace. One is that he built it to house three of his 14 wives, but probably the most popular story is that he built it to accommodate the Empress Eugenie during the inauguration of the Suez Canal. Certainly Eugenie, and other guests of the Suez Inauguration stayed in the palace. Today this island remains one of the most important of Cairo's districts.

The Zoo at Giza by Tour Egypt Staff
The Zoo at Giza is one of the most beautiful in the world and the the most densely inhabited by the various animal and plant species. Its area is about 80 feddans. It is located near the west bank of the Nile. Its northern tip overlooks Cairo University. It is not far from down town Cairo and is linked to it by numerous buses. The Zoo is under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture in Egypt.