Great Pyramid of Giza-Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu

Travel to Egypt to experience an abundance of stories.   You will expand your personal horizons and appreciate your place amidst one of the oldest civilizations on the planet.  Now rushing 105 million people into a vastly changing landscape, Egypt is a destination that offers a wide range of experiences, hosting a very diverse tapestry of humanity.  Various powers have at one point controlled the region:  Pharoahs, Romans, Fatimids, French, British to the present-day Arab state, which makes it an educational, enlightening and enjoyable experience. You may be surprised to learn that Coptic Christians and Muslims are very integrated and peaceful, which is a direct result of this history.   A stroll through Zamalek will take you up close to the world’s embassies and where you’ll see the young boys go for their hip and cool weekend, the streets lined with hookah joints, lots of LED lighted balloons and men taking their young families for a stroll across the 26th of July bridge across the Nile.   Amidst it all, selfies are made at every point along the bridge in the hopes of Instagram fame. You are in for an experience of a lifetime; from the moment you touch down at the airport.  You are now in Egypt, a place that holds my heart despite all its chaos and contradictions.  Cairo’s bustling nightlife that never sleeps until the morning prayer, is characterized by so many archaeological sites from which to soak in the historical narrative.  The Cairo Citadel, built by Salah ad-Din (1176 AD – 1183 AD), was the seat of government for 700 years.  Here, you will find some of the best examples of Islamic architecture and probably the best view of the city.   A trip around the pyramids on a camel is an absolute must do, so long as you pick up water before you climb the steep narrow passageway through the interior leading up to the pharaonic tomb.  In the old part of the city, one can brave the crowds in the oldest open-air market in the region, Khan El Khalili, where you can pick up beautiful Arabian lanterns or leather bags and at the end of your shopping spree, sit and order, “Mumkin kahwa turkiye mazboot” a Turkish coffee at al-Fishawi established since 1787. One can find the cheapest, but good quality Egyptian leather shoes in almost any neighborhood, not to mention all the brand knock offs, but for a completely contradictory shopping experience, check out the Mall of Arabia in 6th October City or so many others where the doors don’t close till midnight or later.   Everything is bigger, brighter and simply more in an Egyptian mall. Next, catch a cruise down the Nile, having watched Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Nile to excite the mood, down to Aswan to visit Nubian villages, Abu Simbel Temple or Luxor to experience Karnak Temple, Hathesheput Temple, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Luxor Temple.  You will fully transport to yet another time. Founded by Alexander the Great is Alexandria on the North coast of the country.  Be sure to visit the first and what was the largest public library that ever existed, the Alexandria library.  It is in this city that much of Egypt’s Greco Roman history can be experienced at the fall of Cleopatra’s reign to Rome.  While there, learn of the ruins recently discovered by divers of her city.  Get a further view into this Roman era at: Pompey’s pillar, Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and the Roman Ampitheatre. Summer like the locals in Ain El Sokhna on the north coast of the Red Sea at Suez on the Mount of El Galala, giving a spectacular view of the beautiful beaches, where there are 5-star resorts, aquaparks and all sorts of water sports or El Gouna, developed by the wealthiest man in the nation, Sawiris, 20 km from Hurghada and home to the famous El Gouna Film Festival.  You can experience how the wealthier locals adventure at their summer homes or float with them in the most relaxing sensation of immersing yourself in the salty Red Sea. Hurghada on the east coast is another favorite with its beautiful beaches, marinas and be sure to get the fresh fish of the day.  There is so much new development in all of these areas along the coast as the country is bordered by two of the most beautiful bodies of water on the planet; the Mediterranean to the North and the Red Sea to the east. No trip to Egypt is complete without a trip to Sharm el-Sheikh, on the Southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula where you can see the best coral reefs on the planet, swim in the bluest waters and get PADI certified for scuba. The water is warm year-round and you will enjoy the import of Russian disco music at all the resorts because this is a popular vacation spot for Russians.  Sharm has its own old town for shopping, great Egyptian food (which is the best in the world in my opinion) and even more history can be found at St. Catherine’s Monastery, which lies at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Stories are aplenty, this being only a few.  You will be called to go back again and again.