Top five destinations for flight bookings during the first week of the Big Orange Sale were Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva, Alicante and Malaga.
14.12.2023 - 15:15 / cntraveler.com
Ask A Local is a new series where we ask clued-up insiders to share their top tips for the place they call home.
A visit to Cairo is a feast for the senses—from Giza’s dazzling array of pyramids and the soon-opening Grand Egyptian Museum, to the buzzing roadways and the intoxicating scents of downtown’s bazaars and street vendors. There's a reason many Cairenes refer to the city simply as Masr, the Arabic name for all of Egypt itself: this is the beating heart of the nation, embodying a plethora of religions, diasporas, and languages. As a result, the city of 10 million people can feel staggering if you don’t know where to begin, especially if you don’t know how to divvy up your time. The 4,600-year-old pyramids of Giza, for example, can take hours to reach in rush-hour traffic, but are certainly not to be missed—and neither are downtown's modern galleries, cafes, and museums.
Curator Nadine Abdel Ghaffar in front of the Forever Is Now contemporary exhibit at Giza's pyramids
Perhaps no one knows this better than Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, a French-Egyptian art director who curates exhibits in Cairo and lives in Giza. As the creator of Culturvator / Art’D Egypte, a women-led arts organization, Abdel Ghaffar regularly organizes exhibitions of contemporary art at heritage sites—including Forever Is Now, an annual art show at the Giza Necropolis, and a banner Dior fashion show at the pyramids that took place in December 2022.
“I’m very much into history, and it's an incredible energy [at the pyramids],” Abdel Ghaffar says of the third edition of the Giza exhibition, which took place this fall. “So you really need to take your time over it.” She advises doing a proper tour of the pyramids, but also experiencing Giza beyond the heritage site before moving on to downtown Cairo. Here’s how to do Giza justice beyond the pyramids—and the spots in Cairo that Abdel Ghaffar visits time and again.
The palace rooms at the Mena House Hotel, which overlooks the pyramids, are being renovated this year.
While so many travelers make a day trip of the pyramids—having a quick meal at one of the vendors in the area and hightailing it out of Giza Governorate—the city is a destination in itself if you know where to eat and stay. Any overnight in Giza should be spent sleeping beneath the pyramids, which is possible at the historic Mena House Hotel, a legendary stay that dates back to the 1860s and is now a freshly restored Marriott. The gold-gilded lobby and spectacular balconies overlooking the pyramids are just a stone’s throw away from the Necropolis, where you’ll easily pass a half or whole day. The adjacent Sheikh Zayed City is a modern hub with lots of green spaces, dining, and activities to enjoy.
Once you’re checked in,
Top five destinations for flight bookings during the first week of the Big Orange Sale were Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva, Alicante and Malaga.
Unforgettable history lessons, cultural connections and precious family time are just some of the reasons to consider a big trip in 2024. Stretch your children’s imaginations with these meaningful getaways, mixing nature time with once-in-a-lifetime city breaks, unique accommodations and long-distance rail travel. It might just change the way your family looks at the world.
The principals of the innovative London and New York-based travel company Black Tomato made their name by assembling detail-oriented and sometimes very out of the way travel plans for exceedingly curious, adventurous clients. Having surveyed the market to ascertain what their clients are interested in now and the changes they see in the travel landscape, they’ve come up with the ways they see that travel happening in the next year and in what parts of the world those ambitious travelers could be.
Taking your first solo trip is a rite of passage for a traveler. It gives you a chance to step outside of your comfort zone, deepen your sense of empowerment and independence, and spend your time exactly how you want.
Alaska Airlines has been in the news lately for the carrier's proposed merger with Hawaiian Airlines, a move that Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said will "expand options for West Coast and Hawai'i travelers."
When you think of a cruise vacation, you probably imagine sailing the tropical waters of the Caribbean, or navigating around the Greek islands. Your brain likely isn’t conjuring images of the sandswept deserts of Saudi Arabia. But Saudi Arabia strives to make itself more attractive for international tourism — making the process of getting a visa very easy, and establishing tourism-specific destinations like NEOM and AlUla. And thanks to its efforts, it’s become a desirable new destination for Red Sea cruises. Since the first cruise to Saudi Arabia in January 2022, sailings to the kingdom have multiplied. Right now Jeddah is the country’s main cruise port, though as tourism development continues throughout the region, more ports are likely to open. Whether you’re a cruise enthusiast or a newbie, now’s the time to consider a Saudi Arabia cruise.
Cairo is a great place to visit for its rich history, vibrant culture, and delicious food. It is home to some of the most iconic landmarks in the world, including the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Visitors can also explore the ancient city of Memphis, the Coptic Cairo, and the Islamic Cairo. Cairo is also a great place to experience Egyptian cuisine, which is known for its bold flavors and fresh ingredients.
Sunset descends like a dream in Kenya’s Lamu archipelago: Each evening, the channel separating the islands of Manda and Lamu is anointed in a hazy veil of golden light as dhows pirouette in the water, triangle sails billowing overhead. I gazed out over a carousel of boats from my perch on the deck of Taqwa, delighting in the snatches of American hip-hop, Afrobeats, and Bollywood bangers emanating from them as they passed by. At some point, Taqwa sailed in tandem with a smaller vessel boasting the best playlist on the water. As we floated together companionably, a romantic Swahili tune filled the air—and for a moment, the weather, landscape, and music came together in a sublime alchemy that left me breathless.
Home to 23 million people, magical and maddening Cairo is the largest urban area in Africa and the Middle East.
Cairo is a magnet for travelers on a budget, and many of the capital’s attractions are free or cheap to visit – paying just $11 gets you entry to the Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving wonder of the ancient world.
Cairo is one of the biggest budget-friendly cities on the planet – where else can US$11 buy you entry to a wonder of the world? The capital of Egypt – and the country as a whole – is a great destination for travelers on a budget, with reasonable prices for accommodation (even high-end properties if you time it right), food and activities.
Terminal B investments include expansion of 40 gates for larger aircraft, allowing for 40% more people to fly from George Bush Intercontinental Airport