Cairo

Pros: Exotic, low crime rate, easy to get around, inexpensive
Cons: Pollution

****************************** *** TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) A Visit to Cairo 2) Trouble at the Pyramids 3) Going Out by Myself 4) Egyptian Men 5) Mohammed Ali Mosque 6) The Egyptians React to Polaroid Pictures 7) Good vs Bad ...

Pros: Good tourist infrastructure, sights straight out of a science fiction novel
Cons: Usual third-world water, transportation, and sanitary hassles, but better than most developing countries

This is the final review in my three-part series of Egyptian destinations. I'm hoping that this blockbuster will push me above the twenty-reader mark (sigh).

The Place

Cairo. Big city in Egypt. Located roughly at the beginning...

Pros: Pyramids; Other ancient exhibits; shopping
Cons: Heat; Crowds; Filth; Traffic; Poorly prepared food (no apparant cleanliness standards)

I spent a year in the Sinai (Egypt) and made numerous trips to Cairo. While being able to say that you have seen the Pyramids in person ~ always give you something to talk about; it truly is not worth the trip, unless you have nowhere else to go.
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Pros: incredible architecture, true sense of history
Cons: Warning: NOT for the claustrophobic

One of the most memorable travel experiences I had when I was younger was my trip to the Egyptian pyramids.
A short bus journey from Cairo brought our tour group to the great pyramids at Giza, one of the Ancient Wonders of the World....

Pros: you'll never be bored
Cons: overwhelming

One of the many Arabic nicknames for Cairo is "Mother of the World".

I lived in downtown Cairo for almost two years and I agree with the name completely. Cairo is a city of a thousand influences; it accepts the new without ever...

Pros: Cheap, The Pyramids
Cons: Everyone is a salesman

I was in Cairo for only three days, but I had a good time. I want to warn everyone that if you have never been out of America or Europe, you will be surprised, and have to be cautious. I used some water one time, to brush my teeth, and got sick. There is...

Pros: Last surviving wonder of ancient world, earth's oldest tourist attraction.
Cons: Crowds, trash, vendors, camel police with whips and ubiquitous guards with AK47s.

We went to see the Pyramids outside of Cairo, via a cruise ship tour. We chose the tour despite the 3 hour drive to and from because we feared we may not pass this way again. We had always wanted to see the pyramids so we endured the bus trip. We rode...

Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: can be a bit dirty

Review Topic:  Shopping

Imagine a desert with thousands of tons of sand. Imagine the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Now, imagine shopping like an American shopping queen!!!

I have been to Cairo twice and the...

Pros: Cultural amazement, Modern and Ancient
Cons: Foreign culture can be confusing. HOT!

The origin of the name Cairo, Cahira or Qahira in Arabic, is in dispute. Some believe it comes from the word El Qahira (the victory), others tell a tale of the two cahiras (crows) that decided the fate of the pre-modern city in ancient myth. Either...

Pros: Um..... you might get some nice pics of the pyramids.
Cons: Where to begin... the city is full of cons

I have traveled much of the world, particularly in Africa and other so-called, developing nations. I have never had as horrible an experience as I did in Cairo. Cairo is all about the hustle. The locals, seemingly very friendly, will lure you in ...

Pros: The Wonders are worth the hassle
Cons: Traffic dirty noisy beurocratic and hassled

Cairo is the sort of place that is wonderful if you know what you are doing. I have been there 3 times now. You can see what you need to see in 2/3 days. Airport Passport control at airport on way in takes 1hr+, you can buy visas at bank kiosks just ...

Pros: The pyramids, Archeological Museum, Saqqara
Cons: Touristic traps, smog, traffic, annoying Egyptians trying to make "business", some doormen at the hotels.

Arriving at Cairo airport, if you can speak of an airport, is coming in another world. You realize you are on the African continent.
At the airport buy a visa at the small store on the left, before the customs. Prepare for a long wait in the line....

Pros: Location
Cons: Needs urgent TLC and maintenance

I was sold this hotel by the travel agent as being 5 star. That may have been the case 25 years ago but no longer. It's now an adequate 3 star. Shepheards is quite literally 'across the road' from the Nile with a million dollar view of the river and ...

Pros: Many means of transportation
Cons: Sometimes lacks quality

Review Topic:  Practical Information

Whether you are going to spend in the Egyptian capital a couple of days or a whole week you won't be able to do without the means of transportation in a city with 18 mln inhabitants. Here are...

Pros: You'll see pyramids that most tourists miss
Cons: There is an element of danger in getting away from Cairo

The pyramids of Giza are a must stop for any visit to Cairo. However, if you want to see hieroglyphics in their real setting, take a bus ride to the older, stepped pyramids of Zoser.

The largest pyramid there, about half the size of the Great...