Tourism is slowly improving in Egypt now that people realize it's actually pretty safe in spite of the events that hits the news once in a while. Even Will Smith came with his family and had a great time in Cairo! So it's probably time for you to start planning your trip! Whether you come for a weekend or a month, I have multiple itinerary plans that you can customize to make the most of your stay.

Cairo (3-5 days)

You have to begin in Cairo, the largest capital in the Arab world. Filled with over 22 million people. Yes, it will be crowded, smelly, and hot, but it's Egypt! Come in the winter and then at least it won't be hot.

What to Do & See:

1. Pyramids & Sphinx - you didn't really come all the way to Egypt to skip this wonder of the world, did you? Of course not. Do not go without reading up on what you need and what to expect when visiting the pyramids.


2. Khan El Khalili - If you know how to barter and want to get souvenirs at a bargain, this maze of a bazaar is the place to be. Careful not to get lost!


3. Felluca on the Nile - what could be more romantic and relaxing than a little boat cruise on the Nile? This may be one of the best ways to end off your trip in Egypt. You can head to Zemalek island, go down Left Bank and hire a felluca. Don't pay much more than 150 Egyptian pounds for one hour.


4. Mall of Egypt - if you like malls, this brand new structure is the one to beat! Gorgeous interior and is the twin to the Mall of Dubai - since they are built by the same owner. You can try out the indoor ski park, VIP theater (yes there are English movies!) a range of delicious cafes and endless shopping for whatever your budget is.


5. Coptic Cairo - if culture, religion and architecture interests you at all, you can do a walking tour of Coptic Cairo, which has the famous Hanging Church. And in its near proximity, the Amr Ibn El Aas Mosque, where both men and women can enter, just through different entrances!

Red Sea Coast (3-5 days)

Probably my favourite part of Egypt! We have been to the Sinai peninsula coast 3 times now, and I love it every time! If you like the beach lifestyle, turquoise-blue waters and many outdoor activities and sports, this is a must-see!


 

What to Do & See:

1. Sharm El Shiekh - an hour from the airport, or 7 hours by the Superjet Bus, this city is one of the best spots along the Red Sea. 5 star resorts for as low as 40 US$ a day, incredible blue water, Old Town, Farsha Cafe, desert safari, I could go on and on about all the things you could do that would easily fill up your days. Read more about what to do in charming Sharm.


2. Dahab - If Sharm is too resort-like or big for you, Dahab is a tiny beach town just 1 hour north of Sharm. While low tourism has made Dahab feel a bit shabby and ghost-like, it is THE spot of snorkeling and diving! With the famous Blue Hole and Three Pools coral reefs, you can really enjoy the water life here. Find out more about this small beach town and fun to be had!

Aswan & Luxor - The South (3-5 days)

There is one very popular way to visit both Aswan and Luxor, which is by cruise along the Nile (with a short flight from Cairo to Aswan first) although it automatically take 4 days if you do so.

The Itinerary for Nile Cruises:

1. Begin in Aswan: Philae Temple and the High Dam


2. Stop over in Kom Ombo City: Kom Ombo Temple and Edfu Temple


3. End in Luxor: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon

Check here for more information about Nile Cruises and see if there is a package right for you.

North Coast & Alexandria (2-4 days)

The city of Alexandria alone can be done in 1-2 days, but if you have time, you should squeeze in a trip westward along the Mediterranean for some of the softest white sand and gorgeous blue water!

What To Do & Sea:

1. The Citadel - a fort-like structure that is hundreds of years old with a great view of the Mediterranean in the city of Alex. If you like castles and the like, you will enjoy a jaunt through here.


2. Library of Alexandria - not the original I'm afraid, but this library was built in the memory of the old world wonder and is considered in the top most beautiful libraries in the world. There are also a couple smaller museums inside, including one with ancient, preserved texts from ancient times!


3. North Coast Hotel or Resort - if you are coming during May-early September, then you can enjoy the coastal life on Egypt's lovely north coast! Soft white sand, beautiful warm turquoise water, just watch out for the jelly fish!

ITINERARY OPTIONS:

All of Egypt: If you like to evenly pace your trip and have a lot of time to travel, you could do Cairo, the Red Sea, the South, and North coast in 21 days. If you rush through quickly, you would need a minimum of 2 and a half weeks, but it would be very tight.

2 Week Recommendation: If you only have two weeks, then I recommend Cairo, the Red Sea and then Aswan & Luxor with about 3-4 days for each location.

1 Week - 10 Days: If you only have a week to ten days, then I would recommend only two of these locations, unless you cut it down to only 2-3 days per location, but instead of Aswan & Luxor, Alexandria would be more doable.

Less than a Week: You can do what Will Smith did, and simply spend a weekend or so in Cairo! A day trip to Alexandria is still very doable as well if you are visiting for 4-5 days.

Whatever your time frame is, I hope you visit enough of Egypt to have seen at least 3 of these 4 locations to really get a taste of what this country has to offer. Now, if time is the least of your problems, here are some extras you can throw into your plans!

Extras

Here are some honourable mentions that you can do if you are staying for an extended period of time, because you could spend a whole month in Egypt and have it quite filled with activities, exploration and fun!

1. Sandboarding in Fayoum - a lot warmer than snowboarding! You can also camp out in Fayoum, which is a couple hours south west of Cairo.


2. Kayaking on the Nile - rent a kayak and get more personal with the popular Nile and see Cairo from another perspective. Just don't go swimming in it!


3. Hiking in Wadi Degla Pectorate - this protected desert area is just outside Cairo, and is great for hikers. You can bring a picnic and portable BBQ if you like!

If you were at a loss when it came to planning a trip to Egypt, I hope you feel inspired and ready to plan out your itinerary with the places and outings that suit you!

Special thanks to Zach for his great photos from Fayoum!



Have you been to Egypt before? Or is it still on your bucket list? What is stopping you from visiting? Let me know in the comments below!

It’s no secret that finding a teaching job in Canada is a struggle, especially a permanent job. I hear teachers from all across the provinces complain about the same issue. So why not take a crack at teaching abroad? In fact, why not teach in Egypt? I know what you’re thinking, because you’re probably watching the news. In case you didn’t know, the news doesn’t show the whole story. Egypt is a great chance for Canadian teachers to develop their profession, to grow, and to have an incredible adventure. Here are just 10 reasons why Canadian teachers should come teach in Egypt:

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you will know that we spent a lovely week back on the Red Sea! This time, in Sharm El Sheikh!  I am here to tell you everything about it, and how it can be a wonderful beach getaway holiday for you too! Get your swim suit, and let's dive in, shall we?

Everyday it seems we learn something new about this hot (except in winter) and strange land, and some of it simply boggles our minds! Egypt has been getting a really bad rep in the news and media, and it is so easy to have a small, shallow perspective of what kind of a place Egypt really is. Here are 10 quirky and unique things we've learned about Egypt.

Once I knew I was going to teach in Egypt, I wanted to go to the Red Sea! So when we found out about Eid holidays in September, we booked a trip to Dahab, a small town 1 hour north of Sharm El Sheik, which is at the very bottom tip of the Sinai Peninsula.

The Town of Dahab

 

There is definitely a bohemian feel to the town, and you slowly start looking like a beach bum as your hair gets stiff with salt water, your tan gets darker, and you wear colourful loose pants and sandals 24/7 as you lounge by the water day in and day out. Embrace it while it lasts.

Where we Stayed

The hotel we stayed in was called Dahab Paradise, and the name suited the location very well as it is pinned right between the mountains and the sea. The manager was extremely helpful and definitely went above and beyond to meet our needs and expectations. The kitchen prepared excellent breakfast (not to mention its free!) and amazing, mouth-watering meals. The cost of the hotel was also not expensive, and they can help arrange several activities to do in Dahab. I highly recommend anyone to stay in this quaint and stunningly gorgeous place!


 

 

Over the 4 days we spent in Dahab, we did a number of things that ranged from adventurous to plain relaxation. It was a great balance, and the wonderful thing is that there is so much to do in Dahab, you will never be bored! But if you like, you can sit by the pool or the shore, day after day, and soak in the sun!


 


Like I said earlier, I had been greatly looking forward to dipping to the Red Sea, and Wayne loves beaches a it is. So naturally, we headed to the coast first thing. Our hotel arranged a driver and the typical spot to get dropped off is called Lighthouse. This is basically the beginning the Peace road, which hugs the coast that makes up the main part of town. All the lounge restaurants are here.


The only downside is that this part of the coast is not your typical sandy beach. It's made up of small rocky cliffs, so you simply climb down a couple feet and then you're in the water. It can get very, very busy, especially in season, so try to get a spot early, around 11 am.

Now, much of the coast is occupied by lounge restaurants, so you have to go through the restaurant to get a spot, and typically the polite thing to do is to order refreshments and food. It is an ideal situation, though, because you are guaranteed cold drinks as you come back and forth from the water for as long as you like!


What else is there to do? Find out in my next blog post as I spill more details about the exciting and adventurous things to be done in Dahab!

 

Living in Egypt so far has its pros and cons. Fortunately, one of those pros is our apartment. While the furnishing is relatively basic, it is very spacious and comfortable for a newly wed couple. In 6th of October, there are many spacious apartments and villas, as it is a much newer area that is trying to attract the wealthier civilians.

Here is a tour of our Egyptian apartment! When you first walk in, there is the dinning and living room, a nice open concept area with many windows, two of which lead to balconies.




Off to the side, is the kitchen, which is in its own room, unfortunately. This room is probably the lead furnished, with only one counter, which makes the big kitchen feel really sparse. We managed to find a small coffee table that was being thrown out, and re purposed it for our kitchen.

We took this picture before we bought garbage cans.

Next to the kitchen, is a half bath that faces the dining room, which is great for when we have visitors. It has two lights, one being right above the mirror, so it is very good lighting to put make up on!


 In the living room corner across one of the main balconies, is where I decided to set up my desk, since Wayne likes to use the dinning room table for his work. It felt too lonely being in the small spare bedroom, all the way on the other side of the apartment.


 If you go around to the other side of the living room. there is the entrance to the main hallway that leads to the rest of the apartment, which is the bedrooms and bathroom.

Top 5 Things We're Not Looking Forward To

1) Women's Rights A-Lacking. 
I've read many blogs and articles about how different life will be for me as a female in the middle East, and I dred it. I'm not a feminist in the radical sense, but I do think a woman should be able to show her knees without men treating her like a prostitute. Also, I've been practising how to say "I'm married" and "Leave me alone" in Arabic...

2) Illiteracy.
I am fortunate to know 3 languages fluently, and have a good linguistic talent for deciphering Latin based languages I do not speak. Arabic, however, could not be more foreign to me. While I am ecstatic to learn a new and different language, neither my husband or I are looking forward to the growing pains of learning to read right to left and in a new alphabet. Can I join the kindergarten kids in Arabic class?

3) Heat.
I am an odd creature. I don't mind warmth but always had low tolerance for extreme heat (and cold). Tropical places are not where I want to retire. Give me a cottage in Ireland, and I'll be thrilled. Fortunately, Egypt is a dry heat, which I know I can combat with much more ease than humid.

4) No Bacon. 
And no pork at all for that matter. I'm not in love with pork, though I do really enjoy ham, but both my husband and I love bacon -  we are Canadian after all! So knowing we will not be having these foods at all while in the Middle East, makes our stomachs rather sad.

5) On Your Guard. 
There is a safety and sense of social respect that is present more Western societies that seems like a fairy tale in more exotic eastern countries. I know we will get used to it and it will become second nature, but we soft Canadians will have much to learn about who to trust and how to behave in society if we are to be safe and not get into trouble or mixed up in something.

Now for the Top 5 Things We Are SO Looking Forward To

1) The Food
We are BIG food lovers! There is very little we are shy to try, and we love ethnic cuisine, so we are definitely looking forward to the exotic tastes and aromas that await!

Food.com - Egyptian Recipes

2) The Sites
The Nile, the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Red Sea, need I go on?

3) The Cultural Experience
Getting used to a new way of life can be challenging and sometimes embarrassing. But once you get into the ebb and wane of life of the culture around you, it's a beautiful experience. I believe in life-long learning, and being exposed to the new and different is bound to teach you some things.

4) Adventure
What do wanderers want more than an adventure? We wouldn't be going at all if it weren't up for one! We are building our To-Do list, which already includes: scuba diving in the Red Sea, climbing inside a Pharaoh's tomb, visiting visiting countries such as Turkey and Israel and so much more!