Comments on: How to Time Your Trip to Cairo

on 11/22/2005 I wouldn't recommend trying to tour Egypt on your own - as is commonly done in Europe. All of the sights are very far apart and hard to find, and sometimes the taxi drivers will not know where to go and take you to the wrong place. They always overcharge you at least 3 times, if you are lucky, the local rate. In addition to the hassle of getting around and finding a hotel, no one ever leaves you alone at any of sites. Unless you have a friend in Egypt or speak Arabic, don't attempt it alone!

on 11/22/2005 Try Casual Cairo Detours for small groups. They will tailor your time to suit your needs, provide excellent Egyptologists (whose English you can understand), and even accompany you to Alexandria, Upper Egypt, and the Red Sea, if you want. Excellent company, highly recommended by USA Today and The Mail on Sunday (England),and me!

on 11/22/2005 Summers, although they sound hot, aren't that bad in Egypt. Cairo can be humid, but it's mostly quite nice, with soft breezes. The heat immediately turns down as the sun sets (about 7:30-8:00 p.m. in summer), and evenings are perfectly balmy. Of course, since summer is the low season, it's cheaper to travel there, too.

on 11/22/2005 Most of what's mentioned is correct. A lot's left out - the magnificent Sharm El Sheikh, where a lot of tourists dive and snorkel and have a great time; Luxor and Aswan for the rest of the pharaonic monuments and the Nile. Even now, I haven't said it all.