“A picture is worth a thousand words”
An old English saying that you have surely heard before. Let’s find out if it is true. We’ll attempt to convince you to travel to Egypt (more specifically Cairo) with 15 illustrative arguments. This post is more pictures and fewer words!
Please let us know if it worked for you in the comments below.
1. The oldest and last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World
The Great Pyramid, or the Pyramid of Cheops, is the last standing Wonder of the Ancient World. Together with the rest of the Pyramids in Giza (and the surrounding area), it is indeed a magnificent sight. A perfect place to get your mind blown!
2. Do you remember the last time you laughed so hard, you peed a little!?
Well, it was close anyway… Lots of photo opportunities in this place, so you better practice your best pose! Here we are jumping around like maniacs in front of one of the most impressive man-made wonders throughout history. That doesn’t mean you have to be serious, we couldn’t stop laughing.
3. You can be Tomb Raider for a day!
Or at least you can pretend. We had recently been in South Africa on safari, and Nick had a wardrobe full of “safari” clothes. For some reason, those instantly became Tomb Raider clothes when worn in the ruins of ancient Egypt. We didn’t steal anything (there’s nothing to take anyway), but security might have kept an extra eye on us!
4. If you haven't seen a camel before...
This camel was called Banana, which is clearly a very fitting name. You can see on his arrogant face and posture that he doesn’t give a s*** about the Pyramids. Before you say anything, yes, we rode camels in Egypt. Please don’t flame us yet, first see our thoughts about this hot topic on our Egypt page.
5. Go inside the first Pyramid ever completed!
The Red Pyramid in Dahshur was the first ‘real’ pyramid ever to be completed! If you go to Dahshur, you get to experience it from the outside AND the inside. The grand prize after your deep descent into the airless tomb is an intense smell of ammonia. Just lovely, you are welcome. The best thing is, it costs next to nothing, and there are very few tourists — our favourite pyramid of them all!
6. Walk like an Egyptian
We rode two camels around the Pyramids Plateau in Giza. There are do’s and don’ts when it comes to animals in tourism, so do your homework and ensure that you always travel and explore ethically. To get our thoughts on how to get a sustainable and ethical trip to Egypt, please see the dedicated section on our Egypt page.
7. Have a romantic dinner with views of the Nile
After having A LOT of falafel (mostly for free?) and shawarma we wanted to have a “real” dinner before heading back to our normal lives. Nick was craving steak, and Kia wanted to try some real Egyptian wine. Luckily, in addition to the awesome local cuisine, it is easy to find Western food in Cairo. For this romantic night, the steakhouse at Intercontinental Semiramis seemed like the obvious choice. It was exactly what we were looking for and didn’t cost a fortune either.
8. Enjoy your peppermint tea with a view
Enjoying some peppermint tea on the rooftop with a bit of a view. And that view hasn’t changed in the last 4.000 years. That’s amazing. Every morning, we got out of bed, hurried up to the rooftop, warmed ourselves on some peppermint tea and watched the sun-rays hit those ancient wonders! Not a bad way to start the day.
9. Make new friends!
Kia instantly became friends with her camel Moses. How could she not – just look at that furry face (the one on the left)! We have shared our thoughts on camel rides in Egypt on our dedicated Egypt page. Check it out so you can make an informed decision on your trip.
10. See the world in a new light
Egypt has its own local beer called Stella – minus the Artois part. Enjoying a cold one in the sun, with panoramic views of the Pyramids, makes for a relaxing afternoon. After a day of exploration in the area around Cairo, this was exactly what we needed. Yes, Egypt is primarily a Muslim country, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a drink.
11. Hang with the locals
We had forgotten to bring cash to the Step Pyramid in Saqqara. A guy from the hotel rushed to our need but only gave us enough to cover the entrance fee. Somehow the locals still managed to hoax us into a little light socialising, expecting, of course, to get paid. We had repeatedly told them that we were out of cash and that we weren’t interested. However, it being one of our first interactions with hustlers we hadn’t learned to say no yet. You better believe we got good at it after this experience. When you are in Egypt, do expect to get hassled in every possible way. However, just say no. In the end, everyone will respect that. Don’t provide excuses (like being out of cash) only a firm NO (or two) will do the trick. These guys might be poor, and although you’ll sometimes be feeling sorry for them, remember they are quite simply taking advantage of you. You don’t have to feel bad about rejecting them.
12. Experience one of the biggest egos of all time
A small statue of Ramses III found in the Memphis museum just outside Cairo. He was clearly quite the personality and built a ridiculous amount of statues of himself. One bigger than the other (just see the size of this compared to Kia on the balcony!). Perhaps this was his way of taking selfies back in the day? Well, we can’t really blame him then, we are quite big on those ourselves.
13. Pretend to be a giant
Playing a bit around with the perspective of the Bent Pyramid in Dashur. One of our favourite pyramids because you are almost alone there. Just see how we managed not to have any other tourists in the shot. There is also a sign clearly stating no drones – but the security guard approached us and said it would be alright. We didn’t bring a drone, but if you do, a small tip would definitely allow you to take flight. In fact, we got the feeling that a small tip could take you quite far in Egypt in general.
14. Be alone with a Wonder of the World
Egypt has experienced a bit of political turmoil in recent years and has had a few unfortunate events. This has caused a massive slump in tourism. As sad as that is for the tourism-dependent country, this is something you can take great advantage of. And you are a smart traveller, so you realise Cairo is as safe as any European capital. Exploit this while it lasts. We went here, and pretty much walked around the Pyramid of Khafre all by ourselves. Pictures are just better without other sunburned tourists in the frame. This is a rare opportunity when you think about the fact that we are standing in front of the most impressive structures ever built on Planet Earth.
15. We went through the trouble of making a small video
If the 14 other reasons were not enough to convince you, we hope this video might tip the scales. If you liked it, please remember to subscribe to our youtube channel! We really had a good weekend trip to Cairo and you will too. If you want to explore more of Egypt, you will probably need a bit more time, but for Cairo, a long weekend is enough.
Perhaps you are still not sure about visiting Egypt or have some questions or concerns? We would love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a message in the comments below! You are also most welcome to do so on social media.
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