Luxury weekend in Cairo - its possible!
Back in January, when I first mooted the idea of a Luxury weekend in Cairo I had visions of seeing the pyramids by moon light, contemplating the Sphinx at dawn, sipping cocktails on a sunset cruise down the Nile and admiring my silver trinkets purchased from the Old Bazaar.
A month later the violence which spread across the Middle East had squashed any notion of a romantic sojourn in Egypt’s capital. But when I finally arrived in Cairo recently in the wake of The Arab spring I was greeted by an enthusiastic guide who proclaimed ‘Welcome to the New Egypt.’ Cairo has survived recent unrest and is now back in business: the people are throwing their arms open to visitors in a huge effort to show how safe and welcome tourists are
We drove through the mad, chaotic dusty streets of downtown Cairo; passing en route Tahrir Square, the scene of recent unrest and still a meeting place for a few recalcitrant groups. But the scariest thing I experienced was the traffic.
There is no escaping the fact that we took our lives in our hands each time we ventured out. I found I could only cross the road when escorted by a top-hatted concierge from the hotel but away from the crazy cacophony of Cairo streets all proved to be as calm as the Sphinx itself.
The next day we joined a small but determined crowd of European tourists who had also spurned the advice of friends and colleagues to visit Saqqara, Memphis and the only remaining Ancient Wonder of the World, the pyramids of Giza.
“This is a good time to visit the country”, says our guide Hussein. The real luxury here is the relaxed way we are able to see sights usually barely visible for coaches and tourists. Tourists are beginning to return, but are still relatively few and the crowds and queues that might have spoilt our day at Giza or Memphis just aren’t there. But people are still travelling to see the awe inspiring Pyramids as they have done for centuries. Governments may topple and presidents fall, but the Sphinx looks serenely on throughout and Cairo’s timeless treasures at the Egyptian museum remain unmoved by unrest.
Must dos
*Step back and admire the Pyramids at Giza.
* Walking in Memphis: Memphis was the ancient capital of Egypt; Rameses II is well represented here with a colossus of himself and an alabaster sphinx.
* Coptic Cairo – some of the most beautiful little churches I’ve ever seen are here, such as the Church of St Sergius, the oldest church inside the walls. The Holy Family are believed to have stayed on this site
* Islamic Cairo - twisting alleyways and the smells of mint and cumin took us through the mediaeval heart of Cairo. From the privately owned Gayer Anderson museum (filled with quirky art and featured in James Bond film) the architecture here is with the Al-Azhar Mosque and the Mosque of Ibn tulun among the most impressive.
*The Egyptian Museum. If you only go to one Museum in your life, this is the one. Antiquities from King Tutankhamen’s tomb (buried 3300 years ago) and the Royal mummy Room are among the highlights
Middle East specialist Cox & Kings (www.coxandkings.co.uk / 0207 873 5000) organise luxury tours and tailor-made private travel to Egypt. A 5 day / 4 night stay at the Kempinski Nile Hotel is priced from from £945 per person, including return flights with bmi from Heathrow, private transfers and accommodation in a medina deluxe room with breakfast daily based on two sharing.