My husband and I wanted to go somewhere unique for our honeymoon, so we decided on Cairo. It was such a perfect vacation spot and we could see the Pyramids from the balcony of our hotel!
My biggest piece of advice to anyone visiting Cairo is to stay at the Marriott Mena House. I can’t emphasize enough how much the serenity of our vacation was a direct result of this hotel. It’s on the outskirts of the city so you don’t hear the constant blaring of car horns. It’s a very large resort with lots of greenery so the air feels fresh instead of polluted. It’s gated and surrounded by a wall so you feel safe and secure. There are three restaurants on premises so you have lots of dining options. I highly recommend the Italian restaurant, Alfredo. We ate there at least three times! It’s only open for lunch, but it’s close to the pool which is convenient. And the pool is so beautiful! Did I mention we could see the pyramids from our balcony?! We actually visited the pyramids twice, once with a guide and once on our own just because they were within walking distance. I will say that it is best to go with a guide because they will protect you from being besieged by people just trying to get your money. Even the security guards tried to scam us.
We booked 3 days worth of tours through Viator. We’ve used them in several countries and have always had a great experience.
- Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, Dahshur
- Private Tour: Alabaster Mosque, Sultan Hassan, Khan el-Khalili
- Alexandria Day Trip from Cairo
We had the same guide for both of the private tours and he was the best! He was funny, helpful, and very laid back. He also took us to places that weren’t on our itinerary like a hand made rug production facility and a shop that made papyrus by hand using ancient techniques. These extra places really gave us a sense of the Egyptian culture beyond the monuments. He also helped us haggle prices while shopping at the bazaar.
I feel really bad for all of the camels being ridden around the pyramids, but I also understand that this business is the sole livelihood of many Egyptians. Tourism is a profitable business for them. That being said, I did pay someone so that I could pet their camel and take a photo. Our guide tried explaining that I didn’t want to ride the camel, only pet him, but he really didn’t understand. He just kept trying to boost me onto the camel. Look how cute that face is!
It turns out that vegetarian food wasn’t as prevalent as we had assumed in Egypt. We loved Felfela, which had a location right outside our hotel. Our tour guide had taken us there once he learned about our dietary restrictions. They had crispy falafel wrapped in the fluffiest pita bread. The second time we ate there I think we got four falafel sandwiches each! We also had a french fry gyro in Alexandria which is such a wonderful invention.
We always bring Dash back a souvenir when we travel and this time was no exception! We brought him a very expensive hand made rug, but he’s worth it!
