The holidays are a great time to create new memories, whether through sharing a holiday meal with close family, observing the excitement of children opening presents or experiencing an entirely different civilization. One holiday season, instead of participating in the usual celebrations, my husband and I decided to gift ourselves a vacation package titled “Christmas and New Year’s in Egypt.” It sounded a magical destination that would take us back in time roughly 6,000 years, giving us a glimpse into the oldest civilization that has existed on our planet.
Egypt is rich with monuments, historic places and scenic resorts that are spread across the country. Our first stop was Cairo, the capital and the largest city in Egypt, and with a population of 6.7 million people, also Africa's most populous city. A first glimpse at the city makes you feel as though nothing has changed since the 10th century when it was founded. There are muddy-looking buildings, overcrowded colonies and mass grave sites where an urban development has been built around. Parts of the city are relatively clean and modern, giving an odd transition from the old to the new. The culture is predominantly Arabic, although northern Egypt is influenced by Europe and southern Egypt by the rest of Africa. It is easy to notice a change in people’s appearance, attire and attitude, as you move from north to south.
The most bizarre experience being in Cairo is that you drive past ancient structures such as the Giza Pyramids on your way to more modern locations (hotel, shops, restaurants, etc.) very matter- of-factly. With such a wealth of history around the country, it becomes second nature to the natives, rather than structures of awe and curiosity. The Egyptians are used to finding archaeological digs in their backyards all the time! No wonder the largest business in Egypt is tourism and being a tour guide is a respectable well paying job.
Near Cairo, we first visited the ancient ruins in Dahshur and Saqqara including the step pyramid. Standing in the presence of majestic pyramids built more than 3,800 years ago and still standing the test of time is simply spectacular. We actually arrived at Giza on Christmas day and found other tourists from all over the world wearing Santa hats and getting their photos taken in front of the Great Pyramids. Taking a camel ride next to one of the wonders of the world is perhaps the most unforgettable holiday memory I could ever have.
The next stop on our tour was Luxor, the second most popular city among tourists. Many cruise ships stop here and offer excursions to the Luxor temple complex, a rather large area of temples adorned with beautiful sculptures, pillars and paintings. We boarded a cruise boat that took us along the River Nile for four days and nights. The world’s longest flowing river was the only mode of travel in ancient times which the pharaohs used to transport their gold and jewels across the land. The cruise boat caters mostly to foreign visitors; therefore it had a Christmas tree and decorations on board. We even had a Galabya party where everyone dressed up in traditional garb, played games, ate traditional food and danced to American music from the 80’s.
The Nile cruise makes frequent guided stops at important sites such as the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut (the only female pharaoh to reign in ancient Egypt), Valley of the Queens, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan. Guided tours are led in each of these sites and which is a great way to learn about the history as well as watch Egypt’s countryside.
If you have some extra time, I also recommend a day or two in Alexandria on Egypt’s northern coast. The city gives you the feeling of being in Europe rather than northern Africa. Here you can enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean and the freshest seafood such as lobsters and prawns, along with a variety of Egyptian salads. Visit the legendary Greek library Bibliotheca Alexandrina, built by King Alexander which houses eight million books. Take a stroll along the fort and tour the sprawling property of the King Farouk Palace.
Our tour ended on New Year’s Eve at the Intercontinental hotel in Cairo where we partied with the rest of the tourists visiting from the U.S. The hotel organized a banquet dinner with a mile long buffet of traditional Egyptian and American cuisines. Fire dancers, belly dancers and local musicians provided entertainment while we toasted Champagne to the magnificent memories that were created that holiday season.
