Things from Books Come to See the Real World — Egypt

Things from books come to see the real world; only the land and tomorrow remain. This country straddling Asia and Africa, half sea and half desert, holds the mystery of one of the Four Great Ancient Civilizations.

Before going, I read many negative posts about Egypt, but what we experienced was more kindness, warmth, and sincere smiles, along with friendly requests for photos. The 'One dollar' chant was there, but without force or theft. At most, small tricks cost you a few bucks, and they'd be happy.

[Time] April 26 - May 6, 2024

D1 4.26 Shanghai - Chengdu - Cairo

D2 4.27 Cairo day trip: Egyptian Museum, Saladin Citadel, Khan el-Khalili Bazaar; stay in Cairo

D3 4.28 Cairo - Luxor, Abydos Temple of Seti I; stay on the West Bank of Luxor

D4 4.29 West Bank Luxor - Abu Simbel: Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu, Temple of Esna, Abu Simbel Light Show; stay in Abu Simbel

D5 4.30 Abu Simbel - East Bank Luxor: Philae Temple; stay on the East Bank of Luxor

D6 5.1 Luxor - Hurghada - Cairo: Dendera Temple of Hathor; stay in Cairo

D7 5.2 Cairo - Mersa Matruh: Pyramids; stay in Mersa Matruh

D8 5.3 Mersa Matruh - Siwa: Sea Eye, Ageeba Beach, Salt Lake, Cleopatra's Spring, Shali Fortress; stay in Siwa

D9 5.4 Siwa - Alexandria; stay in Alexandria

D10 5.5 Alexandria - Port Said - Cairo; stay in Cairo

D11 5.6 Cairo - Shanghai

[Food] Grilled fish, dates, bread wrapping everything, rice pudding

[Transport] Self-driving. But this country is truly not suitable for self-driving. First, distances are long, tiring for the driver, and the scenery is unremarkable. Second, traffic rules are poor; people dart across highways, cities are chaotic with few traffic lights or crosswalks, roads become five lanes, everyone drives wildly, and no car is without damage. Third, parking at night is unsafe; vandals may damage vehicles—our car was keyed outside our Luxor guesthouse. Fourth, taxis are convenient and cheap, but you need to learn Egyptian numerals to read license plates.

However, fuel is very cheap: 92-octane 12.5 EGP, 95-octane 13.5 EGP, uniform nationwide. When refueling, attendants might short-change you by 5-10 EGP as a tip; only in Siwa we met one who refused a tip.

[Visa] Buy a visa-on-arrival sticker at the airport before clearing customs, $25 USD, no queue, smooth exit.

[Currency Exchange] Exchange at the airport, official rate, but you may need to queue.

[SIM Card] Recommended to buy at the airport; packages are suitable for tourists. Outside packages can be more expensive. Orange has a bad reputation and requires an hour to activate, so we chose WE and etisalat. Signal works everywhere except some highways. 20GB data + 60 minutes calls was enough for 10 days. etisalat 400 EGP, WE 370 EGP.

[Souvenirs] Papyrus paintings, perfume bottles, shell jewelry boxes, Patchi chocolate, Abu Auf biscuits and snacks, Egyptian cotton products.

[About Tickets] Tickets are a major expense; total over 1000 RMB, almost all only by card. You can buy e-tickets or onsite; onsite tickets have nice paper ones. For Valley of the Kings, e-ticket is recommended to enter more than 3 tombs.

D1 4.26 Shanghai - Chengdu - Cairo

Sichuan Airlines service was really good, constantly feeding us, including red date tea and congee. They valued passenger requests and served with heart.

Dongbu Shuyun Hotpot (Tianfu Airport branch)

Transferring in Chengdu on Sichuan Airlines, of course we had to eat hotpot.

Surprisingly, there was airport shuttle service; the Chinese-style 'money-snatching' service was great, making the deserted street bustling.

The hotpot was quite good, especially the fresh duck blood, very tender.

D2 4.27 Cairo day trip: Egyptian Museum, Saladin Citadel, Khan el-Khalili Bazaar; stay in Cairo

Accommodation in Cairo: Le Meridien Cairo Airport

Arriving early in Cairo, for convenience we stayed at Le Meridien right next to the airport, with a direct passage from Terminal 3.

Security check upon entering the hotel, as seems to be the case for all hotels in Egypt.

Facilities were okay, but not great value.

Mainly a place to drop luggage and go out.

Free shuttle from airport to bus hub. Bus 356 goes directly to the museum for 13 EGP.

Museum ticket 450 EGP. Many exhibits; even a quick visit takes over 3 hours.

The display glass was very dirty, bad for photos.

Two small rooms where photography is forbidden alone justify the ticket price.

The golden mask and coffin in Tutankhamun's gallery were stunning, incredibly luxurious.

The museum is full of mummies.

On Mokattam Hill, a former military stronghold. Beautiful exterior, and the interior of Muhammad Ali Mosque is also gorgeous. From the platform you can see all of Cairo.

The complex also includes the Military Museum and Police Museum. The Military Museum is large but exhibits are unremarkable, though the building interior is ornate. The Police Museum is tiny with few exhibits.

Traffic near the market is insane; cars crash into each other like bumper cars, each driver a master of squeezing through gaps.

Pedestrian barriers are very unfriendly; long stretches without crosswalks, so people break the iron fence to cross, which is even more dangerous.

We just glanced around; online says 90% are products from Yiwu, and we trusted our eye, so we bought nothing. There was one store selling shell jewelry boxes and home decor that seemed like local handmade crafts.

Across from Khan el-Khalili is a large mosque.

Dinner: Babel Egypt

This restaurant in New Cairo looks very upscale. The price was huge by Egyptian standards.

A trendy Lebanese restaurant. All dishes were extremely salty.

Hummus: creamy with rich milk flavor.

Yogurt shrimp: shrimp slightly dry, yogurt very pure.

Grilled octopus: substantial, but not particularly tasty nor bad.

Parsley salad eaten with bread; hollow bread can wrap anything.

D3 4.28 Cairo - Luxor, Abydos Temple of Seti I; stay on West Bank Luxor

In the morning we picked up the car at the airport. Local efficiency was really slow. Plus the order had changed, we added full insurance and unlimited mileage, and after all that we left at 9.

Abydos Temple of Seti I

Six-hour drive from Cairo to Abydos, mostly through desert, with a final dirt road.

Ticket 200 EGP.

Abydos is the only major worship center of Osiris in ancient Egypt, as the burial place of his head. Seti I temple is the only one restored and open, with well-preserved colors.

Egyptian temples close early, generally by 5 PM. Here they turned off lights and evicted people at 4:30. We arrived at 3:30, so time was tight.

On the way back, police stopped us on the dirt road, then provided an escort for a long stretch to the main road. We thought we'd be extorted, but they were friendly. Only one police officer tried to ask for a tip but hesitated when colleagues came. When we refueled, police again escorted us to Luxor; we couldn't figure out the operation.

Accommodation in Luxor: CASA LOKO Guest House

Heading toward Luxor, we saw many people riding donkeys and horses, feeling very primitive.

Overall, the West Bank of Luxor had the worst local sentiment: our car parked outside the guesthouse was vandalized. Children begging was also severe.

The guesthouse room was quite spacious, with a living room and kitchenette.

Dinner: wofe restaurant

Next door to the guesthouse, looked nice.

The elderly gentleman spoke good English, said he also owns a restaurant in the US. He was both owner and chef, guaranteeing fresh ingredients.

We ordered tagine beef and grilled fish, which were indeed delicious.

D4 4.29 West Bank Luxor - Abu Simbel: Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu, Temple of Esna, Abu Simbel Light Show; stay in Abu Simbel

Valley of the Kings is a major attraction in Luxor, with many visitors. Entering at 6 AM when it opens, you can have it almost to yourself; after 7 AM tour groups arrive. Main ticket 600 EGP, allows three tombs, e-ticket not punched so unlimited. We also paid for two additional tombs: KV17 (Seti I) at 1800 EGP, the most expensive and luxurious, and KV9 (Ramesses VI) at 180 EGP.

We didn't have time for the Luxor hot air balloon; from the valley we saw a few flying high.

Medinet Habu (ticket 200 EGP): Mortuary temple of Ramesses III, the last large building of the pharaonic era. The column hall was destroyed by an earthquake, leaving only pillars. Fewer tourists here.

Temple of Esna (ticket 150 EGP): Hidden in a residential area, small but built during the 12th Dynasty for the god Khnum. 24 columns with lotus or palm capitals, very imposing. Ceiling and wall reliefs are beautiful. Donkeys everywhere on the road.

Lunch: darak cafe restaurant

Nile view restaurant. Portions were huge, taste okay.

Abu Simbel Light Show (ticket 900 EGP, 8:30 PM, 30 minutes)

Under the starry night sky, the light show with sound effects was quite impressive.

Dinner: AL Modhish Restaurant

10 PM, very crowded.

We ordered grilled fish and fried fish; both were delicious.

Accommodation in Abu Simbel: Abu Simbel Guest House

A duplex villa-style guesthouse. The highlight is its close proximity to the Abu Simbel temples, a 10-minute walk. The owner is a clever businessman, seemingly well-off.

Rooms were so-so; free fruits and drinks in the fridge, breakfast included.

D5 4.30 Abu Simbel - East Bank Luxor, Philae Temple; stay on East Bank Luxor

Ticket 615 EGP.

The temple is at Egypt's southernmost point, only 40 km from Sudan.

You must enter at 6 AM when it opens; half an hour later crowds pour in. The statues inside from left to right are the god of darkness, sun god, Ramesses II, and falcon god.

Every February 22 and October 22 is the Abu Simbel Sun Festival: the first sunlight penetrates the 60-meter corridor to illuminate Ramesses II; the rest of the year the interior remains dark. Because the temple was moved 60 meters due to dam construction, the miracle occurs one day later than originally.

Lunch: Mövenpick Hotel

We arrived in Aswan around noon, just in time for lunch.

The restaurant is across the Nile; you need to take a boat. At the shore, touts grab you, so we took a felucca with Nubians across the Nile—fun experience. One way $1 USD or 50 EGP, round trip 100 EGP, boat waits during the meal.

This is the highest restaurant in Aswan, offering a 360-degree panoramic view.

Mainly Western food, taste okay.

Philae Temple (ticket 450 EGP): About a 15-minute drive from Aswan. The only temple built on water, accessible by boat. No official boats; you negotiate. We bargained to 120 EGP per person round trip, waiting 2.5 hours.

This temple is less impressive than previous ones; the highlight is perhaps being on water.

Dinner: SHARK

Still grilled fish and fried fish, okay.

Lotus Papyrus

A papyrus painting gallery recommended on Xiaohongshu, open late until 10 PM. We visited after dinner.

As rumored, the elderly owner loves to chat and introduce his works.

They have both good and bad pieces, hand-painted and printed, even glow-in-the-dark ones. Hand-painted ones are at most half-hand-painted; the paint and texture are better than printed. I bought an A4-sized one, claimed hand-painted, for $5 USD, just for fun.

Accommodation in Luxor: Steigenberger Nile Palace

This hotel was really good: grand exterior, riverside view, reportedly you can see hot air balloons from the balcony, but due to strong wind, no balloons that day.

Well-equipped, with welcome fruits.

D6 5.1 Luxor - Hurghada - Cairo, Dendera Temple of Hathor; stay in Cairo

Dendera Temple of Hathor (ticket 240 EGP, rooftop 100 EGP)

Here are complete mural depictions of mummification. The rooftop has the Chapel of Light and the Zodiac (the original is in the Louvre). There are underground passages and a hidden chamber; a ladder leads to the chamber, but the passage is narrow so I didn't go.

We went to the rooftop; you can see the panorama, but nothing special.

Dendera's most outstanding feature is the ceiling, with beautifully preserved colors and patterns.

Due to time, we only hurried through Hurghada. The Red Sea is stunning, an incredible blue. Hurghada is also a great place for a vacation.

For lunch, we found a local Chinese person to buy seafood and cook it, because Egyptian restaurants are too slow and only fry or grill. Fresh seafood is better boiled. The owner from Qingdao knew how to pick seafood, took guests on a chill basis, and even had a portrait of Mao Zedong in the shop.

We had leopard coral grouper, large shrimp, clams, and spicy crab—all delicious, a very satisfying meal.

After lunch we drove back to Cairo. Although we chose a coastal road, it wasn't as expected: most of the time you can't see the sea.

Accommodation in Cairo: Locanda Museum Hotel

Near the pyramids, for convenience to visit the pyramids the next day.

Construction around the pyramids made navigation tricky; we circled a few extra kilometers.

The hotel was nice; from the rooftop terrace at night you can see the pyramid lights.

A clean budget-style hotel with breakfast.

D7 5.2 Cairo - Mersa Matruh, Pyramids; stay in Mersa Matruh

Ticket 540 EGP, car 20 EGP. Some pyramids require additional tickets inside.

Self-driving must enter from the North Gate; navigate to Marriott Mena House.

You have to take all luggage out for security check with people, then drive the car through separately—quite troublesome.

But having a car inside the site was convenient: no need to walk under the sun, and no risk of the notorious overpriced camel rides.

We ignored warnings and entered the Great Pyramid of Khufu; ticket 900 EGP. 'Since we're here,' the passage was narrow, low, stuffy, with no ventilation. Good thing we went early and it wasn't crowded, or we might have fainted. At the deepest part, there was barely any oxygen.

To get the photo spot showing nine pyramids, you need to walk a bit into the desert.

Finally, we reached the Sphinx at the South Gate. At that point the car must exit; you cannot drive back. Unfortunately, we had booked lunch at a restaurant inside the site, but the guard made us leave through the main gate. So we had to circle back to the North Gate, but they wouldn't let us re-enter without buying new tickets, acting very strict. Fortunately, in this country, money can make the devil turn the mill: I offered 100 EGP, and someone immediately said, 'Let them in.'

The restaurant had a fantastic view, beautiful, and the food was served in pyramid shapes—taste didn't matter.

Accommodation in Mersa Matruh: ALFURSAN Hotel

1200 EGP, with a direct sea-view room; you could see the sea from the balcony. The room itself was mediocre, but good value for money, including breakfast.

At night the street was noisy, with drag racers.

D8 5.3 Mersa Matruh - Siwa, Sea Eye, Ageeba Beach, Salt Lake, Cleopatra's Spring, Shali Fortress; stay in Siwa

Sea Eye: There is a hole in the rock resembling an eye. I couldn't climb inside like many bloggers; just took a distant photo. The road outside was beautiful, completely empty.

Ageeba Beach: Whether you enter from the front parking lot or the back 'Instagram road,' someone will come to collect the entrance fee from far away: 20 EGP per person. The sea here is incredibly beautiful—the charm of the Mediterranean, jelly-like color. I couldn't bear to leave. After seeing the Red Sea in Hurghada, I thought that was beautiful, but here it's even more stunning.

Unfortunately, we were in a hurry to get to Siwa and couldn't linger.

After Matruh, we headed to Siwa.

Siwa, a remote town only 50 km from Libya. Immediately, you notice prices drop, gas stations don't ask for tips, and the people are extremely honest. Goods are displayed along the street without fear of theft. So my impression of Siwa was very positive.

Lunch: ABDU restaurant

Recommended by many netizens; taste okay.

Fresh banana juice took a long time; the staff said the bananas in the shop weren't good, so he went to buy some from the street—very conscientious.

Salt Lake: Beautiful, with pools of various pure blues. We picked one to play in. 90% salt content; you can float. But if you can't swim, fear water, or can't balance, be cautious—like me. Went in and came out covered in salt. Experienced foreigners bring a bucket of fresh water to rinse off, plus a towel. No shade at the salt lake; the Siwa sun is intense, so sunscreen is necessary.

Cleopatra's Spring: Where the legendary queen bathed; now everyone uses it as a swimming pool, both adults and children jumping in.

Shali Fortress: The sunset cast beautiful colors on the fortress. The weathered castle feels like a maze. Climbed to the top, where many people were waiting for sunset. In the distance, rows of date palms—this is the magical desert oasis.

Dinner: OLA restaurant

Nice environment, a small courtyard, very natural. But lots of mosquitoes; I got several bites that inflamed and eventually scabbed.

The food was okay, somewhat Chinese-style.

Date milkshake: even without added sugar, it was extremely sweet.

Accommodation in Siwa: TAGHAGHIEN

$60 USD per night. I loved this hotel—primitive style with adobe and thatch. The courtyard had many pigeons; a handful of feed attracts a flock. It has a pool, restaurant, lounge area, all beautifully decorated. Rooms are separate villas; open the window to the salt lake, but that lake's salt content is too low to float. Rooms were average, with salt crystals on the walls. Tap water was slightly salty. Buffet breakfast included.

D9 5.4 Siwa - Alexandria; stay in Alexandria

Lunch: magdy restaurant

We left Siwa in the morning and arrived in Mersa Matruh just in time for lunch. Since we were by the sea, we had seafood.

Inside, we saw many Chinese people—seems everyone reads similar posts.

Grilled eel was very tasty, fatty and tender.

Seafood soup had generous ingredients and was delicious.

Grilled shrimp was average.

We were fully used to the slow service; after ordering, we calmly walked two blocks to buy local brand ice cream, 20 EGP for two scoops—ice cream freedom! We chose pistachio and chocolate, both good.

After lunch, we revisited the Matruh 'Instagram road' because in the morning it was backlit; now in the afternoon it was front-lit.

Arriving in Alexandria in the evening, we entered the city and immediately entered bumper-car mode. Slowing down to turn left onto a ramp, a car cut from left to right and hit us, then disappeared. We felt nothing from inside, but when we got out, a large chunk of the car body was gone and the license plate had fallen off. Many good people exist: a local stopped, called the police, and the police came, checked but didn't handle it, then took us to the police station, contacted the rental company, and testified for us. Everything was sorted in half an hour. Despite the huge language barrier, the sincerity and warmth of their help was touching. We continued driving with the damaged car as if nothing had happened.

Accommodation in Alexandria: Windsor Palace Luxury Heritage Hotel

Felt like living in the 'Peace Hotel' on the Bund in Shanghai. Everything was vintage. Especially the old-fashioned elevator, like in a movie.

The room was large, facing the sea, with a distant view of the Citadel of Qaitbay.

The surrounding area strongly resembled the Bund.

The breakfast terrace offered an excellent view.

D10 5.5 Alexandria - Port Said - Cairo; stay in Cairo

I like to explore a city by city walk, so I walked around the hotel early in the morning.

Alexandria feels very cosmopolitan: sea on one side, European-style buildings on the other; each building has old-fashioned elevators, and trams run on the streets.

To buy seafood, take the ferry to the market on the opposite bank, where locals outnumber tourists and prices are better. Ferries run every few minutes, carrying both passengers and cars, free of charge. After buying seafood, we couldn't find a suitable place to cook it, so we took the ferry back, where there are many cooking stalls.

Port Said seafood is definitely worth it: 80 EGP per kg (about 12 RMB) for mantis shrimp with roe; grilled eel was tender and delicious, even better than in Matruh. We also bought large shrimp and cuttlefish—a satisfying meal.

We often saw people drinking coffee on the roadside in tiny cups with thick sediment—this is the Egyptian way of drinking coffee. But we never had time to stop at a café. In the market, we spotted one and bought a cup while waiting for our food. Very fine grounds, coffee powder mixed with water heated in sand, unfiltered. First taste like thin sesame paste with a sandy texture; after settling, it became clearer; at the bottom, mud-like coffee grounds remained. Very unique.

Arriving in Cairo in the evening, we needed to wash the car before returning it. 100 EGP for a thorough clean. We contacted the airport return point; the staff inspected and approved.

Accommodation in Cairo: Baron Hotel Cairo

Clean hotel, good service, convenient location, not far from the airport.

Citystars

After checking in, we immediately took a taxi to Citystars mall. At 10 PM, it was bustling; the mall is open 10:00-23:00. It's huge, with a wide variety of brands: Nefertari, D&P perfumes, Patchi chocolate, Abu Auf, etc.

Patchi chocolate: the Hermès of chocolates. Actually not particularly amazing, quite ordinary, some like Dove, others like Ferrero Rocher. But one thing special: even very sweet varieties aren't cloying.

Abu Auf biscuits: More like cakes, filled with date paste. Chocolate and white chocolate coatings on the outside, cinnamon in the filling, soft texture.

At 11:30 PM, the streets were still crowded. We saw a dessert shop with a queue and tried it; we ordered whatever others ordered most. Basically chocolate, toffee, cream, and crisps—sinful but tasty.

Rice pudding was super delicious, cold and creamy.

D11 5.6 Cairo - Shanghai

In the morning we took a taxi to the bustling street from last night to have breakfast.

Wrap with minced beef. Mango juice so thick it stretched.

Then we tried the trendy ice cream chain that has outlets in many Egyptian cities.

CAFE AMAN

This coffee shop seemed like a century-old establishment; the coffee was indeed good, better than the one in Port Said.

We arrived at the airport three hours early because we heard everything was slow.

The process: first security check, check-in, duty-free, then a second security check at the gate.

I had read many negative airport stories online: 'Little Red Caps' grabbing luggage for tips, first security check rummaging through bags, second security check stealing things. We prepared thoroughly, but nothing happened—everything went smoothly, except that checking in took very long, and our pre-assigned seats were changed, but it was resolved after speaking. At the second security check, they didn't even open bags, and we could bring water; no theft.

Shopping: Airport goods are several times more expensive than outside. However, special packaging of Patchi is only available at the airport, not in stores.