Egypt is an Unforgettable Obsession. See for Yourself

Visiting Egypt is definitely one of the things to add to the ‘Things to do Before I Die’ list. Unbelievable natural beauty and equally unbelievable man made creations, food to die for, nightlife high on belly dancing, and high doses of fun on the air, land, and water all combine to make Egypt a potent entertainment cocktail. Here, I will talk about Cairo and Sharm-El-Sheikh, two of my and many others’ favourite Egyptian destinations.

Cairo

‘The Mother of all Cities’, as Cairo is called, has to be seen to be believed. During my Cairo holidays I discovered that this visit was the best part of my overall holidays to Egypt. Cairo has much more to it than those jaw dropping pyramids and the sphinx. While the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities satisfied that lifelong lust of getting up close to the Tutankhamen gold and mummified pharaohs, a stroll through the first royal city of the world at Memphis seemed like jumping into the scene of some historical movie. Anyone going on Cairo holidays should take note of the fact that with dozens of sightseeing attractions to check out, it is advisable to keep aside plenty of time to explore the destination.

Climbing the minarets of the Mosque of el-Muayyad, raucously bantering with the local traders at the Khan al-Khalili bazaar, trudging through the ‘City of the Dead’, and the stunning architectural wonders like the Hanging Church, all had me in the grip of an unbreakable spell during my holidays to Egypt and for a lot of time to come. Cairo is also just a 1 hour plane ride away from the ‘World’s Greatest Open Air Museum’, as Luxor is called. It is a good idea to reach Luxor by night and then get up early in the morning for a spot of hot air ballooning.

Sharm-El-Sheikh

Sharm-El-Sheikh emerged as another gem during my Egypt holidays. Lip smacking Arabian and Western gastronomic wonders, bronzed hills, a colourful captivating marine life, exhilarating coral reefs, and soft pebbled beaches – Sharm-El-Sheikh was all this and much more. I will go so far as to say that no holidays to Egypt can be complete without a trip to Sharm-El-Sheikh. The destination is also a paradise for scuba diving enthusiasts like me and has some of globally renowned dive sites. Other than scuba diving, Sharm-El-Sheikh offers a world of windsurfing, parasailing, boating, and canoeing opportunities as well.

Sharm-El-Sheikh also proves ideal for those famed long desert travels associated with most of the exciting holidays to Egypt. Amongst all the different charms of Sharm-El-Sheikh, ‘The Coloured Canyon’ somehow made a special place in my memory. I cannot put into words, the exhilarating feeling, which overwhelmed my mind while I watched those colourful glittering stones along the sheer depth of that canyon. Sharm-El-Sheikh bombards one with so many choices for fun that I daresay in some ways Cairo seems to steal the thunder of Egypt holidays from the destination.