If you’ve never experienced an assault on all your senses simultaneously, take a trip to Cairo. Now the political turmoil is easing, yet Egypt’s always hectic capital is suffering from a severe drop in tourism triggered by the uprisings. Which makes it a great time to visit, since there are bargains to be had from the hotels and you’ll have the luxury of seeing its great attractions in almost splendid isolation.
But steel yourself, because …
Home of the mighty Pharaohs, Egypt has awed visitors from Alexander the Great to Napoleon. This vast nation is packed full of so much history that it can be difficult to decide what to see if your vacation is short on time. Bundle the best of Egypt into one week using the attractions below as a guide. This is a slice of the nation’s most riveting sights which even the speediest vacationers can achieve.
Egypt …
My subject line is a little adamant, I know. Perhaps a little militant, which is ironic since it’s mostly the Egyptian military causing so much of the unrest in Egypt that has been widely reported here in the U.S. The problem is that the microcosm we call Tahrir Square has been focused on so extensively, people think Egypt is about to crumble into the desert sand that makes up much of its modern landscape. I’ve …
In Arabic, Egypt is sometimes called Umm Al-Duniya, or the mother of the world. The Nile River, which waters the country, could give it some stiff competition for that title. Considered the world’s longest river, the Nile’s waters have fostered human civilization for thousands of years. No country knows that better than Egypt: The nation’s survival depends on the river, and has since the time of the Pharaohs. While the Nile is a reference …
You don’t get a nickname like the City of a Thousand Minarets without having earned it. A quick look at the Cairo skyline cements the Egyptian capital’s claim to the title: Everywhere you look, the spindled towers of mosques old and new puncture the clouds.
Rarely has a city been so cozy with ancient history. Cairo’s 20-plus million souls regularly pray in mosques centuries old; the call to prayer punctuates dawn and dusk from the …
Sand…sun…sea; the checklist to the perfect summer break. The trouble with settling on which beach to choose is that usually everyone else has discovered it as well. If you prefer your slice of sandy heaven to come without being sandwiched in by the sun lounger crowds, plan a beach break with a difference in one of the forgotten corners of coastline below.
Ninety Mile Beach – New Zealand
It may be famous in New Zealand …
