For a country steeped in antiquity, there are plenty of new attractions to bring you back to Egypt. Since the late 1990's Egypt's thriving tourism industry has been going through a renaissance with changing attitudes towards its priceless relics and new and innovative ways to make tourists feel welcome and safe.
Over the past year, not only has the safety and security at all of Egypt's major attractions been updated and improved, but a number of new sites have been opened to the public for the first time plus several others have been restored. To help pay for many of these upgrades, Egyptian authorities introduced a number of taxes and fees in 2004. Hoteliers have added the new 10% sales tax to their rates from November 2004 and a new airport departure tax of $10 per person was introduced in October 2004. In addition, fuel prices and entry fees to a number of attractions and sites will be going up in 2005. Despite this, the weak Egyptian Pound is currently worth half of its 2002 value, meaning greater spending power for tourists.
When you think of Egypt, what immediately springs to mind is a visit to the most iconic symbol of the ancient civilization and the last remaining great wonder of the world -- the Pyramids. Tourists flock to the Giza plateau to visit the Great Pyramid, the Valley Temple of Khafre and the Sphinx, often only spending a couple of hours at the site. They are missing out on a large number of breathtaking and historic tombs that have recently been opened to the public. With more accessible tombs, crowd numbers appear reduced and high traffic areas and long admission lines are slowly becoming more reasonable.
Three major new tombs have recently opened to the public for the first time. A thorough restoration program involved creating new ceiling and roofs for the structures, removing graffiti left by visitors, and restoring the inscriptions and paintings on the walls. Although the pyramids are the major attraction on the plateau, once inside the great structures, much of the fascination may disappear as you discover a rudimentary burial chamber devoid of inscriptions or decoration. But enter the surrounding tombs and you will be astounded by the beauty, sophistication and grandeur of ancient Egyptian burial practices. The three most substantial new tombs -- Nefer-Maat, Senefru-Kha-ef and Seshem-Nefer date to the fourth, fifth and sixth dynasties respectively.
Prices for entry to the Great Pyramid at Giza and the Giza Plateau area were raised earlier this year to $16 for adults and $8 for children. The number of people that can enter the Great Pyramid has been restricted to 1500 a day so reservations are now necessary and can be arranged by your hotel. In January 2005, the smaller pyramid of Mycerinius will be closed for restoration but the pyramid of Chephren will remain open. The vendors who used to make a visit to the area quite frustrating have all but disappeared thanks to stricter government controls and regulations at the site. Also, in Giza a new entrance to the pyramid area has been completed and soon all vehicle traffic will be prohibited.
The hours the Egyptian Museum in Cairo have been extended. Until recently, the museum closed at 4:30pm and now it is open until 7:00 pm. This will assist with crowd control and long waits. As of May this year, photography of any kind is no longer permitted inside the Museum as a means of ensuring greater protection for the priceless artifacts.
Although a unique destination in its own right, there are few novel ways to ensure that your Egyptian vacation is more than just a guidebook tour following throngs of like-minded tourists. Here are a few suggestions.
For a truly unforgettable experience, what could possibly be more uplifting that watching Verdi's opera Aida at either Giza, in front of the Great Pyramid of Cheops or in Luxor, in front of the Luxor Temple. The magnificent Egyptian themed opera will be performed on the following dates in 2005
- In Luxor: March 17, 19-21, 24, 26-28, 31 & April 2-4
- In Giza: September 14, 16- 19 & 21
Ticket prices start at $91 for Giza performances and $180 for Luxor. At the other end of the scale, the best seats are upwards of $500. For further information visit www.aida-luxor.com or www.aida-cairo.com.
Or why not get a bird's eye view of the Valley of the Kings in a hot-air balloon, the ultimate indulgence of an Egyptian trip. The pre-dawn wake up call is a small price to pay for this surreal journey over the west bank of Luxor, rising to 2,000 feet over the Ramesseum, the Colossi of Memnon, Medinet Habu, Hatshepsut's temple, and to the edge of the desert. Egyptian company, Hod-Hod Soliman (tel. +20 95 370116), in Luxor, flies year-round and although you cannot book online, you can make telephone and fax reservations or book through your hotel. Prices start at $170 (or $260 per couple) for a one-hour flight, with transfers and insurance.
For a modern touch to an ancient adventure, visit the recently completed architectural majesty of the new Library of Alexandria. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (www.bibalex.gov.eg) is located on a magnificent site in the Eastern Harbor, facing the sea on the north, and Alexandria University Complex on its southern side. It overlooks the Silsilah Peninsula and is very close to the site of the Ancient Library in the Brucheion (the Ancient Royal Quarter). Whilst in Alexandria, you should also take the time to visit the impressive new Alexandria National Museum with over 1,800 priceless artifacts on display (admission price $5 or $2.50 for students).
Luxor Museum's new annex, which displays ancient military artifacts from the New Kingdom opened on the banks of the Nile in May 2004. The recently opened and restored Gerf Hussein (at New Kalabsha) and Beit el-Wali temples located near Aswan, in the Nubian region are also worthwhile new excursions whilst in Upper Egypt.
The 11th century Bab Zuweila, one of the oldest Islamic monuments in Cairo, has been magnificently restored and recently reopened featuring hundreds of artifacts found during the restoration. It is one of the three remaining city gates of old Cairo and is architecturally and historically significant.
Several new museums are under construction including the Museum of Atun, dedicated to the display of artifacts of the rebel king Akhenaten (the first monotheist) in El Menya and the new "Grand Museum" which will be built near the Pyramids in Giza. Major artifacts such as the mask of Tut Ankh Amen will be moved to this museum from the Egyptian Museum by completion in 2007.
For a beach escape, the new Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam, now has its own airport with regular direct flights from Cairo, and new beaches further to the south. The Egyptian government plans to approve the construction of close to 150 new hotels, several marinas and more diving stations over the coming few years in the area to compensate for a building ban on new hotels in established beach resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh.
Airfares to Cairo from the US are relatively inexpensive at the moment, although it is best to keep in mind that January is the traditional month for vacationing in much of the Arab world so land prices for hotels and tours booked within Egypt may be more expensive than at other times of the year. It is also extremely crowded at this time as it is the cooler season making it more attractive. In February, Mobissimo (www.mobissimo.com) has airfares starting as low at $708 plus taxes for a round-trip from New York via Amsterdam on KLM. Fares on American carriers such as Delta and United start at around $900.
Gate 1 (tel. 800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com) has a special seven-day "Independent Cairo" package for a low $899 for departures form New York from January 3 to 26, 2005. It includes airfare, five-nights accommodation in central Cairo and daily breakfasts. Taxes are additional. They also have a number of guided and escorted tours starting at $999 plus taxes for seven days.
All visitors to Egypt must hold passports that are valid for at least six months beyond the proposed date of entry to the country. US citizens must also obtain a tourist visa (https://travel.state.gov/visa/index.html).
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