EGYPT TRAVEL OVERVIEW:
It is among the most famous destinations of the world having abundance of
historical treasures including temples, pyramids and museums. Your
Egypt travel itinerary should also include a cruise down the Nile and a beach vacation at the
top notch Red Sea and Sinai resorts. Its culture has five thousand years of
recorded history. Egypt is the second most populous country in Africa (after
Nigeria). It is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most of the
economic activities takes place. The wall paintings of Egypt are also very
famous. Egypt is truly a remarkable travel and tourism destination. Today,
the ancient wonders attract millions of tourists each year to the pyramids,
temples, mosques and great monuments of Nile Valley, as well as the stunning
diving resorts of the Red Sea. Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheik, on the Red Sea
coast, are doors to a magical underwater world of Technicolor fish and coral
favored by divers, while other adventurous travelers head inland.
CLIMATE:
Desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters. The summer in Egypt, which
falls between April and October, is hot and dry. The winters are mild with cold
nights. The best time for Egypt travel is between November and March.
BRIEF HISTORY:
Egypt enjoys a civilization dated back to 700,000 years, when ancient Egyptians
inhabited the banks of the River Nile. Ramses II a Pharaoh ruled from 1279 to
1212 BC and is known for his prodigious buildings, rising temples, statues and
other monuments throughout Egypt. Alexander the Great arrived to Egypt in the
late autumn of 332 BC. He founded Alexandria in 331. In 642 AD, Egypt witnessed
the beginning of its Arab and Islamic epoch. Successive Arab rulers governed
Egypt as part of the Islamic empire. In 1798, the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte
to Egypt started the French rule. In 18th century the British came to Egypt. On
the 23rd of July 1952, the Free Officer Movement led by Gamal Abd El-Nasser
seized power in a bloodless revolution. On the 18th of June 1953, the monarchy
ended. Egypt was declared a Republic and Mohamed Naguib were named as the first
President.
TODAY:
Egypt is today a modern vibrant nation, a famous travel and tourism location
that carries the burden of its 5,000-year history very graciously. It has a
well-maintained road network. The Nile sustains the country and up to 95% of the
population lives close to the river. The rest of the country is desolate desert,
mitigated only by a few isolated oases and the habitable narrow strips along the
African Red Sea and the Mediterranean coastlines. On one hand you will find
glamorous hotels and international food chains and on the other you will also
find some narrow and congested streets filled with donkey carts and spice
traders even today.
SHOPPING IN EGYPT :
Khan-el-Khalili Market in Cairo is a must visit during Egypt travel. You will find the best jewellery, copper
utensils and other handicraft items in Egypt. Haggling is common. Besides
Khan-el-Khalili market, you will find shops for tourists in all the major
tourist cities of Egypt.
CURRENCY:
EGP - Egyptian Pound (1 USD = 5.6 EGP) as of 2007.
For latest rates visit
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?from=USD&to=EGP
Tourism Offices:
These websites can provide valuable information on Egypt travel.
Egyptian State Tourist Office in the UK
Egyptian House, 3rd Floor, 170 Piccadilly, London W1V 9EJ, UK
Website: www.egypt.travel
Egyptian Tourist Authority in the USA
630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2305, New York, NY 10111, USA
Website: www.egypt.travel
LOCATION:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza
Strip, and the Red Sea
CAPITAL:
Cairo
TIME ZONE:
+2 Hrs GMT (GMT + 3 from May to September)
LANGUAGE:
Arabic. English and French is also known by most educated people.
AIRPORTS:
Egypt travel offers flexibility of many international and domestic airports.
Popular airports are as follows.
Cairo International.
Alexandria Nozha.
Luxor, Upper Egypt.
Aswan, Upper Egypt.
Hurghaga, Red Sea.
Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai.
