Egypt is considered the capital of ancient civilization with a very ancient history with Nile, Pharaohs, Pyramids, and Mummies. The smell of ancient history is embedded in every part of this country on the river Nile’s banks. This center of ancient civilization is the birthplace of many great saints and prophets of Islam. It was also the home of the history-tainted Pharaohs Canaan and Nimrod. Some of the new buildings are built with a touch of modernity, but the ancient architecture continues to carry traditions and memories even today. Apart from many beautiful and multi-storied buildings, roads, cars, and horses, the main attraction in Egypt is the Pyramids of Egypt, one of the seventh wonders of the world. In addition, the museum has preserved various items, including the mummies of several thousand years of kings. Egypt is also known as the land of pyramids because of its pyramids. I have wanted to see the pyramids for a long time. Matching the timing, opportunity, and capability took a long time. Finally, I got a chance to fulfill my wish, and today I sat down at my computer table to share it.
Preparation:
The origin of Covid 19 was only being reported in China at the time, but it had not spread elsewhere. In early 2020, the thought of traveling to Egypt came to my mind, and I started processing the visa. After searching a little, I found no direct flight from Dhaka to Egypt, so everyone has to go on a transit or connecting flight. Then I thought it would be possible to visit one more country if I took transit to Kuwait on Kuwait Airways or Dubai on Emirates at a lower cost than the connecting flight. I finally planned to visit Dubai on my way back after visiting Egypt and also applied for a UAE visa. The agency from which I processed the visa called me a few days later to say that both were processed successfully. Then checked the price according to the date and booked a multi-city return ticket on Emirates.
Then as per the date, I depart from Dhaka Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport, and it takes about 5 hours to reach Dubai International Airport. After transiting for about three and a half hours, I boarded the plane again from Dubai International Airport to Cairo International Airport. In the meantime, I was introduced to Naushad Bhai’s group on the plane, and they were for visiting Egypt together. I came to know that they were initially a group of six people, but due to some problem, one of them could not come. Meanwhile, all six had a pre-paid group package in Egypt that included the hotel, breakfast, guide, transportation, sightseeing tickets, and airport pick and drop across Cairo and Alexandria. Naushad Bhai offered to join them as I had booked a hotel without payment. I happily accepted their offer and decided to tour Egypt with them. However, my plan in Egypt was one week, and their plan was four days, so I decided to move the flight date from Egypt to Dubai by three days and travel to Dubai with them again. Anyway, let’s get to the point. Finally, after about four hours, we arrived at Cairo International Airport, and all cleared immigration successfully. We reached the hotel by car, waited for us, and checked in. Then we all freshened up after dinner and fell asleep to explore Egypt with total energy the following day.
Sightseeing:
Many travel agencies in Egypt offer tours to museums, pyramids, and other attractions in different Packages. It is costly but perfect for new tourists as nothing is missed with the help of guides in historical places. Since we had a Package, we got this facility. The guide assigned to our group was excellent. She was also very modest and polite and had a good sense of humor. The introduction, description, rules, and regulations of all the places we used to visit were explained in detail on the bus. However, the social teachers of our country teach geography and history in a meaningless way, looking at books and reading books, nothing like that. She used to convey the identity of a place in a straightforward and accessible language in the most exciting way possible.
Cairo: Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is located on the banks of the Nile, and Cairo is a trendy city name for tourists because of Niles. Almost all the structures of the city of Cairo are steeped in history, dating back to the Sultanate and the Ottoman Empire, and most of Cairo city’s buildings are built around the ancient period. This city has many places to visit if time is not lacking. Due to the proximity of Cairo and Giza, most tourist spots are in the middle of the two cities.
Egyptian Museum: Near Tahrir Square, this museum houses artifacts from the prehistoric era to the Roman period. Inside the museum is a fantastic variety of art from the time of the pharaohs. The boy King Tutankhamun’s death mask, the treasures recovered from his tomb, the thrones of the pharaohs, the collection of their wardrobes, the ornaments of the Egyptians, and the New Kingdom Royal Mummy are unique attractions for tourists. Some of the dead bodies of the pharaohs are mummified in the Royal Mummy House. The pharaoh’s mummy we see on the internet is also kept here, along with the mummies of other kings.
Giza Pyramid Compound: On the west side of the Nile, the Egyptian city of Giza is the pyramid surrounded by an unresolved mystery that has not been discussed for ages and analyzed. The mystery of this pyramid has been overwhelmed by tourists for many centuries. Tourists gathered in the Pyramid State of Egypt (Egypt) from far away to see this pyramid in the middle ages and find its mystery. The pictures in the Egyptian pyramid are a picture of this Giza Pyramid compound. There are three large pyramids, which are Grandpa, Father, and Grandson, respectively. There are many other pyramids around the three: the Queen, the highest priests, and different significant positions.
Alexandria: Alexandria is one of the largest cities in the country, located in the north of Egypt and on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It has been the commercial heart of Egypt since Greek and Roman times and was considered the capital of Egypt during the supremacy of “The Great King” Alexander. The seaside port city of Alexandria has many historic buildings, including the library and Pompey’s Pillar. Right next to the Citadel of Qaitbay was the Lighthouse of Alexandria, later destroyed by three major earthquakes. Alexandria’s Lighthouse was one of the 7 Wonders as the tallest artificial tower/structure of its time. It was the busiest city in Egypt until Cairo’s religious and commercial importance grew under the Ottoman Empire. It is now known as the 2nd most populous city in Egypt.
Montaza Palace: Alexandria is an excellent place for a day outing. Apart from the historical sites, you can also spend time diving in the sea, riding a speedboat, or sailing. In addition, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most attractive Montaza Palaces, also known as the Royal Palace of Saudi King Fahd. The gardens and the beach adjacent to the palace are open to all. There is no sandy beach in that sense, but there is a small area where you can walk with your feet wet in the seawater.
Cost:
It cost me like 5000 BDT for Egypt visa and 8500 BDT for a UAE visa through the agency. At that time, I got a multi-city return ticket on the Dhaka-Dubai-Cairo-Dubai-Dhaka route for 73000 BDT. The pre-paid package bought by the Naushad brothers in Egypt cost 30000 BDT per person, but they charged me about 20000 Tk. Since everything except the food was included in the package, we didn’t have to spend much to explore Egypt. However, food prices are reasonable, and various Arabian dishes, including bakery items and biryani, are available. In addition, I had to pay an extra 6000 BDT to reduce the flight date from Cairo to Dubai by three days.
Some Essential Tips for Egypt Tour:
We completed the Egypt tour within the package, so we didn’t have to face much trouble, but I am still sharing some essential tips we observed.
- July-August is the hottest in Egypt. So this time should be avoided.
- The currency of Egypt is called “Egyptian Pound,” which is best exchanged at the airport as the exchange rate in the city is low.
- Getting a mobile sim from the airport for 160-200 Egyptian pounds is best, but you can also roam on your Bangladeshi sim like me.
- Taxi fares are high in Cairo. So Uber is the best option at a meager cost, along with Metro, to save time and money.
- Having a fixed guide for new travelers frees up various hassles of brokers.
- In Cairo, everything is overpriced for foreigners, so you should shop as cheaply as possible.
- The most expensive thing in Egypt is water. So it is better to collect water from the mosque; otherwise, it can be bought reasonably from the super shop.
- The country’s primary language is Arabic; however, some understand English roughly, and some do not!
- Many people will bother with service tips in many places, including hotels and restaurants. So first, check whether the service charge is included in the bill.
- A trip to Alexandria is a must-try when visiting Cairo, Egypt.