Looking at Egypt for

[wishingwell]

Can anyone give me any advice on family holiday's in Egypt.

 

Been shown one at a great price. I would prefer a lazy beach holiday but everyone else whats to go sight seeing. Trying to convince them Greece or Spain would be a good holiday with plently of sights.

 

Any advice would be great.

[Tally]

I went to Egypt a couple of years ago. It was definitely not a relaxing holiday, but a wonderful one all the same. You might be able to combine a sight-seeing tour with some time on the beach resort of Sharm El Sheik. My brother went there 2 years ago. He flew out on September 11th, shortly after the bombings there . . . for some reason the tickets were really cheap He had a great time on the beach and snorkelling.

 

We didn't see the pyramids, but we did the Nile cruise. There is about 600 miles of nothing inbetween the pyramids and the rest of the sights, and you fly between the 2 if you see both. The cruise is the only way to see everything, but there are not really any facilities or entertainment specifically for children. The places you will see are fascinating, but extremely crowded and quite smelly. If you are claustrophobic, it could be very frightening. You will need to be prepared for some very early mornings and hot days.

[Canopus]

You really have a difficult dilemma. The (allegedly) best beach is in Sharm El Sheik but there are no historical attractions there. Most of the historical attractions are inland along the Nile. The pyramids, sphinx, and museum are in Cairo. The Valley of the Kings, and temples of Luxor and Karnak are in Luxor.

 

I have been to Egypt twice and on a Nile cruise.

[Stephanie]

If you like really early mornings, hot sun and have kids that don't get bored with seeing "old stuff" lol - then you will be fine!

[carrieq]

We went last summer to Makadi Bay which is 20 mins outside Hurghada. The hotel was great lots of loungers and very attentive waiters!! We had a mixed holiday with lazing about, well as much as you can with an under 2 and touring.

 

Did lots of boat trips to snorkel around different reefs, but the fish around the hotels private beaches were just as good! Took a trip to live with Bedouin tribe for the night and camel trek in the desert which was an out of this world experience and then swam with wild dolphins the next day!!

 

We flew to Cairo for a day trip, cost about �150 left at about 5am and arrived back at 10pm. All the Cairo sights and a market crammed in!! We didn't do the overland to Luxor because it was 6 hours in a bus over night and we didn't know if the youngest would sleep so we left it for when we go back!!

 

If you do 2 weeks then I think you can get a bit of both in, a week would mean you may not get a chance to just chill if you have to do the touristy thing.

 

We LOVED Egypt and really want to go back

 

Carrie

[jb1964]

Hi,

 

My parents have been several times and they're off again at xmas (Sharm) and they absolutely love it. They've done both the sightseeing and the relaxing side and enjoyed it all. I do know that the sightseeing stuff they've found very exhausting (but then again they are in their early 60's and both have arthritis), and then had the second week at Luxor (beach) to relax. They've also done the Nile cruise which they enjoyed - and did some sightseeing (optional) from that as well (pyramids I think) which wasn't as bad.

 

They've mentioned a few times about taking my daughter as she has over the years had an obsession with Egyptology and would love to go. Although I think she'd find it difficult at the moment - with the food etc. and also she'd love to do the sightseeing stuff which I'm not sure how she'd cope - with the queue's etc and also my mum has done the pyramids a couple of times but on one occasion only so far because she felt claustrophobic in the small tunnels.

 

Take care,

Jb