What Revolution? Now is the Best Time to Go to Egypt

I’ve dreamed of seeing the pyramids, deserts and temples of Egypt since I was a little boy watching adventure movies. However, I’d heard that crowds of loud tourists, pushy locals and overpriced hotels made the experience less Indiana Jones and more tourist trap. However, the recent tumult in Egypt presented an opportunity. In 2010, 12 million tourists visited Egypt. In 2011, the number plummeted to just 4 million and has still not recovered. While the news from Egypt has been dramatic, tourists have actually been quite safe. Safer by far than in Central America, Mexico, or much of Asia.

So Whitney and I decided to plan a trip to Egypt. We would travel through the country on a cruise ship leaving Dubai and en route to Rome. The cruise was discounted by a whopping 86 percent – thanks revolution! We would check the US State department website every day and if conditions seemed dicey, simply stay on the ship and soak up the sun. But if the country seemed safe, we would take shore excursions to Luxor, the Pyramids, and the Sinai Peninsula.

As of this writing, we’re now on day six of our Egypt trip and have been delighted with our experience. We had entire sections of the temples at Luxor to ourselves and have pictures of the two of us at the pyramids that could have been taken 100 years ago – not a single other tourist in site.  Prices are low and locals are happy to see intrepid visitors enjoying their country.

We’ve visited Tikal, Angkor Wat, The Great Wall, and most every famous site in Europe, but this trip to Egypt has stood out. Our verdict is: don’t let dramatic news reports hold you back from visiting the world’s great destinations.

If you’ve ever churned credit cards to rack up frequent flyer miles or flown cross-country on a mileage run, you’re accustomed to thinking outside the box when it comes to travel.  Apply the same creativity and plan a trip somewhere exciting that other, less adventurous travelers are overlooking. If you plan well, you’ll be as safe in Egypt or Cambodia as you would be walking home from your dinner in New York.

The other advantage of this trip has been the incredible cost savings. Since we used frequent flyer miles to fly for free (thanks FlyerTalk!), and the cruise was discounted 86 percent, the three-week trip is less expensive than many week-long trips we’ve taken in the past. Check out vacationstogo.com for cruise deals.