We went to Egypt in December/January just passed. In Cairo, we stayed at the FS Nile Plaza and really enjoyed it. We are a family of four, with kids aged 18 and 20. We had two rooms that were connecting, each with a Nile view. We booked with FSPP, and got all of the right benefits. The breakfast buffet is wonderful and totally worth it. We ate both on property and off property and found all of the food to be excellent; no upset stomachs. I could not urge you strongly enough to have a car and guide booked for every day. We booked privately, not through the hotel, but having a driver and van available to us was very important for safety, a place to leave bags, etc. The security at every one of the sights was quite visible, and the guides did an excellent job of conducting us through the formalities. We never felt unsafe, and I would encourage anyone thinking of going to Egypt, to do so. Also, I can confirm that swimming in December or January would not really be feasible, at least in Cairo, as the weather was cool but very comfortable. We actually thought it was the perfect time of year. The best thing we did on our trip was to take the time to go all the way to Abu Simbel on the southern border:, dawn on January 1 at Abu Simbel is a magical, almost mystical experience.