Traveling to Cairo with our three daughters, ages 14, 10 & 8 years old
Oct 23, 2010, 12:05 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: FL
Programs: AA PLAT, HILTON DIAMOND, MARRIOTT LIFETIME TITANIUM
Posts: 616
Traveling to Cairo with our three daughters, ages 14, 10 & 8 years old
My wife and I will be traveling to Cairo with our three daughters, ages 14, 10 & 8 years old.
We will be there for 6 days, June 29, 2011 through July 5, 2011.
Besides the obvious (Nile day-cruise, museums & pyramids), I would greatly appreciate your help and time in assisting on things to do with the kids.
Thank you, Jim
We will be there for 6 days, June 29, 2011 through July 5, 2011.
Besides the obvious (Nile day-cruise, museums & pyramids), I would greatly appreciate your help and time in assisting on things to do with the kids.
Thank you, Jim
Oct 23, 2010, 3:35 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: LAN, AA, SPG
Posts: 1,965
I'm going myself for the first time this year, but here is a link to Dreampark which is sure to be a hit with the children:
http://www.dreamparkegypt.com/
http://www.dreamparkegypt.com/
Dec 7, 2010, 3:23 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: GRR
Programs: Delta Plat & Million Miler
Posts: 1,376
Ideas
Alexandria is quite beautiful. On the Ocean. Great antiquities too. It's about an hour or so train ride from Cairo. You may want to hire a car or take a mini-van. We took the train and it's not the cleanest experience ever 
And taking Cairo cabs is a bigger thrill ride than at any American amusement park
A nice family spot is the beautiful Al Azhar park (actually built on a landfill, but you can't tell): It's beautiful, has places to eat and is full of families enjoying it:
http://www.alazharpark.com/
Also, if you have time and inclination, I recommend a sail on the Nile not a cruise. Way more relaxing and fun--and all the tourists on the cruise boats take pictures of YOU! Here's the one we went on: http://www.nilesailing.com/ It was wonderful!!!
And taking Cairo cabs is a bigger thrill ride than at any American amusement park
A nice family spot is the beautiful Al Azhar park (actually built on a landfill, but you can't tell): It's beautiful, has places to eat and is full of families enjoying it:
http://www.alazharpark.com/
Also, if you have time and inclination, I recommend a sail on the Nile not a cruise. Way more relaxing and fun--and all the tourists on the cruise boats take pictures of YOU! Here's the one we went on: http://www.nilesailing.com/ It was wonderful!!!
Dec 10, 2010, 4:28 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
#1 rule- Take only the "white" cabs. Do not take a "black" cab or an unmarked car. Make sure there's a meter in the car before stepping into it. That seems to be the case only with the "white" cabs. Even staying at a nice hotel, make it very clear that you will only take the "white" cab (there may be financial incentives/kickbacks for them to hail a "black" cab for you).
The "white" cabs are easy to spot because they're... white. Who knew? The metered fare in Cairo is very reasonable; we found it much less than any negotiated fare you could get with the others. One time we did use a "black" cab we made it clear ahead of time what we were willing to pay for the trip (15 egyptian pounds, based upon what the "white" cab ride to the same place, at a busier time of day, cost). When dropping us off he demanded 50 pounds, not 15, saying it had been 50 all along. It has not; we had made very sure he understood the difference (we anticipated this). We ended up settling for 20.
#2: In some areas, you'll find the carriage rides (horse drawn buggy) are abusive to the horses. Abusive in terms of using a whip to motivate (OK for steering) and severely underfed. You can tell who takes care of their animals and who treat them as a disposable commodity.
#3: You'll be warned about the begging and incessant demand for tips, but it will still come as a surprise. Many tell you to get nasty and yell "go away" or whatever. I seemed to do very well by just telling them "No, thank you" and moving on. Nothing further need be said.
#4: June/July in Egypt? It's going to be HOT. Really hot. But you probably already know that. We just got back from 7 days in Egypt, and I'd have to say weather in December is pretty darned perfect.
#5: If you take any flights on EgyptAir, keep in mind that things are run a bit on the "casual" side as far as adherence to schedules. You would be best off assuming that a flight within Egypt could eat up an entire day, just to be safe. Hopefully that won't be the case.
#6: Study up on the various tombs in the Valley of the Kings before you go. There is so much to see, and nothing to explain what you're looking at. You could buy a program on-site, but you'll be reluctant to do so because you'll be dealing with what are essentially a version of the guys hawking stuff at the Eiffel Tower... on steroids.
#7: You will have the possibility of being cheated in places you wouldn't expect. For example, at the aforementioned Valley of the Kings, I was charged the equivalent of $4.50 US for a bottle of water. They were not marked, and no receipt was given. That was at the official gift shop. Others bought the same bottle for the equivalent of $2 US.
Don't let any of this scare you off. It's an amazing place you will never forget! I've got some photos up here.
The "white" cabs are easy to spot because they're... white. Who knew? The metered fare in Cairo is very reasonable; we found it much less than any negotiated fare you could get with the others. One time we did use a "black" cab we made it clear ahead of time what we were willing to pay for the trip (15 egyptian pounds, based upon what the "white" cab ride to the same place, at a busier time of day, cost). When dropping us off he demanded 50 pounds, not 15, saying it had been 50 all along. It has not; we had made very sure he understood the difference (we anticipated this). We ended up settling for 20.
#2: In some areas, you'll find the carriage rides (horse drawn buggy) are abusive to the horses. Abusive in terms of using a whip to motivate (OK for steering) and severely underfed. You can tell who takes care of their animals and who treat them as a disposable commodity.
#3: You'll be warned about the begging and incessant demand for tips, but it will still come as a surprise. Many tell you to get nasty and yell "go away" or whatever. I seemed to do very well by just telling them "No, thank you" and moving on. Nothing further need be said.
#4: June/July in Egypt? It's going to be HOT. Really hot. But you probably already know that. We just got back from 7 days in Egypt, and I'd have to say weather in December is pretty darned perfect.
#5: If you take any flights on EgyptAir, keep in mind that things are run a bit on the "casual" side as far as adherence to schedules. You would be best off assuming that a flight within Egypt could eat up an entire day, just to be safe. Hopefully that won't be the case.
#6: Study up on the various tombs in the Valley of the Kings before you go. There is so much to see, and nothing to explain what you're looking at. You could buy a program on-site, but you'll be reluctant to do so because you'll be dealing with what are essentially a version of the guys hawking stuff at the Eiffel Tower... on steroids.
#7: You will have the possibility of being cheated in places you wouldn't expect. For example, at the aforementioned Valley of the Kings, I was charged the equivalent of $4.50 US for a bottle of water. They were not marked, and no receipt was given. That was at the official gift shop. Others bought the same bottle for the equivalent of $2 US.
Don't let any of this scare you off. It's an amazing place you will never forget! I've got some photos up here.
Last edited by Mike Jacoubowsky; Dec 10, 2010 at 10:46 pm Reason: clarity
Dec 10, 2010, 8:16 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 344
Have them learn the number system. Seriously, great way to kill time in a restaurant by having them interpret what the items cost. It is also useful as I have found that the English menus have prices that are a bit different from what the locals pay.
May 20, 2011, 11:45 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
I just got back from second trip there.
On this trip, I did 3 days Cairo and 4 days in Dahab in the Sinai Penninsula.
I find the city of Cairo sort of an interesting place. It is a very intriguing place with a layered culture, but at the same time, it is not a pleasant place (noise, pollution, agression) by any means. I found a 3 day stay there enough on this past trip, which was my second trip.
I would encourage you perhaps work out a 2-3 day side trip to Luxor (if Egyptian tombs are your thing). I did visit Alexandria, but I didn't find it to be anything special.
You could get flights on Egypt Air quite easily through their website. As with most of the African airports, they use stands outside instead of air conditions bridges to the plane.
If beaches are your thing, then maybe a quick trip to Sharm el Shiekh would be up your alley, although 2 days may not give it justice.
Staying in Cairo, I would encourage the following:
KHan el Khalilli (Islamic Cairo) 1/2 day
Pyramids of Giza (1/2 day)
Saqqara (step pryamid) 1/2 day
Egyptian Museum 1/2 day.
Nile Felluca Ride (1 hr - sunset)
You can likely find some expensive tours through your hotel. It depends on what you are looking for. I booked a tour through the Fairmont Nile City. It was $350USD for the day. It did include about 120km in a new Mercedes, a private tour guide, and admissions. The value of having someone negotiate for you in Arabic and price your camel rides / souvenirs is worth more than spending $80 for a tour that might take you around to various commissioned "art galleries" and things like that, especially after travelling all that way.
Your kids will enjoy it. The Egpytian art is something they can relate too - so many images.
Any further questions - just PM me.
On this trip, I did 3 days Cairo and 4 days in Dahab in the Sinai Penninsula.
I find the city of Cairo sort of an interesting place. It is a very intriguing place with a layered culture, but at the same time, it is not a pleasant place (noise, pollution, agression) by any means. I found a 3 day stay there enough on this past trip, which was my second trip.
I would encourage you perhaps work out a 2-3 day side trip to Luxor (if Egyptian tombs are your thing). I did visit Alexandria, but I didn't find it to be anything special.
You could get flights on Egypt Air quite easily through their website. As with most of the African airports, they use stands outside instead of air conditions bridges to the plane.
If beaches are your thing, then maybe a quick trip to Sharm el Shiekh would be up your alley, although 2 days may not give it justice.
Staying in Cairo, I would encourage the following:
KHan el Khalilli (Islamic Cairo) 1/2 day
Pyramids of Giza (1/2 day)
Saqqara (step pryamid) 1/2 day
Egyptian Museum 1/2 day.
Nile Felluca Ride (1 hr - sunset)
You can likely find some expensive tours through your hotel. It depends on what you are looking for. I booked a tour through the Fairmont Nile City. It was $350USD for the day. It did include about 120km in a new Mercedes, a private tour guide, and admissions. The value of having someone negotiate for you in Arabic and price your camel rides / souvenirs is worth more than spending $80 for a tour that might take you around to various commissioned "art galleries" and things like that, especially after travelling all that way.
Your kids will enjoy it. The Egpytian art is something they can relate too - so many images.
Any further questions - just PM me.
May 25, 2011, 12:11 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Dubai
Programs: SPG Platinum, Skywards Gold
Posts: 123
A couple more places to add. Saladin's Citadel is well worth the trip, it sits quite high up and gives views above the city even over to the pyramids. There is also the famous market area, can't remember the name but the hotel will know, it's nice with plenty of stalls and street cafes.
On avoiding the tourist traps, some good tips above. On taxis, white taxis are good but black ones are everywhere and so you will have to take them at some point. They clearly try to rip you off and they rely on the fact that Westerners don't really know how to haggle (Arabs make a sport of it). There are no hard and fast rules, but I would always keep in mind that even if you think you're getting ripped off it's still going to be cheap by major Western city standards so don't waste too much time on it. My other concern for you would be having a family of 5, most taxis are 30-year old imports from Eastern Europe and fitting 3 in a car is difficult! Be very careful too, don't ever leave just females in a taxi on their own. If your hotel offers bus tours, consider these even if more expensive as the hassle-factor is so much lower.
Dealing with beggars is fine, they may give you the odd "f*** you" but you can thank American television exports for their few words of English, don't take it personally. The bigger issue is the "unofficial tour guides" who will latch on to you at any given opportunity. These tend to be twenty something males with good English and start friendly with some advice on the sights (as above, little information is actually provided at many tourist areas), but in the end it tends to be a hard sell often to take you away in a car or horse drawn carriage somewhere. My advice is to say politely "no thanks, I've been here many times" when they approach. They'll likely still follow you and talk to you, just be firm but nice in saying no thanks. If you really can't get rid of them, keep a look out for any tourist officials or police/ security (they're few and far between) as they'll get rid of them, or simply be prepared just to give them a small amount of money just to go away (e.g. $2 or $3).
Overall, Cairo is a fascinating and vibrant city and well worth the visit. Don't be put off by any of the negative comments above, it's all part of its charm. For example, though haggling for everything can be annoying to many Westerners, actually it can be good fun if you get in to it (e.g. at markets). The elaborate façade of arm gestures, head shaking, walking away, coming back, being their friend, being their enemy, drinking coffee with them and then, only once all the above is complete, coming to a price is great fun and will stand you in good stead the next time you take your car to be repaired!
On avoiding the tourist traps, some good tips above. On taxis, white taxis are good but black ones are everywhere and so you will have to take them at some point. They clearly try to rip you off and they rely on the fact that Westerners don't really know how to haggle (Arabs make a sport of it). There are no hard and fast rules, but I would always keep in mind that even if you think you're getting ripped off it's still going to be cheap by major Western city standards so don't waste too much time on it. My other concern for you would be having a family of 5, most taxis are 30-year old imports from Eastern Europe and fitting 3 in a car is difficult! Be very careful too, don't ever leave just females in a taxi on their own. If your hotel offers bus tours, consider these even if more expensive as the hassle-factor is so much lower.
Dealing with beggars is fine, they may give you the odd "f*** you" but you can thank American television exports for their few words of English, don't take it personally. The bigger issue is the "unofficial tour guides" who will latch on to you at any given opportunity. These tend to be twenty something males with good English and start friendly with some advice on the sights (as above, little information is actually provided at many tourist areas), but in the end it tends to be a hard sell often to take you away in a car or horse drawn carriage somewhere. My advice is to say politely "no thanks, I've been here many times" when they approach. They'll likely still follow you and talk to you, just be firm but nice in saying no thanks. If you really can't get rid of them, keep a look out for any tourist officials or police/ security (they're few and far between) as they'll get rid of them, or simply be prepared just to give them a small amount of money just to go away (e.g. $2 or $3).
Overall, Cairo is a fascinating and vibrant city and well worth the visit. Don't be put off by any of the negative comments above, it's all part of its charm. For example, though haggling for everything can be annoying to many Westerners, actually it can be good fun if you get in to it (e.g. at markets). The elaborate façade of arm gestures, head shaking, walking away, coming back, being their friend, being their enemy, drinking coffee with them and then, only once all the above is complete, coming to a price is great fun and will stand you in good stead the next time you take your car to be repaired!
May 26, 2011, 4:00 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 819
Take pills with you to treat a bad stomach. Seems obvious, but chances are high that at least one of you will get slightly ill during your stay. Pack enough antibacterial gel aswell and use it alot! The money is often a source of unwelcome guests.
Jun 23, 2011, 8:13 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 207
we always follow the rule of thumb "if it's not cooked or peeled, don't eat it". This includes even things like peanuts at the bar. and, plenty of hand washing.