MikeBiDude Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 I’ll be traveling to Cairo for a week in March. Not looking for providers, I’m traveling with a seeking Arrangements buddy. While I’m sure no PDA is appropriate, anything I should be concerned about traveling with my friend? Any suggestions on what to do or see outside of the usual? I have tours setup of the city, pyramids, Nile cruise, and a one day trip to Luxor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ nycman Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) Egypt is an amazing country. Unfortunately, as you know, it’s just not safe. Really, anywhere, for anyone. That goes triple for gay men. Stick to the well trod tourist route and you should be ok. I’ve backpacked all over the world, but I would be very hesitant to go exploring on my own in Egypt. In general, it’s near impossible to do Egypt without a tour guide anyways. It’s incredible, but….go…see…get out. Edited March 4, 2023 by nycman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 Egypt consistently rates as highly dangerous on the travel advise websites. Lately it's been better. So maybe a pocket of time to slip in. Beyond PDA I would suggest that when traveling any Muslim country, you have a backstory that avoids any perception of "sinful relationship" to your companion. Always separate beds and make sure the maid doesn't know you only slept in one. As was mentioned here previously you must travel with guides and keep in mind Cairo is a big dirty city and the pyramids sit like garbage piles on the edge of town ...so not the most romantic of places for a rendezvous with a lover, (paid for or not). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBiDude Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 5 hours ago, pubic_assistance said: Always separate beds and make sure the maid doesn't know you only slept in one. Hmmmm…I hadn’t considered this. Booked an executive king at the Conrad Hilton? One bed… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 1 hour ago, MikeBiDude said: Booked an executive king at the Conrad Hilton? One bed… Bad idea. NEVER let ANYONE in a Muslim country know you're sleeping with a man. NEVER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBiDude Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 1 hour ago, pubic_assistance said: Bad idea. NEVER let ANYONE in a Muslim country know you're sleeping with a man. NEVER Thanks…making that change. pubic_assistance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBiDude Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 10 hours ago, nycman said: Stick to the well trod tourist route and you should be ok Everything I’ve booked is through a travel agent and basically all private guide/car tours. I won’t be going off the beaten track this trip, only hitting major sites and a Hilton Hotel. + nycman and pubic_assistance 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ azdr0710 Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 I presume the Egyptian Museum is on the itinerary..... https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/museums/egyptian-museum + Axiom2001 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ azdr0710 Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 browsing thru the Egyptian Museum's website, I came upon "Mummy Portrait Of Two Brothers".......wow, the bro on the right....... + Axiom2001 and MikeBiDude 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ nycman Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 3 minutes ago, azdr0710 said: I presume the Egyptian Museum is on the itinerary..... https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/museums/egyptian-museum Unfortunately, many of the treasures that were formally in the Egyptian Museum are "in transit" to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) Last I was there, they still had King Tut’s mask in the old Museum but about 90% of the rest of the Tut treasures were not. https://grandegyptianmuseum.org The GEM is supposed to open in 2023, but they’ve already pushed back the date several times by several years. I planned a trip over a year ago to coincide with the opening. Needless to say it didn’t happen. I ended up cutting the trip short and heading home early instead on lingering in Cairo. It really is a dump. + azdr0710 and MikeBiDude 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ nycman Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 (edited) 10 minutes ago, azdr0710 said: browsing thru the Egyptian Museum's website, I came upon "Mummy Portrait Of Two Brothers".......wow, the bro on the right....... Ok, now you’re just teasing me. I have a "thing" for Roman Egyptian Mummy Portraits. Unfortunately, most of the ones in the Egyptian Museum (they have quiet a few) are so fucking dirty and covered in dust that you can barely make out the faces. It was incredibly frustrating to be so close to something so beautiful and not be able to see it. Did I mention?….Cairo is a dump. Edited March 5, 2023 by nycman + azdr0710 and MikeBiDude 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Axiom2001 Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 (edited) On 3/3/2023 at 6:54 PM, MikeBiDude said: I’ll be traveling to Cairo for a week in March. Not looking for providers, I’m traveling with a seeking Arrangements buddy. While I’m sure no PDA is appropriate, anything I should be concerned about traveling with my friend? Any suggestions on what to do or see outside of the usual? I have tours setup of the city, pyramids, Nile cruise, and a one day trip to Luxor. I traveled to Egypt in 2008 or 2010. ...traveled with a wonderful group to Cairo, took a five day river cruise of the Nile, and participated in other adventurous activities. One recommendation that I have (if you're interested) is taking a drive to Alexandria and experience that fabulous library. It was one of the highlights for me during that trip, for I found that venue to be magnificent in terms of its architecture and its offerings. Unfortunately, I failed to take any photographs. In looking back and trying to remember-- one thing that I do know in 2023 that this adventure, the library and trip overall were very well worth it for me. Edited March 6, 2023 by Axiom2001 MikeBiDude and Marc in Calif 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ nycman Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 10 hours ago, Axiom2001 said: …..one recommendation that I have (if you're interested) is taking a drive to Alexandria and experience that fabulous library. I was hesitant to recommend Alexandria. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. In fact the library was my least favorite part of the trip. I found the architecture to be mildly interesting. Beyond that it’s just a modern library. So what? And it certainly didn’t seem worth driving 6 hours to and from Cairo across barren landscape to see it. I’m glad you enjoyed it, but it wasn’t for me. I did enjoy the fort, the seaside town, and the Roman catacombs. In fact, my nerdy Classical heart went apeshit when I suddenly realized I was standing in the middle of a Roman triclinium in the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. Our guide kind of sucked at Roman history and hadn’t even mentioned it. And yes, the rest of the group thought I was a weirdo and they just wanted to get out of the hole in the ground. If you’re thinking of doing Alexandria, I’d recommend planning on spending the night there. After Cairo, the clean sea air is a nice respite. And if you’ve recently done the 6 hour round trip drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel, the last thing you want is another day trip in Egypt that’s spent mostly in the van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quartz Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 On 3/4/2023 at 3:00 PM, pubic_assistance said: Bad idea. NEVER let ANYONE in a Muslim country know you're sleeping with a man. NEVER I just returned from Oman and the UAE with my husband and we had booked rooms with king sized beds in Western hotel chains. We didn’t have any issues there, but obviously, no PDA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 2 hours ago, Quartz said: I just returned from Oman and the UAE with my husband and we had booked rooms with king sized beds in Western hotel chains. We didn’t have any issues there, but obviously, no PDA. UAE and Oman are NOT the same as Egypt. It's not a good idea in any Muslim country Doesn't matter that somebody got away with it Marc in Calif 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ azdr0710 Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 (edited) though, out of respect for your hosting country, you should never engage in PDA or similar actions, I believe the Muslim countries may be more concerned about their own citizens' actions rather than those of tourists....... Edited March 6, 2023 by azdr0710 Marc in Calif and + Axiom2001 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudynate Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 I have an IG buddy from the UK who lives in Germany - he visits Egypt with a group of friends at Christmas every year. They stay at a resort on the Gulf of Aqaba. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBiDude Posted March 7, 2023 Author Share Posted March 7, 2023 On 3/4/2023 at 12:00 PM, pubic_assistance said: Bad idea. NEVER let ANYONE in a Muslim country know you're sleeping with a man. NEVER So extra $900 for late change and a bit downgraded room, but two beds! Good tip thanks for the heads up. Probably unnecessary but I feel better about it. + nycman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 (edited) 13 hours ago, MikeBiDude said: Probably unnecessary but I feel better about it. It's all about RISK You don't take risks of being exposed in a Muslim country. Places like Morocco and Qatar will look the other way to get those tourist dollars but Egypt is not adjusting their religion for tourists. For decades tourists in Egypt were at risk of being murdered for just being American. So not a good idea to push the envelope after only a few years of safer access to tourism there. Edited March 7, 2023 by pubic_assistance Grammar MikeBiDude 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Lucky Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 15 hours ago, MikeBiDude said: So extra $900 for late change and a bit downgraded room, but two beds! Good tip thanks for the heads up. Probably unnecessary but I feel better about it. The high cost of going somewhere that doesn't want you. MikeBiDude, + nycman, pubic_assistance and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBiDude Posted March 19, 2023 Author Share Posted March 19, 2023 (edited) Follow up…been here in Cairo 5 days now. No issues entering country or at hotel with my young friend. Yes, got a room with two beds…two doubles so close it almost makes no difference. We have a routine for using both beds 😉 still have a decent view of the Nile from the room I downgraded to in order to get two beds. Pic below. Cairo itself is ok, I’m not a fan yet but it’s growing on me a bit. I doubt I’d return here for another visit. Had a private guide here for two days and he did a great job. However, way too many stops at shops for “demonstrations” of papyrus making, carpet making, etc. and light pressure to buy. 5 stops like that one day and 3 stops another. While I did buy a couple things…it all felt very much a “tourist trap”. Same for the lunches with the guide, buffets with 40 passenger tour buses in/out. But the buffet lunches were good food! l did a one (long!) day round trip to Luxor. This guide only took me to one shop for demo/buy alabaster products. Actually interesting and again the actual sales push mild but evident. Luxor was really beautiful, fun, amazing things to see there. I’m a foodie….and the food has been a bit of a disappointment. By that I mean I’ve not got any recommendations for local restaurants from my tour guide or the concierge at hotel. Their lack of recommendations seem to be based on the safety of us traveling out at night and finding places to eat. So that said, the hotel has 5 different great restaurants and the food there and daily breakfast have been top grade. One evening we did a dinner cruise on the Nile…ok buffet food but not a must-see tour and I wouldn’t recommend it. Luxor guide took us on a private boat to “Banana Island” where we had a really good local lunch. Pics below. Taking a lazy Sunday day here…nothing planned will walk a bit and enjoy hotel amenities. Off to London Monday. Edited March 19, 2023 by MikeBiDude Spelling + Lucky, pubic_assistance, CuriousByNature and 5 others 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted March 19, 2023 Share Posted March 19, 2023 (edited) 18 hours ago, MikeBiDude said: Had a private guide here for two days and he did a great job. However, way too many stops at shops for “demonstrations” of papyrus making, carpet making, etc. and light pressure to buy. I would expect that you're going to get that everywhere with any guide you hire from Istanbul to Marakesh Edited March 20, 2023 by pubic_assistance spelling MikeBiDude, + nycman and + Axiom2001 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ azdr0710 Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 your report of touristy places reminded me of this classic....... thomas and + Vegas_Millennial 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njguy2 Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 If you are still in Cairo - an interesting show I attended (way back when Mubarak was in power) was the whirling dervishes. Our driver (who we had hired from the Conrad hotel and was probably an ex-military intelligence guy) - recommended it when another place we wanted to go to was closed. This is a link to an example https://www.egypttoursportal.com/en-us/egypt-day-tours/cairo-day-tours/wekalet-el-ghouri-tanoura/#itinerary On that same day we stopped at a very old mosque near the City of the Dead (big cemetery) and toured it - exquisitely carved woodwork . Upon leaving the keeper beckoned us to climb up into the minaret to gain a view of Cairo (unfortunately I do not remember which mosque it was). Our driver arranged a sunset boat cruise for us to go to the middle of the river - anchor, watch the sunset and have a meal. At the time it was very cheap to rent a boat that could easily fit 50+ people, it was just 2 of us, the driver along with the captain and a crewman. We had drinks watched the sunset and then a feast was delivered to our boat by launch. The food was one of the best we had on that trip and had no clue to where it was made. The variety of dishes, mezzo etc was amazing (the captain and boatman we very happy for the leftovers) Ironically at the restaurant (well acclaimed) we had planned to go to, several work 'colleagues' went to it and they had a nasty bout of food poisoning. Overall - hiring that driver direct from the hotel, we avoided the touristy shops etc and did what we wanted to do. Enjoyed Luxor, but going to Aswan and then hiring a driver and guard we drove to Abu Simbel to see the temples. We avoided the tour since it got up god awful early and we wanted to be on our time not the tour bus's schedule. Alexandria was also good for something different - great seafood but the drive is long for a day trip. Marc in Calif and + Axiom2001 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Axiom2001 Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 (edited) On 3/19/2023 at 8:23 AM, pubic_assistance said: I would expect that you're going to get that everywhere with any guide you hire from Istanbul to Marakesh If you can access TripAdvisor Cairo-- check out the restaurant recommendations and travel to them via taxi. If your hotel has a concierge, request that s/he book for you two. [...too bad that you were not able to do some checking prior to your travel adventure. I know; I know it slipped your mind.] 😀😀 ***Thanks for posting; I enjoyed your read. Continue to experience as positively as possible! Edited March 21, 2023 by Axiom2001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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