Cairo Travel Guide

Egypt the land of history

Egypt is considered one of the oldest civilizations known on Earth ,and considered now as one of the most dynamic countries in the middle east and north Africa .

The Egyptian population is approximately 70 million people constantly increasing. The area is 1 001 449 km ² or 1.8 times the France. The capital is Cairo with more than 20 million inhabitants is one of the largest cities in the Arab world. The Nile River stretches over 6 700 km is one of the longest rivers in the world.

The system is presidential, with the Head of State Hosni Mubarak, president since October 6, 1981. Reelected in 2005 for a term of 6 years. Arabic is the official language in Egypt, many are bilingual and speak English in the tourism community.

The national currency is the Egyptian pound (abbreviated LE), known or guineh pound (Arabic), divided into 100 piastres (IRSH in Arabic). One euro is worth around 7 Egyptian pounds. Almost all machines accept Visa cards for cash withdrawals in Egyptian pounds but it is imperative to always have self-small change because the distributors do not always work. Traveler's checks are exchanged only in banks and some little luxury hotel, you must provide all necessary evidence that they are well when you change which one you are accredited to the change.

Egyptian cuisine is a melting pot of many specialties Mediterranean (Turkish, Greek and especially the Syrian-Lebanese). All dishes are placed on the table and pull from the guests at will.

The Egyptian climate is Mediterranean coast of Alexandria, semi-desert at the height of Cairo, and completely deserted in the south. Winter (mid-December to mid-February), may disappoint those who love the sun, with an average of 8 to 15 ° C. In spring, temperatures range between 25 and 35 ° C from north to south. And summer is scorching heat beyond 40 ° C. Your days will be scheduled beginning early in the morning and making a break at midday. In Aswan and Nubia, he can make up to 50 ° C in summer.

Tips:

Tipping is not mandatory but is a tradition in Egypt (almost a national institution) we did not include it in our rates for all gratuities FOR your personal guide and remain at your discretion. If you are satisfied with the service, it is customary to tip.

In the street, the "bribe" is the service. For example, if you take a carriage ride, a tip will be asked by the driver. Other "bribe" you will very often applications throughout your stay for a yes or a no, take this practice with humor, this is part of folklore!

Telephone calls:

To telephone from Egypt to your country, dial 00 followed by your country code followed by the phone number without the 0.

If you call the hotel or boat, call prices are usually displayed in your room, if this is not the case do not hesitate to ask at the reception.

You can call from a phone booth with a card which costs an average of 20 pounds (about 3 euros) for about 3 minutes of international communication.

Cairo travel guide :

Cairo is the capital of Egypt.

 Cairo is considered as one of  the largest city in Africa, and the Arab World, as well as one of the most densely-populated cities in the world.

Cairo has many nick names such as : "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life.

Even before Cairo was established in the tenth century, the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo.

Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to the Great Sphinx and the pyramids in adjacent Giza.

Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab World, as well as the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city, and the Arab League has been based in Cairo for most of its existence.

Cairo population :

With a population of 6.8 million[3] spread over 214 square kilometers (83 sq mi), Cairo is by far the largest city in Egypt. With an additional ten million inhabitants just outside the city, Cairo resides at the center of the largest metropolitan area in Africa and the eleventh-largest urban area in the world.[4] Cairo, like many large cities in developing countries, suffers from high levels of pollution and traffic, but its metro – currently the only on the African continent – also ranks among the fifteen busiest in the world,[5] with over 700 million passenger rides annuall