"SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW" a Alexandria Travel Page by NinaRira

A lot of people might choose to bypass Alexandria because it has a much more European feel to it compared with the rest of Egypt. But this is a city with everything from great history to great food and it shouldn't be missed! Alexandria prides itself on a lot of great restaurants, cafes and shops all of which impressed me very much and I actually liked the mix of ancient and new culture that makes this place so different. I also liked the fact that Alexandria is more of a holiday destination for the Egyptians themselves rather than outside tourists. It meant that I had to make more of an effort to translate things such as signs and menus, but that also made me feel a little bit closer to modern day Egypt.

My friends and I didn't have very long in Alexandria, so the time we had we spent wisely. As with most of Egypt you do well to plan ahead and book whatever tickets or guides you need beforehand. We hired a wonderful young female guide for our two days and thanks to her we got the most amazing facts and tours of the city. The other advantage of having a private guide is that they will book ahead for any tickets you might need, which means that there is no queueing when you get there. That's a big plus when the temperatures hit around 35-40oc!! Private guides also know how to avoid the majority of bus tours so you often get a quieter tour of places you want to see.

Alexandria is a very romantic city and not just because of it's great location on the Mediteranian and little winding streets. It has truely wonderful seafood restaurants, a huge collection of antique shops and lots of old book stores to spend hours in. There are miles and miles of beach front promenade where the locals walk with their loved ones and there are the gloriously lush and quiet gardens of Muntaza. Finally, it was here in Alexandria that Mark Antony fell for Cleopatra. How's that for epic romance?