Cairo Off The Beaten Path Tips by Heavens-Mirror

~ My Friend Hossam The BEST Egyptian Tour Guide ~

Im so glad i met my friend Hossam when i visited Cairo for the first time in 2003, he took me everywhere & i got to experience the REAL Cairo. Anything you want to do he can take you there in his private car with air conditioning & charges a very good price for this, much cheaper than the Tour operators.
Here are just a few things he can do for you:

If you would like to visit the pyramids of Sakara, Dashur & Memphis (the places that tour operators dont take tourists too), Hossam can do this, he is extremely passionate on doing tours about Ancient Egypt, he can also take you to the Museum & he will skip the boring parts & tell you about the more interesting things that you would want to know about, you can also see the sound & light show for free at a nice restaurant & watch it from the rooftop. You can visit the Sphinx & Pyramids & even visit a couple of the tombs which are locked.

Camel/Horse riding is very fun in the pyramid area is great too, it only costs around 100 Egyptian Pounds & you go out for around 2 to 3 hours. You can also get some really great photos in this area & its best to go in the morning as it can get too hot & humid during the afternoon.

A night out at Grand Cafe located on the nile is great to spend with friends & also smoke Shisha & listen to some music. I come here everytime i visit Cairo.

Feel free to contact my friend Hossam Mansour, his email is Hossamfouly@hotmail.com. If theres anything you want to do that i have'nt mentioned then tell him exactly what you'd like to do & im sure he will do his best to sort something out for you.

Just tell him Stacey reccommended you & he will know where you got his information from.
Here is one comment a member from Virtual Tourist left for me, i was very pleased with it:

stuartmedley Mon Feb 5, 2007 13:38 GMT
Your tip on using Hossam to take you around was absolutely correct. He was a friendly and very knowledgeable guide and nothing was to much trouble and on our own we simply would not have seen a fraction of what he showed us.

Website: http://www.hossamtours.com

~ Underground Tomb at Giza Pyramids ~

I really enjoyed visiting these underground tombs at the Giza Pyramids. Not many tourists get to visit these tombs as they are usually locked, but my tour guide friend Hossam asked one of the nice Policemen in the area to unlock it & let us take a look inside.......

Look how beautiful it looks. If you ever visit the pyramids, ask one of the guards about the underground tombs & they may let you inside if your interested.

~ The Sphinx Of Giza ~

One of my most memorable moments of Cairo is The Sphinx, I have been to Egypt many times now & this still fascinates me like it did the first time. I always like to go as close up to the Sphinx as possible as its a good opportunity to take some fantastic photos of the gorgeous views of the Face & the lions body with the view of the pyramids in the distance.

Take a look through my photos at the breathtaking views of the Sphinx, i can never stop staring it its face when im there & i like to sit for a while & enjoy the sun whilst i look at her.

It costs 20 Egyptian pounds to go into the Sphinx area for tourists, go for it.... its well worth the small amount of cash!

~ The Swimming Pool At Le Meridien Pyramids ~

I really miss the swimming pool at Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel in Cairo, it looks so inviting after sunbathing allday & it beautifully lit up at night.

It has a swim up pool bar where you can be served home make cocktails, freshly squeezed fruit juices, beer & also lots of alcholic drinks.
I really like the local beer which is called Sakarra (Named after one of the pyramids in Egypt), they also have beer called Stella too which tastes like the Stella we have in England. The beer costs between 10-20 Egyptian pounds for a big bottle.

I was even allowed to smoke Shisha by the poolside so i could enjoy the sun at the sametime. See my photos for more details.

~ Smoking Shisha ~

One of the best things i tried in Egypt was the Shisha, i dont like smoking cigarettes so was abit weary about trying this but i thought what the hell lets give it a try. I first tried it in Luxor when i was in a restaurant, i tried the apple flavour as this is the most popular, someone showed me how to set it up & where you put the flavoured tobacco then i gave it a try. I really enjoyed it & from then i was having it every night after my meals.

I love going to Grand Cafe & the Shisha Corner at Le Meridien Pyramids in Cairo, ive tried all the different flavours my favourites are apple & cherry.

If you do visit Egypt make sure you give it a try its definetly something i miss about Egypt.