Holiday rentals in Egypt
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Egypt 
Egypt, Egypt holiday homes, Egypt vacation, Egypt vacation rentals, Holiday homes Egypt, Holiday in Egypt, holidays Egypt, vacation Egypt
Looking to get away? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to go to Egypt yet are unsure where to stay. Instead of staying in a hotel perhaps you should consider renting a house or apartment. While most individuals stay in hotels there are several reasons why renting a vacation home in Egypt will make your vacation more enjoyable.
- Saving money
This is always a plus! It is true overall renting a house or apartment is less expensive than staying in a hotel. Many of these rentals have amenities such as pools, concierge service as an added benefit. Houses also have kitchens most hotels do not which means you can save even more because you can make your own meals instead of paying for expensive room service or restaurants. Perhaps you need to do laundry if you are staying in a hotel you either have to pay to get your clothes cleaned or find a laundry mat to clean the clothes yourself. Both of these choices will cost you extra money, however many houses come with a washer and dryer which is more convenient and cost effective.
- Room to spare
Taking the entire family on vacation then a renting a house is the perfect alternative to an overcrowded hotel room. Instead of the entire family in a small hotel room with one bathroom to share you could stay in spacious house giving everyone a little extra breathing room. Not only have that but considered that in a hotel room there is no privacy. A house on the other hand allows everyone the privacy they need which makes everyone’s trip that much more enjoyable.
- No Pets Allowed
Perhaps you are a pet owner and wish to take your pet with you on vacation as many do. While most hotels either do not allow pets or charge a fee for you to bring those many rentals properties don’t. So you can bring your precious animal without having to worry about it.
- Meet the locals-
When you stay in a hotel the only information available to you is from the front desk clerk or those who work at the hotel. When you choose to rent a vacation home you often times get the opportunity to meet the locals. This is a great way to learn about the area and find great out of the way places that many never get the opportunity to enjoy. Locals can also direct you to the best restaurants allowing you the opportunity to experience some of the best traditional cuisine.
If you’re looking to make you next vacations a bit more enjoyable consider a vacation rental. You can enjoy the vacation of a lifetime with the added benefits of the comfort and convenience a home has to offer.
Discovering Cairo
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Cairo is one of the most populated capitals of the world. This Egyptian city has so much to offer to the visitors that it is really difficult to describe it shortly. Cairo is situated on the west bank of the Nile river, which is dividing the city in two and creating two islands, Roda and Gezira, quiet and green residential areas. The most famous and interesting historical sites to visit are on the eastern part of the city.
Cairo is a bubbling blend of cultures, history, modernity with different appealing features for those like to discover this city during a vacation in Egypt.
The heart of Cairo is Down Town, where all the buildings are typical examples of architecture of the 19th century. Even if it is chaotic and full of traffic, this area has a special antique atmosphere that deserves to be discovered, beyond the first look that could be a bit negative.
The hub of Down Town is Midan el-Tahrir, the central square, busy crossroads during day and night: this square has been the main location of the demonstrations of the Egyptian revolution of January/February 2011, leading to the fall of a thirty-year regime.
Here every day, from the suburbs, thousands of Egyptian people arrive by bus to work in the buildings around the square, hosting governmental and administration offices, travel agencies, import-export companies and various other activities.
All the visitors of Cairo pass from Midan el-Tahrir at least to reach the Egyptian Museum, one of the main attractions, being the richest collection of Egyptian findings of the world, with precious treasures such as the one of Tutankhamon.
Another face of Cairo is represented by the Islamic Cairo: streets and palaces reminding the tales of One thousand and one night, temples and mosques, such as the famous and important al-Azhar mosque and the old Ibn Tulun mosque, the Citadel are the main attractions of this particular area.
The definition of “Islamic” derives from the fact that this quarter has been built before the European style buildings that represent the modern centre of Cairo. To avoid any misunderstanding, instead of “Islamic”, this part of the city is also called “Fatimid”, referring to the walled district built from the Fatimid dynasty in 969. The walls are nearly destroyed, even if there are still some parts of them, but there are dozens of monuments of the Fatimid period, such as marble fountains and massive mosques along the main historical streets.
This area of Cairo is, like many others, densely populated and it is quite wide that several visits may be necessary, but the main significant buildings are grouped in one circuit of nearly 2 and half kilometres that can be visited in few hours. Various are the itineraries to follow.
One possibility is to start from the big bazaar, Khan el-Khalili, situated in the heart of the Islamic Cairo, with its streets and always full of interesting shops. It covers a large area and of course it is impossible to visit it entirely. Near the bazaar, one can see the beautiful El-Azhar mosque. Another option is to start from the Northern walls and the Mosque of El-Hakim, Beit es-Suhaymi and the three big complexes of Bein el-Qasrein. A third itinerary could be to commence from El-Ghuriya and take a walk until the Bab Zuweila and the curtains’ bazaar.
Situated to the opposed extremities of Cairo, Giza and Heliopolis (the first at south-west and the second at north-east) are two suburbs of the capital marking also two different and separated historical periods.
Giza is located 20 kilometres from Down Town on the west bank of the Nile river, where are the most important necropolis of Ancient Egypt. Giza hosts the famous Sphinx, the most antique monumental sculpture, dated back to 2500 BC; and the great Pyramids, tombs of the Pharaohs; three are the main pyramids Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, but around them there are ruins of other tombs and mastaba, used to bury the queens and the members of the aristocracy.
Cairo offers a wide range of hotels of different categories and styles, as in the various options of the package holidays. A different way to visit and experience Cairo and its atmosphere is to choose a rental apartment in one of the areas of the city.
Opposed to Giza, at north, is located Heliopolis, which represents the modernity of Cairo: nearly at the end of the 19th century, the rich Belgium industrialist Édouard Empain bought a portion of desert and built a small separated town, called precisely Heliopolis. Now, it is nearly integrated with the rest of Cairo, but it is still appealing the tourists for its bizarre architecture, its restaurants and its vivacious nightlife. Heliopolis keeps its original character and its high social status. Here, is located the presidential residence, antiquely known as the Heliopolis Palace Hotel, one of the most luxury hotel of the whole African continent. At north of this palace, there is a Neo-Byzantine basilica, where the baron Empain is buried. Not far from here, there is the residence of the Baron, an extravagant building similar to an Indian temple, made by limestone, with sculptures of divinities and ritual dancers.
Beautiful temples surrounding Qena, Egypt
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Located on the West bank of the Nile River, 39 miles north of Luxor, Qena is the capital of the Qena Governorate in Upper Egypt.
Wadi Qena is a route connecting Upper Egypt with the Red Sea and its opening has contributed to the growth of the prosperity of the city, due to the fact that the tourists travelling from Luxor to the Red Sea have surely to pass by Qena.
The city has Ancient Egyptian heritage, because it was in the antiquity the town of Cainepolis; but it has also an Islamic heritage, due to the presence of a Sufi centre (founded by Maghrebi Abd el Rahim) and a huge mosque.
Recently, Qena has been restored and has been considered the third most beautiful city in the UNESCO City Beauty contest. Qena is also famous for the production of pottery, especially the porous water.
Egypt is of course one of the main tourist destinations, but sometimes holiday packages don’t give you the chance to discover particular places, such as for example Qena and its surroundings. If you decide to spend your holiday in Egypt, you can also consider the possibility to rent a self-catering apartment to be free to explore all the places you want.
From Qena, it is possible to visit beautiful temples, such as those situated in Dendera or Abydos.
The Temple of Hator in Dendera is one of the best conserved in Egypt. Hator was the goddess of fertility and she was particularly worshiped in Dendera in the antiquity.
A large mud brick wall borders an area of 40,000 square meters. The primitive temple is dated back to the fourth dynasty (c. 2613–c. 2494 BC) and on its ruins has been built the present temple started during the Ptolemaic dynasty and completed by the Roman emperor Tiberius. In the temple, there are also a pharaonic and a Roman Mammisi (birth house), the remains of Coptic Church and a little chapel devoted to the goddess Isis. Around the temple, now it is possible to find a modern visitor centre, some bazaars and small cafeteria.
Abydos is considered one of the most significant archaeological sites of Ancient Egypt, because it was the location of many ancient temples (such as the Umm el-Qa’ab) and a royal necropolis, where early pharaohs were buried.
Today, Abydos is famous for the temple of Seti I, which contains an inscription from the nineteenth dynasty known to the modern world as the Abydos King List: this list shows cartouches with names of Pharaohs from Menes until Ramesses I. This list of names is considered exceptional because it is so complete and it has been called the “Rosetta Stone” of Egyptian archaeology, when it has been rediscovered by William John Bankes, in analogy to the Rosetta stone for Egyptian writing.
Under the Seti I Temple, are hidden the old temple and most of the ancient town; many of the original structures and the artefacts have been considered irretrievable and many have been damaged by the new construction.
A cemetery lies behind the temple, because one of its main functions was the adoration of the earlier pharaohs. Also seven chapels have been built for the adoration of the pharaohs and the major divinities. A mysterious structure called The Osirion is located at the back of the temple; it was probably connected with the veneration of the god Osiris. In origin, the temple was long 168 m, but the part still in a good condition is only 76 m long and 107 m wide. The decorations on the temple were mainly mythological and not historical.
Beside Seti I temple, was situated the temple of Ramesses II, which was smaller and with an easier plan. The decorations of the external side were mainly historical, as it is possible to see in the remained lower part: many scenes were related to the Battle of Kadesh. About a mile from the temple, is located the Royal necropolis of the earliest dynasties and the place is called now Umm el-Qa’ab (The Mother of Pots), due to the remains of all devotional objects left by the pilgrims.
The older tombs were quite small (3x6m), but later their sizes increased as well as their plan. At the beginning they were only a cavity lined with brick walls, enclosed with timber and matting; then some chambers to host offerings were added.
From Qena, it is also possible to easily reach Luxor where to admire some other stunning masterpieces of Ancient Egypt, such as Karnak and Luxor temples, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and much more.
The Sinai Peninsula – Egypt
Egypt is a country of history and ancient culture, but is also the location of stunning coral reefs and beautiful coastlines: this mix is clearly evident in the Sinai Peninsula, an area of about 61,000 square kilometres, separated from the motherland by the Suez Canal.
Sinai has famous towns and resorts which attract every year thousands of tourists to discover all the beauties this area has to offer, during unforgettable holidays in Egypt:
Taba is an international border settlement, in the middle of the charming wilderness of the Sinai, only one hour from the Eilat. In 2000, the airport of Taba opened to the charter flights and this started to draw to the region even more tourists. The internal connections from Taba to the others cities are easier by taxi, car rental or bus: Taba is reachable from Cairo with only a 5 hours drive.
Since the end of 2005, Taba Heights is a pretty resort perfectly located in one of the most stunning spots on the Sinai Peninsula: village, five stars hotels, a marina, various facilities are inserted here into the breathtaking natural background of wild desert, cinnamon mountains, and exciting sea.
Nuweiba is 70 km south of Taba and it is a tourist resort on the coast of South Sinai. Until few years ago, Nuweiba was the preferred destination for autonomous travellers because of its ideal central location and its natural beauty. Recently, the investors discovered the business importance of the virgin beaches between Nuweiba and Taba and finally opened luxurious hotels to mass tourism: the owners of camps and family hotels unexpectedly found themselves in competition with famous chain hotels offering flight and holiday packages to unbeatable prices.
Nuweiba is chosen as holiday destination mainly from tourists and travellers which prefer to be far away from the crowded beaches: here, it is possible to live a very personal experience, an adventure that gives the chance to try the art of hospitality and to meet friendly local people.
Nuweiba can approximately be divided into 3 main parts: Nuweiba Tarabin, the Town and The Dunes. At the North, there is Nuweiba Tarabin, with its special oriental atmosphere, featured by a wide grove of palms, a beautiful bay and the ruins of a Turkish fort, with a well been for centuries a fresh water source for the Bedouins. Various lively outdoors restaurants have been opened along the beach and they are furnished in typical Bedouin style with carpets and cushions, inviting to relax and let the time pass by.
The Moshav Neviot has been established during Israeli occupation in 1971, as a border between the Tarabin tribe in the north and the Muzeina tribe in the south: around it, the Town has been built.
The old part of the town is featured by numerous bazaars, supermarkets, internet cafes and restaurants.
The Dunes represent the extension and the link between Nuweiba Town and Nuweiba Muzeina. The camps and family owned hotels are located on the wonderful sandy beaches with amazing coral reefs. There are 2 parts: one is called “Duna” and the other is “Small Duna”. The majority of the campsites and hotels are built in the southern “Small Duna”, while “Duna” is still a dreamy virgin place with simple bungalows, just a few small hotels and some local restaurants.
Dahab is situated nearly half way between Nuweiba and Sharm El Sheikh, and it is one of the most appealing beach resorts in South Sinai. The name of this town in Arabic means “gold” and it could be derived by the tiny golden sand which covers the coasts of this area.
Two bays form Dahab: one is El Qura Bay and the other is Ghazala Bay, where there is the Bedouin village El Assalah.
In the last years, this area expanded and became a tourist centre with numerous camps, restaurants, motels and bazaars. A beach promenade has been recently built and is now the hub of Dahab’s activities, with local and international restaurants.
The centre of the town is in the bay of El Qura, where also the main hotels are. Near the entrance of the Nature Protectorate of Nabq, luxury hotels have been built in the most spectacular location directly in the front of the crystal clear waters and the amazing coral reefs.
A great way to spend a vacation in Sinai Peninsula is to rent a self-catering apartment and explore this region.
Sharm el Sheikh is one of the most famous luxury holiday resorts, drawing endless number of divers and sun-lovers every year.
Scuba diving, dive safaris, water sports, jeep and quad safaris, desert parties and daily excursions are the main features offered here by local and international tour operators to satisfy the needs of every target of tourists.
The National Park of Ras Muhammad has been established in 1983 to protect coral reefs and the delicate environment: this area is one of the world’s most famous dive sites.
Sharm offers also a lively nightlife either inside or outside the hotels with a wide range of discos, shows, coffee shops, pub and much more.
From Sharm, it is easy to reach the suggestive and holy spot of St. Catherine.
St. Catherine Monastery is located at the foot of the mountain where it is said Moses received the Ten Commandments. Since the early time of Christendom, some hermits were living in the area of this mountain. Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, visited the place and in 330 AD decided to build a chapel dedicated to Virgin Mary. In 527 AD, Emperor Justinian constructed a fortress to protect the monks.
St. Catherine is one of the oldest Christian monasteries and it is the smallest diocese in the world. Today, the monastery has branches in Cairo, Cyprus and Crete; the Monks are Greek Orthodox and of different nationalities.
A legend says that Catherine was the daughter of a noble family in Alexandria; she was beautiful and clever. Emperor Maximanus has been astonished by her knowledge, her rhetoric and logic, while she tried to convert him. But he sentenced her to death: firstly, Catherine was attached to four wooden wheels rotating into opposite directions, but she survived; then she was decapitated.
A monk, five centuries later, had the vision of angels transporting the body of St. Catherine upon the highest mountain: there the intact body of St. Catherine was found, emanating sweet smell of myrrh.
The Egyptian Red Sea Riviera
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Egypt is one of world’s most famous tourist destination attracting thousands of hundreds tourists every year. Impressive historical heritage, unique culture, stunning coastlines, amazing underwater world and great hospitality are some of the country’s main characteristics.
One of the most famous destinations for a vacation in Egypt is the Egyptian Red Sea Riviera, spreading on the western coast of the Gulf of Aqaba and along the eastern shore of the mainland, south of the Gulf of Suez. Excellent climate, warm sea, long beachline, rich in natural and archaeological sites, the Riviera offers to the tourists all what is takes for spending an unforgettable holiday. The Riviera is referred as one of the world’s most beautiful shorelines and boasts many renowned resorts and towns.
Those planning a vacation in Egypt can choose from a great variety of self catering apartments and villas for rent along the Red Sea Riviera. Everywhere they will find plenty of spots to visit and discover.
Only 120 km from Cairo and 55 km from Suez lies the town of Ain Sukhna. Its proximity to the capital makes it a preferred destinations to Egyptians for short vacations or weekends. Here, many new hotels and holiday complexes have been built during the last decades.
Nearly 500 km south of Ain Sukhna lies one of the most renowned Egyptian resorts, namely El Gouna (meaning “the lagoon”). The resort is a paradise for water sports such as scuba diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, parasailing and kite surfing. Golfers will also find excellent facilities for practicing their favorite sport.
Besides water sports and golf there are also facilities for go-kart, paintball, horse riding, tennis courts, etc .
Some 22 km south of El Gouna can be found Hurghada – the second largest city on the Egyptian Red Sea coast and a large tourist center. The city attracts both domestic and foreign tourists as well as many expats including Italians, Germans, Russians and Britons live there. One of Hurghada’s main attractions is certainly its stunning underwater world, which attracts divers from all over the world.
Further south, some 53 km from Hurghada, is located Safaga – a marine port and another popular tourist destination. For years, Safaga has been just a merchant port until divers discovered its wide azure bay, long sandy beaches and lovely islands. Today it’s a quite village with uncontaminated atmosphere and small but thriving tourist industry.
Marsa Alam is another holiday destination which has recently increased in popularity thanks to the opening of an international airport in 2001. The resort is situated near the Tropic of the Cancer, where the Arabian Desert meets the Red Sea, and it is a real tropical paradise with palm trees, mangroves, lovely coasts and coral reefs.
