Author: Christopher

Ignore the conflicts – there’s never been a better time to visit Egypt

May 9, 2024 / Christopher / 0 Comments

With its many great resorts and heritage sites, Egypt has always been a popular travel destination.

With the recent crises in Israel and the Red Sea, many people are reluctant to book a holiday in Egypt – but this could be a mistake.

There are many reasons why now is a great time to book a holiday to Egypt.

What Egypt has to Offer

Depending on the region you visit, Egypt has a lot of things to offer to visitors. Tourists can enjoy a relaxing beach holiday, immerse themselves in history, get great deals on luxury goods, or get the best of everything with a Nile cruise.

Holiday on the Red Sea

Egypt has a lot of luxury resorts on the Red Sea. These are great places to relax, take in the sun and the sea, and enjoy an all-inclusive experience with loads of activities. We love Hurghada, but the resorts at Sharm el-Sheikh are reported to be great too. Many of the resorts have access to coral reefs, great for snorkelling, and scuba diving lessons/trips are easy to arrange from private tour companies. Many of these have salesmen working the beaches at the resorts, so you won’t even have to hunt to find a good one.

Immerse yourself in history

Egypt is one of the oldest civilisations in the world, and an impressive array of buildings and monuments to show for it. Visit Cairo for the many historic mosques and Coptic churches, and to learn about the more Mamluk period of Egypts history. Saqqara and the Pyramids are a short drive away, and are very impressive (although we recommend driving a little bit further to the pyramids at Dahshur). Luxor and Aswan are home to the most impressive tombs and temples from Ancient Egypt, and are well worth the visit. We have a lot of suggestions for going further afield, too.

Go Shopping

There are a lot of amazing deals to be found in Egypt. Even today, gold jewellery is very reasonably priced, and cartouche necklaces and keyrings with your name in heiroglyphics are very popular. Handcrafted silk rugs using traditional methods are an incredible bargain, especially around Cairo, and the alabaster workshops produce some beautiful pieces, both hand-made and machined. Visit the souks of Cairo, Luxor and Aswan for oils, spices and perfumes at amazingly low prices. The perfume shops can simulate luxury fragrances for a fraction of the price, or even create custom scents. Beyond the tourist items, Egypt has a lot of clothing shops with some pretty high quality knock-off clothing, and can be a great place to pick up expensive electronics like high-end cameras. There are fixed-price stores, but the experience of haggling can be fun to try, at least once.

Take a Nile Cruise

Not sure whether you want to lie in the sun, explore Egypt’s history, or have fun shopping? A Nile Cruise could be your best option. Cruise ships typically operate between Luxor and Aswan, stopping in at the temples in between. It’s a great addition to any Luxor trip, as you get to see additional sites. There’s a lot of time to lounge on the deck with a drink as you sail in between, looking at the majestic Nile river, and there’s plenty of time to visit both Luxor and Aswan for shopping, even after doing some sightseeing. Red Sea resorts will often offer bus tours to Luxor to see the tombs and temples, but we don’t recommend these, as the travel time really cuts down on your ability to see anything, so the Nile Cruise is really the best option if you want to see Egypt’s history as well as lounge in the sun, although the hotels in Luxor and Aswan will usually have great pools if you’d rather stay in one place.

Why People Are Avoiding Egypt

I’ve had a lot of people telling me recently that Egypt isn’t safe right now. Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are discouraging people from visiting the resorts. There is fear about the Israel-Gaza conflict spilling over into Egypt, and Iran launched rockets into Israel on 13 April 2024, the night before we flew to Hurghada for our most recent visit. Tensions in the region are expected to get worse, and one friend even advised that I should be ready to be evacuated.

Such concerns are shortsighted, however. The Houthi are attacking cargo ships, not tourist vessels, and the attacks take place far from Egypt’s borders. The Red Sea is large, and sharing a sea does not equate to sharing the danger. I wouldn’t avoid Greece because of trouble in Malta, despite them both being on the Mediterranean Sea. Likewise, Gaza is about 400km from the resorts in Sharm el-Sheikh and over 600km from Hurghada. The border is closed, and the Egyptian military is the largest in the Arab world and Africa. Politically speaking, they have normalised relations towards Israel, but I would expect them to remain neutral in the conflicts. At this point in time, I see no reason to expect Egypt to be affected by any military action. If it does, however, most travel insurance will cover you if you wanted to cancel a trip to a country affected by war.

It’s a Great Time To Book A Holiday to Egypt

People are having a knee-jerk reaction to the tensions around the Red Sea, and it’s affecting market forces. Prices in Egypt have fallen in an attempt to attract customers, while resorts in the Mediterranean have raised theirs significantly since the Houthi attacks began. This makes Egyptian resorts in particular an amazing bargain.

In addition to the falling prices, Egypt has recently managed to float its currency against the American dollar in an attempt to curtail the black market in foreign currencies. As a result, the value of the Egyptian Pound has gone down considerably, making the exchange rate very favourable for people travelling from the UK, Europe or the United States. That means more shopping, easier budgeting for excursions out of resorts, and cheaper tickets to get into the historical sites. We’ve always recommended Egypt as a holiday destination, but now might really be your best opportunity to arrange a visit!

The best way to enjoy a city-break

March 31, 2024 / Christopher / 0 Comments

I love to take city breaks whenever I can. It’s a great way to go somewhere new, soak in the atmosphere, and recharge for a bit. But when you only have a couple of days to see everything, it can start to feel very rushed and frustrating. With that in mind, I’ve compiled my list of top tips to help you get the most out of a weekend break.

Choosing a Destination

When travelling for inspiration, you don’t have to go very far. It could be as simple as going for a walk through an unfamiliar neighbourhood. I trace my love of travel back to my childhood, when I would go for a walk or a bike ride, and flipped a coin at each intersection to decide which way to go. I would turn back once I felt lost, and try to find my way home.

It was just about experiencing some place new, as a way to reset my brain. The truth is, everything looks different when you see it for the first time, and you notice things you might otherwise ignore.

Of course, if you’re reading a travel blog, chances are you want to choose a destination farther afield. If there’s somewhere you have always wanted to visit, go there. Research everything you want to see, plan an itinerary, and go for as long as it takes (or you can afford).

If, on the other hand, you want a short break, I recommend a trip to somewhere you never would have thought to visit. Find a cheap deal from a travel agent or website, and go wherever that takes you. Or find out where a band you like is on tour. Conventions for niche hobbies can be good for this, too.

When I started travelling intensively, I needed a way to choose, so I started playing competitive e-sports. I took weekend city-breaks to wherever they held a major European tournament.

I was embarrassingly old, and not very good, but that wasn’t the point. The first tournament I travelled to was in Bilbao, a city I was barely aware of at the time. It now tops my shortlist of places I would love to go back to.

Choosing an itinerary

The best advice I can give you for travelling is this: Don’t try to do too much too quickly. On a city-break, very often less is more.

When I visited Prague (one of my few bucket-list locations), I planned too many walking tours, and went into every castle and cathedral. I saw everything I ever wanted to, took a lot of pictures, but ended up with blistered feet and a cranky wife.

It was like a stressful business trip instead of a relaxing holiday. Now, I plan for one or two activities a day, and get there as slowly as possible. This way, I’m happy, relaxed, and have time for impulse stops.

Try to pick the most unique attractions at each city you visit. I love museums, art galleries, cathedrals and other pretty buildings, but every city in Europe has those. Go to unique museums or attractions that offer completely new experiences.

The Guggenheim in Bilbao is an architectural marvel that was well worth the visit, but in Koln, I avoided the art museums and went to the Chocolate Museum instead. I learned about something I didn’t know much about, and had some delicious chocolate. I also wandered between beer halls, and tried every variety of kolsch I could find.

Getting Around

If you take a taxi everywhere, you’ll never really get the atmosphere of the place you’re visiting. Instead, travel like the locals do. Take a train or a bus. Rent a bicycle. Figuring out how a local transit system works is part of the adventure.

Personally, though, I like to walk. If I’m planning to go anywhere that’s less than a three hour walk away, I take the whole day, walk there, and take public transport back. The radius you’re willing to walk might be considerably less – or more if you’re brave!

The point isn’t to walk there all in one go. It’s to go for a nice, relaxed walk, taking in the sights and sounds of the city, and stopping for lunch and snacks along the way. Use your phone to navigate, but sparingly. Put it in your pocket and check every now and then. Taking a wrong turn isn’t going to hurt you.

While in Frankfurt, I stumbled into a local market where I stopped for lunch, sampling their bratwurst and apfelwein (a local drink a lot like cider), then a free symphony playing in the main square, and finally a bunch of stalls promoting healthy, active living. All of which I would have missed if I hadn’t been walking!

What to eat

It’s always best to sample the local cuisine, but try to avoid eating in heavy tourist areas. Restaurants that cater to tourists often inflate their prices, and offer less authentic food.

For evening meals, wander away from the tourist areas and take a peek inside the restaurants. If there’s a casual atmosphere, reasonable prices and the customers are all speaking the native language, you’ve hit the jackpot.

For lunch, I stick to street food. Every country has its own street food that usually caters to locals as well as tourists at cheap prices. Otherwise, small pubs and cafes tucked away out of sight are usually a great place to soak in the local atmosphere.

Summing up

By now you’ll have noticed a common theme: mix with the locals, not the tourists. In quiet bars and cafes, a lot of people are willing to talk to you, and it’s always surprising to me how many speak English.

Everybody hates large groups of obnoxious tourists coming in and disrupting the atmosphere of a restaurant, but locals usually appreciate it if you bring your money to small, independent establishments. Just be polite, and respectful of local customs.

So what are you waiting for? Start planning your next weekend away!

Welcome to Traveller’s Logorrhoea

May 31, 2023 / Christopher / 0 Comments

We are Traveller’s Logorrhoea. Or rather, we have Traveller’s Logorrhoea. The condition of talking way too much about holidays we’ve been on. It is certainly our intention to do so here. This blog will eventually be bursting with travel tips, travel stories, and guides about what to do in various places around the world.

We will cater to all budgets, or at least to all budgets that are within range of our budget. Backpacking around Europe? We’ll have that. Cruises and resorts? Absolutely. Private jets and A-list events? Not so much.

You might be wondering why we chose a name that is so reminiscent of another unfortunate travel condition. There are good reasons. Firstly, because nobody else had taken it, but also because we don’t take ourselves too seriously here. Most importantly, because we want to take a warts-and-all approach to travel blogging. We’re not here to glamourise travel, or to use it to launch our prospective modelling careers.

We prefer to think of ourselves as journalists instead of influencers. There are places we’ve been where the water isn’t safe to drink. Where you can indeed get sick. We’re here to tell you how to not make our mistakes, so that you don’t end up in the burial chamber of an Egyptian pyramid, completely alone and too sick to move. Wondering how long it will take for someone to come get me. In short, this is a blog that intends to offer real advice for real people.

It’s not always glamorous, but it is always fun. The truth is, sometimes the worst trips are the ones that give you the best stories. And I’m nothing if not a storyteller. So come with us as we travel around the world collecting stories. Then go make some of your own.