Filthier than both Beijing and Dennis Rodman's mouth after sex, Cairo is a mixed bag at best. . .

Not as cheap as the guidebooks claim, Cairo is easy if you do the hotel-tour package thing- go from air-conditioned hotel to pyramids like many tourists. This is fine. I would recommend guided tours if you're not a hearty traveler. If you fly solo- Cairo can be challenging.

-Taxi drivers vary from nice guys to outright criminals. Fares aren't fixed. (I have a friend who taught me appropriate fares) Worse, when you know the 'right' fare the cabbie will be pissed off that you're not some idiot foreigner who doesn't know what he's doing.

-Water bottles only. Don't touch the water.

-Cairo museum was a shocking disappointment. No air conditioning and no benches. Great relics in what amounts to an oversized warehouse.

-Foreigners are seen as $ on legs. Everyone will have a hand out if you travel solo. . .

-Married couples who travel will be treated better than singles. Also- my lady wore a headscarf and was treated rather well in Cairo. Nice touch. . .


All in all, Cairo is a mixed bag. . .glad I went but not in a hurry to get back. The locals that don't hassle you for money are almost always quite nice. Oh lastly, the crime rate in Cairo is really, really low compared to major metro areas. . .

I had always wanted to go to Egypt to see the Pyramids, and in 2007 I finally made it there. I stayed at the Oasis hotel out on the desert road not far from the pyramids. From the moment we arrived in Cairo it was blatantly obvious how hot it was going to be. We arrived just after midnight and the heat was amazing even at that late hour. For the majority of the time there it was in the fifties (Celsius) but it was a very different sort of heat to what I've been used to in England - instead of it being humid it was a very dry heat.

Speaking to the locals they were quite surprised to have tourists from Europe there in June/July sort of time as it's usually too hot. We were also quite lucky in that we'd missed a sandstorm by a week.

There's plenty to see in and around Cairo, obviously there's the Pyramids and the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau, but there are also other places to see (especially if you're interested in ancient history) such as the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities where they have the burial mask of Tutankhamun.

It being a third world country you should prepare yourself to expect the conditions that comes with that. You are likely to find yourself constantly being approached by people wanting to show you their business in hope that you will buy something. After a while though the most useful phrase you can use is "La Shukran" (pronounced like lah-show-kran) which means "no thank you". It may seem mean to have to say that so often, but if you go or have been then you'll understand why it is necessary.

There doesn't appear to be any road laws whatsoever, if there are any then they probably don't care much for them. The usual way to cross the road is to walk out in front of the cars and to hope for the best. One phrase to avoid using here is "Somedays you're the windshield, and somedays you're the fly". Despite the driving though I don't think I saw a single accident whilst I was there, and they do manage to avoid pedestrians on the pavement quite well too - probably because they're about a half a metre above the road (I am exaggerating, but not by much).

I recommend taking a dinner cruise down the nile if you have time, it's a great way to see the nile whilst experiencing their food and some of their culture in the form of onboard entertainment.

The only other thing I can think of to mention is do not drink the water. In most places local ice cream is also made from this and should be avoided. I was unfortunate enough to have a fair bit of the local ice cream and found myself ill for months afterwards.

The excitement of trying to cross a road/street and avoiding non-stop traffic is one of the fun parts in this city. There are lots of people indeed, and there's no hope in sight for their population to decrease anytime soon.

Infrastructure in Cairo is not as advanced and specially roads, are over-crowded, public transportation is not the best.

Schools, health and safety facilities are comparable in this region.

Overall, visit: Giza's Great Pyramids, Cairo Tower, Museums, Old Cairo, and if you find other exciting places to go, let me know.

Cairo has an odour of it's own, incredible city to visit........

Its a great place to go if you ever have a chance! I went their when i was 12 or 13 about 5-6 years ago. It was a fun place to be the only thing is it busy and alot of people but its worth it if you can get their!

when we're asked to give an opinion about cairo or Egypt in general i guess it will be fair to give an opinion which is based on facts .. facts of thousands of years , first what are the pryamids ? they are king's graves imagine a kind was baried there like thousands of years ago !! can u imagine who rich was that country and do you know that in cairo there are more than 70 pryamids !! but of course they biggest 3 are the famous 3 ! that was one example .. nowadays yes the pollution is there and poor people are there and reckless drives are there .. but hey is there any country which lacks those kind of things ?? give me a break !! and speaking abput the weather is quite amazing specially at night and even better in winter i recomend that city or country for those who are into history and they have the motivation to see huge great things which is there from thousands of years

Cairo is the sort of place that is wonderful if you know what you are doing. I have been there 3 times now. You can see what you need to see in 2/3 days. Passport control at airport (1hr+), you can buy visas at bank kiosks just before passport control for US$15 (two stamps go on free page in passport). Don't even think about hiring a car or driving (use taxis/private car = very cheap), don't use buses/underground. Pay the extra for a 5* hotel (still cheap) (recommend mena house oberoi - pyramid view), or if in centre get room high up to limit noise (city is awake 24hrs). You are much better off using taxis and paying your own entry fees rather than going on tours (cheaper and you can take yor time + avoid the additional sales stops). Places need to see - Pyramids etc at Giza (300 tickets available daily for Kyops pyramid 150 at 8-00 150 at 1-00 (from small kiosk 100yards infront of pyramid entrance) need to queue befgorehand and be lucky. Also visit Saquarra 2 hr) and Memphis (1hr) (together). Museum - needs 3hrs min (mummy room extra inside) go Pm as all tours are in morning. Be firm but polite when being hassled (especially at Giza). Carry lots of small notes for tips (EG10) (or US$1) or (1). Food/shopping is very goiod value at the moment. Drink water frequently.

Cairo is an extremely fascinating city where history, culture, and metropolis meet. I have mixed reviews because Cairo is intimidating for a female as Egypt is a very male-dominated culture. I suggest a visit to Aswan or Luxor as pollution, crime, and overcrowding is much reduced. The Cairo museum is a must-see.

I've traveled all over the world.. and this is the place to stick the ennama into. Polution, povery, filth, noise, beggers, crime...... you name it... it's all in Cairo !!!! Stayed for 6 days but only needed 6 house to see pyramids & sphynx... NEVER AGAIN.... only wish I could have read my own review before I visited Cairo!!!! N E V E R A G A I N !!!!!

An urban metropol with pyramids right outside the city! :o))

A wild place. Taxis driving down the street at night without their lights on; children pestering you in the streets looking for a baksheesh (tip); and some of the most incredible sights you will ever see.