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Cairo/Downtown

Downtown Cairo is the commercial heart of the modern city of Cairo. In addition to hosting the Egyptian Museum, Downtown is the convenient location of many smaller hotels, retail outlets, travel agencies and restaurants. Its central location makes it a natural "jumping off point" for exploration of the city.

History
Downtown Cairo's wide boulevards and streets were laid out in the late 19th century on the orders of Ismail the Magnificent, the Paris of Baron Hausmann being the obvious model for a ruler wishing to Europeanise his capital and his country. The architecture of many buildings is clearly redolent of Paris in the 1870s, if now somewhat run down from neglect and dusty from the Cairene climate.

Orientation
Downtown Cairo is centered on, at the intersection of Talaat Harb St (southwest-northeast) and Qasr El-Nil (west-east). The southern end of Downtown is Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square). The east end is marked by, the starting point of Islamic Cairo. If you are a confident traveler and used to navigating your way around cities, then Cairo should be no different for you.

Talaat Harb St was known as Soliman Pasha St before 1964. The statue of the French General Jean Anthelme Seve, also known as Soliman Pasha Al Faransawi, stood where the statue of Talaat Harb, founder of the Banque Misr now stands. Cairienes know this street by both names.

By train
All long-distance trains arrive at the station, at the north edge of downtown. Midan Ramses is notorious for swirling, raucous traffic, massive overpasses and crowds at peak hour - it is basically the central traffic hub into and out of Cairo. Just below the square in front of the train station is Martyrs (الشهداء, Al-Shohadaa) metro station, which is an interchange between lines 1 and 2. From here it is a 25-minute walk to Midan Tahrir, on the other side of downtown.

By metro
Cairo's three metro lines converge in downtown.

The Sadat metro station is at Midan Tahrir, right beside the Egyptian Museum. This is at the south end of downtown, a 10-minute easy walk to the center of the district, via Talaat Harb Street. However, walking in that area especially at night is dangerous, as Tahrir Square has become one of the most dangerous spots in Greater Cairo, since 2011 (see Cairo/Downtown). Sadat metro station is closed on occasion for security reasons because of demonstrations at Midan Tahrir.

Downtown is accessed through two additional stations, Mohamed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser.

By bus
The Abdel Mo'nem Riyad Coach Station: a 5-minute walk from Tahrir Sq and behind the Egyptian Museum has four coach stations:
 * One is the micro-bus station.
 * Beside it is the local bus station serving the areas of Giza, Ma'adi, Helwan, Sheikh Zayid City.
 * The third serves the East of Cairo, i.e., Heliopolis, Medinet Nasr, Cairo Airport, and El Rehab.
 * The fourth station is across the road from the other three stations and this is where you can board the intercity coaches. The offices and bookings of Superjet, East Delta, West Delta, and El Gouna are here with destinations including Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh, Ras Sidr, El Gouna, Alexandria, Delta Cities, Marsa Matrouh, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, El Tur, El Arish, Nuweiba, Dahab, Rafah.

By taxi
From downtown, taxis from Zamalek should cost around LE5, and from Citadel, Coptic Cairo or Islamic Cairo around LE10.

For more general information on Taxis in Cairo, see Cairo.

The Egyptian Museum
They've got the removals men in at the ! Shelves are being cleared, and exhibits photographed, labelled and crated, ready for their transfer to a new Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids. It is scheduled to open in 2022. The present building will continue to be used to display some of the massive collections now stored in the basement.

It remains one of the world's great museums. The lighting and labelling are poor, but the fabulous exhibits speak for themselves. The following account describes what has traditionally been displayed here, but this is changing day by day as the transfer gathers momentum.

The museum (officially, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, and often called the "Cairo Museum") is in a pink neoclassical building on the northern edge of Midan Tahrir. It's the product of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, established by the Egyptian government in 1835, to try to curb the looting of antiquities sites and artefacts. It opened in 1858 with a collection assembled by Auguste Mariette Pasha, the French archaeologist employed by Isma'il Pasha. After residing in an annex of the Bulaq palace in Giza from 1880, the museum moved in 1900 to its present location. It's a glorious ramshackle treasure-house that evokes Dylan Thomas' famous line about "The museum which should have been in a museum!"

There are seven sections within the museum that are arranged in chronological order:

 * 1) Tutankhamen's treasures
 * 2) Pre-dynasty and Old Kingdom monuments
 * 3) First intermediate period and Middle Kingdom monuments
 * 4) Monuments of the Middle Kingdom
 * 5) Monuments of the late period and the Greek and Roman periods
 * 6) Coins and papyri
 * 7) Sarcophagi and scarabs

The museum is open daily, 9AM–7PM. General admission is adults LE200, students LE100 (Nov 2021), which does not include the Royal Mummies room. Tickets for photography (personal use, without flash) are available at LE50 per camera (LE300 for video), but no photography is allowed in the Tutankhamen exhibition or in the Royal Mummies room. There are three separate checkpoints that have x-ray machines. There is one outside the courtyard, then there is one before the steps of the museum and a third right inside the doors.

Highlights

 * Objects from the Tomb of Tutankhamen, Upper Floor - discovered in 1922 and gradually revealed over the next few years, many of the objects from the tomb of the "boy king" were brought to the Egyptian Museum for display. A small number of objects found their way into foreign collections, whilst several, including the inner sarcophagus and the body of Tutankhamen himself, remained in the small tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The most famous objects from the tomb are the funerary mask of Tutankhamen and the inner coffin. The mask is made of solid gold, inlaid with lapis lazuli, cornelian, quartz, obsidian, turquoise, and colored glass. The inner coffin is made of solid gold. It is $$ long, $$ wide, and $$ high. The king is shown as Osiris holding the crook and flail, traditional symbols of kingship. Many items from the Tutankhamen collection are on tour to museums in Europe and North America, and the chariots have been moved to the new museum, which is not open as of Nov 2018. The complete collection of items found in the tomb has yet to be fully documented. It took almost ten years for the founder of the tomb, Howard Carter, to finish excavating the tomb.
 * The Royal Mummies: To see the Royal Mummies room, you can either buy a combination ticket at the ticket office at the main gate for LE300, or a separate ticket at the mummies room for LE180 (Nov 2018). No photography is allowed. There are two rooms you can enter using same ticket so make sure that you see both of them: many of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom period and later are displayed here in the Royal Mummy Hall, which is at the corner of the first floor lobby. Mummies of eleven kings and queens are kept in temperature- and pressure-controlled glass cabinets on display. Unfortunately, some mummies are not even identified by the name or the period to which they belong to and other chronological information.
 * Jewelry: there is a large collection of Egyptian jewelry on display in the museum. Egyptians were concerned with creating harmonious forms and color combinations. To a large extent, the majority of Egyptian jewelry was made with gold and semi-precious stones. Silver was used but it much less popular than gold in the creation of jewelry. The majority of the jewelry found on display in the museum were found on the mummy of Tutankhamen himself.
 * Egyptian Museum Library: created in the year 1902, the library specializes in ancient Egyptian civilization and houses some 42,500 books on the topic. However, the library is not open to the general public, with access restricted to accredited researchers and students.

Only the Gold Room and the Mummy Room are air-conditioned. A bookstore and several small gift stores are open during museum hours within the main entrance hall to the museum. Prices are often somewhat inflated. Be careful also that the proprietors do not pass on a dusty, grimy equivalent of the display copy you think you are purchasing.

Midan Tahrir
(Arabic: ميدان التحرير, "Liberation Square", also commonly known as Tahrir Square) is the name given to the large public square at the epicentre of modern Cairo, and (as a city district) to the streets and institutions located nearby. The Egyptian Museum, the American University in Cairo, the Arab League, and the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels are all located here, as are several important government offices. The metro also has its main nexus under Midan Tahrir, and a great many buses and taxis make Tahrir Square a key part of their services. The square was known as Midan Ismaili until 1954, when President Nasser gave it its current name.

The relatively open vista of Tahrir Square affords the confused traveler a great opportunity to look about and gain some bearings within the bustling city center.

Perhaps the most prominent building bordering Tahrir Square is the now somewhat jaded-looking Nile Hilton, which was Africa's first Hilton hotel, between the Square and the Nile Corniche. Immediately to the north and perpendicular to the hotel is the unmissable Egyptian Museum in reddish-pink stone. South of the Hilton Hotel stands the dingy Arab League Building. Somewhat further southeast, across the busy thoroughfare of Tahrir street, is the brutal Stalinist-looking Mogamma Building which houses 18,000 Egyptian government bureaucrats. This building is the most convenient place for tourists to renew or extend their Egyptian visas.

From here, Sharia Tahrir heads due west to cross the Nile over the Tahrir Bridge and into Gezira (the island suburb), and beyond to Giza and the Pyramids (several miles away) Next to the Mogamma Building is a small but attractive Mosque of Omar Makram, in which many state and business funerals are held. Only slightly further south can be found the Intercontinental Hotel.

Bordering Tahrir Square to the east is a sizable frontage of large office buildings and stores, topped with neon signs. The downtown campus of the American University of Cairo lies across the busy Qasr al-Ainy.

Midan Tahrir is served by the Sadat metro stop, but it is occasionally closed at times of expected demonstrations, and some entrances seem to be permanently closed. There is a bus stop near the area at Talaat Harb Square.

Probably one of the easiest ways to negotiate the busy Tahrir Square area is to use the interconnecting underground pedestrian tunnels linking the Metro station with various points in and around the square. This can save a great deal of time and prevent much negotiation of crazy traffic and the ongoing remodelling of the square.

Buy
The Downtown district of Cairo features a number of Egyptian department stores. They were fantastic emporiums, full of the world's best products — until July 1961 when every one of Egypt's great department stores were nationalized. Those days are long gone, and quality shopping has moved to upmarket malls in Heliopolis, Nasr City, Maadi and other upscale neighborhoods. Today, Downtown is the place to go for cheap fakes and local produce of variable quality and the full range of Arabic pop music (and films).

The Midan Ataba area is home to large bookseller markets, where you can find inexpensive books, as well as electronics and clothing markets. Near the main post office, there are vendors selling stationary and cards. Talaat Harb Street is the place to find shoes, with one shoe store after another.

Eat
Downtown is not the main haunt for the greatest of culinary treats, although quality eating does exist. It is however heaven for Egyptian snacks, sweets and fast food. All restaurants under "splurge" serve alcohol unless otherwise noted.

Budget

 * Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.
 * Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.
 * Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.
 * Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.
 * Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.
 * Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.
 * Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.
 * Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.

Mid-range

Coffee houses
Downtown is a primary walk for coffee houses and almost every side-street has one. However, some areas and street have clusters of small places which makes for a very lively atmosphere.

 * Ta'kiba Coffee shop is a short walk away from Midan Falaki by the wrongly named Champollion Palace, on Champollion Street, and round the corner from the Townhouse Gallery and Theater. The gallery has a clean toilet for public use.
 * Ta'kiba Coffee shop is a short walk away from Midan Falaki by the wrongly named Champollion Palace, on Champollion Street, and round the corner from the Townhouse Gallery and Theater. The gallery has a clean toilet for public use.
 * Ta'kiba Coffee shop is a short walk away from Midan Falaki by the wrongly named Champollion Palace, on Champollion Street, and round the corner from the Townhouse Gallery and Theater. The gallery has a clean toilet for public use.

Sleep
Downtown Cairo is full of cheap but often dirty hostels and hotels. There are upscale options as well.

Connect
There are a handful of internet cafes around Midan Talaat Harb.

Free wi-fi is available at Pottery Cafe. Free wi-fi (Orange) is also available at modern coffee shops such as Cilantro and Costa Coffee, where you obtain access by getting a 2-hour "promotional" card from the waiter. McDonalds restaurants also offer free wi-fi.

Stay safe
Be extra careful crossing the roads in and around Tahrir Square. Egyptian motorists drive fast and seldom obey red lights.

Tahrir Square has become one of the most dangerous spots in Greater Cairo, as many political demonstrations have been held there, since 2011. The danger arises not only from the unfortunate escalation of demonstrations into violence, but also because thugs exploit the situation when security forces evacuate the area which makes it easier for them to steal, rob under the threat of injury and even rape. These incidents are usually made by a group of people riding motorcycles.

Be careful at Midan Tahrir and Midan Ataba, as these seem to be epicentres for the touts and pretentious helpful locals. They will pretend to innocently ask you where you where you are from and then point you in the wrong direction in direct you towards a friend's business. Only at the pyramids does this happen more often. Ataba is always crowded and has a very high incidence of pickpocketing, in a scenario such as getting in the metro station from there.

Cope
All hotels/hostels and people who work the street in downtown will try to sell you vastly overpriced tours around Egypt. They can be very forceful at times, as the competition for tourists is strong and they want to take money from you before the next one gets to you. Do not let yourself be bullied into taking one of these, until you have spoken to fellow travelers who can give you a more neutral opinion. In fact there are very few places in Egypt where it would be necessary to organize tours from the capital, and fewer where it would be financially advantageous.

Downtown has many small tourist-oriented tour kiosks. The problem that visitors face is these tours often are inflated in price and always include at least 2 stops to "uncle's" perfume, papyrus, or handicraft shops. This takes away many hours from the tour and time at monuments in the hope that at least a few from the coach will buy something.

The better option would be negotiate a taxi for the day. Stop a few taxis and ask what the price would be for a whole day of sightseeing at the places you want to visit. If the price is mutual, a taxi driver will be happy to escort you around town and wait hours in the shade outside for you if they are sure of a good fare at the end of the day instead of driving around Cairo looking for fares.

title: Cairo/Downtown


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Cairo/Garden City

Garden City is a well-planned and leafy district of central Cairo, immediately south of the very centre of the modern city at Midan Tahrir. In 1905 the agricultural architect Jose Lamba was asked by the owners of the Nile Land and Agricultural Company to design a new city. His vision was of a leafy suburb with a layout drawn up more using a compass than a ruler, unlike the rectilinear grid system used in other suburbs like Ma'adi and Zamalek. Lambas preferred an Art Nouveau style with smaller roads and uneven lines, interspersed with triangles often leading the walker back to where they started.

Garden City is the location of several large hotels and embassies, including the British and American missions. There's not much to do here, but it's a reasonable place to stay, close to downtown, but in a quiet and high security area. This was the elite neighbourhood of Cairo in the 1930s and 1940s, and it's still considered posh. Its biggest landowner is the Vatican with 12 of the original 273 plots, and it hosts the De La Mere de Dieu College for Girls.

By taxi
If you want to take the taxi to Garden City most taxi drivers will know Qasr al-Aini street. This street runs from the south of the district to Tahrir Square and through the heart of Garden City. The international hotels are located at the well-known Corniche el-Nil, though if you state your destination to the taxi driver as the Four Seasons, other ritzy hotel, the driver expects you to pay more. Same goes for taking a taxi from Garden City to elsewhere. It is best to catch a taxi at some spot other than a hotel.

Local bus or micro bus
From the terminus at Abdel Mon'em Riyad behind the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Sq you can take a bus or a micro bus with the destination Qasr El Aini to Garden City.

By Metro
The best metro station for this area is Sadat Station at Tahrir Square downtown since Lines 1 and 2 intersect there, and by following the Corniche you won't get lost. Sayida Zeinab Station and Saad Zaghloul Station on Line 1 may be closer to your hotel, but those curvy streets will impede direct progress and may get you lost altogether.

Eat
The international hotels have several restaurants offering different cuisines from around the world. Local koshary (pasta, rice, lentil, chick peas, onions, garlic and tomato-chili sauce) is sold widely in small shops for a few Egyptian pounds. These koshary shops might not look very inviting but the food is usually good and addictive.

Beware of the red chilli sauce which is served in a small plastic bag with your koshari. It is akin to Tabasco sauce and very hot. Always eat from busy fast food outlets to ensure a quick turn around of food which can easily 'go off' in the extreme heat of summer. Buy food that is 'piping hot'. Most of these shops can be found on Kasr-El-Ainy street.

Drink
Qasr el-Ainy Street is dotted with several coffee shops serving shisha, coffee, tea and refreshments. Otherwise, the five-star hotels are your best bet, all the big ones have at least one bar.

Mid-range
Garden City is short of mid-range options

Splurge

 * Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel is on the Corniche on the boundary between Garden City and Downtown, see Downtown for listing.
 * Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel is on the Corniche on the boundary between Garden City and Downtown, see Downtown for listing.
 * Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel is on the Corniche on the boundary between Garden City and Downtown, see Downtown for listing.
 * Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel is on the Corniche on the boundary between Garden City and Downtown, see Downtown for listing.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cairo/Garden City


text:
Cairo/Gezira

Gezira is a district of modern Cairo that occupies the southern portion of the main island in the Nile within Cairo itself; in fact, gezira means "island" in Arabic. Gezira shares the island with Zamalek to the north, a relatively affluent and pseudo-European residential district. While not noted for obvious tourist attractions, Zamalek is a good place to stay and a good place to eat while in Cairo, as the residential nature of the area and presence of many expatriate residents allow tourists to navigate relatively easily.

Understand
Zamalek is unevenly bisected by the major artery formed by Sharia 26 July that crosses SE to NW over two bridges, linking Bulaq (north of Downtown Cairo) with Mohandiseen in Giza via Zamalek.

Get in
Zamalek is best reached by taxi from Downtown or Mohandiseen, which should be no more than LE5. The station of the Cairo Metro Line 2 is on the southern tip of Gezira, adjacent to the Opera House and Gezira Sheraton, but is still a significant walk from the main areas of Zamalek.

Get around
Zamalek is small enough to navigate on foot.

Eat
Zamalek offers some of the best eating in Cairo. There's a large variety of quality restaurants serving everything from Egyptian molokhia to Thailand Red Curry. But also, the green and atmospheric atmosphere on the Nile-Island makes for a perfect dinner setting. Zamalek is also the place to visit if you want to escape Ramadan: many places stay open during day-time and alcohol is served (to foreigners only) at most of the water-holes.

Budget
26 July has a range of stalls serving the usual selection of Arab and western fast food. In addition there is a cluster of fish and seafood cafeterias in the same street between Shagrat-al-Dor and kamal Mohammed.

title: Cairo/Gezira


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Cairo/Giza

Picture yourself in Egypt and you picture this. Imagine Ancient Egypt and this is where your mind will land. Here is Giza, the city just west of Cairo, where on a desert plateau stand the Pyramids, Sphinx and royal tombs of the pharaohs.

Understand
Everything west of the Nile's eastern bank is actually in the City of Giza (الجيزة el-Gīza) rather than the City of Cairo. It's a huge conurbation that includes the Nile islands of Gezira and Roda, the riverside neighbourhoods of Dokki and Mohandeseen, and mile after mile of tatty low-rise and 'burbs. Giza plus Cairo and three other townships make up the Greater Cairo Metropolis. But of course the top sight is the UNESCO World Heritage site Pyramids of Giza, at the western edge of the city, in the "Haram" district. The Grand Egyptian Museum may open in 2022. This means that Giza is developing into a tourist base in its own right, especially along the main axis of the Haram or Pyramids Road.

It's difficult now to imagine this place 100 years ago, with early tourists arriving by carriage along unpaved roads through the fields. The vast, grubby metropolis now sprawls right to the foot of the pyramids complex. Fortunately development has been prevented (or removed) on the plateau, so the pyramids still stand proud in an arid expanse. A low ridge cuts the view to the south & west so it feels like the threshold of the Sahara, not just a sandy park or anti-oasis in the midst of burbs and more burbs. To the southeast, the pyramids of Abusir and Saqqara shimmer in the distance.

Lots of countries have ancient pyramids: Mexico, Indonesia, Greece, Sudan, Iran. Egypt has at least 135, with perhaps more undiscovered, but Sudan has about 240. The three main Pyramids in Giza are the focal point of the Giza necropolis, or cemetery, that served the elite of the Old Kingdom capital at nearby Memphis in the 2500s BCE. Three pharaohs of the 4th Dynasty were buried here, Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, along with members of their royal household. They chose it, west of Memphis, because west was the direction of the afterlife.

The new pyramids were magnificent, but they were something of a giveaway to tomb-robbers. Later pharaohs preferred hidden tombs, such as those in the Valley of the Kings outside Luxor. (So it's from these hidden tombs that most Egyptian mummies and artifacts have been recovered.) All the pyramids fell into disrepair, were repeatedly breached by robbers, and their stone cladding was pilfered for building. Wind and rain have whittled them down. However, they're still magnificent.

Another magnificent thing about the pyramids is their age: when the Great Pyramids were being constructed, mammoths still roamed Siberia and North America. Forty-two centuries (4200 years) have seen these pyramids stand tall and proud over the cities of the Nile delta.

Get in
When seeking transport, ask for "Haram" and shape your hands like a pyramid: people will know where you want to go. Also, see Egypt or Egypt for more details.

Sphinx International Airport near Giza opened in 2020 but has no flights.

By train
The main railway line between Cairo and Luxor/Aswan runs through Giza, where most services halt, so you can travel along the Nile valley without backtracking via downtown Cairo. Indeed some seasonal sleeper trains start from Giza rather than Cairo Ramses station.

By metro
Metro Line 2 runs from downtown Cairo to Giza town centre (direction El-Moneib; going back is direction Shobra.) Get off at and exit the station right (west) to find transport on Al-Haram Avenue. The pyramids are a further 8-km, 20-min trip west down that avenue. Your return transport may drop you at the next station down the line, Omm el Misryeen or Giza suburbs, to avoid town centre congestion; it'll be the same trains and LE3 fare to return downtown. The metro usually operates from 6AM till 11:30PM.

By taxi
A taxi from Giza metro station to the pyramids shouldn't be much over LE30. If you're based in southern Cairo, it might be easier to take a taxi all the way, rather than ride the metro to Sadat, change, then ride out again to Giza then find a taxi. A Careem ride from Sadat metro to the pyramids, for example, costs LE60-80 (Nov 2018).

All the standard warnings about Cairo taxis (see Cairo) apply with even greater force around this prime tourist spot. So many tourists, so many of them unwary or jet-lagged, let's fleece these lambs! And it's remarkable how swiftly a "broken" taxi meter is restored to life once the driver sees you're serious about bailing out. Taxi drivers may pressure you to see the pyramid complex on horseback, and take you to their friend's stable, but the site is walkable (only a few kilometers across in any direction, maybe 10 km² in area total).

The taxi should be able to take you right to the pyramids entrance gate at the very end of the avenue, whereas buses and other vehicles must stop about 500 m short of there. Coming back, taxis will be waiting around the exit gate near the Sphinx.

By bus
From Giza metro station, frequent buses and microbuses run west towards the pyramids, for a fare of LE3. Listen out for conductors shouting "Haram!" or look for route numbers 355 or 357. Many of these buses, along with routes 900 and 997, start from central Cairo: look for them around Midan Tahrir. A bus from downtown will be a slow, bumpy experience, as Giza town traffic is just as congested as central Cairo traffic, timetables are as fictional as the Tales of Sinbad, and not all of those crowded aboard have recently washed.

Buses and microbuses can only run to within 500 m of the pyramids entrance then they must either turn back or turn off into the burbs. Walk straight on west along the avenue towards the big pointy things that look like pyramids, ignoring all helpful cries that you should go a different way. Later when you exit the site near the Sphinx, you may find a bus, otherwise turn left/north and stroll back to your drop-off point.

See

Pyramids
See also Giza with children article for practical suggestions.

The pyramids and associated sites are on the plateau 8 km west of Giza downtown. You'll see them looming up, along with the golden arches of McDonald's, as you approach along Al-Haram Road. You can enter the complex by the main gate at the western terminus of that road. You'll then progress anti-clockwise through the site, eventually to exit near the Sphinx. Alternativelly, you can buy a ticket and enter near the Sphinx; however, in that case, you'll walk up the hill. Both entrances can also be used as exits.

Ignore the nay-sayers who say this place is not worth the bother: it definitely is. It's spacious and absorbs the crowds (which are greater on Friday when Egyptians come to visit on droves.) The standard advice is to come very early to beat the crowds, who will arrive fairly soon after you. If you come in the cool months the midday sun is not hot, albeit still strong on UV. What's less obvious is whether the pyramid interiors are worth it, and you do need to come early for those. The extra admission is cheap enough but the interiors are hot, humid, cramped, claustrophobic and lacking "atmosphere" in any sense. The passages are steep, dusty and hard to move through, and those with any heart or lung or musculo-skeletal limitations will be miserable at best.

In good weather, the site is walkable if you're moderately fit -- there is no need for a camel or horse ride, and some people express concern about the way the animals are treated. You can also walk out to the west of the pyramids for a great panorama. In the heat of the summer, you may feel differently.

In all cases, most hustlers give up if you just wave them off with your hand and smile saying "Thank you". Avoid any further conversation and/or help or photos!

The complex is open every day, 8AM to 5PM (and to 4PM in winter). Individual sites within the complex may close earlier.

Entry fees (as of December 2022), students get 50% discount:
 * General admission to the complex: LE240
 * Entrance to the Great Pyramid: LE400
 * Entrance to the Pyramid of Khafre or Menkaure: LE100

All these tickets can be bought at, at the as well as at the entrances to the sites. Never surrender your ticket: the entrance guards will tear it and give it you back. Anything else is a scam or a hustle.

The Great Pyramid interior is always open, while access to Khafre and Menkaure pyramid interiors alternates each year. Limited numbers of these extra tickets are available each day, so by mid-morning they might be all gone; there isn't a pre-booking system. No cameras are allowed into the pyramids.

 * Ancient causeways link the Khafre and Menkaure pyramids to the necropolis entrance gate next to the Sphinx. At the foot of each is another small temple dedicated to that pharaoh. The causeways are rough going so you may prefer to loop back along the paved driveway. The horse and camel-drivers will now be getting a bit desperate as you approach the exit, and will drop their prices; keep walking.
 * Ancient causeways link the Khafre and Menkaure pyramids to the necropolis entrance gate next to the Sphinx. At the foot of each is another small temple dedicated to that pharaoh. The causeways are rough going so you may prefer to loop back along the paved driveway. The horse and camel-drivers will now be getting a bit desperate as you approach the exit, and will drop their prices; keep walking.
 * Ancient causeways link the Khafre and Menkaure pyramids to the necropolis entrance gate next to the Sphinx. At the foot of each is another small temple dedicated to that pharaoh. The causeways are rough going so you may prefer to loop back along the paved driveway. The horse and camel-drivers will now be getting a bit desperate as you approach the exit, and will drop their prices; keep walking.
 * Ancient causeways link the Khafre and Menkaure pyramids to the necropolis entrance gate next to the Sphinx. At the foot of each is another small temple dedicated to that pharaoh. The causeways are rough going so you may prefer to loop back along the paved driveway. The horse and camel-drivers will now be getting a bit desperate as you approach the exit, and will drop their prices; keep walking.
 * Ancient causeways link the Khafre and Menkaure pyramids to the necropolis entrance gate next to the Sphinx. At the foot of each is another small temple dedicated to that pharaoh. The causeways are rough going so you may prefer to loop back along the paved driveway. The horse and camel-drivers will now be getting a bit desperate as you approach the exit, and will drop their prices; keep walking.

At the pyramids
Before you get on the back of a camel or horse have a look at how they treat their animals. You might change your mind. If you anyway decide to take the offer of one of the horsemen or camel guys, make sure you discuss the price and where you go first. Ask to confirm it covers two people/two horses. Negotiate the price you want. At the end of the trip, when you get back to where you had agreed, get off the horse/camel, hand the man the agreed money and walk away. They will try to come up with all sorts of scams to get more money out of you. If you are happy and wish to give a tip, do it because you choose. Don't feel pressured into giving extra. Just walk away. They won't follow you.

 * Camel rides. Avoid succumbing to the temptation of taking a camel ride around the Pyramids, if you can, the practice is noisy, smelly and overrated. Basically, there are many better places in Egypt to take a camel ride, if you must. Things are a little better run than they used to be, and the practice of taking tourists out into the desert and refusing to return unless "tipped" is rather rare now.
 * Go horse riding in the desert to experience the spirit of the Egyptian horses and the true majesty of the Pyramids seen from outside the 'circus ring' wall. Be careful of touts, however; it's best to ride from one of the better quality stables, like FB Stables or Cairo Horse Riding School. Ride in the shadow of the Great Pyramids or further afield on a half day trip to Saqqara or Abu Sir or camp out overnight with a barbecue and fire. You can also watch the Sound and Light show from FB's rooftop terrace. If you do ride with a tout (they will encourage you to do this if the area is closed for entry for example) they will make out that you will have a great view of the pyramids (which you won't), they will then charge you a fortune, ride at high speed through the streets without a helmet or any regard for safety, they will then demand a tip as you ride back and try to take you to a 'museum' which is a just shop where you will be pressured to buy.
 * See the sunrise, the first sun beams colouring the Pyramids from the terrace on the third floor of a cafe or from the roof terrace of the hostel situated near the second western entrance and ticket-office.

 * {| class="wikitable"

! Day !! First Show !! Second Show !! Third Show
 * Winter (Oct-Mar) || 7PM || 8PM || 9PM
 * Summer (Apr-Sep) || 7:30PM || 8:30 PM|| 9:30PM
 * Monday || English || Spanish || if booked
 * Tuesday || English || French || if booked
 * Wednesday || English || Spanish || if booked
 * Thursday || English || French || if booked
 * Friday || English || French || no show
 * Saturday || English || Italian || if booked
 * Sunday || English || German || if booked
 * }
 * Thursday || English || French || if booked
 * Friday || English || French || no show
 * Saturday || English || Italian || if booked
 * Sunday || English || German || if booked
 * }
 * Saturday || English || Italian || if booked
 * Sunday || English || German || if booked
 * }
 * }

Eat
Western fast food options are located opposite the main ticket gates to the Pyramid enclosure, Pizza Hut and KFC included, so you can munch on a Tower burger and sip on a Coke in air-conditioned comfort whilst gazing on the more than 4,000-year-old Sphinx across the road. Many may prefer a more authentic experience, although the novelty of the situation could be interesting.

Drink
Since Egypt is a Muslim country, alcohol is not generally permitted. It will generally only be served in hotels.

You might find more options in Gezira neighborhood.

Sleep
There are a number of. You gonna find hotels, homestays and hostels, many of them with a pyramid view. A good area to stay is around the street Abou Al Hool Al Seiahi. There you find touristy and non-touristy restaurants and grocery stores around.

Cope
Decent toilets are next to the ticket office and inside the boat museum (if you have that ticket). From the main entrance, you enter the complex and ascend the driveway towards the Great Pyramid, suitably awe-inspired, and muttering a continual "lah shukran, lah shukran" to dismiss the touts, guides, and offers of camels. If you do fancy a ride, see "Do" below.

Stay safe
Climbing the Pyramids is dangerous and strictly illegal. It adds to wear and tear on the structure, and any stumble is likely to prove fatal. Also, it's hard gritty work and not nearly as cool as you'd imagined, so don't think about it.

The Giza Pyramids, being the main tourist attraction in Egypt, attract millions of tourists each year. They likewise attract a large number of the most determined opportunists for miles around. Report any instances of harassment by camel drivers and tourist touts to the black-uniformed (or white-uniformed in the summer) Tourist Police immediately, and be prepared for all manner of potential scams, possibly including "advice" from official-looking individuals that an attraction is closed or has an alternate entrance. Also be aware that any "favour" of any kind (offering directions, being shown something, etc.) might be done in expectation of a tip, so be cautious when accepting unsolicited help (although don't let your holiday be spoiled by overzealous caution, you also might encounter genuine help). Also note that some Tourist Police might routinely offer to help you in the expectation of a tip. Many known scammers will operate in front of the tourist police, who are either in on it or don't bother to intervene.

Tips to avoid harassment:

 * If on your own, headphones make the incessant "Hello, where are you from my friend" conversation-starters easier to ignore, smiling and pointing at the headphones seems to do the trick.
 * Avoid making eye contact, starting conversations or accepting any help with taking pictures or posing for pictures for you: they will see you as an easy target for harassment.
 * Say "La Shukran" (No thanks) as you do this, it shows you know a bit more than the average tourist and will not be seen as aggressive or rude. Smiling as you say it doesn't hurt as it doesn't seem to be seen as an invite to talk, but shows you are not trying to offend.

Additional useful safety tips:

 * Be cautious when choosing a local horse or camel ride; you may be ripped off or put in dangerous situations. The "donkey-mafia" that operate by the doors of the main entrance will adopt the most "persuasive" and often bullish techniques to get you onto their animals, and they do not appear to understand the meaning of the word "No". They will cause such a scene when you say no and have to get off them, which will result in you having to pay for the privilege of refusing their hospitality. Note: Some of these people were involved in the Battle of the Camels during the revolution, in which innocent civilians were killed. Use as your conscience dictates.
 * As anywhere else in Egypt, in hot months especially, take plenty of bottled water with you, wear a hat and wear sunscreen—sunglasses are also definitely a good idea.

Go next

 * Cairo/Downtown – where you can see the Egyptian Museum, Cairo Tower, El-Cornish, sail in Nile Cruise, hotels, restaurants, etc. Then you can go to El-Moez St., El-Hussain area, Khan El-Khalili, and Old Cairo Churches. From near the entrance of the pyramids area, take the . In Google Maps the bus stop at the pyramids is called "bus terminal". From the Giza station the metro brings you to Downtown cairo. Neither that city bus nor the metro have A/C, so it's just a good option in winter time. In other seasons it's better to take an Uber/Careem.

title: Cairo/Giza


text:
Giza with children

Giza is a district in Cairo, capital city of Egypt.

Many people have the opinion that Cairo and Egypt as a whole is not for kids because of the hot sun and that many kids don't like seeing ruins. But, on the contrary that kind of statement is not true at all. There is so much for kids to do and see and not get bored.

Get around
Transportation in Giza is very easy to use. There is the bus and the metro. However the metro and the bus aren't in great condition. The best way is to take a black and white taxi. The ticket costs and the taxi costs will amount up to the same. The best way to get a taxi for your kids has three simple rules. First rule is Haggle to about 30% down. The second rule is to see the taxi before choosing your price. The third and last rule is to skip the first 3 guys in line.

The Giza Plateau for Kids
The Giza Plateau has so much to offer for kids than at anywhere else in the world. The ancient wonders are breathtaking as you see them.

The Pyramids of Giza for Kids
The pyramids of Giza are quite expensive to get around. There are separate tickets for each of the pyramids. The guy at the office will tell you that the area ticket is fine but its not. The area ticket only allows you to visit the Sphinx and the area around the pyramids. You need a separate ticket to go into the different pyramids. The only pyramids that are worth seeing are the Great Pyramid of Khufu and Khafre's Pyramid.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu is worth visiting just for the curiosity. After seeing all the outside of the grand pyramid you naturally want to see the inside of the pyramid. One thing is for sure about that pyramid, it gives you some great exercise. However, there are no visible hieroglyphs or carvings aside from a big granite coffer (grave box) in the King's chamber.

Khafre's pyramid is actually the pyramid style that most people know today. The pyramid style in the Great Pyramid of Khufu is the style that the tomb is closer to the top of the pyramid. The sarcophagus of Khafre is underground. You actually go under the pyramid to see his tomb. Although in both pyramids his body is not there.

Minakure's pyramid isn't really a great pyramid to visit. However if you are on a tight budget it is the best to go there. The entrance to the pyramid costs 30 Egyptian pounds, 6 USD. The pyramid is just like a smaller version of the Great Pyramid of Khufu.

Take notice that seeing the pyramids will take up the whole day.

The Egyptian Museum for Kids
The Egyptian Museum has a lot to offer for kids. The most interesting is the Mummy Room. The entrance for the Mummy Room costs 100 Egyptian Pounds. But after everything it is definitely worth it beyond anything. There are about 15 different mummies in the mummy room. One thing about the mummies is that they are short.

The Sound and Light Show for Kids
The pyramid sound and light show is one of the most interesting things in the area for kids. You can see the pyramids in the dark and you can see them in silence before the show begins. Usually you always here the sound of tourists and vendors. The story of the sound and light is just like a story book. The Sphinx is set as the backdrop and the narrator of a long story. The scenes are displayed on the pyramids and the different pyramids are lit up.

title: Giza with children


text:
Cairo/East

The eastern districts of Cairo are a series of planned communities which have been built away from the congestion of historic Cairo. The most prominent communities are Heliopolis, Nasr City, and New Cairo. Cairo International Airport is also located in this area, just to the east of Heliopolis.

Heliopolis (مصر الجديدة Masr el-Gedida, lit. "New Egypt" or "New Cairo") is the oldest district, established in 1905 not far from the ancient city of Heliopolis (which is located to the northwest). The ancient city was dedicated to the god Atum, but it declined after the Persians took over control of Egypt in 525 BC. Modern Heliopolis was established in 1907 by the Belgian Baron Empain, with a streetcar line running between Heliopolis and central Cairo. It's one of the nicest places to live in Cairo, but there isn't much to visit as a tourist. The main reason to stay here is the proximity to the airport.

Nasr City was established by Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 1960s. It was intended to be a new capital city, but never developed as planned. It now has a socially mixed population including many immigrants, and is an economic center containing many shopping malls.

New Cairo (القاهرة الجديدة El Qāhera El Gedīda), established in 2000, covers a vast area in the far east of the city. Its current population is around 200,000, but it's planned for an eventual population of 5 million.

By car
Eastern Cairo is very car dependent and traffic jams are common. Using the Ring road is the best option of arriving here.

By public transport
Heliopolis is located between Cairo International Airport and central Cairo and is reachable from downtown by the metro's line 3. Other parts of eastern Cairo is undeserved by public transport. A monorail system is under construction and is expected to open in 2024. Until then, crammed and unreliable buses is the only option.

The new high-speed railway line between Alexandria and Ain Sokhna will have a station serving eastern Cairo when it opens in 2024.

The historic tram system that once ran to Heliopolis was removed in 2015.

title: Cairo/East


text:
Cairo/Islamic Cairo

Islamic Cairo is the name commonly given to the core of medieval Cairo, a part of the city remarkably different from the modern Downtown district and the suburbs to the west.

Understand
Islamic Cairo is not more or less Islamic than the rest of the city, but it's the area of the city which holds the most, the greatest and the most famous Islamic monuments. Many of these raised by the Fatimid caliphs who founded the city of Cairo (preceded by Fustat or Old Cairo). Unlike Islamic quarters in other cities, people, often quite poor, continue to live by historic monuments and mosques. A huge, bustling center of worship, trade, shopping and commuting, it's a must-see for any visitors and deserves at least a couple of days of exploring.

By metro
The station (باب الشاعرية), on Metro line 2, is located just northeast of the district.

By taxi/Uber
In peak hours, getting in and out of the main street Al Azhar can be tricky. In particular at Khan el-Khalili market, as traffic intensifies, Uber drivers can't stop in front of the library in neither directions and, hence, will most probably try to circle around in the hope you cancel the trip and pay the cancellation fee. It is better to move on foot to another area outside of the main Khan el-Khalili complex and search for taxis there.

See

The attractions listed here are listed from north to south, starting at the Bab al-Futuh (Gate of Conquest) at the northern edge of the Fatimid city walls. The route follows al-Mu'izz Street (Sharia al-Muizz), which is dedicated to pedestrian traffic between 8AM and 11PM.

The giant Khan el-Khalili market (see Buy) starts after the Qalawun complex, lining the streets and alleyways up to al-Azhar Street.

The following sights are around Midan Sala ad-Din (Saladin Square), just north of the Citadel. To reach this area, continue down al-Muizz up to Bab Zuweila, then turn left onto Darb al-Ahmar (also known as Sharia at-Tabana).

Citadel

The Citadel was built between 1176 and 1183 by Saladin, the Muslim caliph who defeated the Crusaders. It was the center of Egyptian government until Khedive Ismail moved his palace to the new Abdeen Palace in 1860. The Citadel is famous for its great views over Cairo (as far as the Pyramids of Giza), and is home to three mosques and several museums of indifferent quality. Music events are sometimes performed in evenings, check out local entertainment guides. LE140, LE70 students (Dec 2018).

Do

 * Walks – Apart from shopping and spotting Islamic architecture, popping through the fascinating streets of medieval Cairo is probably the most popular alternative left to do in this part of the city. A recommended walk is to start up by the al-Azhar Mosque. Take in the mosque, visit Bayt al-Suhaymi before making your way to Bab al-Zuwayla. From there, head down Darb al-Ahmar and stop at the Blue Mosque before the Citadel. Leave the castle for another day and head to Sultan Hassan and the Rifaii mosque. If you have more energy left, make Ibn Tulun Mosque your last stop before heading to Sayyidna Zeinab.

Eat
Islamic Cairo is not the best place for quality eating, although some restaurants can be found in the Khan al-Khalili area.

Drink
Islamic Cairo is definitely not the place for alcohol. Rather, settle down for some tea and shisha.

Stay safe
Khan el-Khalili is infamous for its pickpockets. Stay on your guard in crowds, but don't be afraid to venture into the smaller, darker alleys — they're quite safe, and you'll find the more interesting shops here.

Respect
Modest clothing is definitely the order of the day in this part of town. Women with bare legs and shoulders will be asked by many custodians of mosques to use smocks to cover these bare parts. Shoes should be removed before entering mosques, though some mosques do use slippers that are tied on over the shoes as an alternative.

title: Cairo/Islamic Cairo


text:
Cairo/Ma'adi

Ma'adi a suburban district of Cairo, to the south of the city center on the eastern bank of the Nile, consists of two distinct areas, Old Ma'adi and New Ma'adi. Ma'adi was established in 1904, when a railway was built through the area, connecting Cairo and Helwan to the south. The New Ma'adi and extension grew outwards and includes the area of Digla.

By metro
Ma'adi is easily accessible by subway with three stations on Metro line 1;

By ferry
Scheduled boat service is available from many points along the Nile via via Nile Taxi, there are departures every 30 minutes during the morning and afternoon rush. As the name implies, it's also possible to use it as a taxi service. Boats arrive at a dock next to.

By car
If travelling by car, Ma'adi is quite easily accessed via the Ring road.

See
Not many sights out here, you'll need to take the metro for central Cairo sights and the Pyramids.

Buy
Most locals shop at the Ma'adi Mall, home to shops, restaurants and a movie theatre. There are many small shops on Rd. 9, featuring jewellery, clothing, electronics, etc. A local farmer's market exists behind the Ma'adi metro station, adjacent to Rd. 9.

Eat
Road No. 9 provides a host of restaurants and the gamut of American fast food franchises.

title: Cairo/Ma'adi


text:
Cairo/Old Cairo

Old Cairo (Arabic, Masr al-Qadima) is the extensive district of southern Cairo from the southern boundary of Garden City down to the precinct commonly known as Coptic Cairo.

Understand
Old Cairo is the home of Cairo's Coptic Christian community. The Coptic Orthodox Church claims to date back to Saint Mark the Apostle in 42 AD, and thus lays claim to being the world's oldest Christian denomination.

While the majority of Egyptians converted to Islam in the 12th century, the Church has survived through centuries of persecution, not only from hostile Muslim rulers such as the Fatimids, but also at the hands of the Crusaders, who viewed the Coptics as heretics. Today, Egypt has some 12 million Copts, but the narrow alleyways of Old Cairo still have the feel of an island set apart from the rest of the city.

Visitors are welcome to visit Coptic churches, even during services, which are now mostly held in Arabic. Copts use the Julian calendar, so Christmas falls on January 7 and Easter can fall on a different date.

By Metro
The Metro is by far the easiest mode of travel into this district. station on Cairo Metro Line 1 is immediately outside the Coptic Cairo quarter. From Midan Tahrir in central Cairo, take the Metro south, "direction Helwan"; coming back follow "direction El Marg". The fare is LE2 and trains run every few minutes.

Exit the station east onto pedestrianised Sharia Mar Girgis. The Coptic Museum is straight in front of you and the Hanging Church is 100 m right (south). Go left (north) 200 m for the entrance to the other main sights in the Coptic precinct but you could easily miss it: it's the small staircase leading down from the street, as if into a basement. Instead it enters a series of little alleyways - most churches and the synagogue are along here, clearly signed.

Coptic Cairo

Buy
There are a number of small shops along Mar Girgis Street, near the metro station, selling items including pottery and other crafts.

Eat
Small cafes along Mar Girgis St are a bit tourist-trappy but have loos. Cross the metro tracks to the west side for more authentic cheap eats.

title: Cairo/Old Cairo


text:
Cai Rong

Cai Rong is a city on Van Don island (connected by bridge to the mainland) in Halong Bay, north Vietnam.

Understand
A small port town shaped as a "T": the main road along Van Don island, and the road to the port.

By bus
Buses frequently depart to and from Baichay Bus Station in Halong City from the 'T'-intersection at the center of town. Inbound, you can also get local buses from near the market in Cửa Ông, the nearby mainland town at the intersection of the road to Cái Rồng and the rest of [Van Don island.

A bus hangs around the market and the main road leaving to Hai Phong around 09:30, via Ha Long. Fare from 70,000 ₫ong to 80,000 dong to Hai Phong (listed sometimes as Lac Long).

By plane

Getting there and away: A clean, new and free bus is available from the airport to Ha Long, or you may negotiate with a taxi company for a fare of 800,000 dong). Allow an hour by taxi and longer by bus.

Get around
The town is walkable.

See
There's a climbable mountain near the port with some pagodas.

Do
Either hang around the port and watch the local fisherpeople do their thing, or get a boat and see some of the fantastic ocean karst topography of the Halong Bay region; smug in the knowledge that you are avoiding the five-hour-long tourist hard-sell that production lines of clueless tourists are going through just an hour away to the southwest!

The most popular destination is Quan Lạn island.

There are two types of ferries available: long passenger speedboats with near-exclusively internal seating, and slower ferries that carry both small amounts of cargo and supplies along with passengers and have roof and outdoor areas. The slower ferries are not necessarily much cheaper, but are far more interesting if you have the time and the weather is bearable.

The basic route is around the top of Ban Sen island, south along Cao Lo island to Quan Lạn island. The main port of Quan Lạn is at the northernmost tip of the island, and is also the first one you reach (an hour by fast boat, around two and a half by slow boat). A second port of some small-scale industrial purpose lies about half-way down the island on the western side, though the ferry may first visit some minor points of habitation (no roads, shops, hotels, etc. at any of them) on the opposite Ban Sen island before kicking you off here. Count on two and a half hours if you get off here.

Ferries from Cai Rong to the north tip of Quan Lanh:
 * Slow ferry departs 07:00 (06:30 in summer - reported elsewhere and probable but not verified) - 60,000 ₫ong
 * Slow ferry departs 13:00 (Oct 2013) - 60,000 ₫ong
 * High speed passenger ferry departs 08:00
 * High speed passenger ferry departs 14:00 (Feb 2012)

Ferries from the north tip of Quan Lanh to Cai Rong:
 * High speed passenger ferry departs 07:00 (Feb 2012)
 * High speed passenger ferry departs 14:00 (not verified; anyway there should be an afternoon one)
 * Slow ferry leaving around 07:00 - 60,000 ₫ong
 * Slow ferry departs 13:99 (Oct 2013) - 60,000 ₫ong

Buy
There's a market near the middle of town, though it's much smaller than that in nearby Cửa Ông.

Eat and drink
A few eateries exist through the town and near the port. Standard Vietnamese fare.

Sleep
A decent range of hotels exist near the port, including one very modern hotel that will be immediately apparent. Smaller hotels are around 200,000 ₫ong per day, if you want to spend a half day (e.g., 5 hours waiting for a boat) then you might be able to convince them to give you a discount.

title: Cai Rong


text:
Cairo to Nairobi overland

This itinerary describes the overland route from Cairo, Egypt to Nairobi, Kenya by public transport. This is more or less the only surface route from North Africa to East Africa accessible to Westerners, and so most overland travelers from Europe or Asia towards Southern Africa will have to pass this way (travel down the West coast of Africa is also possible, but much more difficult). The route passes through Egypt, (North) Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Visas
Almost all countries in this region prefer visas to be paid for in US dollars, and accept other currencies at unfavourable rates if at all.

Egypt: Visas are available to almost all Westerners on arrival for USD 15. This is true even if you arrive by ferry at Aswan, though in this case getting the visa on arrival may cause some delays. Some embassies (e.g. Khartoum) issue advance Egyptian visas in around 24 hours, while other (e.g. Addis) take weeks for some nationalities.

Sudan: Most westerners can in principle get a Sudanese visa in a couple days in Cairo or Aswan at a cost of USD 100, though this requires a "letter of introduction" (or written statement that such letters do not exist) from your own embassy, and some embassies may be reluctant to issue anything of the sort. Americans applying to get a Sudanese visa in Aswan (Egypt) must arrange a permission to visit beforehand via the US embassy, a process which takes around 2 weeks. (This does not seem to be required at the embassy in Cairo.) (Nov 2018.)

In Addis Ababa, westerners including Americans can get a Sudanese transit visa in 24 hours by showing an Egyptian visa (evidence that these can be obtained on arrival is not sufficient) or a plane ticket from Sudan to your home country. For Americans this costs USD 200, other nationalities probably less. The transit visa is valid for two weeks stay (can be extended in Khartoum) and entry within one month; entry does not have to be from the Ethiopian border, though you probably still have to exit a different way than you entered.

Once you have entered Sudan you are obliged to "register" your visa within 3 days; this is possible both at the borders and in Khartoum, costing USD 30-60 depending where you do it. It's not clear the 3 day deadline is enforced but you're unlikely to avoid it entirely as you will need it to exit the country.

Ethiopia: Ethiopian visas are only available at Addis Ababa airport or in your home country. If you're already on the road you may have to DHL your passport home and get someone to send it to the Ethiopian embassy there for you. Your embassy may issue multiple entry visas for little more than the cost of single entries. In New York visas are issued in 24 hours for USD 70.

Kenya: Kenyan visas are available on arrival. Three-day transit visas are USD 20 but you probably want a USD 50 tourist visa. If you cross from Kenya to Tanzania or Uganda and then cross back to Kenya you don't need a new tourist visa.

Cairo-Aswan (1 day)
Air-conditioned trains link Cairo to Aswan, both during the day and overnight, taking about 12 hours. Fares are EGP 55 for second class, EGP 165 for first class, and USD 60 for a sleeper. Even second class is quite comfortable. Trains do sell out so it's worth booking in advance if you can. There are supposed to be some restrictions on which trains foreigners can take; if the train you want is subject to these you won't be able to buy a ticket from the ticket offices in Cairo or Aswan, but they will usually tell you to just buy a ticket from the conductor on the train. This only costs a few pounds more but means you don't have a reserved seat so may end up playing musical chairs. It may therefore be worthwhile to get an Egyptian (or agency) to buy your ticket for you if you want one of these trains. There are also buses between Cairo (Turgoman Garage) and Aswan (just in front of the train station), taking about the same time as the train and costing around EGP 80.

There are boats along the Nile, considerably slower than trains/buses and more expensive, but more scenic. These range from fairly luxurious large riverboats to the traditional Egyptian felucca which is a fairly small boat.

Recommended stops/detours:
 * Luxor — Capital of ancient Egypt, with vast temples, ancient royal tombs, spectacular desert and river scenery
 * Aswan — Relaxed city next to the Aswan Dam

Aswan-Wadi Halfa (2 days)
A ferry leaves Aswan every Monday around 12:00, arriving in Wadi Halfa, Sudan the next morning. Tickets can be purchased in Cairo (from a window in Ramses train station) or Aswan. You will need a Sudanese visa before you can buy a ferry ticket. The ferry dock is just beyond the High Dam; there are occasional local trains, or shared taxis cost EGP 10 or less. First class passengers pay around EGP 500 and share cabins with beds, while second class passengers pay EGP 323 and have padded bench seats. Most second class passengers lay out sleeping bags/mats on deck to sleep (the best place is directly under the lifeboats as this is the only spot with consistent shade); this leaves enough of the second class seats vacant that you can probably sleep across several of these if you want. In the opposite direction, the ferry leaves Wadi Halfa every Wednesday around 16:00, arriving Aswan the next morning. Fares in this direction are somewhat lower, SDG 96 for second class or SDG 195 for first. In either direction you should probably get to the ferry port a good three hours before the scheduled departure time to deal with formalities and get a decent seat. The ferry has at least some sort of air conditioning or reasonable ventilation, such that the seating areas are bearable (though not exactly cool) even in summer.

Wadi Halfa-Khartoum (1 day)

You will most likely have to spend a night in Wadi Halfa, taking a bus to Khartoum the day after the ferry arrives or in the other direction traveling up to Wadi Halfa the day before it departs. There are comfortable, modern, air-conditioned buses making the trip in 10-12 hours and costing around SDG 85. In Khartoum the buses arrive and depart from the Sajana bus station around 2 km south of the city centre. In either direction the buses depart very early in the morning, 04:00-05:00. Additionally, there is an once-weekly train plying the route. While by rail is the classic way of reaching Khartoum, it is both slower and more unreliable than buses.

Recommended stops/detours:
 * Khartoum — The capital of Sudan
 * Meroë — Lesser known then its counterpart in Egypt, the pyramids of Meroë are an UNESCO World Heritage Site

Khartoum-Gondar (1 day)
Buses from Khartoum to Gedaref (al Qadirif) leave from the Mina Bary bus station about 7km south of the city centre. You will then need a taxi across Gedaref to read the minibus station and catch a minibus to the border at Gallabat. After crossing to the Ethiopian side of the border at Metema, there are minibuses available to Gondar; you may end up changing vehicles at Shihedi. In either direction it is important to get an early start (departing 06:00 or sooner) to make it through in one day; in particular in the northbound direction note that the last Gedaref-Khartoum bus departs around 15:00. The minibuses involved leave when full.

Recommended stops/detours:
 * Gondar —

Gondar-Addis Ababa (1 day)
Most buses will take two days from Gondar to Addis Ababa, but your accommodation can most likely help you arrange a minibus that does it in one; you may also find such vehicles by going early to the Gondar bus station or Addis' Merkato bus station. This costs about ETB 300; slower buses will be cheaper. You're very likely to want to detour to see Lalibela and probably Axum before proceeding on to Addis.

Recommended stops/detours:
 * Addis Ababa —
 * Axum —
 * Lalibela —

Addis Ababa-Moyale (2 days)
Southbound buses leave from Addis' Kality bus station, which is quite far south of town. A bus to the Kenyan border at Moyale will cost around ETB 200 and stop overnight somewhere, probably Dilla. Awasa is a more pleasant and touristy place to stop but it can be difficult to get from there to Moyale in a day; opinions vary on whether it's better to get a very early minibus to Dilla and other buses from there or backtrack slightly to Shashamene and get a direct bus there. You might also have to change or get stuck in Hagere Maryam or Yebello.

Moyale-Nairobi (1 day)
The Moyale border opens at 08:00, and the bus south to Nairobi nominally leaves at 09:00, though it may wait until almost 11:00, arriving Nairobi 07:00 the following morning. You therefore have a chance of catching it even if you didn't quite get to Moyale the night before, and indeed if the stars all align you could conceivably make it from Addis to Nairobi in two days and two nights (spending a night in Hagere Maryam or Yebello). The bus costs KES 2500 and is a lot more comfortable than Ethiopian buses (about the level of US Greyhound, though without AC). The road, however, makes up for this; though it had been improved, it is still a very bumpy unpaved road from Moyale to somewhat south of Laisamis. You reach pavement about 12 hours after departure. The bus arrives in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi.

Northern extensions
Frequent and cheap trains, buses and minibuses link Alexandria with Cairo in 2-3 hours. The Visemar Line ferry between Alexandria and Venice has been suspended, so there is no sea transport between Europe and Egypt, barring occasional cruises or maybe expensive freighter bookings. Buses run between Israel and Cairo, though this is something of a dead end because of the issues with Israeli passport stamps (which will lead to being denied entry to Sudan, Syria, Lebanon and some other countries). If you need/want to avoid Israel, there is a high speed ferry between Nuweiba in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan; using this you may be able to make it between Amman and Cairo in one day (though stopping in Sinai is almost certainly worthwhile, as is detouring to Petra). Ordinarily one can travel between Jordan and Europe through Syria and Turkey, but the current political situation in Syria is unpredictable which may make visas difficult to obtain and travel unreliable or unsafe.

Southern extensions
The quickest route onward from Nairobi to Cape Town is probably by crossing directly into Tanzania and then proceeding through Zambia and Zimbabwe to Johannesburg and on to Cape Town. Detours via Uganda/Rwanda/Burundi, Malawi/Mozambique, Botswana/Namibia, or some combination of these are all relatively straightforward.

Stay safe
As of 2014, the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and US State Department  advise against all travel to South Sudan, southern portions of Sudan, and parts of Sinai. Terrorism is an ongoing risk in most of the region.

The political situation in Egypt remains unpredictable but has been mostly peaceful since the early 2011 revolution. Western and Southern Sudan are subject to armed conflict. In 2019, there were large anti-government protests in Khartoum that have been brutally suppressed. Areas of Ethiopia bordering Eritrea and Somalia are unsafe but the route described passes far from these. Northern Kenya has had issues with lawlessness and armed banditry in the past, but the situation has improved and vehicles are no longer required to travel in convoy.

Mugging/violent crime is a risk in all of these areas, especially Nairobi, and you will generally want to avoid walking alone at night or carrying large quantities of money. Scams abound; don't trust "friendly" strangers who will greet you on the street.

Most travelers will want to take malaria prophylaxis before, during and after their visit to this region; if you choose not to, you should at least sleep under mosquito nets whenever possible, especially in more rural areas and at lower altitudes. Using insect repellent with DEET is also a good idea, but its hard to find in some countries (Ethiopia).

In general, none of these countries have potable tap water.

title: Cairo to Nairobi overland


text:
Cajabamba

Cajabamba is a city in the department of Cajamarca.

Get in
There are frequent buses from Cajamarca & Huamachuco, both of which are best accessed from Trujillo. There are flights from Lima to Trujillo, Cajamarca & Chiclayo. Lider has flights from Trujillo to Chagual, near Huamachuco.

See
Festival Calendar
 * Quengococha Lagoon: Surrounded by various mountains: De los Pozos, El Espejo, El Envigado, De las Cuevas, El Corazón and El Colorado. It has an "S" shape, with a maximum depth of 15 meters. The water has an impressive blue-green color. At a height of 3,660 m asl and it takes 75 minutes to get there by car or 4 hours walking.
 * Cochecorral waterfalls: Known as Masmacocha (which in Quechua means "water stands"); It has a drop of more than 200 meters and more than 1,000 steps in calcareous rocks. It is accessed by walking for approximately 90 minutes.

title: Cajabamba


text:
Cajamarca

Cajamarca is in the northern highlands of Peru.

Understand
It is approximately 2,700 m (8,900 ft) above sea level and has a population of about 100,000 people. Cajamarca has an equatorial climate so it is mild, dry and sunny, which creates very fertile soil. The city is well known for its fine cheeses and dairy products. Cajamarca is also known for its churches, and hot springs, or Inca Baths. Yanacocha is considered to be the world's second largest gold producing mine, one of several active mining sites in surrounding areas. Most of all, Peruvians remember Cajamarca as the place where the Inca Empire came to an end, since the Battle of Cajamarca along with the capture and execution of Inca emperor Atahualpa took place here.

Because of the high altitude, precautions should be taken. Be sure to take it easy the first day or two in town, drink lots of water and stay away from alcohol and caffeine. Cajamarca is quite cold at night and the sun can be very strong during the day. Bring some sunscreen and some warm clothes.

Get in
Service to Cajamarca is via bus or air. There are daily flights from Lima, as well as luxury buses (about 16 hours). Several buses a day also make the trip from Trujillo (7 hours). Travelers can continue on to the town of Celendín, with connecting buses to Chachapoyas.

It is possible to travel through the highlands by road to Chota & back down to Chiclayo.

 * Transportes Linea  have frequent buses from/to Chiclayo, Trujillo & Lima.
 * Cruz del Sur also runs daily luxury buses to Cajamarca from Chiclayo, Trujillo & Lima.
 * LATAM
 * LC Perú

Get around
From cheapest to most expensive;

 * Walk - Most of the major sites in the city can be visited by foot.
 * Micro bus - Micro buses, colectivos or combis, whatever you like to call them (Peruvians call them micro buses) are a very cheap and easy way to get around with most voyages costing S/1 (sol) or less and you don't need to haggle over the cost of the fare. They are however often crowded and somewhat dangerous.
 * Mototaxi - Three-wheel converted motorcycles. Mototaxis are a little dangerous as they don't fare well in accidents. They are however very economical and lots of fun. Most trips in town are between S/2 and S/.3.00.
 * Taxi - Most taxis are Daewoo Ticos or Toyota Corolla wagons. Expect to pay S/7 for a trip in town, about S/15 to the airport or to Baños del Inca. Ask the driver what the fare is before you get in.  Whatever fare you agree to includes the tip.

Taxi Seguro  +51 76 365103 or +51 76 365362. Super Seguro +51 76 507090. Taxi Unidos +51 76 366438.

Micro buses for the airport, Otuzco and Combayo leave at the first intersection of Dos de Mayo northwest of the river.

See

 * There are several churches in the area of the Plaza de Armas, one of which (San Francisco) includes the "Ransom Room" in which the Inca Atahualpa was held captive by Spanish conquistadors.
 * The steps on Santa Apolonia hill lead up to the "Inca Seat", where the Inca supposedly addressed his subjects. The hill offers a nice view of the city below.

 * Catarata de Plan Manzanas is a nice waterfall about 9 km from Cajamarca. Take a microbus (19 or 59A - S/1 each way leaving about every 30 minutes until about 21:00) to Huambocancha Alta and get off at Plan Manzanas (road or carretera Bambamarca). You´ll need to ask the locals for directions as its not a particularly well known attraction, don´t give up just because the first person you ask doesn´t know anything about it. The locals are very friendly and you´ll probably be able to find one who´ll take you to the waterfall and give you directions for an alternate route back to the road for a small fee (S/5-10). The trail will take you over the top of the falls. They hold a carnival celebration 2 days after the main parade on the concourse in Cajamarca. Very beautiful countryside in a traditional Peruvian farming community. Its about a 30-minute walk each way from the road to the waterfall and the bus trip is also around 30 minutes each way. Allow 3 to 4 hours for this trip.
 * Catarata de Plan Manzanas is a nice waterfall about 9 km from Cajamarca. Take a microbus (19 or 59A - S/1 each way leaving about every 30 minutes until about 21:00) to Huambocancha Alta and get off at Plan Manzanas (road or carretera Bambamarca). You´ll need to ask the locals for directions as its not a particularly well known attraction, don´t give up just because the first person you ask doesn´t know anything about it. The locals are very friendly and you´ll probably be able to find one who´ll take you to the waterfall and give you directions for an alternate route back to the road for a small fee (S/5-10). The trail will take you over the top of the falls. They hold a carnival celebration 2 days after the main parade on the concourse in Cajamarca. Very beautiful countryside in a traditional Peruvian farming community. Its about a 30-minute walk each way from the road to the waterfall and the bus trip is also around 30 minutes each way. Allow 3 to 4 hours for this trip.

Do

 * The Baños del Inca (The Inca's Baths) are natural hot springs located five kilometers east of Cajamarca in the town of Baños del Inca. Take a microbus (written Baños on the side) from the start of Avenida Atahulpa for S/2 (as of 2024). Entrance S/6 (swimming S/6). Swimming pool closed on Friday.

There are a number of archaeological sites and other attractions outside the city, to which there are organized tours. Several tour operators can be found on the Plaza de Armas. These sites include:

 * Cumbe Mayo, is a pre-Colombian aqueduct built around 1000 BCE to bring water from the mountains to the town of Cajamarca during the dry season. Tours from Cajamarca are S/18 per person. Food and drinks are readily available at the site. Its possible to walk from Cajamarca but allow around five hours each way for the 20 km trek. The site is located at an altitude of around 3500 meters and can be quite cold and wet.

 * Ventanillas de Otuzco, a pre-inca necropolis. Touristic infrastructure, entrance fee (S/5 in February 2017), info plates in English. This is easy to get to by microbus just look for any bus that has Otuzco written on the side, you'll find them easily by the market. The trip is S/1 each way. Allow around 2 to 3 hours for this trip, a little longer if you want to check out the river nearby. You can walk from here to banos del inca (1½ hours).

Volunteer

 * Asociación Incawasiis a non-profit organization started by both individuals from Cajamarca and international volunteers. Their objective is to improve the educational, social and nutritional situation of children from the disadvantaged areas of the city of Cajamarca, Peru.

Buy
Cajamarca is known for its fine dairy products and chocolate. A visit to one of the cheese shops is worth your time. There are also several street markets along the San Lucas river selling farm goods, cloth and various other items.

Cajamarca also has modern shopping malls like:

 * El Quinde Shopping Plaza offers secure parking, two large department store, a hypermarket, movie theater, children's entertainment, food court, electronics, clothing, pharmacies, jewelry stores, banking, and many kiosk-type businesses. It is located about six blocks northeast of the Main Square.
 * Real Plaza is the biggest mall, it offers a secure underground parking, two large department store, a hypermarket, a large home improvement store, cinemas, food court, gym, restaurants, cafe, discotheque, children's entertainment, outdoor clothing stores, boutiques, electronics, banking, pharmacies, and another kiosk-type businesses. It is located about ten blocks east of the Main Square.
 * Open Plaza is the smallest mall, offers parking, a hypermarket, a home improvement store, children's entertainment, a pharmacy and another kiosk-type businesses. It is located between both El Quinde and Real Plaza.

There is a decent drop-off laundromat behind the San Francisco on calle Belen. S/5 per kilo. Closed Fridays.

Eat
The diet here consists largely of items in cream sauce, probably due to the large dairy industry. Several restaurants serve Cuy (guinea pig) for those feeling adventurous. Street vendors sell tamales and various other street food, especially around dinner time.

 * Restaurant Tuna Jr. Malia Puga. This place is very popular and warm inside. There is a wood-fired oven and they make tasty personal pizzas starting from S/5.50. You´ll probably need two of them if you want more than a snack though. They also have a range of other dishes, drinks and wine.
 * La Ideal Panaderia y Pasteleria. Jr. Malia Puga 966. A great place for coffee, cakes, hamburgers and delicious rolls. Think of it as a cross between Subway and a coffee and cake shop. A clean modern store with excellent service.
 * Pia dishes out tasty Pollo a la Brasa (rotisserie chicken) for a bargain price. It is located on Amazonas about a block away from the Plaza de Armas, near the secondary school.
 * El Cajamarques is one of the top restaurants in town. The food is quite good, but the real attraction is the courtyard containing exotic birds and wildlife.
 * Not recommended: El Batan Gran Buffet. This fancy restaurant has very attentive service, but the food is mediocre at best.
 * Super Chicken has two locations: one on the Recoleta and the other in El Quinde shopping center.  Good chicken and fries.  Eat in or take out.
 * Renzos one block up from the Plaza. Italian food: pizza and pasta.
 * La Cena towards the west end of Via Evitamiento. Large family-style restaurant. Good pollo a la braza and parrilla.
 * El Castillo an interesting converted farm house outside of town past the airport. Good beef. Expect that your taxi driver will charge you extra to take you there.
 * Punta Sal the place to go in Cajamarca for ceviche, which is a marinaded raw seafood dish with many aficionados in Peru.
 * Chifa Hong Kong proper Cantonese Chinese food, located on the Plaza de Armas. Better than normal chifa.
 * Cascanuez Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but the main attraction is the desserts. Located half a block north west of the Plaza on Amalia Puga.
 * Don Paco Fine dining for a good price. Menu del dia (three courses) from S/12. Good pizzas. Located just off the Plaza across from the San Francisco Church.
 * Querubino Mediterranean dining with a Peruvian influence. Located just north west of the Plaza on Amalia Puga.
 * Querubino Mediterranean dining with a Peruvian influence. Located just north west of the Plaza on Amalia Puga.

Drink
Various street vendors sell home-made juice which is worth a try.

Sleep
There are many inexpensive options for accommodations in Cajamarca. In addition to the various hotels and hostels in town, there are also a number of spa hotels in the outskirts of town.

Stay safe
Traffic is probably the visitor's biggest risk. Most drivers assume that you will get out of their way. Driving the wrong way on a one-way street is not uncommon, but stopping at stop signs is. So, look around before you cross the street!

Remember to take it easy on arrival, since the altitude can make you short of breath and cause headaches.

The central city is fairly safe, but as always keep an eye out for pickpockets and always hang on to your belongings. That being said, tourists should avoid traveling away from the city centre after dark.

Go next

 * Jaen
 * Chachapoyas & the amazing fortress of Kuelap go with Virgen de la Carmen (12 hours, S/50 (2017))
 * Trujillo

title: Cajamarca


text:
Calabar

Calabar is the capital city of Cross River State in South South Nigeria. It is a charming and quite peaceful city. Attractions include the Slave Museum, Calabar Free Trade Zone, Tinapa Business and Tourist Resort, Cultural and Civic Centre, Calabar Port and university campuses.

Understand
Calabar is one of the oldest trading centers in Nigeria. The city is set on a natural hill overlooking the Calabar River. Calabar had been inhabited by the Efik speaking people since at least the 17th century and became a center for slave trade at the dawn of the trade.

After the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the 19th century, the city became a major port for palm oil trade and other export and import commodities to and from the hinterlands. Calabar's economy unlike other neighbouring city-states in the Niger-Delta area for most of the 19th century was based on palm plantations, akin to those in the Americas.

With the coming of colonialism, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries it became one of the biggest colonial administrative centers and capital of the Niger Coast Protectorate, later called the Southern Nigeria Protectorate (1900-1914).

Calabar is now the capital of Cross River State of Nigeria. The city is a major center of tourism in Nigeria. The Calabar Carnival is the largest street cultural festival in Africa. The carnival holds in December annually and attracts thousands of visitors and guests from all parts of the world. In a nearby municipality called Bakassi, there was a territorial dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon in 1981 based on colonial appropriations that almost caused the two countries to go to war. But Bakassi was eventually and reluctantly handed over by Nigeria to Cameroon in the end.

Like other major cities in Nigeria, power supply could be a major problem. The Federal Government of Nigeria is developing a major plant near the city to boost domestic and industrial power supply. Water is easily available in the city and it is of very good quality.

The city is a few hours drive to the Obudu Mountain Resort which had hosted many Presidential Retreats and conferences in the past. There is an airport which has connecting flights to other major cities in Nigeria.

By plane
Calabar is about 1 hour from the city of Lagos by plane. Calabar is about 25 minutes from Port Harcourt and has an International Airport.

By boat
There is also a regular boat service from various parts of Cameroon's coastline which will transport vehicles and people. You can get Cameroonian visas on the boat which can save you a lot of time. However, you can use Calabar as a base before transferring into Cameroon by road slightly further north (through Ikom).

By bus
There are several car transportation services into Calabar from all parts of Nigeria including the major cities of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Yola. They include ABC Transport, the Young Shall Grow, Elim Tours, AKTC, Peacemass, Transit favor, and Nyanya transport company.

Get around
The local authorities have made a great effort to make the streets safe by enlarging them, removing potholes, and adding stripes between lanes. Local taxis are not advisable as the cars are very old and quite often the drivers are not particularly experienced. As long as you are careful Calabar is quite safe.

See
There is a lot of colonial architecture in the older parts of Calabar that are around Henshaw Town, Duke Town and the waterfront areas.

Do

 * Calabar Carnival, known as "Africa's Biggest Street Party" held every year through the month of December and attracts thousands within and beyond Nigeria. The festival includes music performances from both local and international artists, a boat regatta, fashion shows, Christmas Village, traditional dances and the annual Ekpe Festival.

Buy

The old town is remarkable for its great variety of small shops where you can get just about anything (but expect to bargain). There are two great markets, Watt Market and Marian Market. Materials in Calabar are second to none. Beautiful waxes from Ghana, stunning materials from all over Africa can be found in Calabar. There are many very professional tailors who can make wonderful clothing from linens, etc. Fresh live fish direct from the sea are available.

Eat

 * Go to Bogobiri Corner (Suya Arcade) and enjoy suya from the many vendors.
 * Freddy's Restaurant is the local eaterie. Run by Ellie and a very professional staff, Freddies is a successful and well run restaurant. Main menu is Lebanese foods but Ellie will try to please everyone. Good salads, fish and best of all huge prawns are the best. Local beers, wines and all drinks are available and all at good prices.
 * Chinese restaurant at the Mirage Hotel is well run and although fairly limited menu, food is good - not cheap though.

Internet cafes

 * Cross River State IT Village, at Women Development Center Parliamentary road. Equipped with state of the art IT facilities, Wi-Fi, Wireless Internet, IT capacity building and Coffee shop and restaurant.

Cope
The major religion of the state is Christianity. There are numerous churches from the orthodox to the more contemporary including the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church and the Presbyterian church.

 * Sacred Heart Cathedral (Egerton Street)
 * Sacred Heart Cathedral (Egerton Street)
 * Sacred Heart Cathedral (Egerton Street)

Go next

 * Port Harcourt
 * Cross River National Park, which has 16 species of primates and Nigeria's most pristine remnant of rainforest, is a good place for ecotourism and wildlife viewing. But it is rather underdeveloped and will require some planning.
 * The Agbokim Waterfall crosses over the precipice in 6 or 7 different channels to make quite a sight, but necessitates utilizing a local guide in Ikom to the north of Calabar to find it.
 * If you have a lot of money to burn and want something like an all-inclusive Nigerian highlands staycation, Ubuntu Safari Lodge is about 6 hours north by car.
 * Douala, Cameroon, is 470 km by car, or 9 hours, but you travel through the English-speaking parts of Cameroon, where there has been a successionist guerrilla war underway since 2017.
 * The Kwafalls, 45 minutes from the city. In 2002, when Nigeria hosted Miss World, Kwafalls was where all contestants had their photo session, a very unique rock scrambling can be experience with a good guide.
 * Oron

title: Calabar


text:
Calabarzon

Calabarzon is a region of southwestern Luzon, the main island in the Philippines.

Not very far from the sprawl of Metro Manila, it provides a variety of tourist spots, from heritage towns to luxurious beach resorts. Laguna hosts a number of hot spring resorts as well as mountains and heritages towns. Batangas houses numbers of beach resorts, heritage towns, and the world's smallest volcano, Taal Volcano.

Most of the inhabitants of the region are Tagalogs, but there are significant Visayan, Ilocano, and Bicolano minorities. Most locations in the province showcase the rich Tagalog culture.

Provinces
The name of the region is an acronym of its five component provinces: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

Cities

 * - capital of Rizal. The Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage and Hinulugang Taktak are its primary destinations, as well as overlooking panoramic views of Metro Manila.
 * - capital of Batangas, a transport hub and major waypoint for travellers between Manila, Mindoro and the Visayas by sea and land travel.
 * - Regional center, home to Jose Rizal's mansion and hot spring resorts
 * - Bedroom community in Laguna, home to Enchanted Kingdom and Nuvali and a major stopover for trips to Tagaytay.
 * - Resort city on the mountain ridge south of Metro Manila. Its cool climate and its view of Taal Volcano attracts tourists, providing an easy getaway from the heat, noise, and congestion of Manila.

Beaches and diving spots

 * - A scuba diving and snorkeling destination not far from Manila
 * – Unspoiled paradise off the Pacific coast of Quezon
 * – Traditional beach destinations of the region, and home of the historic town of Taal.
 * – Traditional beach destinations of the region, and home of the historic town of Taal.

Mountains
All the mountains in the region are volcanic in origin, but few are active volcanoes now.
 * — An extinct volcano, straddling the provinces of Laguna and Quezon. It is the highest mountain in the Calabarzon region (2,170 m a.s.l.), and a sacred monument for the Tagalog people.
 * — An inactive volcano near Los Banos
 * - Batangas's crown jewel, but it is an active volcano. This is mostly visited through package tours from Tagaytay.

Understand
This is an overview article; detailed information is in the provincial articles.

The region is historically inhabited by the Tagalog people; the region formed the larger Southern Tagalog region that was soon split into this region and Mimaropa; Aurora was part of Southern Tagalog as it was a sub-province of Quezon, it was moved to Central Luzon. Waves of migration from the rest of the Philippines have diversified its population, and you can find Visayans, Ilocanos, Filipino Chinese, and Muslims at the cities. Calabarzon has some of the most populous provinces, like Cavite, and urbanization continues with economic developments around Metro Manila

The regional center is Calamba, but economic activities are spread out in the province; Industrial activity is concentrated on Cavite and Laguna. Tourism is a major source of income for provinces like Batangas, with its heritage towns and world-class beaches.

Calabarzon are one of the very liberal regions of the Philippines, and is a rising ecotourism hub; environmental protection plays an important role in politics, as the region has one of the very sensitive natural environments, like the Verde Island Passage in Batangas or the rainforests of eastern Quezon. The Roman Catholic Church also plays a role in environmental policy. Most provinces, especially Batangas and Quezon promote ecotourism, so, nature resorts are continuing to grow. The situation in Quezon is however complicated, with a conservative majority and liberal minority, that locally hated coal-fired power plants continue to be constructed around the rainforests while the province is striving to promote ecotourism.

Get in
The region is well connected to other regions by road and sea. There is no major airport in Calabarzon, but Ninoy Aquino International Airport in a suburb of Manila is reasonably close.

By bus
Most of CALABARZON, save Rizal, are adequately served by provincial buses. Major bus companies are DLTBCo, JAM, JAC Liner and ALPS. Bus service is limited around Rizal.

By car
The region has good road connections with the adjacent regions. From Metro Manila, toll expressways like the South Luzon Expressway and STAR Tollway serve as the major road connections. Travelers from Bicol Region will take the Maharlika Highway, but expect a zigzagging road in the countryside and frequent rainstorms because of the rainforest climate of the areas passed through.

By sea
Batangas Port is the second busiest seaport in the Philippines (after Cebu), and provides connections to the rest of the Philippines. Interisland ships and RoRo services serve the port, as well as fast ferry and motorboat service.

By rail
Philippine National Railways provide train service through Laguna and Quezon to Bicol Region, but it remains suspended as of 2017. A commuter train from Tutuban station in Manila serves the major cities in Laguna, but it only operates in the evening hours and becomes extremely crowded every rush hour.

The remainder of Calabarzon is not served by mainline railways. Railways in Rizal and Cavite have long disappeared, the only reincarnations being extensions of Manila's rapid transit services. Batangas used to be served by a single branch of the main line to Bicol, but has fell into disuse, and only in the late 2010s did the government decide to restore the line to Luzon's second major seaport.

By bus
Buses are plenty in Calabarzon, with frequent departures from major cities and towns. The lone exception is Rizal, where it is hard to come by; if there are any, these are infrequent services between Manila and eastern Laguna or northern Quezon.

While luxury buses are available to services from Batangas City, most buses will be standard air-conditioned coaches. Non-AC, ordinary buses are once common in the region, but these are increasingly becoming rare in Batangas, Cavite and Laguna. Quezon still has ordinary bus service to its backwater towns.

By car
Driving is the other best way of getting around the region. Highways are of a decent standard, but are many are narrow, two-lanes. Driving habits are also not for the faint of heart, whether it be on the sprawling urban areas in Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, to the hinterland of Quezon.

Expressways remain limited, the primary ones being the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR, aka "Calabarzon"). SLEx is being extended to Quezon, and another expressway is being built in Cavite, with parts partially opened to traffic.

By train
Philippine National Railways' Inter-Provincial Commuter runs between Calamba, San Pablo and Lucena.

By jeepney
All the major cities in Calabarzon have jeepneys, but there are also jeepneys connecting cities and towns especially in the more urbanized parts of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal. In most of Quezon, travel between towns are mostly by bus, except the rainforest town of Lucban. There are also jeepneys connecting other towns in the province, but these tend to be illegal unlicensed services and should be avoided in favor of buses.

Comfortable, air-conditioned modern jeepneys are already in use in northwestern Laguna, northern Cavite and suburban Rizal, but still uncommon elsewhere the region.

See
The region is home to historical downtowns of Taal, Sariaya and Tayabas, which have well-preserved colonial architecture.
 * Taal Volcano, the "lake within a volcano within a lake" and the centerpiece of Batangas province.
 * Monuments and sites related to the Philippine Revolution.
 * Heritage churches and religious sites

Do

 * Beach-bumming
 * Mountain climbing

Stay safe
There is a considerable risk from the weather. Most of CALABARZON is characterized by frequent rainfall, so don't forget to bring an umbrella when visiting any location within the region. The only exceptions are the westernmost areas, where there are dry and wet seasons, but still expect rainfall. Typhoons are also a danger during the rainy season.

See the volcanoes and Taal Volcano articles for hazards associated with visiting an active volcano.

title: Calabarzon


text:
Calabasas

Calabasas is a suburban community at the southwestern corner of the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, sitting in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.

Get in
Driving is the primary way of getting to Calabasas. The city sits along the Ventura Freeway (US 101) between the San Fernando Valley to the east and the Conejo Valley of Ventura County to the west, 30 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, 20 miles west of Burbank, and about 40 miles east of Ventura.

Go next

 * The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area lies directly to the south, an easy drive up into the hills.
 * Malibu, the famous beach community on the Pacific Ocean, sits opposite the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.
 * The famed attractions of Los Angeles are a short drive east.

title: Calabasas