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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU TRAVEL TO EGYPT

If you are planning a trip to Egypt, there is no doubt that you have a lot of questions. Should you hire a guide? What places should you visit? What do you need to pack? And the most popular question of all…is Egypt safe to visit?

we visited Cairo, Giza, Luxor, Abydos and Dendera, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. For various reasons, we chose to drive along the Nile River from Luxor to Aswan, rather than taking a cruise, which I will address in this article. We learned a lot during our visit and have a lot of valuable information to share with you.

Since arriving home, we have received an overwhelming number of emails about safety and the expectations of a trip to Egypt. Tim has been answering these questions in great detail and we decided that it would be worth writing an article with answers to all of your questions.

Here are our Egypt travel tips. If you still have questions, let us know in the comment section at the end of this post.

WHERE SHOULD YOU GO?

Egypt contains some of the oldest, grandest sites in the world. Sure, everyone is familiar with the great pyramids on the Giza Plateau, but there is a lot more to Egypt than just the pyramids. The lesser known and more fun to visit pyramids in Saqqara and Dahshur are well worth the day trip from Cairo. You can also spend a day or two visiting the churches and mosques in Cairo, walking through Old Cairo, and getting a history lesson at the Egyptian Museum.

Alexandria, with its location on the Mediterranean Sea, makes a nice da[……]

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11 Steps To Planning A Trip To Israel

December and January are a bit colder – the average temperature in Tel Aviv is around 16 degrees Celsius, while it can be much colder in Jerusalem (9 degrees during the day), where it can even snow. Winter in Israel usually means rain, with terrible thunder storms that can last for days and often cause flooding – and will force you to change your plans.

One more thing to consider is the religious (or even non-religious) holidays – theirs, not yours! The reason I say this is that if you visit during a local holiday, accommodation is often more expensive and it books up much faster.

These are only a few of the Israeli / Jewish holidays to keep in mind:

Pesach (Easter) – it usually overlaps with Christian Easter.

Roshashana (Jewish New Year) – it takes place in September and it’s huge. That’s when most Israelis travel, either domestically or overseas.

Yom Kippur and Sukkot – they fall right after Roshashana.

Hopefully this will help you decide when to visit.

How long to stay in Israel

Despite being a small country, there is a lot to see and do in Israel and it will take you multiple visits to get to know it.

This is a place that you can truly appreciate even if you have a short break – in fact, one of the most successful marketing campaigns by the Israeli Tourist Board has been the “Two Cities, One Break” which ideally pairs Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as a perfect trip that combines culture, history, fun, glamor, sunshine and more.

Having said that, I would say that ten d[……]

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10 THINGS TO DO IN ISRAEL

Israel is a fascinating country that may be small in size, but huge in terms of things to see and do. There can’t be a better example of an amazing marriage of old and new than what you see in Israel. Every corner of Jerusalem has thousands of years of history staring at you; while Tel Aviv is uber modern that boasts of free Wi-Fi throughout the city. Here is a list of ten things you must-do if you visit Israel.

Visit the Holy Sites – Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel and one of the most sacred places in the world to the three major religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The ancient Old City is encircled by imposing stone walls that date to the Ottoman period and contain within it such holy sites as the Western Wall, The Dome of the Rock and Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Leave a prayer at the Western Wall – The Western Wall or Wailing Wall has so much history that the place will surely overwhelm you. Jewish people believe that a divine presence rests within the Western Wall, so they leave hand-written prayers on paper and insert them in cracks of the Wall in the hope that they will be answered. More than a million prayer notes or wishes are placed in the Western Wall each year. The challenge will be to find a spot to place your own prayer note.

Explore Masada – This 1st century fortress was the site of one of the most dramatic revolts of the Jewish-Roman wars. The mountain fortress of Masada stands on an isolated rock plateau in the south east of Israel and was[……]

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Travel Guide to Israel: 8 Days in Israel

Every year, my family takes a trip for Christmas. This year, we went to Rome, Israel and Jordan and I was in charge of planning the whole trip. We spent 8 days touring Israel on our own with almost no guided tours.

This blog will focus on Israel: where we went, what to do, where we stayed, and how to celebrate Christmas in Israel.

Here is what we did and how I planned the trip! First, a few things you should know:

Day 1: Fly to Tel Aviv and drive to Jerusalem

The Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv is the main international airport in Israel. We rented a car from a rental car company at the airport and drove to Jerusalem (about an hour drive). On the way, we stopped for dinner in a town called Modi’in, which is a very non-touristy town. We ate at a cool restaurant called פדריק. The staff were excited to speak with Americans, and the food was great! Right across the street is a bulk Israeli grocery store. We had lots of fun walking around and stocking up on tea, dried fruit, and candy. Then we continued on to Jerusalem for the night.

A bulk food market in Modi’in, Israel.

Day 2: Jerusalem: Mahane Yehuda Market, Old City, and Bethlehem for Christmas Eve

Mahane Yehuda Market

We started Day 2 at the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, a busy street market also known as “The Shuk”. There are lots of vendors selling fruit, teas, sweets, and other goods. You can easily walk to the market from Jaffa Street or from the Old City. We bought some fruit and tea then ate lunch at a litt[……]

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