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Orbital Travel offers two nights at the five-star Mercure Cairo Le Sphinx and two full-day tours including lunch from £189. The two tours and three nights in the hotel, plus a seven-night Nile cruise on a full-board basis on the five-star Esadora including 12 excursions, EgyptAir flights and transfers, starts at £1,129. orbitaltravel.co.uk


For those who want to add a visit to Cairo to a beach stay, Red Sea Holidays offers day trips from Sharm el-Sheikh from £179 by air, and from Hurghada and Makadi Bay from £190 by air and £80 by coach. redseaholidays.co.uk


numbers from the UK for the period January to September hit 674,000, bringing the ministry of tourism’s hoped-for target of a million this year within sight. Currently, it’s the beach


resorts on the Red Sea that are spearheading this comeback. But following a trip to Cairo and the Nile two weeks ago, I urge anyone who has the sights of Ancient Egypt on their wishlist to go, and go soon. I felt totally safe throughout


my trip. Cruising on the Nile was incredibly tranquil, and the busy capital was welcoming and unthreatening. Current Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice warns against travel to certain parts of this large country – particularly northern Sinai – but there are no restrictions on tourist areas. It’s also worth remembering that the focus of the protests were political, and violence hasn’t been directed at tourists. A large proportion of the population is economically dependent on tourism and so the Egyptian people are desperately keen for visitors to return. Across the board the welcome is warm and genuine. Security is visible, both along the


52 • travelweekly.co.uk — 27 November 2014


Nile and in Cairo, though mostly low-key and in the form of the tourist police, except in Tahrir Square. Here there is a much larger police presence, but it doesn’t interfere with visits to the Egyptian Museum. Visitors who take normal sensible precautions for any busy, foreign city will predominantly notice only benefits from visiting at this quiet time.


l CAIRO WITHOUT CROWDS From the Pyramids to the treasures in the museum, Cairo’s attractions are unique and awe-inspiring –


Khan el-Khalili bazaar Saqqara colonnade


Tutankhamun


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