This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
DESTINATIONS — NORTH AFRICA & THE RED SEA


Cairo TRIED & TESTED: Kempinski Nile Hotel, Cairo


hence the hordes that swamped the sights before the revolution. They’re even more stunning


now, without the irritation of too many other tourists in the way. In the Egyptian Museum, visitors used to have to queue to get into the mummy room, where the bodies of pharaohs including Ramses II and Hatshepsut lie in glass cases. I was able to walk straight in, taking my time to marvel at the cloth-wrapped, raisin-skinned figures, thousands of years old. I even had a solitary moment with the most famous artifact of all – a peaceful eye-to-eye with the golden burial mask of Tutankhamun. This huge museum houses unimaginable treasures both glorious and strange – tons of gold, serried ranks of sarcophagi, exquisitely painted pieces


thousands of years old. There are burial chests the size of small rooms, matchbox-like coffins made for scarab beetles, even a mummified pet baboon or two. You could spend days in its aisles. The quickest and best way to


vaguely comprehend what you’re looking at is to go with a guide. Hussain, who alongside guiding for Your Egypt Tours is studying for a PhD in Egyptology, helped us pick out what, in a sea of history, was truly significant, and set it in context. A guide is also invaluable once


you leave the museum and hit Cairo’s streets. This vast, maze-like city is not an easy one to navigate alone, and having a guide and driver helped us make the most of our time. Before visiting the small Coptic Orthodox churches in Old Cairo,


The rooftop pool at this centrally located, luxurious property on the banks of the Nile is a beauty – sneak in a post- sightseeing swim just before it closes at 6pm for some of the most stunning sunset views in Cairo. If you miss it, never fear – the 10th-floor Jazz Bar has a terrace and the bonus of a cocktail menu. The 137 rooms and 54 suites all come with the welcome bonuses of 24-hour butler service, complimentary soft- drinks minibar, free Wi-Fi and a wide selection of movies on


demand so you can crash in front of the flatscreen if you’re too exhausted to venture out for the evening. My entry-level Madina Deluxe Room was incredibly spacious, and done out in a relaxing, Nile-like palette of beiges and fresh greens. The hotel has a tranquil, oasis-like feel among the city’s hubbub, leaving me refreshed and ready to face another exciting day in Cairo – fuelled by repeat trips to the huge and all- too-tempting breakfast buffet. Book it: From £90 per night kempinski.com


27 November 2014 — travelweekly.co.uk • 53





Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84