Off to explore Egypt! (page 2 of 6)

So I may have spoken a bit too soon when I said there wouldn’t be any elevation change...😇

A bit too soon... yeah! 😉 Coming online soon!

No, more like in the Sinai...

I’ll be keeping an eye on this. Personally, I only know that part of Egypt, along with Cairo and Alexandria... Once on my own when the Sinai was Israeli, and a second time with my family, with a 7-year-old kid when it was Egyptian. I’ve always avoided—probably wrongly—all the sites along the Nile.

We’ll explore the Nile banks too, but in our own way... 🙂

February 11 - Day 3

Why did we drag ourselves all the way to Dahab, that little Egyptian town you’ve probably never heard of? Well, let me tell you, eager reader! First off, the Red Sea seemed like a must to mix things up. But before we took the plunge, we had to decide which beach resort would win the "coolest spot" contest—one, two, three... Dahab, it’s you! Way less famous than Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada, but honestly, there wasn’t much competition since Dahab’s been on my to-do list for over twenty years after stumbling across some random blog post. And here we are, finally arriving after a pretty decent night’s sleep on the bus—though we only managed to catch sporadic shut-eye between the 12 military checkpoints and our driver’s 896 honks (cigarette dangling from his mouth, of course), averaging about 30 seconds of restorative sleep at a time...



First impressions of Dahab? Yep, we’re definitely in a beach resort: sky, sun, and sea. Beyond that, it’s pure chill vibes, just what our tired souls needed—Bedouin tents, worn-out cushions on the sand, dogs napping in the shade of palm trees, goats roaming freely through the streets... The other standout feature? Those ochre mountains begging for a hike, plunging into the deep blue Red Sea before popping up again about twenty kilometers away, over there in Saudi Arabia. Fun fact: that’s actually in the advanced planning stages for a future "tite Flo and Franky" adventure!





Rumor has it some travelers who come to Dahab never leave—it’s that peaceful and the landscapes are just too charming! What makes Dahab *dahab-ulous* (see what I did there?) is the water’s perfect year-round, whether you’re a human or an exotic fish taking a permanent vacation. To say hi to the fish in their coral reef, all you need is a step into the water, mask strapped on, and you’re ready to chat. That’s exactly what we did, and it kept us busy all morning.











From shellfish to sea anemones—this afternoon’s all about exploring the area, butts firmly planted on the saddles of the bikes we just rented for next to nothing (3 Egyptian pounds).

Day 3 (continued)

What a blast, cycling along this Red Sea offering an endless palette of blues! And what about that explosion of Photoshop-worthy colors when we reached the lagoon south of Dahab? Nothing to say. We just shut up, take it all in, and try not to drool too much.











Okay, not the most exciting night, a bit of snorkeling, lots of biking... You see where I'm going with this? By 7:30 PM, we’re calling it a day. No more sound, no more picture. That’s all from us, back to the studio, over to you, Cognacq-Jay... Beeeeeeeep.........

February 12 - Day 4

Unusually, this day’s entry for February 12 takes off the night before at 10:30 PM. No, we’re not suffering from collective insomnia, and no, the alarm wasn’t masochistically set to drag us from Morpheus’ arms at such an ungodly... more than early hour. Because another goal of coming here was the legendary nighttime hike up Mount Moses, which leads us to the front row for the sunrise over the Sinai mountains—a place steeped in symbolism. For those who haven’t seen the *Ten Commandments* musical, this is the mountain where the hero climbed to get his tablets; clearly, IKEA wasn’t delivering back then. Just so you know, hiking in the dark at altitude is known to be tough, and with the weather forecast predicting a chilly -7°C, we had a last-minute dropout at the back of the pack—Luna, Flo’s daughter, was put off by the description of the ordeal.

Anyway, all this to say that the car we negotiated the day before was right on time for our meet-up in front of the guesthouse, ready to take us to the presumed site of our suffering—nearly two hours away. So, around 1 AM, we set off on this wild, extreme ascent from St. Catherine’s Monastery, accompanied by our mandatory Bedouin guide, Mohamed, who’s 20 years old and *supposed* to be guiding us to support the local economy.

Turns out, he was only a guide in name and for the fee we were forced to pay—since the path was clearly marked with no chance of getting lost. No, our best partner in this crazy adventure was none other than Lady Moon, who honored us by being full tonight, lighting our way on this pilgrimage. As you can imagine, the atmosphere was something else. We passed silhouettes wandering silently in a landscape we could only guess was majestic. We were overtaken by the shadows of towering camels grumbling their desire for rest. A unique, almost intoxicating feeling...



The pace was brisk, each of us trying to fuel our internal furnace with calories to keep warm. So much so that instead of the usual three hours needed to cover the seven kilometers, we only took two and reached the finish line at the second-highest peak in Egypt (2,285 meters), where a small church and mosque stand. That’s a solid effort, but it also meant we’d have to endure an extra hour of freezing cold, which wouldn’t hesitate to sneak through our layers and sting our defenseless skin.

Luckily, Bedouins had set up coffee shops along the route, offering hot drinks and thick camel-hair blankets for rent (complete with camel smells). We huddled under one, hoping the minutes would tick by faster.





And then—finally!—it happened. Like a king presenting himself in his finest regalia to his devoted followers who’d made the long, grueling journey just to catch a glimpse, the sunrise appeared. An unreal, magical, breathtaking moment. The majestic Sinai mountains unfolded before us in subtle hues, enhanced by the mist and the first rays we now soaked in. Without a doubt, the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever witnessed. And I’m so glad I shared it, in these tough conditions, with my daughter and my Flo. You guys absolutely crushed it! I’m so proud of you and love you both so much!

Day 4 (continued)









What if we recap all this while racing down our mountain of wonders now laid out before our wide-eyed gaze? I don’t know if I’m still reeling from the emotion, but every meter of the return path is pure enchantment. It’s beautiful. How else to put it? The trail, the surroundings, the soft morning light, the now-pleasant temperature... There’s almost a mystical pilgrimage vibe leading us straight to the oldest Christian monastery in the world: St. Catherine’s Monastery. The very one that shelters and protects the Burning Bush. We quickly visit its interior, which isn’t particularly interesting, but it’s the outdoor setting that really catches our eye. We climb a few meters up the mountain facing it to admire the monastery in its ancient enclosure. Magnificent!













You’ve got it—this experience was flawless, leaving us completely fulfilled, and it’ll definitely be one of the most unforgettable moments of this Egyptian adventure. Compared to that, the rest of the day back in Dahab was just trivial stuff. Still, we’ll remember a fantastic meal of Egyptian specialties at Yum Yum, another philosophical chat with the fish... and a long, restorative nap. Pure bliss... and our bodies, now addicted, are already craving more. The rest of the trip is gonna be amazing...

This trek sounds pretty appealing, even though a guide is mandatory! It should be within my reach since the elevation gain is only 700 meters and there’s a less steep trail than the other...

I didn’t get the chance to visit St. Catherine’s Monastery when I passed through Sinai from Jordan. I seem to remember it was off-limits for security reasons.

For the food, I don’t have great memories—just falafels and a super rich dessert made with semolina and dried fruit. It was pretty heavy, the meat was cut haphazardly, and it wasn’t suited for high temperatures.

Looks like things have improved a bit!

This trek sounds really appealing, even though a guide is mandatory! It should be manageable for me since the elevation gain is only 700 meters and there’s a less steep trail than the other...

I didn’t get the chance to visit St. Catherine’s Monastery when I passed through Sinai from Jordan. I seem to remember it was off-limits due to security reasons.

For the food, I don’t have great memories except for falafels and a super rich dessert made with semolina and dried fruit. It was pretty heavy, the meat was just hacked up, and it wasn’t suited for high temperatures.

Looks like things have improved a bit now!

Yeah, it’s awesome and not too difficult—unless you’re sensitive to the cold or not properly equipped. The monastery area was indeed closed for a long time due to security concerns. Now, everything’s fine, but you can’t go wherever you want without an escort. I found that annoying too, but our guide was basically absent (except when asking for his money). As for the local food, while it wasn’t amazing, I really loved hawawshis—those spiced meat patties.

Why did we drag ourselves all the way to Dahab, that little Egyptian town you may have never heard of?

I went there back when the Sinai was under Israeli control—Di Zahav in Hebrew (meaning "Much Gold"), a reference to the biblical Golden Calf. The Hebrews supposedly stopped there during their Exodus from Egypt. I can’t remember if it’s there or further south where there’s a glass tunnel built for non-divers to admire the underwater scenery. We did the hike up Mount Moses (Mount Horeb in the Bible, or Jabal Musa in Arabic) starting from St. Catherine’s Monastery in the morning... It’s not very long, from what I recall, though the endless staircase at the end was a bit of a slog—but it’s absolutely stunning!

Why did we drag ourselves all the way to Dahab, a small Egyptian town you may never have heard of?

I went there back when the Sinai was Israeli—Di Zahav in Hebrew (meaning "Lots of Gold"), referring to the golden calf in the Bible. The Hebrews supposedly stopped there during their exodus from Egypt (Exodus). I can’t remember if it’s there or further south where there’s a glass tunnel built for non-divers to admire the underwater scenery. We did the hike up Mount Moses (Mount Horeb in the Bible, or Jabal Musa in Arabic) starting from St. Catherine’s Monastery in the morning... It’s not very long from what I recall—the most tedious part is the many stair steps at the end, but it’s absolutely stunning!

Once there, everyone describes the hike as grueling. It’s really not that hard! But since it’s billed as a long trek and we finished it pretty quickly, we ended up freezing at the summit while waiting around!

As for the tunnel, didn’t see or hear about it in Dahab...

Did you take the same route back? I remember returning via a shorter but very steep and slightly slippery path with lots of stone steps! (Path of Repentance)

As for the tunnel, didn’t see or hear about it in Dahab...

I think it’s in Eilat then.

Hello everyone, As many have already mentioned, it’s really easy to plan your own trip to Egypt, away from mass tourism. It’s true that since the 2011 revolution, Gaza, and now the war with Iran, a lot of things have changed, including prices across all kinds of activities. But it’s still a great place to visit. Over time, we’ve made friends from north to south, and we spend most of our time with them. We don’t overthink it—one of our friends is a taxi driver, and when we need something, we know who to turn to. Same goes for our accommodations. We’ve never had any problems. As for harassment, meh—a little smile, a friendly "no," and it’s all good. Have a great day! Thoutmosis

Did you take the same route back? I remember returning via a shorter but very steep and slightly slippery path with lots of stone steps! (Sentier de la repentance)

As for the tunnel, didn’t see or hear about it in Dahab...

I think it’s in Eilat then.

Yep, same path there and back, but we only noticed it on the way back. And I can confirm the final climb up the stairs was pretty steep.

February 13 - Day 5

There’s no denying it—the landscapes of the American West are still calling to us. That’s why, when I start planning a new adventure in another country, I innocently type things like "Canyon" or "Rock formations" into Google for the place. Imagine my surprise when, a few months ago, the results showed me photos that looked straight out of the American West, labeled "White Canyon" in Egypt’s Sinai! Seeing those shots, it was clear we had to leave our hiking boot prints there—if only we could figure out how to get to it. After digging deeper: first, this canyon isn’t accessible with a regular car. Second, renting a 4x4 from Dahab is pretty much impossible. Third, hardly any websites even mention the place, and I couldn’t pinpoint its exact location on a map.

Our mission once we arrived in Dahab? Ask the locals. I even asked our driver from yesterday if he had any leads. No luck—the guy didn’t even know the place existed. So, I had to bite the bullet and walk into a travel agency. Phew! Not only did the guy know about the canyon, but he told me a three-4x4 expedition was leaving tomorrow to explore White Canyon *and* Colored Canyon, which I’d also spotted online. "Perfect, save us four spots!"



So, by 8 AM, we’re on the road, which we leave pretty quickly for a little desert rally. Our Land Cruisers handle it like pros! And the scenery we’re driving through? Total film-burning potential!

We’re not disappointed—in fact, we’re blown away when we’re dropped off at the trailhead, which starts with a simple 20-meter rappel.







Then, for about an hour and a half, it’s pure Utah-level enchantment. No major challenges, just a super fun route alternating between walking in the white sand at the canyon bottom, easy climbs, and hiking along the rim for jaw-dropping views. Feels like we teleported straight to the U.S.!

Day 5 (continued)

The end of our hike drops us in an oasis occupied by Bedouin families who were supposed to have our lunch ready. I say "supposed to" because when we arrive, the family head is probably still out hunting chicken with his bow and arrows... So Flo and I lace up our boots again for the second half—aka exploring the surroundings. We discover, for example, some stunning multicolored rock formations. We also climb the little adjacent mountain to get some height and overlook the oasis—it’s beautiful, it’s beautiful... In short, we’re having a blast in our favorite playground, all to ourselves!









After a meal that fills our stomachs, we switch back to 4x4 mode to reach the trailhead of Colored Canyon. Two rooms, two vibes! One was pristine white, the other blood-red. But more importantly, one was wild and untouched, while the second is more accessible and thus much more worn by the eyes, footsteps, and noise of tourists. Setting aside the crowds, the canyon is still nice to walk through, but in my opinion, it doesn’t hold a candle to the American West—it wouldn’t even make the B-list among second-choice spots there.











Since our legs are far from giving out, and we’ve spotted a little hike near Dahab, we ask our driver to drop us off at the right spot to save time before the sunset starts knocking. A nice loop with some elevation gain, a beautiful sunset over the Red Sea—what else?... Maybe a stray dog attack to spice up the end of the day? Sure, let’s go for the stray dog attack that could’ve ended badly: For my Sasha first, who came within inches of a bite... but mostly for the dog, who ultimately sold his tickets for a *very* close demonstration of a paternal intergenerational flying kick!



Alright, to recover from our emotions—and especially our efforts—nothing beats another night of sleep on the bus. Yep, we’re already leaving Dahab after three days of great service! We’d happily have stayed longer to spend the winter here, but retirement isn’t calling just yet... So, back to Cairo for everyone! Retired or not, will you still be with us?

February 14 - Day 6

Welcome to this new meet-up that, for once, was supposed to let us step back, gain some intellectual perspective, meditate on the deep meaning of life and that perpetual desire for adventure... Did you buy it? Sorry, but I’m just gonna tell you about our new day in Egypt to try and make you travel a little by proxy!

And this new travel day starts with a minibus ride that’s finally over. But what a ride it was—between the driver who’s hyped up at the wheel, smoking and talking on the phone with the windows down, the new military checkpoints, the AC blasting, Egyptian rap in our ears for eight hours... I can tell you, four mummies are stepping out in Cairo to live this day!

When a traveler usually arrives in Cairo, they only want one thing: to see the pyramids... and get out! But if you stick around and prove you’re alive, the megacity holds so many treasures to discover once you blow off the thick layer of dust covering it... The biggest city in Africa has an unsuspected heritage, far from being limited to a few piles of pyramid-shaped rocks tucked away in a corner! Since ancient Egypt—absolutely mind-blowing, sure—the Nile has seen it all: periods that shine by their absence in our history books—Greek domination, Roman invasion, Christian crusades, the Mamluk coup, Ottoman imperialism, British colonization. And in its own way, each of these chapters left its mark, still visible in Cairo today. Our personal timeline will be shorter and certainly less historic for the city with a capital H. But we still plan to live this day with intensity and frenzy.

For that, we’re heading to the neighborhood that, in my opinion, offers the highest concentration of must-see sites per square meter in the world: Old Cairo, or Islamic Cairo. We get there by metro, which has two features that jump out at us: first, the price of a Paris RATP ticket lets you travel here for 18 years, 7 months, and 14 days. Second, there are cars for men and cars for women. It might surprise you!

Alright, slip on your djellaba and babouches—let’s go for the visits, starting with a solid breakfast at a street bakery with some really nice chats with the owner.







We’re recharged and ready to tackle Bab al-Futuh, the Al-Hakim Mosque, and El Moez Ldin Allah Al Fatmi Street. Behind that barbaric name hides the jewel of Old Cairo. The atmosphere is surreal, outdated but so sweet this early in the morning! We’re won over! Visits to madrasas, old hammams, the Qalawun Complex, the Sabil-Kuttab fountain... The architecture is impressive! On the street, Cairo has now shaken off its hangover from the night before. Stalls are set up, Cairenes are chatting, and they welcome us into a cacophony of Beethoven in major-horn mode, echoed by stray dogs and muezzins.

Day 6 (continued)

We pick up our frantic pace again, dodging tuk-tuks and delivery guys on bikes with our best bullfight-worthy hip swerves. After the sixteenth stray cat, we take a left, then a right at the twelfth stray dog. Finally, we step into the famous, bustling Khan el Khalili souk. Here, made in China is king! If you stacked up all the wooden, sandstone, and plastic pyramid souvenirs, you’d probably outdo the Great Pyramid itself!



As expected, our skin and hair color don’t exactly grant us a free pass for a leisurely stroll. The street vendors go all out: "Hello my friend, cheap papyrus? - No thanks. - A bracelet? One dollar! ... Where are you going? - Just walking around. - Why not come into my shop? - No thanks. - It’s beautiful, and cheaper than at Leclerc! - Yeah, but no thanks. - Cheap! Cheap! And great quality! A scarab? - Really, it’s kind of you, but no thanks. - What’s your price? - Okay, bye... - Where are you from? - Ciao. - Oh, you’re Italian? - Bye. - English? Maybe later?... - Okay. - Sure? - Yes, yes........... - Hello my friend, papyrus?..........."

In short, all we want is to be airlifted to a less "hostile" environment. So we take the tunnel that leads to the southern part of the neighborhood. And then... "If you’re looking for the tourist souk, it’s on the other side!" No, no, we’re in the right place! Here, it’s even more packed, and we don’t see a single tourist. We continue our visits: Souk El-Khayamiya, Bab Zuwayla gate, which we climb for a view of the city—it looks pretty rough. But time flies, and we clearly won’t be able to see everything I’d planned. Action, reaction! We flag down a tuk-tuk driver and ask him to take us to the Citadel of Saladin, skipping a bunch of sites that’ll mean we’ll have to plan another trip to Egypt. Oh, bummer...









The tuk-tuk ride is... epic, but the driver’s a pro. Every brake and acceleration is calculated to the millimeter, whether we’re going the right way or—especially—against traffic on a two-lane road with a median! In 15 minutes, the guy made 50 Egyptian pounds... and lost 128 points on his driver’s license!



Alright! The citadel! It’s beautiful, it’s huge! But where did Mehmet Ali, who ruled Egypt in the 19th century, get all those big rocks? Well, right where they were—on the pyramids, of course! If you ever wondered why the outer layer of stones is missing from the Giza pyramids, I’ve just handed you the culprit on a silver platter!



We visit the two mosques, take a quick tour of the military museum, enjoy a stunning view of the city, and our super-nice Uber driver picks us up to take us safely to the airport. No, no, our trip isn’t over yet—next stop, the soooouth! We’ll talk about it tomorrow?

Hello everyone, I don’t understand why people always talk about Egypt as if it’s the most dangerous place—there are countries that are far riskier, and I mean that. It’s very safe, and that’s partly because there are checkpoints along the roads. Once you pass one, they automatically notify the next checkpoint, and if you don’t arrive within the expected time (they do allow some leeway), a search is immediately launched and verified based on the route you provided at the last checkpoint. When we’re in Egypt, we never travel in a group (just my wife and me), and we often go off the beaten path. Maybe we’ve taken risks, but we’ve never had any problems. Yes, visiting the sites along the Nile is amazing, but there’s so much more—the local people, for instance. Just speaking a little of the language opens so many doors. So, go for it! Just remember that there’s no such thing as zero risk anywhere. Thoutmosis

Hello everyone, I don’t understand why people always talk about Egypt as if it’s so dangerous—there are countries that are far riskier, and I mean that. It’s very secure, and that’s partly why there are checkpoints along the roads. Once you pass one, they automatically notify the next checkpoint, and if you don’t arrive within the expected time (they do allow some leeway), searches are launched and verified based on the route you provided at the last checkpoint. When we’re in Egypt, we never travel in a group (just my wife and me) and often go off the beaten path. Maybe we’ve taken risks, but we’ve never had any problems. Yes, visiting the sites along the Nile is amazing, but there’s so much more—the local people, for one. Just speaking a little of the language opens so many doors. So, go for it! Just remember that zero risk doesn’t exist anywhere. Thoutmosis

My travel journal aims to show that too...

When we're in Egypt, we're never in a group (just my wife and me) and often off the beaten path. Maybe we've taken risks, but we've never had any problems.

Hello, Maybe you mistook me for someone else because I didn’t bring up the issue of safety here... I went to Egypt with my family—my wife and my 7- or 8-year-old son—back in the '90s. We rented a car. I’ve since learned that’s no longer possible and that you now need a police escort depending on the route. I don’t know much more about that. Apart from visiting Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza, we chose to go to Sinai (the Red Sea for snorkeling and diving), and I also wanted to avoid the overly touristy sites along the Nile to escape the pressure from guides, vendors, and other pushy touts—I imagine they can be pretty aggressive and clingy.

In terms of safety, I think you’re actually taking fewer risks by traveling independently and off the beaten path than with organized groups. Extremist attacks have always targeted groups or tourist buses, never isolated travelers. That said, just because you’ve never had any issues, as you mentioned, doesn’t mean the country is safe. You’re still far more likely to avoid an attack than to be caught in one, thankfully!