Hey all
I stopped briefly in Alexandria when I was working on a cruise. Didn`t explore the city very much but they do have the famous library.
However, given that your next itinerary is Italy and Greece, I`d save my money for those places rather than Alexandria. See the pyramids, ride a camel (that was fun!) and continue on. That`s what I think, others may disagree...
Hey Mike. Sorry to see you never got a (real) answer. If it's not too late...
I'd say not to bother with Alexandria. The fort's ok but a bit bare stone, the fish museum turned out to be just that - not an aquarium but glass cases with dry stuffed fish! :-) Worth the 50p admission, just. The mosque, to me, was just a mosque, complete with corrupt policeman asking for money. The walk round the harbour to the fort is pleasant enough; the town is fairly uninspiring.
But that's just me - and I don't go a great deal on Muslim culture.
Oops, was typing while MissBrenda was posting - didn't mean to call her reply a non-reply - I was talking about the spammer!
I was unimpressed with Alexandria, a city that seemed to be full of shoe shops, and the dead dog on the stony beach there. Give it a miss.
One lesson everyone learns with a trip to Egypt is that not only is everyone after your money but they will do what they have to to get it. Most legally and some not. You will be overcharged, short changed, etc.
I had one guy try to sell me some tourist tat I didn't want and he started at ten Egyptian pounds and as I walked away it had dropped to one Egyptian pound. You have to bargain with them, but most will be better at it than you are, and I have seen some pay far too much for cheap items or obviously fake "antiques".
There are still some demonstrations in central Cairo, which can become violent but if just a mile away you may not know they happened. Allow yourself plenty of time for the Cairo museum. That is where most of the antiquities are and it is HUGE.
Buy a can of mosquito spray ASAP. You'll be glad you did.
Best to spend your extra time in Italy. Lots to see there.
I travelled Egypt for about a month, but it's a long time ago...
Be ready of the kind of scenery Cyberia is describing... Tourism have plummet after the revolution and most souvenir sellers are struggling to make a living, so it's probably even worse now... Be polite, refuse, walk along.. If you are dragged into a shop and offered tea, don't feel bad about leaving without buying anything - the locals don't...
And don't buy your souvenirs until the end of your trip.. Much of it is the same, but starting prices (negotiate hard!) varies greatly...
That said, I actually found the people in Alex less aggressive sellers than in obvious tourist spots like Cairo, Aswan and Luxor... There's come nice catacombs (if they are still open), but otherwise I would only visit Alex in route to the eastern oasis's like Siwa - which are highly recommended for some getting away from all the haggle and the touts, if you have the time...
If you're diving there's some fairly impressive ruin-dives off the harbor as well...
If it is not part of your plan, spent some says on a felucca cruise on the Nile, instead of visiting Alex...
Hi all,
why does nobody like Alex? I visited Alexandria last Summer, went with a local company (Red Sea Reisen) and I really enjoyed it! I had a private guide, maybe that's why I didn't feel so bothered I really liked the Montazah Palace and its gardens, and oh, the lovely Bibliotheca Alexandrina! I would spend there all day if possible... I kind of like the flair of the city as I studied a little bit of its history so when I saw some sight, all the story about it came to my mind
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