First published in The Telegraph in January 2021, and reproduced here as > it ran. It describes a particular moment during the pandemic, when Egypt's > sites were deserted and its hotels heavily discounted. The prices, flight > details and Covid rules below are all of their time. > Read the original.
Although the UK is back in lockdown, probably for many weeks, there are still reasons to stay positive about travel. For those looking forward to a time when you can travel again, I suggest you turn your attention to Egypt. Although it's never been on the mothballed travel corridor it has low levels of Covid that are falling. Just as important, the attitude to travellers in Egypt is different to many countries that have given in to Covid terror.
On landing the welcome is warm and the procedures polite and hassle-free with minimal queuing at immigration. Importantly, as I discovered when travelling there late last year, it also offers you a once in a century chance to see one of the world's most mystical yet heavily touristed countries free from the hordes that have swarmed its iconic sites for decades. Want to experience the pyramids all to yourself? Stay in beautiful historic 5-star hotels for a fraction of the standard price? Read on.
Stress-free travel
British Airways (BA) and Egyptair are both running direct flights from London Heathrow to Cairo and Business Class flights can be found for as little as £700. My BA flight to Cairo was on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a wide-body plane usually used on long haul routes. It has a lie-flat seat, so once you have the divider screen raised between your seat and the next, you have a great degree of privacy. My flight was less than half full (it would be nice if they allowed people to remove their masks when there is six feet or more space between passengers, but according to airline rules you're supposed to keep them on regardless). BA also fly smaller A321 Neos to Cairo but Egyptair are flying Boeing 777s, a good option if you want the wide-body aircraft experience and the BA 787s aren't available. Check-in and security at both Heathrow and Cairo were a breeze although most lounges are closed. The time from disembarking the plane in Cairo to standing outside the airport terminal was 20 minutes, which includes immigration, Covid test results check, buying a visa and collecting my luggage. A personal record.
Ancient sites without crowds
The Pyramids, the valley of the kings, Karnak, Abu Simbel and the rest of Egypt's world-famous sites are practically deserted. It is great for the tourist and terrible for the locals. I enjoyed both the temples of Abu Simbel and the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor quite literally to myself. There will likely never be a better opportunity to see these attractions without busloads of tourists blocking the view and vying for selfies. However, while it's a great time for tourists, the locals are suffering terribly. Lockdowns cause devastation not just at home but abroad too in poor tourist-dependent economies. It is apparent all around from the emaciated horses pulling empty tourist carts in Luxor, to the exacerbated penury of the locals. My tour guide at the Pyramids told me I was only his second customer since April. These are difficult times and your travel helps them too.
Historic, elegant hotels
Some of the most beautiful historic hotels in the world can be found in Egypt and right now they are at a discount. The Winter Palace in Luxor, which has hosted kings and presidents down the years and feels opulent while retaining its classic charm, was my personal favourite and rooms are available from around £50pn. If you head further south to Aswan, the Old Cataract Hotel is set beautifully on the banks of the Nile, its pink walls and Victorian décor a reminder of a world gone by. It's £175 per night in February and is almost a destination in itself. Aswan is also a base from which to explore the temples of Abu Simbel, a three hour bus trip across the desert to the shores of Lake Nasser. Both the Winter Palace and Old Cataract hotels in Luxor and Aswan respectively are worth visiting for drink or a meal if you aren't staying there.
Life on a beach
February to April is a great time to visit Egypt's beaches, which are less crowded now than for many years. There are many well-known towns and resorts to choose from on either the Med or the Red Sea. My advice would be to look along the coast South of Hurghada. The water is clear and warm and the hotels are wonderful value with tons of amenities and unintrusive Covid rules. So while in Egypt in general there are hygiene protocols and mask-wearing recommendations in place to make people feel safe, they are usually optional for guests and it's mostly left to the common sense of the individual to decide what is most appropriate in any given situation. You have many options in this part of Egypt's coastline but a good starting point is The Oberoi Beach Resort Sahl Hasheesh at around £150pn.
Off the beaten path
If you decide to venture out to Egypt and want a few ideas for things to do that are a bit leftfield I'd suggest the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo and the Gayer Anderson Museum next door. You may recognise them from certain scenes in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. The mosque is an example of 9th century Islamic architecture and the museum is a 17th-century home turned museum showcasing Egyptian art.
For me, the two British cemeteries, one in Cairo, one in Aswan, were perhaps the most memorable of the lesser-known places I sought out. The cemetery in Cairo was a well-kept, solitary and peaceful haven in a sea of noise and pollution. My signature in the guestbook was one of only three that year.
The cemetery in Aswan on the outskirts of the city appears to have been unvisited for years and contains the graves mainly of young British soldiers who died while stationed in the south of Egypt in the 1880s in a fort called Korosko, swallowed up long ago by the waters of Lake Nasser. The barely readable names on the headstones chiselled at the height of empire a reminder of the impermanence of a way of life. It is especially poignant at the present time.