Egypt

I started planning travels with a mind map instead of a list about 2 years ago. It’s not just travel I plan this way now, it’s everything. From blog-related tasks to personal and financial to-do lists they’re all on a mind map above my desk, to keep me focused on what I want to achieve […]

London is incredibly multicultural, meaning it’s packed with cool and curious cross-cultural ideas on every corner. But Egyptian influences in the city are not always immediately obvious – unless you know where to look – so you may wonder if it’s possible to enjoy an entire Egyptian itinerary while out and about in the British […]

I wonder what prompted you to read a post about finding perfect places for winter sun? Maybe it’s the start of January and you’re looking for hot holiday ideas to get you through the month? Perhaps you’ve stumbled on this post in mid-March having suffered an entire English Winter? Or are you actually in Australia […]

I have at least 8 stories to write by Monday about my recent travels, including some blog posts on my 2017 trip to Egypt. So, like any good procrastinator I naturally sat down at my desk today to do an entirely unrelated task. I stumbled on a piece I wrote for the travel industry magazine Travel […]

If ever there was a time to call to mind a Hamlet soliloquy, I’d say mid-stargaze is that time. Which of us doesn’t seek out beautiful night skies on our trips? Man by nature is in love with ‘this most excellent canopy the air…this brave over hanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire…this congregation […]

This week a brand new tax year started, and those in traditional jobs have been running year-end assessments and shuffling spreadsheets left, right and centre. So I thought I’d do some rather taxing assessments of my own and calculate the 10 best things I’ve done this financial year, and their real value – monetarily and of course in […]

I’m the first to be picked up for today’s boat trip to go snorkeling in Sharm el Sheikh, so I get chatting to the rep as we take the minibus to the next hotel. Like the rest of the staff at Emperor Divers – and as I soon realise the clients too – my guide is a Brit. I ask […]

Think of Cairo and you’ll imagine Tahrir Square, mob rule and flag-carrying protesters. But Cairo and Tahrir Square has changed in the last 20 months – at the end of September the Egyptian authorities pushed forward with a major clean-up of the city’s revolutionary hub. Having turfed the square they made the controversial decision to whitewash the political graffiti which adorns […]

Learning a few key words and phrases of a language always helps your trip to go more smoothly. Unlike some countries where your best linguistic efforts go unappreciated – or worse you’re answered in perfect English –  Egypt and other Arab countries smile on those who try a bit of Arabic. A few words and […]

Real Egyptians don’t spent their time hanging out at the pyramids or shopping in Khan el-Khalili, obviously. So where should a girl head to on a Saturday afternoon for a spot of retail therapy and a gossip with friends, as well as a soya latte to keep up the shopping spirits? If you want to know where to shop […]

This is the most personal post I have ever written. It’s about how Egypt was the original inspiration for my love of travel. That’s because Egypt is in my blood and also as the first foreign destination I can ever remember journeying to, it’s ingrained in my memories. As a child I can remember drinking Coca-Cola from […]