Hi guys, Happy (belated) New Year! I hope this year brings us more happiness, health, and lottssss of 💰 💰 💰 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
This week, let me share with you 15 fun facts about Egypt, based on my own experience. I was in Egypt from the last week of 2025 to the first week of 2026 — it was fantastic!
… AND exhausting 🫠 🫠 🫠
I’ve travelled many times, but this 11-day Egypt group tour felt like a marathon that drained my energy and made me happy at the same time.
Then, I landed in Malaysia on Saturday night exhausted, slept until midday the next day, and returned to the office on Monday.
Then, on the next weekend, I slept well, read manga, relaxed, and edited more than half of my Egypt travel photos. So now you know why I haven’t updated my blog until now, hehe!
Before you continue reading this blog post, let’s play this song to add more Egyptian feel 😆 😆 😆
Alright, so here are 15 fun facts you should know before travelling to Egypt:
1. Should I Join a Tour or Arrange the Egypt Trip Myself?
Okay, this should be #1 on the list. Based on my experience, I highly recommend that you join a tour or at least have someone you trust as your driver cum guide, because:
- It’s difficult to move around
- There are many scammers
- It’s better also to know the history than only take nice photos
- The hotel standard is different from the international standard (except for international hotel chains)
If you have a big budget, private tours are perfect as you’ll have your own tour guide to explain the history, a private driver, pick your own hotels, and arrange your schedule as you wish.
If you have a smaller budget, group tours are the best option, so you can travel comfortably and stay at decent hotels and Nile cruise at a lower price.
2. But You Said the Egypt Group Tour was Exhausting?
Yes, it was exhausting because there were days when I had to wake up very early to catch my flight to Aswan, to avoid the long queue to enter the temples, etc.
Actually, my group tour wasn’t the only one feeling exhausted. All group tours led by local tour guides had a similar schedule.
If we arrived later, the queue to the temples would be longer and the weather would be hotter. Although it was winter, the sun was still piercing through my skin. I had to reapply my sunblock!
If I had a big budget and joined a private tour, the Egypt trip could stretch to 15 days or more, so I wouldn’t have to rush.
3. Air Cairo is Great!
The domestic flights airport in Cairo may be small, but everything was organized. The real shoutout goes to Air Cairo, the local budget airline!
I took Air Cairo from Cairo to Aswan, to board the Nile Cruise. The plane was clean, comfortable, and the refreshments were tasty. It was just a 1-hour flight, yet they gave us snacks!
So yes, I recommend Air Cairo 😉
Also read: “One Life Adventures Korea Temple Stay: Geumsunsa Temple”
Also read: “Seoul Day Trip: Garden of Morning Calm, Gangchon Rail Park & Nami Island”
4. Want Nice Travel Photos? Wear Bold Colours
If you love dressing up and taking photos when travelling (like me), make sure to pack bold colours so you stand out in the photos.
Colours like black, white, and red are very contrasting to the pale colour of the Egyptian pyramids and temples. But it doesn’t mean you have to be as colourful as a Christmas tree 😄
You can either have 1 bold colour – be it your dress, top, scarf, hat, or bag. For example:
Pastel colours can work, as long as they’re not too pale, have motifs, or an eye-catching design. For example:
5. Bring Your Belly Dance Shimmies and Accessories from Malaysia
Still related to the previous fun fact, this is something that you’ll only know once you’re in Egypt… the belly dance shimmies and accessories sold online and in Malaysia are more beautiful.
There, I said it! Sorry, my Egyptian friends!
This is my personal opinion, comparing the shimmies and accessories that I bought at Sungei Wang and online stores with local shops in Egypt.
Alright, maybe the ones that I saw were mass-produced for tourists? But if you’re a tourist like me, you’re likely seeing the same shops that I saw.
It might be a different case if you go to shops that specifically sell belly dance costumes, though!
6. Like Shopping Malls? Stay at Holiday Inn Citystars Cairo
I’m happy that the tour company booked Holiday Inn Citystars when in Cairo because… It’s literally beside a Citystars Mall. And it was HUGE!!
Staying beside one of Cairo’s biggest shopping malls is highly recommended, especially when walking alone in Egypt isn’t recommended because it’s unsafe.
Our favourite places at the Citystars Mall were the supermarket, KFC, and Abu Auf.
Oh ya, some stores have items that weren’t available in Malaysia. For example, at Skechers, there were comfy boots with fur decoration, a collaboration edition with Snoop Dogg, etc.
Also read: “Gyeongju: Bulguksa Temple, Taekwondo Class & Food Galore”
Also read: “Kpop Dance, DMZ, and An Evening with a North Korean Defector”
7. Drop By at Seoudi Supermarket at Citystars Mall, Cairo
Like every country, a supermarket visit is a must! If you visit Citystars Mall, drop by at Seoudi supermarket and check out the local snacks.
It’s a premium supermarket with a similar vibe to Jaya Grocer or Mercato. Some items that you can buy there:
- Fresh cut pomegranate (200g for around RM3 / 0.74 USD)
- Freshly squeezed juice (for around RM6 / 1.50 USD)
- Savoury local chips (from around RM1.50 / 0.37 USD)
Egyptian local chips are, OH-MY-GOD. They’re packed nicely as if they’re imported from the UK or the US, offer premium quality, taste so damn good, AND are very affordable.
I’m not a chips person, but the local chips blew my mind. If my sister didn’t read the labels and found out that they were made in Egypt, we would thought that they were imported!
8. Recommended Local Egyptian Snacks: Abu Auf
Guys, I thought I only had to bring an extra bag or luggage for Japan or South Korea. Who would’ve thought that it was the same case for Egypt??
Abu Auf is a shop that sells local snacks and sweets produced in-house. At Abu Auf, you can find various dates, chocolates, local snacks, chips, protein chips, peanut butter, popcorn, etc with great prices.
There’s one Abu Auf branch at Citystars Mall, which is opposite the Seoudi’s cashiers. My sister saw many locals and tourists in that shop, so she suggested we check it out.
Boy, our shopping cart was filled within minutes! We got ourselves and some friends:
- Real peanut butter protein puff
- Dark chocolate with pistachio and kunafa fillings
- Medjool dates covered in dark chocolate, stuffed with almond
We didn’t buy a lot because we thought Abu Auf was similar to tourist snack shops in the airport, which were attractive but the food tasted just okay.
But all the snacks we bought there were so good, we hoped we’d bought more!
P.S. avoid the airport branch, as the prices are much higher than other branches
9. Choose Seafood and Chicken over Meat
When I was in Egypt, I always chose seafood (especially fish) and chicken over meat. The locals catch their seafood fresh from the sea and the chicken was juicy.
The fish dishes that I had felt like a premium type of fish, it wasn’t dory. As a fish lover, I was very happy with the grilled salmon and fish served at the hotels and on the Nile cruise ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Also read: “Travel to India, Is It Safe? This is How I Feel”
Also read: “Morocco: The Atlas Mountains, Todra Gorge and Sex & the City”
10. Can’t Live Without Rice? Maybe Bring a Mini Rice Cooker
There is rice in Egypt — one place even served basmati rice! It’s just that most places that I went to didn’t cook the rice well.
It was either sticky or coarse.
So, if you’re someone who can’t live without rice, maybe you can bring a mini rice cooker and cook your own rice 😆
P.S. The only rice that I approve of was the one served at 9 Pyramids Lounge, a very nice restaurant opposite the Giza Pyramids. Maybe if you go to the really nice ones, the quality is better.
11. Dust and Germs… Don’t Bring Them Back, Use Hotel Laundry
It was my sister’s great idea: the hotel laundry.
Alright, some of you may already know that Egypt is dusty and in some areas, you’ll see horse dung on the streets.
When in Egypt, my sister and I rode a horse-drawn carriage, charging the dusty road for about 30 minutes.
AND THEN, the skinny horse pooped while running, so only God knows where the poop scattered.
AND THEN, during the camel riding session, where we saw exhausted and grunting camels in the desert. Again, poo-poo and dust everywhere.
Now, I’m not complaining here. I’m giving you a picture of what these experiences look like in Egypt. Before we reached the hotel, my sister said this,
“Are we just gonna fold these dirty clothes and keep them in our luggage for days? Bringing back the germs to Malaysia?? Let’s use the hotel laundry.”
BRAVO, SISTER!!! 👏 👏 👏
It was my first time using the hotel laundry when travelling. Luckily, although it was a hotel laundry, the prices were reasonable.
And the hospitality was good! Thank you, Holiday Inn Citystars Cairo!
Of course, we didn’t send all our clothes to the laundry. We only launder the ones that we wore during the horse carriage and camel rides 😉
12. Optional Activities to Reconsider…
Okay, first of all, I’m writing this based on my experience and observations. There’s nothing wrong if you want to try these activities. After all, you may not travel to Egypt twice!
The optional activities that I feel aren’t worth it are:
- ATV desert
- Horse carriage ride
- Camel rides near the Giza Pyramids
- Non-international resort/hotel stay near the Red Sea, Hurghada
When it comes to camel rides, some people imagine beautiful desert scenes from the photos they see online. However, that’s not the case for the camel rides near the Giza Pyramids.
If you want to enjoy a beautiful Sahara Desert scene while riding your camel, you can go to Morocco. I did a sunrise camel ride there, with my hands frozen yet happy. The breathtaking view was worth it!
But the Giza Pyramids are located at the edge of the Sahara Desert, so it looks like this:
While the camel rides in the Sahara Desert, Morocco, look like this:
My new friend and her husband joined the ATV desert, and they were disappointed. Instead of a beautiful desert view, they saw old empty buildings, construction sites, etc…
That’s about the ATV and camel rides in Egypt. Now, let’s talk about the horses and camels.
The camels in Morocco were well-fed, well-taken care of, all smiley… they even sounded cute!
The ones in Egypt? They were grumpy, thin, dirty, and looked sad + overworked. The same goes with the horses.
If I knew the horses were mostly skinny and constantly whipped, I wouldn’t take the horse carriage. The horses looked sad and overworked. Poor animals…
So, if you want to have desert activities, I feel Morocco and Dubai are better options.
Ok, now about the Red Sea, which is famous for its beauty and diving. There are many resorts in the area, and usually, group tours will stay at a resort in Hurghada.
My group tour stayed at the Caribbean World Resorts, Hurghada. When I saw its website, the resort looked fantastic, like a luxury resort.
In reality? The all-inclusive resort felt like a 4-star and the food wasn’t good.
My room was huge and clean, the staff were friendly, but… the food. Even the complimentary wine, hot chocolate, and tea didn’t taste good 😭 😭 😭
My saving graces were Movenpick ice cream, Cheetos, and the teabags that I took from Holiday Inn Citystars lol…
Staying here might be good for families because there are many things that kids can do at the pool and the beach, join belly dance and Zumba sessions, etc. However, I prefer quality over quantity.
If you plan to join a group tour and want a lower price, choose the package without the Red Sea.
However, the good thing about the Red Sea resort stay is that you get to do nothing and recharge after days with a hectic schedule.
As I shared above, my Egypt tour was exhausting. Although the food was bad, I managed to recharge my energy during my 2D1N stay at the resort (full free time).
If you plan to join a private tour and want to visit the Red Sea, I recommend staying at an international resort/hotel chain (i.e., Oberoi, Marriott, Mercure) because there’s a high chance the food will be good!
Also read: “Croatia Island Hopping: Makarska”
Also read: “Travel to Russia: Admiring the Beauty of St. Petersburg and Winter Palace”
13. AVOID: PappaRoti at Citystars Mall, Cairo
(It was so bad I didn’t bother to take a photo)
If you visit Malaysia, remember to try Rotiboy! It’s a Mexican coffee bun, with a crispy and aromatic outer layer, filled with melting butter 😍 😍 😍
Other global chains sell similar bread, for example PappaRoti, which can be found at Citystars Mall in Cairo. I was excited and couldn’t wait to try it, but ended up disappointed.
I paid 200 EGP (around RM17 / 4.20 USD) and was happy when they baked a new one for me. Since it was fresh from the oven, I waited for a while for the outer layer to cool down and become crispy.
But PappaRoti at Citystars Mall, Cairo was a disappointment! The texture was sticky, the outer layer wasn’t crispy, and the butter wasn’t melting 😒 😒 😒
With the same price, I could get 5pcs of Rotiboy in Malaysia! 😂 😂 😂
14. Bargain. Pretend to Walk Away. Get the Price You Want.
This trick works at many places, except for the rest stops in the middle of the desert, museums, and shopping malls (of course!).
I didn’t even know that I could bargain for snacks at the shops in the resort! Maybe because the resort where I stayed wasn’t an international hotel chain, hmm…
When you go to the Khan Khalilil Bazaar to buy souvenirs, you can bargain around 70% of the price they offer (my local tour guide suggested this).
If the seller refuses, pretend to walk away, and they’ll chase you — literally! My friend tried this and we walked away for a few blocks, then the seller chased us to re-negotiate.
Oh ya, there’s an area at the Khan Khalilil Bazaar where the shops offer fixed prices, much lower than other shops. But I can’t tell you the direction because I don’t remember it, sorry 🙏
15. Bonus: Sunway Pyramid, an Egyptian-Theme Shopping Mall in Malaysia
Did you know that there’s a shopping mall with an Egyptian theme in Malaysia? It’s Sunway Pyramid, and it’s very beautiful!
Not only the concept is interesting, but the execution, be it the exterior or interior design, really capture the details that I saw in Egypt. Well done, Sunway Group!
Here are some photos for your reference:
Alright guys, those are 15 fun facts about Egypt! I hope you enjoy reading it and find it helpful. Have a wonderful, successful, happy year ahead! 🔥 🐎 🔥
Also read: “Wine Tasting & Cheese Pairing in South Africa”
Also read: “Baliem Valley Festival Budget Tour: Visitting Obia Village on Day 4”
Click here for travel inspirations…
