Best area to stay in Cairo
Cairo is one of the most celebrated cities on the planet and has been a worldwide tourist destination for a very long time now with the city pulsing with life wherever you go and whenever you go. The largest city in Africa is hugely proud of its heritage and culture, which is dominated by the Great Pyramids and the Nile. Yet there is more than meets the eye here with an overwhelming collection of tourist attractions that are both modern and old. Traditional and the new sum up the city perfectly from minarets to palm trees and from art deco villas to multicoloured neon, Cairo has it all.
The best area to stay in Cairo is Gezira as this district is ideally positioned to see some of the major tourist attractions in the city. Gezira is actually an island found on the Nile, which is partly shared with another neighbourhood called Zamalek. Gezira is a great escape from all the tourist commotion of the obvious tourist areas with upscale residential areas that provide fantastic strolls. There are a great number of things to do and see in the neighbourhood, be it day or night, and there are many varieties of cuisines, bars and hotels to pick from.
Gezira Island is pretty small and for that reason it means it’s compact, so you can see everything on foot with relatively no hassle. The area is well linked up to the rest of the city with taxis and buses taking you to the downtown area in a matter of minutes as well as to the major public transport stations to continue your journey to and from the airport. Gezira is one of the safest areas in Cairo and is a little more relaxed than the majority of Cairo, which makes the place a favourite one to stay in.
Heliopolis is one of the best places to stay in and is extremely convenient as it is very close to the airport, though isn’t too far from the city either and is one of the safest neighbourhoods. It dates back to the ancient times and because of that has some interesting places to visit like the Baron Empain Palace, Basilica of Notre Dame and the Uruba Presidential Palace. There are also a variety of old churches and striking Andalusian architecture. There are some shops and malls along al-Ahram Street and the best streets for sleeping, eating and drinking are Osman Ibn Affan St and El Orouba Street as they have a good amount of places.
Giza is located in the west of Cairo and has excellent transport links to the rest of the city and the airport, which make it an appealing place to stay in as well as being a safe area. The biggest tourist attraction in the city as well as being the icon of the country is in the neighbourhood, which of course are the Pyramids and the legendary Sphinx. You can enter 2 of the 3 pyramids for a little bit of money and do be aware that the tunnels inside the pyramids are hot, humid and claustrophobic. There are also a few museums in the area that are mostly dedicated to the pyramids and the Legends and Legacies indoor bazaar is excellent for shopping in. Try Pyramids Road for sleeping, eating and drinking as this is where the highest concentration of each lies.
Dokki is an up market area of the city with the centre of the neighbourhood being Amman Square, which is surrounded by restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and hotels. This area is a safe place to stay in and there are a number of attractions to visit including the Khali Museum, the Zoological Gardens and the Shooting Club. For shopping, head to Mosaddak Street where there are plenty of gifts to buy and the most popular street at night is Tahrir Street, which is home to a diverse range of restaurants, pubs and hotels.
This neighbourhood is found close to the city centre, along the west bank of the Nile and therefore is a very convenient place to stay in as well as being regarded as a safe district. It has a distinct “local” feel, which provides more authenticity than most other areas of Cairo with many streets having a great range of traditional and foreign sidewalk cafes, restaurants, shops and hotels dotted along them. There isn’t a lot to see in the day but being so close to everything else means that it can be a cheaper alternative to staying in the centre. However, at night the place comes alive with some excellent entertainment spots being the Balloon Theatre, where there are circus and dance acts and the famous Cairo Jazz Club, which is one of the most famous clubs for live music in the country.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO STAY?