20/09/2026
Breezing through Cairo International Airport supported by Sun Island Tours and an upgrade from Cairo Marriott Hotel… woo hoo, this trip is off to a great start!
A good point to note though is … you are always better off getting visas done before arrival whenever possible.. even if visa on arrival is an option, VOA’s are great until the technology stops working… don’t leave it to chance.
So here’s a myth breaker, you can’t pay cash for an Egyptian visa every time and there’s no “skip the line” through immigration, but having an agent meet you before immigration is still great even if you’re a seasoned traveler.
Cairo is mostly a dusty, dirty ramshackle city of constant beeping horns, improved markedly by sunset and darkness:)
Yes, I’m not glowingly endorsing the city but then the juxtaposition of Cairo/Giza against the Sphinx and Pyramids is an amazing shock to your senses.
Cairo Marriott Hotel is on the Nile island, originally the Gezira Palace, built in the 19th Century by Austrian design for French Aristocracy it was linked to Egypt’s attempt to become “European” through their Suez Canal project and thus return to their powerful glory days!
A good stroll tonight along the river walk was delightful, seeing locals out socialising, I wandered through market streets as I meandered back to the hotel… yes it’s beeping noisy, and crossing the road is “Saigonesque” but the energy is positive, fun and in no way threatening.
It’ll be an early rise for dawn on the Giza Plateau… from my hotel balcony I can just see a pale triangle between distance buildings.. I can’t wait!
Follow along tomorrow for more!
Ben
