Visiting Egypt from Bangladesh: A Mysterious, Beautiful, and Kind Country

When thinking Egypt, the enigma of the pyramids, the ancient civilizations, the deserts, and the Nile River are some of the first things that one remembers, largely due to the history lessons we all had as children. Home to the remnants of some of the oldest artifacts known to mankind, it is an attractive destination for sure! Did you know that it houses some of the most beautiful beaches too? I visited Sharm el Sheikh, Saint Catherine’s, Cairo, and Alexandria during my trip to Egypt this year, and tried to see the best of the country over 9 days. SPOILER: It’s definitely not enough time, as the country has so much more to offer than the cities I visited!

Before getting into the details of the sites I visited, here are some pointers about the visa process. The visas are handled by the Egyptian Embassy, located in Road 90 in Gulshan 2. There is a form that must be completed with your travel details, which needs to submitted with the usual documents—NOC, bank statement, mainpage of your passport, passport-size photo, flight bookings, and hotel reservations. A nominal consular fee of 300 taka per application needs to be paid with the document submission, and the Embassy returns your passport; only the documents are submitted at this time. A few days (or weeks) later, the Embassy calls you to submit your passport—this means that your visa was approved. You can collect your passport from the Embassy 2 or 3 days after this with your visa sticker.

Now, this was my first trip after COVID, so one of the things I really wanted to experience was a relaxing seaside destination. This was also a family vacation so I paced the trip a little more slowly than I would do when travelling on my own. After copious amounts of research and some recommendations, I flew first to Sharm el Sheik for 4 days. This is located in the Sinai peninsula, and is geographically in Asia (I know, crazy, right?!). I stayed in a lovely hotel in Naama Bay, and it was fairly convenient to visit all the other points of interest. The area was very safe, with lots of , shops, and beaches. I ran by the beach every morning, and my views were phenomenal!

The Old Town is a must visit, with one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, the Al Sahaba Mosque. It seems like something out of a Disney movie, and the interior is beautifully intricate as well. Nearby, there are numerous restaurants and souvenir stores. The desert safari is another fun experience to try in Sharm el Sheikh—you can rent quad bikes or larger vehicles to cruise through the beautiful landscapes during sunset (which is the time I chose). The experience usually stops in a Bedouin village in the midst of the desert, and the return journey is after sunset, when the desert is pitch black. This is a family-friendly activity if you rent a larger vehicle instead of a quad bike—my Mom loved it! Ras Mohammad National Park, located at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, is another fun day activity. Covering 185 miles with the Gulf of Aqaba to the east and the Gulf of Suez (from the now infamous Suez Canal) to the west, it is considered a jewel in the crown of the Red Sea. There is a mangrove forest within the park, and a rock formation created by Egyptian engineers dubbed “The Gates of Allah”. Home to one of the most clear waters, visitors can go snorkeling here too. This was my first snorkeling experience ever, and I loved it!

A day trip, or rather a “night trip” from Sharm el Sheikh is to St Catherine’s. This is home to Mount Sinai, which is a site of religious importance, as God is said to have revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses in this location. I booked my experience through Viator, and a bus picked me up from Naama Bay around 8pm. We travelled 3-4 hours to St Catherine’s, and started hiking the mountain. It is approximately 6-7 miles up and down the mountain, and while it is possible to do majority of the journey via camel, I chose to hike overnight. It was COLD, with ice and snow from the previous nights still lingering. The hike is not very strenuous, as there are rest stops every 250 meters or so. The trips are organized so that we reached the summit just before day break, and thankfully, the weather was on our side so I witnessed an incredible sunrise! St Catherine’s monastery is at the base of the mountain, which is where we stopped for a quick hot meal (and bathroom break) after we hiked back. For anyone who is reasonably active, I would strongly recommend this trip—it is a truly beautiful experience to hike overnight and witnessing the moon guide the way (also cell phone flashlights, but the former is more poetic). I think I clocked in more than 25,000 steps before 9AM, which is definitely not a regular occurrence!

After 5 days in Sharm el Sheikh, my Mom and I went to Cairo to meet my sister. It was an epic reunion as we hadn’t seen each other in just under 4 months! We stayed in the city center, which is always convenient. The pyramids of Giza is obviously a must-visit when in Cairo, and we spent a lovely day walking around and inside the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. There is something breathtaking about looking at the towering pyramids that you have heard about your entire life in books and movies in person. You can use a camel to go around, and they seem well-treated so we opted for this in Giza. We also visited some museums and natural perfume (alcohol-free) factories, ate some great local food, and went on a river cruise on the Nile River with traditional belly-dancing and performances! The Mosque of Mohammad Ali, located in the Citadel of Cairo, was a priority for us to visit—we visited during the Friday Jummah prayers. The Citadel has a number of museums as well! From Cairo, we also went on a day trip to Alexandria, visiting the the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the Bibliotheca Alexandria, the Serapeum, and the Citadel of Qaitbay.

One thing I must mention is how incredible the food and hospitality is in Egypt! Egyptian food is DELICIOUS, and we tried everything from koshary to kofta! Their portions are also quite generous, which is always a bonus for a foodie like myself. The kindness of strangers everywhere was very refreshing—I had previously heard about scammers and safety issues, but I’m happy to say that my experience was the exact opposite. This could be luck, or adequate preparation/precaution as we booked many of our trips with guides, but I’d like to think that it is overall a safe choice for female travellers. Reasonable precautions should be taken, as required in ALL destinations though!

We were unable to visit Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor during our trip, so I’m happy to say that I’ll be returning to the country to see more of what it has to offer! We travelled at the end of February, and it was surprisingly chilly during that time. Next time, I will plan my trip in either March or September as I’m a fan of warmer temperatures. Overall, the country is quite inexpensive and affordable, and there is plenty of things to see and do for people of all ages!