I know I haven’t been writing as much as I used to but to be fair I have been living a busy life and just have been all over the place. But I really am not complaining, this past year has been a crazy roller-coaster of adventure and fun and I simply want to continue living this way for as long as I possibly can physically, emotionally and financially.
So as many of you who follow me on social media know that I am currently in Egypt and I would like to thank The Sheraton Cairo for inviting me to explore their newly renovated hotel that is located right at the banks of the River Nile which is just beautiful to watch from the Sheraton Club rooms. So let’s talk more about my experience with the Sheraton Cairo and all the amazing adventures we went on. (You can still check out my stories on my Instagram)
So we landed in Cairo from Abu Dhabi at 6am and checked into the hotel at around 7:30am. The Sheraton had an escort wait for us upon disembarking the plane and he took us all the way through to customs and migration which made it so much easier and faster for us. We picked up our bags and were on our way to the hotel and I have to admit the first thing I did was… close the blinds, got in my PJs and went to sleep. I woke up just in time for breakfast at the Club lounge and let me tell you…the view from the 26th floor was spectacular. You could see the River Nile on one side and the city of Cairo on the other hand.
After breakfast we headed straight to one of the world wonders which is the Pyramids of Giza. OH MY GOD! It was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. We got to walk around the pyramids and just soak in everything about it. We also got to check out the Sphinx and that on its own is just something else. Really I don’t think anyone needs more than 2 hours at the site, but I’ll get into more details about that in another post.
Another adventure we went on was sailing on the Nile River with what is called a Falluca. It’s a traditional boat that looks amazing during sunsets. We got to see the city from a different perspective, which was from the river.
The next day we headed over to the National Museum of Egypt and WOW! Just WOW!!!! Honestly I always had made fun of the fact that if we go to Egypt we would be chased by mummies… but let me tell you this… you won’t be saying the same once you see a room full of mummies who are close to being in perfect shape. I just freaked out and thought it was both mind blowing and creepy. But the museum is definitely a place to visit when in Cairo.
After that we headed over to a place I would like to warn you most about.. Khan El Khelili. Now I truly believe all bazaars are practically similar in so many ways.. dirty, loud, busy and just sticky. So Khan El – Khelili really is no different than the bazaars in Dubai and Marrakech and anywhere in the world. What you could do is simply explore it and enjoy the craziness of it all. You can get lost for hours and seriously find some amazing insta-worthy spots. But you reallllly need to look for them. Oh and be sure to bargain your way when it comes to buying souvenirs. So like everything else in Egypt you have a price for Arabs and a price for foreigners and trust me the price is about x3 times their selling price.
A bonus location that I had to check out was the Cairo Citadel. Be aware that in Cairo almost everything closes at 3pm and they will close it on the dot! So try to make your trips as soon as they open so that you have the place all to yourself. So we got to the Cairo Citadel at around 12pm and it was closed for afternoon prayers and they open it up again once everyone has left the area from their prayers. We were lucky enough to get there when it was almost empty and had the place all to ourselves.
Finally, let me tell you more about the Sheraton Hotel in Cairo…
The rooms were very spacious and very clean, the beds were like clouds so soft and comfy. Waking up in the morning was such a mission just because I really wanted to sleep in – Can I please have the mattress and pillows? The finishing was excellent too, it looked modern and brand new which I love the most.
The hotel had literally almost everything from one of the biggest rooftop pools to even having Starbucks in the lobby, now you know that’s where you really get me. I mean I don’t think I have ever been to a hotel that had a starbucks.. again for me personally, so that was a bonus for me.
Let’s talk food…
We were spoilt with choice when it came to food. The Sheraton gave us a good selection of restaurants to choose from Italian cuisine to an authentic Egyptian dinner at either Rawi or El Mawardia.
We had both lunch and dinner at Rawi and the vibes were very different each time as during the day we had an oud player play for us as we ate a beautiful feast that included some amazing seafood and rib steak and much more. It was cooked to perfection by their Executive Chef Jean Francois. Bonus point is that after hours the restaurant turns into a lounge with a live performance to some of the top belly dancers in the city. Worth checking out!!!
Then we had lunch at El Mawradia and also light snack later at night that included some delicious chicken Shawarma and a live band that plays some authentic Egyptian Music.
Finally and my all-time favorite was the Italian restaurant Giannis. It’s the first of its kind in Cairo as it is the first New York – Italian restaurant in the city. We were served with some delicious pasta served to us by the Head Chef Antonio Carrano, who was kind enough to let me explore his kitchen.
Thank you the Sheraton Cairo team for an amazing and unforgettable experience, I really loved it and I will be back for sure!
