My Perfect Weekend in Cairo, Egypt

Cairo based Dalia Ibrahim, Director of Branding and Communication for Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts in Africa, shares her favourite way to spend time off in the city.

 

Ideal weekend companions:

Zizo, my husband, and any friends that would like to join us. We love the weekend in Cairo, especially at this time of year - the weather is perfect!

 

Best places to take them:

We would grab our bags and hit the road to El Sokhna. It’s the closest resort to Cairo, only an hour’s drive away, and is actually known as Cairo beach. I like to spend the day by the beach at Mövenpick Resort El Sokhna enjoying the sun and watching the dolphins.

 

Alternatively, for a laid back morning we might go for a romantic Felucca ride. It’s a great way to watch the hustle and bustle of the old city from a different angle and enjoy the breeze whilst sailing the longest river in the world.

 

Three Great meals:

Breakfast is at one of the old cafés in downtown Cairo where poets and prominent writers used to spend their time. Then take a walk down the old streets where you find the best bargains for traditional items like furniture, accessories and silver crafts.

 

Friday lunch is always a barbeque event with friends and family, either at home in the garden or in one of the sports clubs.

 

My favourite dinner spots include Taboula, the famous Lebanese restaurant in Garden City. It has genuine Middle Eastern cuisine in a casual, relaxed setting, with a great atmosphere and comfortable Lebanese feel. Another great option is Al Badia, the Moroccan restaurant at the Mövenpick Hotel & Casino Cairo Media City. It has a lovely oriental atmosphere and the best Moroccan food in town – lots of Tajines, Couscous, and Meze

 

One weekend item you couldn't be without:

Our camera is something we cannot go without. Being in sunny Cairo, I usually keep my bathing suit and sun screen handy all the time too.

 

The perfect end to a perfect weekend:

Depending on the mood, I may choose between a music night in Cairo Jazz Club, or go to party with Cairo’s best DJs at Tamarai.

 

Further information:

• Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts currently operate 18 hotels & resorts in Africa with the recent addition of two new resorts on the Red Sea in Egypt: Mövenpick Resort Hurghada and Mövenpick Resort Sharm El Sheikh Naama Bay.  This October King Farouk’s former private yacht, originally built by the British Navy in 1918, will cruise the river Nile under the Mövenpick flag, along with four new Nile cruisers including a sail boat.
• Taboula
• cairojazzclub.com
• tamarai-egypt.com

 

(Images courtesy of M. Khatib)