The name ‘Antwerp’ has been linked to the word ?aanwerp? (alluvial mound), which was the geographical feature in the early settlement period in this place. The earliest records of fortification for this historical place take us to the seventh century BC. In the 10th century, Antwerp became a provincial border for the Roman Empire. By the 14th century, the city of Antwerp was already ranked as being the prime center in Western Europe for trading and finance, thanks to its flourishing wool market and seaport.

The city went through a low phase economically during the Reformation period and the subsequent conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants. The city rose again in the 17th century with painters like Reubens and Van Dyck becoming famous names. It was Napoleon who realized the strategic importance of Antwerp and undertook the modernization of the Antwerp port. As times passed, Antwerp went on to progress and became what it is today?the tenth largest port in the world.

Places of interest:

The Antwerp?s Grote Markt (town square) is the wonder of the 16th century architecture. The Stadhuis (town hall) is a popular Flemish Gothic structure built in the Renaissance fashion. In the middle of the town square lies a statue of the first hero of Antwerp Brabo. He was the man who had killed a giant, who according to a legend used to control river traffic and extract money from people. The roman soldier Brabo cut the giant?s hand and threw it into the Schedlt River.

Our Lady?s Cathedral is another important landmark. With its Gothic architecture, the 123 meter lofty tower is a sight to behold. The cathedral is home to two of the masterpieces of Reubens, ?The Descent from the Cross? and the ?Elevation of the Cross.?

The Antwerp castle, known as Steen (stone) is called such because castles in the 13th century were built of wood. This was the first castle at that time to be built of stone.

The Meir is another tourist attraction. It is a shopping street and a busiest one at that. The Osterrieth House and the former royal residence of the Belgian kings in Antwerp are two of the important buildings in the Meir. The first stock exchange building in the world was built on Meir. It was gutted down in the middle of the nineteenth century and was reconstructed in Neo-Gothic architecture.

Things to do:

One thing every visitor can look forward to are the fascinating museums and galleries of Antwerp. The city has been organized and maintained well. A tourist finds exploring Antwerp relatively easy compared to other places because places of interest and other pleasant sights in the town are within walking distance.

Take a stroll through the paved lanes and maze like streets of Antwerp. You will be amazed to see the streets lined with royal looking mansions, ancient churches and museums. The city is a pleasant mix of the ancient and the modern with a range of boutiques, restaurants and bars springing up continually. One thing you can do while you tour the city is pay a visit to the Royal Museum of Fine Art (Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten). The museum is divided into two units-one containing the works of the Old Masters and the other for the artists belonging to the 19th century and later. Superior collection of European painting is available in the museum including the works of Rubens, Van Dyck, Hals, Van Gogh etc. Ruben?s the most famous child of Antwerp has his work displayed in the Old Lady?s Cathedral as well.

MoMu is the epicenter for Antwerp?s mushrooming design trade. If you are an aspirant designer, you can join an academy to learn the latest in fashion and style. MoMu is known the world over for hosting creative exhibitions for their work. As Antwerp is one of the leading centers of fashion, style and designer outfits, you can profit in many ways.

Since Antwerp is well known for diamonds, you can pay a visit to the city?s biggest showroom, Diamondland at Appelmansstraat to see craftsmen at work, cutting and polishing the most beautiful object known to man?exquisite diamonds. The Provinciaal Diamantmuseum which has just been shifted near Antwerp?s zoo holds fantastic exhibitions showcasing diamonds and informing people about the history and production of diamonds.

Food and Drink:

The citizens of Antwerp swear by Belgian cuisine. The cuisine is somewhat French and Flemish oriented. The hot favorite is mussels accompanied with chips and mayonnaise. Other seafood like herring are also favoured and eaten raw. Drinks consist of good quality French wine. Beer however reigns supreme as the country?s favorite drink. In fact Belgium has more than 100 brewers manufacturing more than 400 different beers.

People in Antwerp drink three kinds of beer-lager, white beer and the lambic beer. The lager beer comes as a dark double or triple beer. The white beer is self explanatory while the lambic beer is a naturally fermented strong drink having a fruity flavor. A unique type of soup filled with cream called waterzooi, non vegetarian food like chicken and fish, paling in’t groen (eels with vegetables and herbs) and vegetarian food are the other favourites. Antwerp is an inexpensive place for eating out. The food consists of customary Flemish dish with French and Mediterranean cuisine. The cafes open at around 9 am in the morning and work till late at night. T Fornuis is one of the popular restaurants in the city as it has the rich French cuisine in a traditional Flemish milieu. Another notable restaurant is La Rade ? haute. Food is served in a mansion-like place, close to the river Ernest Van Dijckkaai.

If you really want to immerse yourself in Egyptian culture, it would be best you to go to the capital city. For thousands of years Cairo has been the heart of Egypt. Cairo is one of the exciting place to spend your trip visiting the gorgeous citadel of Salah EI-Din Ei-Ayoubi in the Moqattam hills.

Cairo, situated in the northern part, is the capital city of Egypt that is considered to be the largest city of Africa. The history in and around Cairo reveals that there is something extremely special, even precious about this city. The 2000-year-old city is a melting pot of Islamic, Christian Coptic and Jewish cultures.

One could spend the whole vacation in Cairo or start a vacation to from Cairo. The tour packages would be to Western Desert, to view some of the most historical places.

Cairo offers good accommodation facilities that would help you explore the neighboring places in the better ways possible.

Cairo accommodates a huge number of private tour operators to make your vacation trip to Cairo enjoyable, visiting some of the most well known destination. The choices of hotels and resorts in Cairo and the surrounding area are as vast as the Sahara Desert. Travelers often find it convenient to stay downtown, including the areas of Zamalek and Garden City, or close to the pyramids in Giza.

The tour package includes,? Khan el Khalili marketplace, Botanical Gardens, Egyptian Museum, the great Pyramids of Giza , Sphinx, Pyramids of Unas of the Fifth Dynasty Pharaohs, The Serapeum, Greek Philosopher Circle and The Mastabas, of Ptah-Hotep, Ti and Mereruka.

The Great Pyramids of Giza is the most mysterious places worth seeing. Though the ancient Egyptians have no advance technologies to work with,? the pyramids of Khufu, Kafhre and Menkaura are perfectly shaped structures that make every one wonder about how exactly whey were made.

Nile River is one of the most popular activities for enjoying vacation in Cairo, Egypt.? One can enjoy sunset dinner cruises. At Cairo, River Nile gets divided into two distributaries, Rosetta and Damietta.

To get change of pace, one can take a ride on the river Nile on local sailboats called feluccas. However, if one is going to travel to other parts of Egypt, a ride on a felucca will be even better further away from Cairo since the locations will be quieter and more peaceful. There are some restaurants located in Cairo with surprisingly pleasant outdoor terraces overlooking the city and the Great Pyramids in the distance. The tour guides will know where they are and will likely include one in the tour?s itinerary.

In addition to visiting city streets, famous building and landmarks, enjoying native and gourmet cuisine and meeting the friendly inhabitants of the city, most Cairo tours will also include a ride on the Nile River. There are beautiful and graceful “felucca”, with billowing sails and different routes that take visitors to many locations in the city. There are also evening dinner cruises along the river as well, and these make for a wonderful way to view the twinkling lights of this city that is home to over sixteen million people!

Egypt is one of the few countries in the world that is known as an antique land and features best beauties that can make every vacation ideal. This is one of the major tourist paradises on earth that known for its mystifying pyramids, desert plains, and colorful Egyptian paintings that actually speak of the pharaohs of old. Egypt is one of the few countries paradises where urban culture collides with the leftovers of a time that still echoes its thousands of year’s royal stories. Desert plains and colorful Egyptian paintings are few features that speak of the pharaohs of old.

Egypt is one of the few countries in the world that is known as an antique land and features best beauties that can make every vacation ideal. This is one of the major tourist paradises on earth that known for its mystifying pyramids, desert plains, and colorful Egyptian paintings that actually speak of the pharaohs of old.

Egypt is one of the few countries paradises where urban culture collides with the leftovers of a time that still echoes its thousands of year?s royal stories. Desert plains and colorful Egyptian paintings are few features that speak of the pharaohs of old.

The country is known for its age-old temples that can be found along side new bustling metropolitan centers. Even though this country holds a large portion of the world?s historical artifacts and sites, the land offer ample of options to explore and enjoy adventure and different cultural experiences. You can chill on beautiful beaches or even immerse yourselves in the equivalent of an underwater theme park. Adding to this, you may even have the safari experience or participate in the horse-riding trips that travel through the desert. So, this season, if you are planning your next holiday, booking a cheap holiday to Egypt can be the most ideal option.

Spending holiday in Egypt does not have to be an expensive endeavor. In fact, this is one of the few tourists? destinations where you can easily plan a cheap Egyptian holiday by following a few simple steps. There is so much to do and enjoy in the Egypt that it could be a place where you would love to come back over and over again. Since there are so many cities that could be visited, exploring or spending holidays in cities like Cairo, Taba, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh can be more worth.

Today in fact, many visitors begin their journey in the unbelievable city of Cairo. Cairo has many things and tourist spots to visit than you may hardly imagine. Starting from ancient monuments to the Cairo Museum and the Khan Khalili market is few important spots that may definitely interest you. Adding to this, spending holiday in Sharm El Sheikh can be the best alternative if you desire to see the striking marine life of the Red Sea along with a diversity of wrecked ships that lie at the bottom. The unique charisma of Sharm El Sheikh Holidays is scuba diving and water sports. The city is also famous for its Sharm Old Market region. This region is full of great dining options, where vacationers can enjoy the taste of seafood items in many restaurants.

Hurghada is important city in Egypt that has grown to become the most preferred and visited tourist destinations. The city which was counted among the most ambiguous fishing destinations of Egypt is totally different from its past life. Today this city provides an easy access to more than 100 different hotels featured with modern amenities. The beautiful beaches offer best alternatives to enjoy activities such as kite surfing or sailing. In Hurghada you may be surprised to find a number of historical landmarks. The most remarkable among them are the monasteries of both St. Anthony and St. Paul. Spending holiday in Hurghada is not complete until you visit some of the most well known museums like the Marine Biology Museum and the National Museum.

Apart from all this, Taba is another most notably and the most preferred destination in Egypt. This city has always been a major tourist destination, but in recent years with the opening of an international airport providing direct charter flights from Europe increased the ratio of vacationers extremely. It is one of the key beach destinations of Egypt and well known for its pleasing bays and coves. Spending holidays in Taba can be the most outstanding experience as it offers an opportunity to take pleasure in the wide range of outdoor sports activities and enjoy the boat trip from the Taba Heights Marina to Aqaba in Jordan.?For shopping lover, this location can be the most idyllic choice as it features some of the most well known shops.

Definitely, with all this and many other cities to explore, a visit to Egypt can mark an impressive experience of a lifetime. For those looking for a diverse kind of holiday experience, Egypt is a destination where you can find unique and exciting opportunities.

For centuries together Egypt has attracted lots of tourist across the world, this may be due to its vast archeological beauties and the unsolved mystery about the pyramids that feature the most in tourists mind. Egypt vacations travel guide takes you through the city of ancient ruins, pyramids, mysterious crypts and hidden treasures, an interesting tourist destination. Egypt vacations travel guide will help you track various tourist sites, Egypt hotels & restaurants in Cairo, Egyptian cuisines etc.

• Cairo is one of the exciting places to spend your trip visiting the gorgeous citadel of Salah EI-Din Ei-Ayoubi in the Moqattam hills.

• Travel to the marvel of Egypt and one of the 7 wonders, the Pyramids along with the world famous Sphinx. If excited, you could also have a unique camel ride in the area.
• Another structure worth watching, the huge statue of Rames II in Memphis along with the valley temple, make sure you add them to your trip.
• Luxor features temple of Deir El Bahari, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Amon, Sacred Lake, Osiris and Hathor temples, Esna temple, Temple of Dendera and Valley of King. Alexandria, Sharm El Sheikh, Aswan and Hurghada are the places having their own glory to make up the a part of Egypt tour.
• Sight seeing in cairo is very easy, you can find usually the pyramids, but its not only place to visit.Visit Islamic Cairo, the city of dead, Coptic Cairo and the Cairo museums that feature the history of Cairo.

• The Pyramids of Unas, Oser-Kaf the Mastaba, Tomb of Mereruka, Tiand Pta-Hotep, famous places to spend your trip.
• The famous mosques of Egypt include Egyptian Museum, Mosque of Suleiman Pasha, Alabaster Mosque and Joeh’s Walls.

• Egypt adds beauty by connecting the date palm trees, the desert areas, the rock formation, the unique vegetation, the monuments, structures, ancient ruins, pyramids
• The choices of hotels and resorts in Cairo and the surrounding area are as vast as the Sahara Desert.?Travelers often find it convenient to stay downtown, including the areas of Zamalek and Garden City, or close to the pyramids in Giza.
• While grand hotels put the emphasis on Western and Asian cuisine, the city’s trendiest restaurants focus on the region’s culinary heritage. Delights of Cairo Egyptian food include the famous Shawrma, also order Sheesha the perfect end for perfect meal.
• If you need to rest your weary legs for a few hours and enjoy some air conditioning, check out one of the local cinemas, most of them offer a variety of local and international films.
• Looking out for shopping in Cairo, check out Khan El Khalili market area, bustling with life and yet another amazing experience to have in Cairo. Music lovers can go shopping in Mohammed Ali Street for musical instruments. You will find a chain of Cairo?s top shopping malls both authentic and the latest, lookout for the list here .
• To conclude? lookout for Cairo health tips in our Cairo guide .These few tips that we hope will keep you healthy and happy while traveling in Egypt.

Egypt is a country where you can find the most number of mysterious places. Vacations Egypt tours is especially popular among European travelers having frequency for every 5 hours or so.

Let me take you to the popular tourist destinations and sightseeing places of Egypt.

Location of Egypt

Egypt is a Middle Eastern country in northeast Africa; located at the center of the Arab world. Egypt controls the Suez Canal which is the shortest sea link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea

The Pyramids of Giza

The Grerat Pyramids of Giza is the most mysterious places worth seeing. Though the ancient Egyptians have no advance technologies to work with,? the pyramids of Khufu, Kafhre and Menkaura are perfectly shaped structures that make every one wonder about how exactly they were made.

Sphix

One of the most mysterious structures of Egypt is the Sphix. Sphinx is located at the Great Pyramids still makes people argue about its origin and its purpose.The Sphinx is 50 meters long and 22 meters high. Conventional archaeologists attribute its construction…

Abu Simbel Temples of Egypt

Abu Simbel are two temples build by Pharaoh Ramesses II to commemorate his wife, Nefertari and himself.

Abu Simbel are breath taking place and are one of the most beautiful in Egypt.

Cairo, the Capital City

If you really want to immerse yourself in Egyptian culture, it would be best for you to go to the capital city. Cairo is one of the exciting places to spend your trip visiting the gorgeous citadel of Salah EI-Din Ei-Ayoubi in the Moqattam hills.

Temples of Kamak

The best ways to experience ancient Egypt is by visiting the place of worship. Temples of Karnak is the biggest site for Egyptian worship, having a monument to every God in the Theban religion. As in Kamak, a monumental entrance gate leads into a large courtyard beyond which is a hypostyle hall with gigantic columns, followed by the actual sanctuary, to which only pharaohs and priests were allowed access.

Nile River of Egypt

The beautiful river Nile makes it way down from High Dam and Nasser Lake. Nile is dotted with pretty islands and high desert hills topped with the Aga khan?s Mausoleum.

Valley of Kings

The valley of Kings is a place where Egypt?s most respected pharaohs were buried. In fact this is a place where Tutankharoun, the most famous mummies of all time were found by archaeologists.

Egyptian Museum

The best places to learn about Egypt, a place where archeologists have put the Egyptian treasures under high security.

The Coptic Museum

The Coptic Museum was founded by Morcos Smeika Pasha in 1910 AD to displaying Coptic monuments and in order to easily trace the history of Christianity in Egypt. Coptic Monuments are considered as a liaison between Ancient Egyptian Art during the Pharaonic and the Greco-Roman periods on one hand and the Islamic era on the other.

The travel Egypt vacations guide will update you with information about Egypt tours sightseeing places, Egypt hotels, restaurants and accommodation available to make memorable Egypt tours experience.

Egypt is a famous destination for backpackers and package holidaymakers alike, with its stunning coastline, ancient civilization, vivacious cities and the beautiful Sahara. You could spend weeks or even months touring around its many highlights and there really is something for everyone here; beaches to sprawl out on, diving opportunities galore, hiking in the Sinai and exploration of the splendid temples and pyramids of one of the Worlds most impressive ancient civilizations.

The south of the country is best visited in the winter months as in the summer it is unbearably hot and nearly impossible to travel comfortably. This includes Aswan and Luxor, where so many of the ancient Egyptian sights are to be found.

The summer months are the most favoured time for visitors to the beaches of the Mediterranean coast, though the accommodation at this time is at a premium. Cairo is best visited in the spring and autumn months, so Egypt really is a destination for all year round.

For the backpacker, the best time to visit will be spring or autumn as this will allow trips to most of the countrys sights and regions.

Health-wise – Egypts healthcare service is reasonably good, though any condition needing serious medical care will have to be seen in one of the bigger hospitals in Cairo. There is really only two precautions needed for any diseases in the country and that is Malaria and Dengue fever.

Malaria only exists in the Al-Fayoum area and the rest of the country is not at risk. Dengue fever has been reported over the last ten years and so precautions for this disease will also be needed.

Everyday common sense is needed here as in other countries in Africa, with Schistosomiasis in the rivers and the searing heat and sun. Basically you should just refrain from swimming in the rivers and remember to cover up with sunblock and to keep hydrated. Taking re-hydration pills would be a good idea.

Visas and documents – All western citizens will need a visa to enter Egypt, these can be acquired either on arrival at a port or airport or at a Consulate or Embassy. Proof of Yellow fever vaccination will be needed if you are travelling from an infected area (like most of Sub-Saharan Africa).

It is very easy to get a visa for a visit from the surrounding countries and as tourism is an important part of Egypts economy, there will be no problems that you would encounter in other African nations.

Cost – Egypt is a relatively cheap place to travel in; budget travellers should be able to get by on a daily limit of around $20 per day, which should cover your food, local transport and accommodation. Remember, it does not hurt to spoil yourself with that top restaurant or a night in that lovely hotel you saw, once in a while.

Travel is definitely good value and tours to the oases of the Sahara or to the top of Mount Sinai are also reasonable. Dive shops on the Red Sea coast are plentiful and as the competition is hot, prices are kept low.

The Sights – The Pyramids of Giza are an amazing sight and one which many people see before long. Yes, it is overrun with tourists here, but can you blame them? There are plenty more temples and monuments scattered around the country and even into the North of Sudan (which should not be visited at the moment due to the civil war).

Abu Simbel is like an epicentre of Ancient Egyptian monuments and treasures and although you may have read about the kidnappings and attacks in the area, it is not as bad as the western press likes to make out, though it is best to check with the local tourist office either in Cairo or Aswan.

The Red Sea has got some great dive sites and as previously stated, these are easily accessible and good value. The resorts that are close by, Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada are cosmopolitan places with visitors from all over the world.

The bombings which happened over the last few years are regrettable, but the locals have the drive to get over these wanton acts of destruction.

The oases of the Sahara Desert are a great place to get away from the crowds of the cities and resorts. Siwa Oasis near the Libyan border is a popular trip, as is Farafra near the White Desert. Both are reasonably easy to reach and offer trips into the expanse of sand.

People often overlook Egypts Islamic past as well as that of the ancients and with some of the best bazaars in the region, Cairo is especially appealing. One of the most buzzing cities in the World, Cairo has great museums and galleries, but the highlight has to be just walking the medieval streets alongside the hawkers and children!

So you have the trip planned. You are on your way to Egypt. Visions of pyramids, vast desserts and great kings fill your mind. The idea of a great adventure makes your heart race and the adrenaline pump through your body. There are so many places to see. Egyptian Antiquities Museum, Al-Qalaa Citadel, Coptic Museum, Museum of Islamic Arts, Gayer-Anderson Museum, Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Mosque at Al-Azhar, Abdeen Palace Museum, Abu Sir Pyramids, Manial Palace Museum, just to name a few. But do you know where you absolutely must go to say that you had a complete adventure while in Egypt. There are three places that if you miss, you might as well not have even been to Egypt.

The Giza Pyramids

First place is of course the pyramids. The Giza Pyramids were built as tombs for the great kings of Egypt, and sometimes the queens as well. The driving force behind the pyramids construction was the desire for eternity. These world famous monuments were not in isolation but they were constructed as a part of the funerary complexes which include temples and shrines.

Imhotep is not an Egyptian dance but the famous architect that built and designed the first pyramid. This pyramid can still be seen today in Egypt. They are known as the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the first monument in Egypt to be made entirely out of hewn stone.

Did you realize that there are two types of pyramids that not all pyramids were made the same? While most of us believe that the heads on some of the pyramids represent kings actually meant something different.

Valley of the Kings

Ramsees XI was the last king of the New Kingdom and his is also the last king to have built a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Most are sure though that he never used the tomb that he built.

What other secrets lay in wait for you here? Are there kings buried in the valley? Are the royal families buried there, as their final resting place before moving onto to eternity?

There are two main branches of the Valley of the Kings. There is the East Valley where most of the tombs are located. There is also the West Valley and here you will find only a few tombs and some pits.

Abu Simbel Temples

As the story goes, back in 1813 a man named J. L. Burkhardt stumbled upon an amazing site and brought it to the attention of many Europeans. He came across the facade of two temples built to as a dedication to Ramesses II, and the other to his wife, Nefertari.

With these being such incredible finds, it led to many Victorian travelers to make the trek up the Nile and that at times they would get there to find the temples completely covered in sand. You can still see these amazing temples as they were hundreds of years ago, but not where they were built originally. What do I mean by that?

As you can see there are tourist attractions galore for any visitor to Egypt, but there are only three that you absolutely must see in order for your trip to be considered complete. These three sites give you the adventure that you have been dreaming about for your trip.