Author: Anaisa Mohamed
The quieter, yet complex, smaller sibling of Cairo. While smaller, it is immense at the same time. Unlike Cairo which has the Nile River, Alexandria sits on the Mediterranean coast and is an excellent beach vacation, within a metropolitan city. Lots of people take a day trip from Cairo to Alexandria, which is accessible by car, train or bus. The fastest route is by car, which is a 2-hour drive, if you are not stuck in Cairo traffic on a Thursday.
Accommodation
Picking a hotel on the Corniche has perks as most of the hotels will have a private beach. We stayed at the Sheraton, and most of the rooms are sea-facing. While a breakfast-included rate is great, uber works smoothly in Alexandria and most local places are a 15 to 25-minute drive away, even for a breakfast spread.
Sightseeing
I do recommend a guide for sightseeing in Alexandria, as there are a lot of sites, and the history is across many periods. I am a history nerd, so it makes no sense to me to tour historic places without guidance.
Places of Interest:
• The Corniche
• Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa – Three levels of underground tombs cut in the rock dating back to third century A.D Roman time
• Pompey’s Pillar
• Montazah Gardens – A spacious royal garden that was once a restricted place for the royal family of Egypt full of rare and various plants. A perfect place to enjoy the landscape and the Mediterranean breeze
• Alexandria National Museum – a wide range of antiquities of ancient Egypt, Greco-Roman period, Christian & Islamic times
• Al Qaed Ebrahim Mosque
• Royal Jewellery Museum
• Bibliotheca Alexandrina – oldest library in the world. Also contains artifacts about the history of the Kaabah and the development of the Quraan.
• Ancient Roman Theatre
• Stanley Bridge
• The Cathedral of St. Mark.
• Sidi Morsi Abu al-Abbas Mosque
• Citadel of Qaitbay – there is a wall nearby with the most amazing mosaic for the prettiest pictures
From Alexandria, you can also do day trips to Al Alamein, Rosetta (to see the site of the ancient Rosetta stone, as well as the point where the Nile River meets the ocean – this was breathtaking), and to the beaches on the North Coast of Egypt.
Weather
Note that Alexandria is not as warm as the Red Sea or Cairo, the temperature is slightly colder, albeit being quite humid in peak summer.
Shopping
Alexandria has excellent shopping in the City Centre as well as the San Stefano Mall (inside the Four Seasons hotel), with a vast number of international stores. We did some grocery shopping at the Carrefour, for snacks. For local shopping, make stops at the Souk District & Safiyya Zaghloul Shopping Street downtown. There are loads of abaya and hijab stores. Don’t forget to add to your Egyptian shopping lists – papyrus, essential oils, bakhoor (oud), and Arab perfumes!
The area around the train station in El Raml has a book stand with both English and Arabic books for reasonable prices. If you are booking a tour, ask your guide to take you for a walk downtown and to explain the history of the Egyptian Revolution. Your guide is also the best person to take you shopping in Alexandria if Arabic is difficult for you. Note that Google Translate is not Egyptian Arabic – and having someone bilingual can smooth out the intricacies of miscommunication.
Food
Notable eateries in Alexandria:
• Ahmed Mohamed restaurant – authentic Egyptian breakfast (omelet, foul, falafel, tahini, hummus, pita, pickles, salad)
• Delices Patisserie – whatever dessert you may crave, they will have it. Overlooking downtown Alexandria, it is amazing for people watching. You can also be seated outside with the café’s cats.
• Trianon for Brunch & coffee
• Ecuador coffee shops as a Starbucks alternative
• Gad for authentic Egyptian breakfast
• Koshary at Masrawy
• Fried chicken at Bazooka across the Corniche – the spicy is my favorite
• La Mamma restaurant inside the Sheraton makes authentic Italian meals. The pizzas are amazing and quite big for the price.
About the Author:
My name is Anaisa. While I was born in Portugal, I grew up, schooled, and worked in Johannesburg, so I am South African in spirit. I have been living in Mozambique for over a decade and am passionate about seeing the world, one Masjid at a time.
My travel as a single parent will always be economical, yet luxe, and finding amazing halal places to eat. I am always looking for travel tips to share and use and be inspired to travel. I never have less than 3 trips planned at any given time. If you’re wondering, I am a corporate legal professional, and that is what pays the bills.
My insta and tiktok handle is @i_am_anaisa.
