Return
to the list of Ted's travel articles
INTERESTING WINTER TRAVEL DESTINATIONS FROM EGYPT
by Ted Cookson
Published in January 2005
Busy Bogyoke Aung San Road in downtown Yangon, Myanmar, 29-second video clip
Scene inside Yangon's Bogyoke (Scott) Market, 33-second video clip
A walk through a Yangon street lined with fuit and vegetable vendors, 64-second video clip
Burmese dancers #1, 61-second video clip
Burmese dancers #2, 62-second video clip
Water taxi on Bangkok's Chao Rhraya River, 16-second video clip
Water taxi on Bangkok's Chao Phraya River, 40-second video clip
Dancers in Ho Chi Minh City #1, 45-second video clip
Dancers in Ho Chi Minh City #2
46-second video clip
Dancers in Ho Chi Minh City #3,
52-second video clip
Cruising down the Saigon River,
16-second video clip
Gabes,
Tunisia tourist market, 60-second video clip
Male lion at
Samburu National Park, Kenya,
36-second video clip
Elephant eating
at Samburu National Park, Kenya,
50-second video clip
4-wheel-drive
vehicle fording a stream at Kenya's Samburu Park, 44-second video clip
Vacationers who desire to optimize their travel experiences often plan their
international holidays to coincide with the most favorable climatic season in
the destinations they visit. Winter, 21 December - 21 March, is one of the best
times to visit the following countries: Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab
Emirates in the Arabian Gulf; India and Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka near the
Indian continent; Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam in Southeast
Asia; Libya and Tunisia in North Africa; and Ethiopia and the East African
countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Until only a couple of decades ago the Arabian Gulf states of Bahrain, Oman and
the United Arab Emirates might have seemed unlikely tourist destinations.
Today, when one thinks of the Arabian Gulf, it is often the skyline of Dubai in
the U. A. E. which first comes to mind. Dubai, with its famous luxury hotels,
its creek and its well-executed and high-tech Dubai Museum built in and under an
old fort, is rapidly developing into a world-class tourist destination. On the
other hand, some places in Bahrain and Oman are also worthy of a visit during
the winter season when both temperatures and humidity are relatively low in the
Gulf. In Bahrain, for instance, one can spend an interesting day driving a
rental car around the island's circular road. The Bahrain Museum and fort in
Manama, oil wells and even prehistoric burial mounds can all be seen there.
Likewise, the harbor and town of Muscat, Oman are very picturesque; and from
there one can drive up a broad wadi into the interior of Oman to the old capital
of Nizwa and back the same day.
The Indian subcontinent is also best visited during the winter. In India itself
the so-called "Golden Triangle" is included in many tourist itineraries. The
triangular route begins in the capital of New Delhi and leads to Agra, home to
the Taj Mahal. From there travelers continue to Jaipur, Rajasthan's most
renowned city with its Amber Palace and Moghul-inspired Palace of the Winds,
before returning to Delhi. Tiny Bhutan, lying high in the Himalayas to India's
northeast, is an expensive but fascinating Buddhist kingdom accessible for
tourists by air from India. In contrast, one can take a very inexpensive winter
holiday in warm Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), off India's southeast coast. Sri
Lanka offers interesting Buddhist temples and ancient ruins in addition to good
shopping and nice beaches. But tourists who desire world-class diving and
snorkeling should look no further than the Maldives, a republic consisting of
nearly 1,200 islands stretching south beyond the equator from India's southwest
coast. Over 90 resorts have been constructed now on islands in the Maldives.
This underwater paradise is best reached by air from Cairo via Dubai or Doha.
The winter months are the best time to travel to diverse Southeast Asia.
Thailand normally turns out to be one of most people's very favorite countries.
Fabulous sightseeing and wonderful shopping in urban Bangkok combine well with
marvelous beach hotels in the south and also with the rural north. In Chiang
Mai and other northern towns not only can one view fascinating crafts being made
by hand, but one can also take interesting excursions into the surrounding
countryside to see local people who may as well be living in another century.
Elephant tours are available too! Myanmar, Thailand's neighbor to the west and
formerly known as Burma, is unique in having been closed to the West for so
long. Although many outside influences are now being allowed into the country,
the capital, Yangon (formerly Rangoon), still retains a 1950's quaintness.
Cambodia's star attraction is the extensive ruin of Angkor Wat. Anyone who can
imagine Karnak Temple in a jungle setting will be well on his way to visualizing
these massive temples which are truly a treasure of world heritage. Angkor Wat
is situated near the Cambodian town of Siem Reap, to which there are daily
nonstop flights from Bangkok. Vietnam, to the east of Cambodia, is also on the
tourist map nowadays. Bustling Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the South
contrasts with the more staid Hanoi in the North; and interesting antiquities
can be visited in the former capital of Hue which lies in the middle.
The North African countries of Tunisia and Libya, like Egypt, are best toured
during the winter season. Tunis's Bardo Museum boasts what are perhaps the
world's best Roman mosaics, and some modest Classical antiquities can be viewed
outside the capital. Tourists can also drive a rental car to the Tunisian oases
of Nefta and Tozeur with their springs and pretty date palm groves. Libya, on
the other hand, offers incredible Roman-era antiquities near Tripoli and
Greek-era antiquities near Benghazi. Long closed to tourism, in the last year
Libya has begun to open its doors quite a bit wider. While touring in Libya is
not cheap, the tourist will usually enjoy the prestige of being the first on his
block to have visited that country!
East Africa and Ethiopia also enjoy a high winter tourist season. While
photographic safaris may or may not have been invented there, Kenya now stands
head and shoulders above its neighbors in the number of tourist arrivals. Kenya
shares the Serengeti Plain with Tanzania, which lies to the south. Mt.
Kilimanjaro, while situated in Tanzania, is clearly visible from Kenya's
southern Amboseli Park. If there is one reason to take a safari in Tanzania as
opposed to Kenya, it is the amazing 20-km-wide Ngorongoro Crater, which contains
a captive wildlife population within its 600-meter walls. While Uganda is
interesting for its safaris to view elusive mountain gorillas, Ethiopia is
unique for its cultural tourism. Ethiopia's "Historic Route" includes:
Lalibela with eleven rock-cut churches dating back as far as the twelfth
century; Axum, an ancient capital with granite monoliths; Bahar Dar, where the
falls of the Blue Nile are situated; and Gondar, another former capital with
ancient palaces. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, hosts the largest open market
in Africa!
The alphabetical list below shows the best time(s) of year to visit the various
countries mentioned above. It includes one of the cheapest total round trip
airfares (current as of 13 December 2004), airline name, any minimum stay
requirements, and one or more prime tourist attractions in those countries.
BAHRAIN: BEST WEATHER FROM DEC. TO MAR.
Manama EGP 2,400 on Gulf Air. 5-night minimum stay.
Bahrain National Museum in Manama
BHUTAN: BEST WEATHER FROM OCT. TO MAR./APR.
Air to Thimpu, Bhutan via Calcutta. Calcutta-Thimpu return air not included
here.
Calcutta EGP 6,200 on Kuwait Airways. 5-night minimum stay.
Dzongs (Buddhist monasteries)
CAMBODIA: BEST WEATHER FROM NOV. TO FEB.
Siem Reap via Bangkok EGP 6,000 on Kuwait Airways. 5-night minimum stay.
Angkor Wat ruins
ETHIOPIA: BEST WEATHER FROM SEP. TO FEB.
Addis Ababa EGP 2,850 on Ethiopian Airlines. No minimum stay.
Addis Ababa, "Historic Route" (Lalibela, Axum, Bahar Dar, Gondar)
INDIA: BEST WEATHER FROM OCT. TO MAR.
Delhi EGP 4,350 on Emirates. 5-night minimum stay.
Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udhaipur), Varanasi, Khajeraho, Mumbai
KENYA: BEST WEATHER FROM DEC. TO MAR./Wildebeeste migration from JUL. to
SEP.
Nairobi EGP 3,000 on Egypt Air. 6-night minimum stay.
Nairobi EGP 3,350 on Kenya Airways. 5-night minimum stay.
Masai Mara Park, Amboseli Park, Samburu Park, Tree Hotels, Lake Nakuru, Mt.
Kenya, Mombasa, Lamu
LIBYA: BEST WEATHER FROM OCT. TO APR.
Tripoli EGP 2,065 on Egypt Air. 6-night minimum stay.
Tripoli EGP 1,900 on Libyan Arab Airlines. No minimum stay.
Roman ruins at Leptis Magna & Sabratha near Tripoli & Greek ruins at Cyrene
near Benghazi, desert oases
MALDIVES: BEST WEATHER DEC.-MAR. & ALSO NOV.
Male EGP 4,710 on Emirates. Minimum stay 7 nights.
Beaches, scuba diving
MYANMAR: BEST WEATHER FROM NOV. TO FEB.
Rangoon via Bangkok EGP 5,900 on Kuwait Airways. 5-night minimum stay.
Rangoon (Shwedagon Pagoda, Scott’s Market), Pagan, Mandalay
OMAN: BEST WEATHER FROM DEC. TO FEB.
Muscat EGP 2,700 on Gulf Air. 5-night minimum stay.
Muscat, Nizwa, Salalah
SRI LANKA: BEST WEATHER FROM NOV. TO FEB.
Colombo EGP 3,950 on Emirates. 5-night minimum stay.
Colombo, Kandy, Anuradapura, Pollonaruwa, Sigiria, Nuwera Eliya
TANZANIA: BEST WEATHER FROM JAN. TO FEB. & ALSO FROM JUN. TO OCT.
The most convenient air access for a safari is via Nairobi:
Nairobi EGP 3,000 on Egypt Air. 6-night minimum stay.
Nairobi EGP 3,300 on Kenya Airways. 5-night minimum stay.
Serengeti Park, Ngorongoro Crater Park, Lake Manyara Park, Mt. Kilimanjaro,
Arusha, Zanzibar
THAILAND: BEST WEATHER FROM NOV. TO FEB.
Bangkok EGP 3,900 on Kuwait Airways. 6-night minimum stay.
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Ayyutthaya, River Kwai
TUNISIA: BEST WEATHER FROM FEB. TO MAR. & ALSO FROM OCT. TO NOV.
Tunis EGP 2,120 on Egypt Air. 6-night minimum stay.
Tunis (Bardo Mosaic Museum, Sidi Bou Said, Carthage), El Djem, Djerba Island,
Kairouan, Nefta, Tozeur
UGANDA: BEST WEATHER FROM DEC. TO MAR.
Entebbe (near Kampala) EGP 3,850 on Kenya Airways. 5-night minimum stay.
Mountain gorilla treks
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: BEST WEATHER FROM DEC. TO MAR.
Dubai EGP 2,870 on Emirates. 5-night minimum stay.
Dubai (National Museum, gold souk), Sharjah souk, dhow ride on “the Creek”
VIETNAM: BEST WEATHER FROM NOV. TO FEB.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) EGP 5,200 on Malaysia Airlines. 5-night
minimum stay.
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Danang
ABOUT TED COOKSON: Egypt's most widely-traveled travel agent, Ted has been
to every country in the world! He has also visited 307 of the 315 destinations
on the list of the Travelers' Century Club (visit
www.eptours.com and refer to World Travel Club). A travel agent in Cairo
since 1986, Ted manages EGYPT PANORAMA TOURS, a full-service travel agency, at 4
Road 79 (between Roads 9 and 10, near the "El Maadi" metro station) in Maadi.
Contact Egypt Panorama Tours (open 7 days a week 9 AM-5 PM) at: Tels. 2359-0200,
2358-5880, 2359-1301. Fax 2359-1199. E-mail:
ept@link.net. Web site:
www.eptours.com.