The Good Holiday.

 

So, you still want more? Here you go. Together with a host of other contributors, I now share responsible tourism stories from around the world on THE GOOD HOLIDAY. Here's how Daréll Lourens, the passionate film-maker behind the blog, describes the project:

TGH produces films in places that make an extra effort to involve and empower local communities. Our photographers take pictures in parts around the world that amaze with natural beauty and our writers string together sentences about destinations that inspire an inner knowledge that living well creates more abundance than living rich.

Do I need to say more?

Gayer-Anderson Museum.

A treasure trove of Egyptian artefacts from various periods in the country's rich history, the Gayer-Anderson Museum, originally built in the 17th century, is also an architectural masterpiece that oozes heritage and charm. Located in the same complex as Ibn Tulun mosque, you can make a turn at the museum when coming to Islamic Cairo anyway to see the mosque (or vice versa). Despite the fact that it was home to Mr Gayer-Anderson, after whom it is named, for only a couple of years in the 1930s and 40s, he managed to create a unique hybrid museum-cum-home space in which he and his family lived among his collection of oriental furniture, rugs, statues and other objects. Imagine how eerie that must've been! It is now open to the public so you can go for a self-guided tour up whimsical staircases and down half-lit corridors, and behind every corner there's a new thing to be discovered, a small patio maybe, a fountain or a secret nook.

http://www.sca-egypt.org/eng/MUS_Gayer-Anderson.htm

Ibn Tulun Mosque.

One of the oldest and also largest mosques in Cairo, Ibn Tulun is another wonderful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and unwind in its simple splendour. With its many arches and columns it almost feels as if Ibn Tulun boasts several rooms, while in reality it's all one magnificent space that flows seamlessly between the sunlit courtyard and the surrounding building. However, Ibn Tulun is probably best know for its unique minaret with a spiral staircase running around the tower all the way up to the top from where you have unparalleled vies of Islamic Cairo and beyond. By the way, Ibn Tulun is also the mosque featured on the 5 EGP note, so this is the perfect spot to start your tour through all Cairo mosques as represented on the 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 LE notes.

Al Hakim Mosque.

For a leisurely stroll far from the traffic that's become a perennial nuisance in most parts of Cairo, make your way to the area around Al Hakim Mosque between the Northern end of the city's old wall and Khan El Khalili market in the South. The narrow street connecting these two sights is mostly reserved for pedestrians and winds its way through a well-preserved and very picturesque part of Islamic Cairo. En route, there's many an antiques shop, eatery or mosque to explore and you can easily get lost if you stray too far from the main drag. Be amazed by the towering minarets and great mansions once owned by wealthy tradesmen. If you're in for some chaos, walk all the way to Cairo's most famous Souk where you can buy everything from plastic pyramids to spices and all sorts of random bric-a-brac. If you don't feel like bargaining, simply turn around and walk back to Al Hakim Mosque that manages to impress with an austere beauty and the refreshing absence of ornaments.

It's a short walk from Bab El-Shareya Metro station on the green line.

The Nile by Dahabiya.

It's definitely one of the highlight activities you can do in Egypt and shouldn't be missed. A Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan can't be beat if you have a penchant for peace, quiet and travel on water. And while you're at it, give the large cruise ships that basically are floating hotels a miss and opt for a wind-powered Dahabiya instead. These beautiful and aesthetic boats accommodate only a maximum of 12 people in six comfy cabins, making this a most intimate experience. When you wake up in the morning you hear the chatter of birds and the gurgling of water as the Dahabiya glides through the tranquil Nile. At the same time, the small crew is already busy preparing stacks of crepes and fresh coffee. So, rush up the stairs to the communal breakfast table to greet your fellow passengers and soak in the scenery. It's all green fields and palm trees with the desert as a contrasting backdrop and the blue Nile to match, dotted with the occasional donkey or village kids or group of fishermen. During the day, there are plenty of excursions to temples and other sights that you can join, but the best part is always returning to the boat and being welcomed by the steward with cold a hibiscus drink and refreshing towels. After lunch, you will have ample time for a nap in one of the cosy nooks around the ship equipped with rugs and cushions and of course the amazing view out into the green, blue and ochre of Upper Egypt. If you're not careful, you might sleep all the way until dinner, which would of course be a shame, as you would miss both the lovingly prepared afternoon tea as well as the golden afternoon sun, best enjoyed with a sundowner to match.

http://www.lazulinil.com/

The Huge Tree on El Borg St.

Because Cairo is not known as a city of trees safe for some enclaves in Zamalek or Maadi, greenery immediately garners attention around the city and every tree is a welcome distraction from the ubiquitous grey that dominates the scene. When on a Saturday stroll through the city, make sure you pass by one the most magnificent reminders of a more horticulturally minded past. It's impossible to miss the imposing monolith of a tree that dominates the centre of El Borg St on Gezira island. Drivers of horse carriages (and the horses) shelter here from the sweltering heat in summer and many birds have made the tree their home in the concrete jungle. Just sit there and marvel at nature's genius. Bring a book and a flask of fresh mint tea and enjoy the relative peace and quiet thanks to the (now derelict) nursery surrounding the area.

Groppi.

It's one of those Downtown institutions that act as living reminder of Cairo's grand past as one of the cosmopolitan centres of a globalized world circa 1920. Occupying a chunk of prime property on beautiful Talaat Harb Square, Café Groppi welcomes its guests with an ornate entrance of wrought iron and large glass-and-wood doors that lead into the main hall, a cavernous space with huge windows, high ceilings and a splendid stone floor. Well, and this is unfortunately where the splendour ends. The coffee that's served here is decent but nothing to write home about and the cake display is very basic with even their modest Danishes not available most of the time. Given Groppi's status as one of the oldest cafés in Cairo with a name that even today manages to conjure up images of dapper gents and ladies meeting over high tea, you wonder why the owners don't capitalize more on this unique heritage. Still, it's a great spot to sit for a while and watch the crazy world pass by outside in the street. Bring a book and a camera and pretend you're Agatha Christie on a voyage of the Middle East.

AUC Downtown Campus & Bookstore.

Amidst all the faded glamour and crumbling facades in its neighbourhood the American University's downtown campus has long been a thriving beacon of beauty and excellence. That, however, was before the headquarters of the Middle East's premier educational institution were moved to new, shiny premises in New Cairo. Fortunately, the old campus with its moorish arches and mashrabiya panels is still open to the public and remains an oasis of green and calm in central Cairo, literally on the doorstep of the urban blight that is Tahrir Square. Come here on a Saturday morning for a leisurely stroll through the lush gardens and deserted hallways, take a peek at the splendid Oriental Hall and marvel at the many intricate details of this architectural masterpiece. Then, head to the AUC bookstore at the back of the building and browse to your heart's content through thousands of books spanning several languages and sections. It's easily one of the best and well-stocked bookstores in the country. Plus, the sleek wood and glass interior gives it a refreshing feel that is in stark contrast to the ornate decor of the rest of the campus. Let's hope it will still be open for a while. Entrance from Mohammed Mahmoud.

http://www.aucpress.com/t-aucbookstores.aspx

Windsor Hotel Bar.

There's few places around Cairo that capture the charms of a bygone, cosmopolitan era in such a melancholic and authentic fashion like the bar at the Windsor Hotel. Tucked away in unassuming Alfi Bey St off the main 26 July thoroughfare, the Windsor is a true gem among the otherwise most unauthentically refurbished colonial-era hotels in the Egyptian capital (if they still exist in the first place). You might be forgiven for thinking the entire place has closed for business year ago and is by now completely defunct but nobody cared to close the door. Indeed, the few members of staff occupying their posts at various spots around the premises seem as lost as the odd tourist that finds his way into the Windsor. Once you have settled for a cosy armchair of your choice in the 1st-floor bar, however, lights flicker on, a distant radio magically jumps to live and a cold Stella comes your way almost instantaneously as if you have crossed a motion detector hidden somewhere in one of the antlers adorning the walls. Bring a few friends or a good book and enjoy some blue-hour bliss after a hard day's work. This is downtown Cairo at its best.

http://www.windsorcairo.com/

Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Amidst all the ancient monuments and desert destinations in Egypt the ultra-modern library of Alexandria makes for a refreshing change of scenery. It is THE perfect spot to enjoy peace and calm in Egypt's second city. It's been designed to resemble the rising sun that glides across the sea, radiating the light of knowledge through the world. Fitting the theme, it's covered in a hull of glass and steel glistening in the sun. On the insight, a gigantic wall of enormous concrete slabs together with dozens of columns that resemble lotus flowers rise high into the sky and support the prominent glass facade. In here it's all dark, polished floors, wooden shelves and muted light. While outside on the corniche traffic thunders past with the usual relentless ferocity, one feels completely insulated form the real world in the monastery-like, almost sacral silence. The huge library hall is divided into myriad sections across huge balconies that cascade down below sea level, so just grab a book, pick your spot of choice and drift away. There's even wireless Internet and the cartography section on the lowest level is great for armchair travelling. What's your next destination?

http://www.bibalex.org/Home/Default_EN.aspx

Fort Qaitbey.

While many monuments and historic buildings in Egypt are in various states of disrepair and at best lend themselves as crumbling wallpapers to reenact a supposedly more glorious past, the magnificent Fort Qaitbey in Alexandria defies the trend. Lovingly restored, the 15th century citadel still guards the entrance to the the city's splendid natural harbour. It's all simple, bright limestone formed by experts of the masonry profession into clean lines and countless airy rooms, many of which look out to sea. The fort sits atop the remnants of the ancient lighthouse (of wonders-of-the-world fame) and it is said that is was at least partially constructed from material once part of the lighthouse. The hefty entrance fee of LE50 is definitely worth forking out for one of the most beautiful buildings in the country. Just make sure to bring a good book and picnic supplies so you can spend the better part of your afternoon here, watching ships on their way to destinations elsewhere in the Med, soaking in the fresh ocean air under a blue sky that tries hard to match the water in intensity of colour.