Insider’s travel guide to post-revolution Cairo

Cairo Classics: The Pyramids are not too busy

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A woman in a brightly patterned scarf weaves through crooked lines of cars, her voice drowned out by a cacophony of excitable Arabic, gunning engines and endlessly tooting horns. On the corner, a white-shirted Egyptian policeman frantically waves his fluorescent baton and tries to stem the flood of traffic with shrill blasts from his whistle. But for the battered taxis, the balmy heat and the ever-present dust, it could almost be the Place du Concorde at rush hour. But it isn’t. This is Tahrir Square, one of Cairo’s busiest thoroughfares and the centre of a revolution watched on the world’s television screens, ending in the ousting of Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.

A few months on and the policemen and street traders are busy as post-revolutionary Egypt gets back to work. The Tahrir Square branch of Hardees in central Cairo has recovered from being damaged during the protests and is selling cheap burgers again. The barricades are gone and the people are out in force: laughing, talking and sipping sugar cane juice bought on the roadside. But look closer and evidence of the demonstrations can still be seen. Looming over the Egyptian Museum, to the rear of the emblematic Tahrir Square, is the blackened shell of the National Democratic Party’s former headquarters.

Cairo Museum and National Democratic Party building
Ruth Styles

Close to the entrance of the Cairo museum, a dozen khaki-clad soldiers are leaning against the wall, smoking casually with their guns held at a sleepy angle. Hawkers intent on making a quick buck are doing a roaring trade in revolutionary memorabilia. Slogan t-shirts, cups emblazoned with ‘25th January’ (the day the demonstrations began) and piles of Egyptian flags are being haggled over. Patriotic graffiti is plastered on walls while the trees lining the route from the Kasr-el-Nil Bridge to the square have acquired black, red and white rings – the colours of the Egyptian flag. Even cosmopolitan quarters like Zamalek are getting in on the act, with revolutionary slogans emblazoned on a white brick wall opposite the Libyan embassy.But for the economy, however, the Arab Spring has brought new problems. Already reeling from a spate of shark attacks in Sharm-El-Sheikh last December, January’s uprising has seen tourism in the capital flatline, while bookings in the Red Sea are also down on this time last year. But for travellers willing to brave post-revolution Cairo, there are some definite benefits. Prices for hotel rooms are down, with chic city hotels offering discounted rates and special offers galore. Most restaurants are only too happy to see you; their need for custom resulting in even better service than usual – quite the achievement in a city as friendly as Cairo. Unfortunately, the paucity of other tourists doesn’t always work in your favour, as a visit to the Pyramids illustrated.

The iconic Pyramids are not currently busy with tourists
Ruth Styles

Shopping for spices in Cairo
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Cairo at night
Istockphoto/Thinkstock

Back in Zamalek, the dance floor at local hotspot, Cairo Jazz, was packed with a throng of party-goers untroubled by the curfew, which is implemented loosely from two to five am. No-one seemed to mind that demonstrations had flared up again the previous Friday, this time with a religious tone and several deaths. But they weren’t alone. At houseboat-cum-club, Stiletto, salsa night was in full swing with dancers more worried about getting their steps right than getting home safely. But then, for a city that’s supposedly on lockdown, and with tourists staying away, Cairo feels remarkably confident. And with Pyramids, bazaars and nightlife all in fine fettle, short of an Iran-style government taking power, a renaissance in the tourism sector can’t be too far off. In fact, now might just be the perfect time to go. After all, the crowds won’t be gone for long.Travel essentials

Buy: A revolutionary T-shirt for around E£20. Haggle.

Check: Travel advice before you go.

Stay: The Kempinski Nile Hotel has rooms overlooking the river Nile in a central location just five minutes walk from Tahrir Square and the National Museum. A short taxi ride away is the urbane Zamalek quarter, packed with cafés specialising the ubiquitous kharkade and lemon-mint juice, plus shops selling everything from high quality cotton to locally made natural toiletries. Each room features neutral décor, a private balcony and a comfortable double bed, along with the use of a personal butler. It doesn’t feel particularly Egyptian but it’s central and comfortable. Breakfasts are substantial and there’s an excellent jazz bar on the 10th floor, as well as a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the city. Rates start at £150 per night. www.kempinski.com

Getting there: Egyptair operates daily flights to and from a wide range of European capitals, including London, Berlin and Copenhagen, from its Cairo hub. Flights from London to Cairo with Egyptair start at £380 return. www.egyptair.com