Middle East & Africa

Editor’s Note: All of us at Viator are thrilled to offer a small and growing collection of Morocco tours. The inaugural things to do focus in and around Marrakech. Over the next few weeks we’ll add Fes and other destinations throughout Morocco. As they say in Morocco, As-salam ʿleykum and welcome!

The road to Fes from Marrakech

Do I remember my first visit to Morocco?

Let me put it this way — do you remember the first time you were run over by a bus? Dropped from a plane without a parachute? Locked in a room with a poisonous snake?

Yeah. I remember my first trip to Morocco.

I was 20 years old. I was doing my junior year abroad studying in Ireland and somehow — forgive me, if you haven’t already — I convinced two of my closest friends to include Morocco on our “around Europe in 4 weeks” backpacking odyssey that summer.

At the time Morocco was nothing more than an idea to me. A distant concept. A combination of Indiana Jones meets the Arabian Nights. I had never visited an Arab country before, let alone a Muslim country. Neither had my two friends. It was going to be an adventure.

And in the interest of making a very long story much shorter, here’s the abridged version of what happened. (If you want to read the full version, I’m afraid you must buy a very forgettable Lonely Planet travel literature title — you have been warned.)

It is hot

Three 20-year-olds arrive in Morocco by ferry from Spain. They immediately board a train — a 14-hour train — to Fes, 4th class. If you’ve never heard of 4th class, that’s the section of the train with chickens and goats, no glass in the windows, wooden benches, and certainly no tourists.

We had completely forgot to buy water and food. We had nothing to eat or drink. Literally. And it was hot, as in 115-degrees hot.

At some point the train stopped moving completely. We sat roasting, idle, unmoving, in the Moroccan sun. My friends probably said a few unrepeatable and mean things to me, but I don’t remember. All I can remember is the heat. The hot sun. Desert.

We are kidnapped

Towards dusk, a nice man started chatting us up. He spoke fluent English. He was charming. He found a few cans of soda for us. He showed us how to write our own names in Arabic. He was our hero.

He suggests that, rather than arrive in Fes around midnight, why not jump off the train at the next stop. There’s a small town, he can give us the address of a good hotel, we can spend the night and catch the morning train to Fes, refreshed.

Of course. How sensible. We’ll do it.

A series of confusing events follows. We get off the train. There is no town. It’s desolate. A man in sunglasses directing us into the back of a waiting Mercedes. The three of us looking at each other, what do we do? Man in the sunglasses is pushing us into the car now. We are speeding off. The man from the train is nowhere to be seen. But a police car — siren blazing — all of a sudden appears behind us, chasing us. The Mercedes we’re in sets a new land-speed record and we outrun the coppers. We’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Are the police on our side? What side? Who’s side?

Wait — what’s going on here?????

We meet our kidnapper’s mom

After a half-hour or so in the Mercedes — did I mention it was black with auto-locking doors, I kid you not — we pulled into a small town and are dumped in front of a house. Magically, the main from the train opens a door and welcomes us with a huge smile. I can’t prove he said the words, “welcome my friends!” But I would bet my left kidney that he did.

He leads us upstairs, ignoring all of our questions, and shows us a comfortable-looking room with three beds. He tells us to drop our bags, have some tea, freshen up — and that dinner will be served shortly.

Dinner?

This is not me. But I’m afraid I looked as silly as this guy.

He then introduces us to his mother, who’s busy cooking and yet greets us with a friendly ear-to-ear smile like we are old friends or long lost children. And we meet two other ‘guests’, two American girls who’ve been here for nearly a week. They’re full of compliments and great stories about the week they’ve had.

Here’s how we summed up our situation. First, it seems we had been kidnapped from a Moroccan train. Second, it’s pretty likely we were chased by Moroccan police, but got away. Third, we’ve been taken to our kidnapper’s house, which is actually more like a bed and breakfast than a torture chamber. Fourth, his mom is a great cook. The lodging rates are good. Maybe we’ll stay here a while…

We have an amazing time in Morocco

After this admittedly rough start to our trip, Morocco continues to baffle us yet we have an amazing time anyway. Things I am proud of doing: exploring the souks in Fes and making friends with Morocco’s rabid soccer fans (this was during the ‘90 World Cup). Meeting some amazing people, eating some incredible food, and having a travel experience unlike any other in my life.

Things I am less proud of doing: accidentally stealing a Moroccan’s wallet and getting punched in the face. Being told that we would “fit in” better if wore the local dress — a jellaba — and then actually following that advice.

Since that first trip, I’ve been back to Morocco a few times. Each visit has been utterly unforgettable (in the best possible way). I’ve formed a deep attachment to Morocco, to the Moroccan people, and to sights and sounds of a country like no other I’ve visited.

I’m sure it’s hard to believe that this post is intended to be a full-throated endorsement of traveling to Morocco. Yet it is!

True, Morocco is not the easiest country in the world. And sure, you must learn to cope with any number of complexities and difficulties. No matter. If you’re contemplating a trip to Morocco, just go. I guarantee you will not regret it. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get kidnapped by the same lovely family we were kidnapped by. If so, tell them hello from Scott and his friends.

–Scott McNeely

Editor’s Note: Terry Carter and his wife and writing partner, Lara Dunston, have written half a dozen travel guides to Dubai and the UAE and have made it their home base since 1998. We asked Terry to write about top local / off-the-beaten-path travel tips for Dubai. You can also check out their recent post about “Top Things to Do in Dubai“.

Dubai Tip #1: Dip your toes into the Arabian Sea

Dubai Tip #8 — Expat Volleyball

We’d like to say that it’s invigorating, but we’d be so wrong. The truth is that most of the year the water is as warm as a baby’s bath, but remember, it’s the Arabian Sea! You can surf, kite surf or just take advantage of the photo op with the Burj Al Arab as a backdrop. While it’s calm most of the time, there are strong currents – and you don’t want to be drifting off towards Iran with the US warships and pesky pirates around. If you do float to Iran, remember to call it the Persian Gulf not the Arabian Gulf. Just so you know.

Dubai Tip #2: Catch a local bus

Most visitors to Dubai never catch the local buses, probably due to the fact that you can actually melt into a sizzling puddle on the sidewalk waiting for one. But it’s a great way to mix it with Dubai’s expat workers – not the ones on the executive packages. You’ll see the neighbourhoods where they live and get a feel for the different expat communities. It’s also a great way to find those authentic workers cafés. Just look for the crowds around a hole-in-the-wall and get off. There is a double-decker hop-on-hop-off bus that does the main routes, but that’s cheating.

Dubai Tip #3: Let’s do brunch

When a Dubai resident says ‘let’s do lunch’, it’s not an empty threat. If you’re in Dubai on a Friday or a Saturday, brunch with the expats is a must. Take excellent people-watching opportunities, add good value food, mix liberally with free drinks, and presto, you’re living the Dubai equivalent of ‘the good life’. Week time lunch specials are also brilliant value. Check the Time Out magazine or website for the current dining bargains.

Dubai Tip #4: Shop yourself silly at a mall

Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, Dubai’s cultural activities don’t exclusively consist of shopping, shopping and more shopping (see our previous blog on Dubai), but the mall certainly is a focal point of local activity. Dubai doesn’t have a ‘town square’ or the ritual of the afternoon stroll around its manicured paths – this activity takes place at Dubai’s malls. Why? It’s too ****** hot to do it elsewhere! Whether it’s to meet friends for coffee, to check out the latest designer fashions (local and international), catch a movie, or just escape the heat, you have to hit the mall at least once. Just don’t call it ‘mall culture’…

Dubai Tip #5: Check out the local supermarkets

Dubai Tip #5 — Eat local

Sure they’re not as exotic as the souqs, but local branches of supermarkets (such as Carrefour) reveal a lot about how people live in Dubai. You’ll see old local women, often sporting the traditional burka (face mask), doing a monthly shop with a trolley laden with huge bags of flour, rice, cooking oil, and dozens of tissue boxes!

There are fresh nuts, olives, pickled vegetables, and other goodies (caviar anyone?) in barrels at the deli counter, but you can also pick up fascinating souvenirs here as well – chocolate covered-dates, orange water, rose syrup – all with endearing packaging that hasn’t changed since that old local woman was pulling water from a well.

Dubai Tip #6: Succumb to the spa

Dubai is fast becoming a world-class spa destination. Just about every five-star hotel has at least one spa and the treatment lists are just as extensive as any in Thailand. Given Dubai’s reputation as a luxury travel destination and emphasis on relaxing, it’s no wonder that the spa scene has become so competitive. Cleopatra’s Spa started the ball rolling many years ago and in many ways is still the queen (sorry!) of Dubai’s spas. And one of the most reasonably priced.

Dubai Tip #7: Picnic at Creekside Park

As soon as the weather cools off a little, Dubai’s residents hit the beach or a park. Creekside Park is a favourite because it has great children’s facilities as well as abundant shade and afternoon Creek breezes. The smell of BBQ (everything from Thai chicken satay to Middle Eastern lamb kebabs) and sheesha (aromatic water pipe) fills the air as does the playful sounds of children speaking a dozen or so different languages. Before you head to the park, drop in to the nearby Wafi Mall to Wafi Gourmet for your picnic supplies – juicy olives from the barrel, white cheeses, dips of hummus and muttabal, kebbe, and fabulous fresh bread.

Dubai Tip #8: Be a good sport

Dubai’s winter sporting calendar attracts everyone from Tiger Woods to Roger Federer (a part-time Dubai resident), and while this provides a great opportunity to see your favourite sporting superstars up close there are plenty of other sports to watch – or join in. Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan expats play cricket at any time of the day, anytime of the year, and anywhere where there’s room to swing a bat. Emiratis flock to see their favourite football (soccer) teams play at the stadiums and the sport of rifle throwing (yes, that’s what we said) attracts supportive extended families. Even if you’re here at the height of summer that’s no excuse: Monday night is Freestyle Night at Ski Dubai, complete with DJ spinning tunes.

Dubai Tip #9: Drink in the views

A Dubai ritual for residents entertaining friends, the ‘drinks with a view’ generally means selecting one of three options. There are the awe-inspiring city views: busy Bar 44 at Grosvenor House with its awesome champagne menu, or Vu’s Bar at the Emirates Towers Hotel where window-side tables are coveted. There is the Burj Al Arab view from either hip 360˚ at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel or safari-style Bahri Bar at Mina A’Salam. And finally, there’s the simple Arabian Gulf Sea view from funky Sho Cho (where you can also hear the waves crashing on the sand below) or lofty Skyview Bar at the Burj Al Arab. Cheers!

Dubai Tip #10: The midnight snack

The post-shopping, post-work shift, or post-imbibing ritual is to head to the neon-lit Satwa neighbourhood for a late-night nibble or a full-blown meal. There are several choices around Al Dhiyafa Rd, but the two main attractions are the basic Pakistani curries and sweet lassi (yoghurt-based) drinks at Ravi’s, or shwarma (juicy, fragrant lamb or chicken rolled up in a pita bread) washed down with fresh juice at Al Mallah. Enjoy!

–Terry Carter

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s complete list of Dubai tours & things to do, from desert sandboarding safaris to Dubai city sightseeing tours.

Editor’s Note: Terry Carter has photographed and, with his wife and writing partner, Lara Dunston, written or contributed to half a dozen travel guides to Dubai and the UAE and have made it their home base since 1998. We asked Lara and Terry to write about experiencing the “real” Dubai. They have kindly obliged with a guide to eating, sleeping & sightseeing in Dubai aimed at first-time visitors.

Top thing to do in Dubai? Soak up the atmosphere.

Things to Do in Dubai, Day 1: Bur Dubai

Need a place to sleep during your three-day tour? For a supremely ‘local’ experience check in to the boutique Orient House in the atmospheric pedestrian-only Bastakiya area. Or if you prefer a stylish update of the Arabian experience try the Qamardeen or Al Manzil hotels near the new Burj Dubai (currently the tallest building in the world). Of course for an all-out 1001 Arabian Nights experience, it’s hard to go past the plush and more-than-a-little sexy One&Only Royal Mirage.

Now in keeping with our Emirati /Arabian theme, start the day with a cultural breakfast at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU), a rare opportunity to try authentic Emirati food, learn about local culture and ask any questions you have about traditional and contemporary Gulf life – don’t be shy!

Wander around the Bastakiya area with its enigmatic, restored wind-tower houses. Once home to wealthy Persian traders, it’s now the centre of a flourishing art scene. Head to the Majlis Gallery for some souvenirs, XVA gallery for a snapshot of contemporary Middle East art, followed by a casual lunch at the nearby Basta Art Café where the fruit cocktails are sublime and relaxing under the shady trees is a treat.

Breakfast at Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, Dubai

To further escape the afternoon heat, make your next stop the compact and compelling Dubai Museum, housed in one of the city’s oldest buildings (a restored fort) and learn how this former fishing village evolved into the daring metropolis it is today.

After taking in the amusing dioramas of old souq (market) life at the museum, take a late afternoon meander through the Bur Dubai souq while the traders are shaking off their siesta and check out the tempting textiles, sparkling slippers, cheap kitsch t-shirts, and the fascinating ‘Hindi Lane’, where local Hindus head to worship, buying fragrant flowers and fruit offerings for their rituals.

As the suns sets, stroll along the Creek’s edge down to the Shindagha area, stopping in at Sheikh Saeed’s house to check out the wonderful historic photo collection in the beautifully restored residence, then head into the Heritage and Diving Village where recreations of coastal life of the local people are wonderfully realised. If you’re fortunate, you might catch locals performing traditional songs and dances as well as old Emirati women preparing tasty traditional bread.

With your taste buds tantalised, have an Arabic dinner at Kan Zaman overlooking the Creek or head back to the Bastakiya area to dine at the enchanting Bastakiyah Nights, completing your day of tasting local Emirati life. Or, if you’re up for more, head to one of the sheesha (water pipe or hookah) cafés that are dotted along the Creek to finish the night with a local ritual – try the aromatic apple sheesha.

Things to Do in Dubai, Day 2: Deira

Day 2 starts with another must-do Dubai experience – an abra (water taxi) ride across the Creek to the other side of the city (Deira). Everyone from South-East Asian expat traders, locals in their elegant flowing dishdashas (the blindingly-white local dress), and tourists use this form of transport, as much to soak up the Creek atmosphere as to beat the bridge and tunnel traffic – all for a measly 33 cents. You’ll get a glimpse of the restored wind-tower architecture on the waterfront, and pass dhows (traditional cargo-carrying wooden boats) making their way to a berth along the Creek. Once safely on terra firma, take a wander along the fascinating dhow wharves where everything from four-wheel-drives to the kitchen sink are loaded on these boats bound for Gulf and Asian destinations.

Stroll across to sample the aromas in the spice souq then follow the souq down to two of Dubai’s underrated historic gems. The Ahmadiya School (1912) was Dubai’s first private school and has been restored with exquisite attention to detail, while the adjacent Heritage House (1890) was once owned by the wealthy pearling merchant who started the school. Both are wonderful traditional houses of the pre-oil era and showcase the charm of and grace of local courtyard houses.

Back out on the streets, get lost in the covered souq (don’t panic, everyone does!) and mix up your own fragrance at one of the plentiful perfume houses. Size yourself up for a sparkly kitsch belly-dancing outfit (for her) or a dapper wooden cane (for him) or weigh up some simple or ornate jewelery at the legendary gold souq, where you can bargain for some of the cheapest gold in the world – shop around and enjoy the haggling ritual! One of our favourite breaks on this shopping excursion is to grab a cheap, filling shawarma (juicy, fragrant lamb or chicken rolled up in a pita bread) and a super-fresh mango juice at Ashwaq Cafeteria, a block from the gold souq.

If you want to shop until you drop, jump in a taxi and head to Deira City Centre (one of Dubai’s oldest and most popular shopping malls) where you can escape the heat, do some people-watching and buy some souvenirs – haggle for carpets, Aladdin’s lamps and beautiful hand-beaten brass coffee pots. Be prepared to shop for another suitcase to get your haul home! Take a coffee break and hang out with the locals who meet their friends here for a chat at one of the myriad cafés.

Freshen up back at the hotel, then if you can’t get enough of the Creek, take a dinner cruise on the Bateaux Dubai, or, if you’re craving more Middle-Eastern atmosphere, make a late booking for Awtar, the Lebanese restaurant at the Grand Hyatt where the classic Lebanese night out of mezze (starter snacks), fragrant grilled meats, sheesha, band and belly dancer melds into the early hours.

Things to Do in Dubai, Day 3: Jumeirah & the Desert

Start the day with a tour of the handsome Jumeirah Mosque with the SMCCU people. On a visit to the mosque you learn about the Islamic prayer rituals, from how the five times daily call-to-prayer (signified by the melody of the mezzuin who leads the prayer) is calculated by the sun and moon, to the performing of ablutions (washing before prayer) and how the prayer ritual is carried out. It’s also a great opportunity to ask questions about Islam in general at the Q&A session afterwards.

Dubai Desert Safari

Jump in a taxi or a local bus (they run frequently along Jumeirah Beach Rd) and head up to Madinat Jumeirah, a contemporary interpretation of an old Arabian souq. Here you can do some more shopping, take in the atmosphere, and watch the abras glide along the man-made canals. Have lunch at one of the excellent waterside restaurants (there’s everything from pasta to Moroccan) before heading back to the hotel to freshen up before your desert safari in Dubai’s desert conservation reserve.

After an exhilarating drive through the dunes, where you might spot the rare and reintroduced oryx (like a desert dwelling deer) but will see plenty of camels, prepare yourself for a sublime desert sunset. The safari provides a great opportunity to catch up on those must-do’s that you didn’t have time for over the last couple of days – you can take a camel ride, watch a belly dancer, get a henna tattoo, sample some local cuisine, and smoke some sheesha. And while the safari is definitely a touristy th’ng to do, you can drink a toast to having experienced the closest you’ll get to the ‘old’ Arabian Dubai.

–Terry Carter

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s complete list of tours in Dubai, from desert sandboarding safaris to Dubai city sightseeing tours.

So what is Viator’s Traveler of the Month?

Before we answer that, let’s back up a little. Recently we started publishing photos over on the viator.com website. These are photos taken by actual Viator travelers, photos of themselves on elephant treks, helicopter tours, desert safaris, private tours of the Vatican — and on hundreds of the other 5,000+ tours and things to do available on Viator.

So we’ve started giving props each month to an individual Viator traveler who makes us laugh, makes us smile, or who inspires us to make that next trip. It might be the prettiest traveler photo, or the funniest, or most inspirational, or just most plain weird.

What do you win? A $100 gift certificate (or the equivalent in pounds or euros) to use on Viator.com! So get traveling, take photos and submit them to viator.com when you return. If you want to participate, simply submit your travel photos (see below for how this works) and you are eligible. Each month we will chose a new winner.

This month we’re pleased to honor James & Michelle for their Egypt trip photos.

April Travelers of the Month - James & Michelle, United Kingdom

Michelle and James went on a trip to Cairo, Egypt and had a wonderful time exploring the different pyramids on their private tour to the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara. James submitted some really fun photos of their trip to the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara in Cairo. This is a great tour to get the full pyramid experience in Egypt.

James said, “This was a great day out. We had a few laughs along the way. The guide was brilliant.”

March Traveler of the Month - Alexandra S, Australia

Alexandra S and her family recently went on a trip to Fiji and based on her photos and captions, they had a blast. The photo above is from the South Sea Island Day Cruise where they snorkeled and relaxed by the pool. Alexandra submitted some great photos of the South Sea Island Day Cruise in Fiji. If you’re looking to relax and have a fun trip with the kids in Fiji, Alexandra recommends this tour.

Alexandra says: “Kris has given his thumbs up for this experience. This is definitely a trip to take especially if you have kids.”

February Traveler of the Month - James A, UK

Here’s a shot taken by James A in Rome, on the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Rome Walking Tour. James submitted some great photos of Rome and the inside of the Vatican. And, according to James’ review he’s glad he booked ahead because the line to get into the Vatican was over 2.5 hours long!

James says: “We were enjoying our tour within 15 minutes, and the guide brought the Vatican alive. There is so much to see you simply would not enjoy any other way as it would not mean much without being explained. The headsets you are given for the tour are fab, and you can hear loud and clear what your guide is saying. We normally do our own thing on holiday; however, this is one of the rare places which the tour works very well.”

January Traveler of the Month - Sumit B, USA

Sumit B seems to be having a good time at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Las Vegas, which he visited after purchasing the Las Vegas Power Pass. Sumit, his wife and his two embarrassed children met Beyonce, the Terminator, Johnny Depp, George Bush and Jenna Jameson, among others. Hopefully his wife forgives him for all of the photos with other women.

–The Viator Travel Team

Editor’s Note: We’ve posted the photos submitted by our Travelers of the Month over on the Viator Flickr site. Hop on over for some inspiration for your next trip.

How can you submit photos to Viator’s Traveler of the Month contest? It’s simple: book a tour with Viator and, when you return, you will receive a “Welcome Back” email. This email will invite you to submit reviews and photos of the tours and things to do on your trip. Tell other travelers what you loved, what you hated and show them in a photo. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Thailand (Bangkok) - voted #40 in 2007

Friends, blogsters and fellow travelers, the time has come for Viator to pay our final respects to 2007 and to the travel year that was. My desk calendar proclaims ‘2008′ now, and points stubbornly ahead anticipating travels yet to come.

Yet before we say farewell to 2007, let us take a moment to honor the Top 50 destinations of the year as determined by viator.com travelers. This is our second annual “Viator Top 50″ list, and like last year, 2007 had been a great ride, full of surprises (good on ya, Rome) and some surprising absences (Mexico, we missed you).

If you’re not yet caught up on our end-of-year lists of top things to do around the world, these links will help: Europe, Asia, USA & Canada, Australia, Caribbean, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa.

Thanks again to the millions of travelers who visited us in 2007, we hope to see you again in 2008.

The Viator 50: Top Travel Destinations in 2007

50. Montreal

Mt Fuji, on a day trip from Tokyo (#10 in 2007)

49. Prague

48. Alice Springs

47. Seville

46. Port Douglas

45. Krakow

44. Perth

43. Christchurch

42. Auckland

41. Chicago

40. Bangkok

39. Boston

Sunset in Venice (#8 in 2007)

38. Miami

37. Athens

36. Salzburg

35. Granada

34. Edinburgh

33. Naples

32. Dubai

31. Vancouver

30. Costa del Sol

29. Oahu

28. Hong Kong

The Sydney Skywalk, Sydney (#7 in 2007)

27. Los Angeles

26. Zurich

25. Vienna

24. Singapore

23. Washington DC

22. The Grand Canyon

21. Munich

20. Orlando

19. Barcelona

18. Cairns & the Tropical North

17. Dublin

16. Versailles

15. Ayers Rock

14. Milan

13. Madrid

12. Amsterdam

11. Melbourne

Ahh, the wonders of Rome (#1 in 2007!)

10. Tokyo

9. San Francisco

8. Venice

7. Sydney

6. Florence

5. London

4. New York City

3. Las Vegas

2. Paris

1. Rome

So how’s your wanderlust doing after reading this entire list? For us, the Viator 50 list of top travel destinations is all about getting inspired to take that next trip. We hope this year’s list of top travel destinations on viator.com has got you thinking about your next holiday, whether it’s across town or across the globe.

We’d also like to extend our congratulations to a few destinations, notably to Rome, which jumped from #3 last year to #1 this year. And to Las Vegas, which made it into the top 3 this year.

If you’re feeling nostalgic about last year’s winners, keep on reading below. We’ve kept last year’s Viator 50 for your entertainment and traveling pleasure.

Happy travels in 2008.

–The Viator Team

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To my Christian friends in Egypt - Happy Christmas to you!

The majority of Christians in Egypt belong to the Coptic Orthodox church, one of the oldest denominations of the Christian faith, and they celebrate Christmas on January 7. Celebrations begin on the evening of January 6 when families attend large church services which run until midnight, much the same as a Catholic Midnight Mass on December 24.

Many people are unaware of the Christians in Egypt, simply assuming that as its an Islamic country, all Egyptians must be Muslims. However just like in the Western world, Egyptians have a variety of religions co-existing alongside one another, and quiet peacefully compared to many other places in the world (Israel, North Ireland spring to mind). While 90% of the population are Muslim, the remaining 10% are a mix of Christians and Hindus. As a visitor to the country you will meet many Christians as the Tourism and Hospitality industry is dominated by workers from these faith, and its hard to understand how they are such a low number minority in the country.

Moses received the 10 commandments from God on top of Mount Sinai on the Sinai Peninsula near Sharm el Sheikh, and the Holy family fled to Egypt during their persecution, so ties to the Christian church are quite strong. Most people tend to think of Jerusalem and the Vatican when thinking of the great religious sites around the world, however Egypt is also a destination worth considering if you are looking for a modern day pilgrimage style adventure.

-Kerrie O’Mahony

Chaos. Complete chaos. And yet with some kind of unspoken rule and unexpected courtesy. It’s the only way I can begin to describe driving around Cairo.

There are no lane markings on the roads – why bother when nobody is likely to take any notice? It’s more like a mass of angled, battered dodgem cars, ducking and weaving; no indicators, only waving hands and tooting horns which have a language of their own: one toot, three toots, a long blast. I couldn’t work out the translations apart from: ‘Coming through,’ which seemed to apply to most of them.

Cairo: Coming Through

Motorbikes carrying three people – often one a baby in arms – wove through the heaving mess of cars; buses and vans full of people stopped and started as people jumped on and off through the wide open doors, Combi vans chugged along, suspension shot and their rear bonnets open to keep the engine cool. And in the middle of it all, donkeys pulled carts loaded with carrots, melons, furniture. Flocks of sheep huddled amongst the parked cars, tempting buyers looking to break the family’s Ramadan fast in style.

Not that I was actually behind the wheel. Are you kidding? I left that up to our Egyptian driver. Apart from the high probability of an accident if I were driving in that melee, I saw very few women in the driver’s seat: Egypt is a male-dominated culture.

Cairo is one of the most alive places I have ever been. The sheer mass of people, the noise, the heat, the traffic, the yelling in the market, the foul tempered camels, the squeezing through impossibly narrow streets by wheezing tour buses, insulating their nervous occupants from the reality of it all, the dust, the sweat, the swirling voices calling out: ‘How can I take your money?’

Yes, in the Khan el Khalili market stallholders really do say that. In fact it’s their opening line: “How can I take your money?” So honest; I loved it. Sometimes it was followed by: “I do not want anything from you, I am married. I just want your money.”

Cairo: How can I take your money?

Once it was replaced with an offer of six camels to Steve in exchange for me and Violet – his two wives. Travelling with two women gave him a lot of kudos and us some protection. Selling me some fabulous red pointy, curly toed leather shoes (”smell them: leather”, as they were thrust again and again into my face), I was asked whether Steve was really my husband. I felt it safest to say yes, to discover that my shoe man was heartbroken as “already I love you.”

I got the shoes for a bargain price.

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From the moment he discovered there is an Egyptian god called Amun-Ra, my husband Eamonn pronounced himself a god. The fact he is not an Egyptian living 4,000 years ago in the time of Pharoahs and Pyramids seems to be of little, if any relevance. The obvious spelling difference between Amun and Eamonn deemed unimportant, they sound enough alike so it seems that is enough! Our guide in Cairo was no help to me in dispelling this illusion, asking him “What does the great god Amun-Ra think of the mighty Pyramids?”.

Imagine his joy when a client gave him a particularly thoughtful Christmas present - a bottle of Amon-Ra Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. Even the label has a picture of the Eye of Horus, our favorite Egyptian symbol which is destined to appear as a tattoo in the near future. Just when I thought the delusions of grandeur were fading into a distant holiday memory they have been reignited by an obscure bottle of wine which sits like a shrine to be worshiped on our bar, I’m surprised I don’t have to bow to it when walking past.

It’s a sign if ever I saw one, I am married to the Egyptian god of gods, so it must be time to go back to Egypt again…

–Kerrie O’Mahony

Fellow travelers, it’s time for another installment of Viator’s Top Things to Do list. So far we’ve covered Central & South America and the Caribbean. That makes it three continents down, four more to go in our ‘top things to do in 2007′ series (based on the tours and activities most popular with actual travelers on Viator.com this year).

It’s time for us to shine a spotlight on Africa and the Middle East. There were some exciting regional developments for Viator this year; in January we launched a new destination on the site, safaris and tours in Kenya, and we’re pleased to see the private three-day safari to Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve taking Africa by storm and skyrocketing to #2 on our list.

We also got serious about making Viator the one-stop-shop for tours and things to do in Egypt (with props to Kerrie, who’s been inspiring all of us with her recent blogs about her trip to Egypt).

Rounding out our list of top things to do in Africa & the Middle East are Dubai and South Africa. We’ve been enjoying the dozens of fantastic reviews, photos and trip reports about Dubai over on the main Viator site; have a look. In South Africa it’s been all about Cape Town and Johannesburg. It’s all worth noting that the #20 top thing to do in 2007 was the scuba dive with Great White Sharks in Cape Town. How cool is that!

Finally, an extra helping of congratulations are in order to this year’s winner — the Dubai 4×4 Desert Wonder Safari — not just because it’s such a cool thing to do. But because this is the second year in a row it’s been voted the #1 thing to do in Africa & the Middle East.

Without further ado, the winners of our 2007 Top Things to Do polling…

Top 25 Things To Do in Africa & the Middle East: 2007

25. Private Dubai City Sightseeing Tour - The Golden City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

24. Private Tour: Abu Simbel by Minibus, Aswan, Egypt

23. Nile River Dinner Cruise on the Nile Maxim, Cairo, Egypt

22. Cape Peninsula Tour, Cape Town, South Africa

21. Sun City and Pilansberg Nature Reserve Safari, Johannesburg, South Africa

20. Scuba Dive or Snorkel with Great White Sharks, Cape Town, South Africa

19. 3-Day Classic Kruger Breakaway Tour, Johannesburg, South Africa

18. Private Full-Day Tour to Petra, Amman, Jordan

17. 4×4 Hatta Safari - Mountain Springs, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

16. Luxor Tour via Plane, Cairo, Egypt

15. Private Air Tour: Cairo, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

14. Private 4×4 Adventurer Safari - Sandboarding and Optional Dune Buggy Ride, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

13. Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo, Egypt

12. Private Tour: Alexandria, Cairo, Egypt

11. Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, Sakkara, Cairo, Egypt

10. Sightseeing Tour - The Golden City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

9. Dubai Big Bus Hop On Hop Off Tour, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

8. Aquila Game Reserve Wildlife Safari, Cape Town, South Africa

7. Private Abu Galum Tour: Jeep Safari, Snorkeling, Camel Ride and Bedouin Lunch, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

6. Private Air Tour: Abu Simbel, Aswan, Egypt

5. Private 4×4 Desert Wonder Safari - Sandboarding, BBQ Dinner and Bellydancer, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

4. 8-day Nile River Cruise on M/Y Mirage, Luxor, Egypt

3. Three Day “Zimbabwe” Victoria Falls Fly-In Tour, Johannesburg, South Africa

2. Private Three Day Safari to Maasai Mara National Reserve, Nairobi, Kenya

1. 4×4 Desert Wonder Safari - Sandboarding & BBQ Dinner, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

#1 in 2007: Dubai 4×4 Desert Safari

There you have it. Viator’s list of the Top 25 tours and things to do in the Middle East & Africa in 2007.

Stay tuned for more lists in the coming days, to help you plan your next trip across the globe. In the meantime, if your curious about the top things to do last year in Africa and the Middle East, in 2006, keep on reading…

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In my non-stop quest to make Viator the one-stop source of information for travel to Egypt…

My husband and I are not what we would call ‘cruise’ people. We have never done an extended cruise and have never been inclined to do so. When planning our trip to Egypt it became apparent early on that unless we were prepared to endure hours of car travel on bumpy, deserted roads with no speed limits - that would be NO - our best option for seeing the curiously named Upper Egypt, is by boat. I say curiously named because when you look at a map of Egypt, Upper Egypt (Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, etc) appears to the South of Lower Egypt (Cairo, Alexandria, etc). I equate North with up and South with down, maybe it’s just me. In this case Upper refers to height with Upper Egypt further above sea level than Lower Egypt…it took me a while to grasp this concept!

Anyway, getting back on track, we decided to do the 8 Day Nile River Cruise on the lovely M/Y Mirage (M/Y being yacht shaped, M/S being ship shaped - it looked like most other boats to me?!) cruising both directions between Luxor and Aswan. Each day there was a stop and our own personal guide would disembark with us to show us the ancient wonders that make Egypt so famous. At either end in Aswan and Luxor, all our sightseeing was included before leaving the cruise, so it really was an all-inclusive tour package. Now not that the fabulous temples and bazaars of Egypt weren’t absolutely incredible, but the real highlight of the trip was being on the cruise itself.

The staff were beautiful people, happy to help anyway they could to make the cruise as memorable as possible, and they genuinely love talking to visitors to their country. Egypt is not a poor country, however money is not shared fairly and while the rich are very rich, the majority of the population earn appalling wages and don’t have an easy life. Most will never leave Egypt in their lifetime and they know this, so curiosity of foreign visitors is high, and they are keen to practice their language skills with you. The cynic inside may be telling you ‘they want a big tip’, but this is not their incentive. Of course they want a tip, their livelihood depends on it, but they are genuinely interested in the world outside of Egypt. They want a tip, but they don’t expect a tip, which differentiates them from a large proportion of the Western world.

Whether it was the housekeeping staff who arranged our towels in different shapes each day (my favorite was the crocodile), or the restaurant staff who knew what Eamonn was going to ask for before he opened his mouth, everyone on the boat was there to make our cruise as relaxing and easy as possible. Add to this the service of a private guide for all your tours and sightseeing, and you are looking at a well-organized, value-for money cruising experience.

The result of housekeeping staff with too much free time…

The scenery along the Nile is stunning. Outside of the main cities, the water is a deep blue while the banks are lined with lush greenery, dramatically backed against the yellow and orange sands of the desert. From time to time we would pass small villages or isolated houses where local farmers and their families were going about their daily business. The odd water buffalo would appear on the fringe of the banks, chewing lazily on reeds and water plants. The only sounds to be heard were the braying donkeys and the occasional call to prayer from the mosques hidden amongst the palm trees.

My favorite day on the tour was during the leg from Luxor to Aswan. There is a lock that all river traffic must pass through to get between the two great cities, however, there is ALOT of cruise ships servicing the Nile.

Every house needs 2 satellite dishes, even on the Nile!

At many ports of call your boat lines up side by side with 3 or 4 others and you will walk through the lobbies of each ship to get to shore. Because of the number of vessels, on arrival in Esna it is 99% guaranteed you will have to wait your turn to pass. It may only be an hour, it may be several, it all depends on traffic on the day. When it was our turn, we spent almost a whole day waiting on the far side of the lock. This is the side without a town attached, so the boats just line up and park and there is nowhere to go. You may think - how dull! But you would be wrong, this was a great day! Without any time pressures to be on and off the boat for shore visits, we were free to laze around for the whole day. Almost the whole boat headed to the sun deck to claim a lounge and settle in for the day. After breakfast we claimed our spot and settled in, until the inboard massage therapist came around to tempt us. Eamonn was not to be swayed, I on the other hand couldn’t resist a 1 hour massage at the bargain price of $40.

Heading back to the sun deck there was some kind of kerfuffle at the back of the boat. There were about 15 boats docked side by side with a passage between 2 rows. In the passage of water between, around 30 or 40 small wooden row boats lingered, complete with yelling Egyptians throwing plastic wrapped merchandise to the surrounding cruise passengers. T-shirts, scarves, belly dancing outfits and even fake Papyrus was flying through the air, searching for a buyer. If you caught some