My FIRST day alone in Egypt 🇪🇬 24 hours in CAIRO

Cairo, Egypt's sprawling capital and a city unlike anywhere else on earth. It's chaotic, historic and home to some of the world's most iconic treasures. And in this episode I'm exploring the ancient wonders, diving into the Egyptian food scene and sharing my honest thoughts on whether or not I feel safe here as a solo female traveler. Let's get started. I need a second to get grounded here. I'm feeling very chaotic and very crazed. A lot has happened really fast. We pulled up to this spot. You arrive at the Pyramids of Giza and there's people everywhere, huge tour groups, everyone moving, just chaos. Got our tickets and they went through and then they went through my bag, which is totally cool. Love security. They were unhappy with the microphone so that's been confiscated. I'll get that back later. So we're vlogging. Kind of without that one. Just trying to make that work. Then you get a bus and you come out here and then now it's time to get a camel. Hold on. It's just, it's chaotic. This is a crazy life moment. My mind is blown. I do have some honest thoughts for you. When you pull up it is extremely chaotic. It's very mass-produced for tourists but it is what it is. I mean, what do you do? What's the alternative here? You come to Cairo and you don't see the Great Pyramids and you don't do the camel ride? No. You just wouldn't feel like you haven't done it right. So I'm glad I've done it and I'm really glad it's the first thing that I'm doing. Just in tick, get that one off the life bucket list and then I really want to dig deeper into Cairo and Egypt in general and I have a feeling that's where having a local guide is going to make all the difference. I don't want to make the same mistakes I made with Dubai. I really want to make sure I'm able to connect with this place. Guys, I'm about to touch the Great Pyramids of Giza. This feels super illegal but I'm told it's feels so historical. Very ancient. You would not believe how big these things are when you stand in front of them. It just kind of takes your breath away. You can't wrap your head around the size of them and how these were hand built. It's just, it boggles the mind. They were built some four and a half thousand years ago for three Egyptian pharaohs. A father, his son, and grandson. Today they're kind of all craggly and deteriorated on the outside. The limestone has worn down over the years but originally when they were built they would have been incredibly smooth. A couple of things I want to share with you on a personal note. I am finding this experience really overwhelming and really chaotic. I don't know what it is. It's just a lot for me. So I cannot tell you how glad I am to be here with a guide. I will introduce you to her shortly. I have to be very honest with you. I would not recommend visiting here without a local guide. Do not try and do it by yourself. My trip to Egypt has been made so easy thanks to my amazing tour company, Odinobo. They take care of everything. From the moment I landed, somebody was waiting for me inside the airport helping me get my visa sorted quickly and without any fuss. I have an incredibly knowledgeable local guide with me and she is helping me explore the history and stories and connecting me with the local culture here in Egypt. My dedicated driver is amazing. He takes care of getting us from place to place and ensures I get my daily coffee fix too. Using Odinobo means I can focus on enjoying every moment and really experiencing everything Egypt has to offer with no stress. I am so glad I went with them and I cannot recommend them highly enough. I'll have links in the video description for you or you can use the QR code on screen right now to click through and book with them as well. And if you want to travel with me, you can. I have launched my first ever girls-only group trip. So make sure you use the QR code on screen right now or the link in the video description to click through and book your spot. Places are limited. We are walking past the iconic Sphinx and I have to be really honest with you, I thought this thing was going to be huge. In my mind the Sphinx was like this towering structure but when you stand here and look at it compared to the size of the pyramids, it's actually quite small. The Sphinx is really interesting. It is carved from a single piece of limestone and has stood watch over the pyramids for the last four and a half thousand so years and it's thought to represent the combination of wisdom and power. Wisdom being the head, the mind of the pharaoh and power being the body of a lion. It is mind-blowing to me to stand here in front of this thing. I'm just trying to press this moment into my body and my soul and get myself to absorb it. I can't quite take it all in. I want to be really clear with you guys about something. If you see me wearing the head wrap, it is not a requirement. Nobody is forcing me. I'm not supposed to wear it. It's not like a prerequisite of visiting anywhere. I just like it. When I'm in a country where the other girls are wearing the head wraps, like I was just in Morocco and I bought this one there, I don't know. I just like to fit in and wear what the other girls are wearing. It's also the world's best hat so I'm not going to get sunburned which is really important. The first thing you need to know about the fine people of Egypt is they want to feed you. You guys have no idea. Every time I get back in the car, let me show you how many snacks I've got. This was yesterday's arrival bag of snacks. I barely made a dent in it and I've got them in the car again today. These are just snacks and now I've got another snack. This is our amazing guide Shama. Shama, what are we about to eat here? Here is falafel. We've got around the bread and some salad and tahini. I'm a big fan of tahini. Holy heck, that's delicious. That's really really good guys. The bread is phenomenal. That external bread is absolutely beautiful. The falafel inside is easily the best falafel I've ever had in my life. So one thing I've started doing on my travels is collecting jewelry, getting little pieces, something really unique from that country and then I can wear it and I just have that memory every time I put it on. When I was coming to Egypt, I knew I really wanted to get a cartouche. It is one of the kind of a nameplate necklace and they use the hieroglyphics to spell something out or put your name on it. I asked our amazing guide if she could take me somewhere and she's brought me here. So they have all different kinds of jewelry at all different kinds of price points. They have silver, gold plated, 24, 18 carat gold, everything. You can choose what shape you want. You know, obviously the size that you get is going to depend on how many letters you want on there and then you write down what you want them to translate and they use this to translate it into hieroglyphics for you. And this is the pink scarab beetle. If I had to push my other necklace out of the way, it's distracting me. That's really, really cute. They've made that on the spot. Yes, please. They do the imprinting of hieroglyphics on the spot. That took two seconds. I thought that was going to be a pick up and come back tomorrow job. The whole audience watching this. Thank you. Oh, that's so great. Thank you so much. So you guys are probably going to want to know how much was all that. Well, I did not get the scarab beetle because I found out the price and it was some five or six hundred US dollars. And it's absolutely worth it. But I, I can't, I can't yolo that hard today, guys. But this one, my skadoosh was 70 US dollars. And for a one off souvenir that I will have for the rest of my life, I'm very happy with that. We've just pulled up to the Grand Egyptian Museum. Now, what I'm loving about this is our amazing guy takes care of the tickets every time. Oh, my gosh, it's a dream. I just get to stand and relax while she sorts out the tickets for me. Now, guys, my microphone has been confiscated once again, so we're rolling in with just the Osmo mic. Let's see how good we can get this audio. The outside of this museum is crazy. Everything is in pyramid form. Literally everything. The longer you look at it, the more pyramids you see. And here at the front, they have the cartouches with the names of the important pharaohs on it, which is so cool. This is the largest archaeological museum in the world. And to give you a sense of just how big it is, it's the size of some 70 football fields. Just let that sink in for a moment. There are hundreds of thousands of artifacts in here, and they're set to have even more. I mean, the first thing that takes your breath away when you walk in is this huge statue of Ramses II, and then you make your way up and past all these incredible artifacts, and then you start wandering through the museum yourself, and you're seeing all these beautiful pieces of jewelry, beds, coffins, all kinds of things that were used in the mummification process. Just so many beautiful artworks that were taken from the walls of the tombs so they could be carried into the afterlife with the people buried there. It is exceptional. I have to be really honest with you, this is my highlight. I think I struggled a little bit with the pyramids because it's so chaotic and so crazy, and there's so much going on that you don't have a moment of peace to kind of stand there and be still and soak it in and kind of connect with it on a spiritual level, if that makes sense. Here, you can definitely do that. I am walking around at a really slow pace. My guide is amazing. She's giving me just the most detailed history on absolutely everything that we're looking at, and it's giving me such a rich, layered experience. It's just so peaceful in here, and that really is my time. I didn't expect a museum to be my highlight of the day so far, but you know what? It really is. So, Naomi is this place a really good way to dig deeper into the history and escape the intense heat and midday sun. They also have some really great restaurants down the bottom here, so if you did want a great spot to eat, you could definitely do that. We are not gonna, because I am just dying to show you my hotel. It was booked by Oninovo, and they knocked it out of the park. It is absolutely gorgeous. Let me show you. While I'm in Cairo, I am staying at the Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel. Now, it is just a stone's throw from the legendary pyramids themselves. The hotel perfectly blends modern comfort with a touch of luxury. My room is incredibly spacious, and you guys, not only does it have stunning views of the desert, but I can see the pyramids from my balcony. It is blowing my mind. Not just that, but the breakfast here is incredible, and that pool is to die for. I am so, so happy with this hotel. It's not even funny. I will have a link in the video description for you, or you can use the QR code on screen right now to click through and book your stay. We've made our way to the citadel, and my microphone has been confiscated once again, so bear with me if the audio is a little off, but we are starting with an adventure inside the Muhammad Ali Mosque. The construction here started in around 1830 and finished in around 1838, and apparently this looks exactly or very similar to the Blue Mosque in Turkey. So, the Citadel of Cairo is a massive fortress. It has watched over this city for nearly 800 years. It was built in the 12th century by the famous ruler Saladin, and it was actually designed as a defense against crusader attacks. The mosque is absolutely spectacular. It is so beautiful in there. It really does look like the inside of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. I particularly love all of the lights. It's just so dramatic. Now, if you do plan to visit, just know that standard temple rules do apply, so make sure you have some way of covering your shoulders, covering your knees, making sure your midriff isn't covered, anything like that. You'll need to either wear shoe covers, which they supply, or take your shoes off, which is what I did. But in addition to the mosque, apparently the views up here are spectacular. You can see the whole city from up here, and it is scrolling, it is big, it is bustling, and you guys, it is chaotic. Guys, we've come down to the local market. I'm just having a lovely hibiscus tea, and this cat has made itself at home. What are you doing? Hey! You're so cute. You're so cute. You're getting hair everywhere. How are you? You're good. That's good. Hey! We are making our way through the market here, and it is busy. These streets are so winding. It feels like the souks of Marrakesh to me. Either side is lined with all kinds of Egyptian goods. We have leatherware, lamps, jewellery containers, coasters, basminas and shawls. We have rugs. We have so much jewellery, it's not even funny. If you want to get your shop on, this is the place to do it. Now, I have to be really honest with you. When you're walking around in Egypt, you are going to be not yelled at, but there's going to be a lot of vocals from street vendors, and touts, and shop owners, and all that kind of stuff. People approaching you to try and sell things. I am super drained from it at this point. I just am like, no. I just want a 10-foot pole around me. Nobody approach me, please. I'm overstimulated, and I don't want to buy anything. I have to tell you, my guides are so aware of it, and they're doing a really amazing job. That's really good having them here. Every time somebody kind of approaches me, they're like, no, she's not interested. It is keeping my introvert soul alive right now. We are making our way along Al-Mas, Moses Street. I've definitely said that wrong. This is an incredibly historic part of Egypt. It is one of the oldest streets in the city. It dates back to around the 10th century. It is lined with the sides of so many mosques, restaurants, cafes, and loads of places to shop. Now, the mosques here are absolutely stunning, and some of the buildings date back over a thousand years. We're talking places that date back to the Ottoman Empire. The street is just incredible. It feels like you have stepped back in time. Now, you may be watching this wondering how I feel, if I feel safe, comfortable at home. Yeah, absolutely, I do. My guides are taking really good care of me. I think I was a little apprehensive to come to Egypt, if I'm honest. I just was a bit unsure what to expect. Sometimes, what we're served in the media can be a bit intense, but on the ground here, yes, there is an intensity. I do have my mind switched on to things like scams and things like that, and I've dressed a little more conservatively today, just because that is what the culture is, and I want to be respectful of that. I feel very safe. I feel very at ease, very relaxed. I'm just more worried about getting in the way of somebody's scooter or something like that. It's time for lunch, and I want to eat some really authentic, local Egyptian food. Apparently, this is the very best place to get it. I feel like I'm into the disco. Wait, where did they go? Oh, there. I don't know what's happening. I'm overwhelmed. We've come to a spot called, we paid for it, Kosheri Abu Tariq. 100% saying that wrong, but we have come here to eat something called kosheri. Now, this is a very traditional, authentic, local dish, and this is meant to be the best place to try it. It's come out. It looks like it's like boiled noodles, like macaroni and spaghetti noodles, and then lentils, and then some crispy onions, chickpeas, and then you get some stuff on the side that we now have to add in. So there's this, which is tomato. I put the whole thing on there. Okay. Get that all on there. This is vinegar? Put some vinegar on there. How much? So now I just mush. I just mix. We need to have a very honest, upfront discussion, and I would like to formally apologize to the fine people of Egypt in advance, but if we're very honest with each other, visually, I'm giving this a zero out of 10. I'm sorry, Egypt. I love you, and I want to love your food, so I'm going to give this my best shot. Let's try it. It's delicious. That tastes so good. It does look exactly like that. It looks terrible. It's a zero out of 10 visually, but taste-wise, pasta, and tomato goodness, and lentils, and it's salty, and the fried onion is really, really nice. How much does this cost? Three US dollars? That's a bargain, because I'm me, and I like to try a lot of different foods. We've also got lentil soup. Beep the background we've got going on here. The neon mirrored rooftops. This very festive soup. It looks beautiful. I love that it's served in the bowl, like you eat the evidence. That's really, really, really good soup. It's like really, really flavorsome. It's not watery, but it's also not creamy. It's just perfect. This is going so well. I'm having dessert. This is rice pudding. Disclaimer, as I always do, I don't like milky things. I like things that taste like milk, and I don't like the taste of eggs, so just want to put that out there before I ever buy this. I hate the texture. Texture, I'm giving that a zero out of 10 visually. Let's try it. It's really good. That's a really good point, actually. Yeah, Egyptian food, don't judge it by its cover, honestly. I would order the soup in the bowl if I saw that. I'd give that to me. I would never order kosher. I would never order this. I would be like, ooh, yucky. Texturally gross. Where's the crunch? But you know what? It's lovely. It doesn't taste milky to me at all. It has been a very big day here in Cairo. We have seen, done, and now eaten a lot, and I feel like I've had pretty much the whole Cairo experience. I feel like this is a good amount of time to spend here. I feel like two or three nights is really where it's at, at the max. I'm very happy with what I've done here. I think the Grand Museum was definitely my favorite, and eating this food has been a real highlight for me. Those are two things that are really going to stick with me. I think if you're coming here, just be prepared that it's going to be super loud and super chaotic, and it's going to be a lot, but just surrender to it and be brave, especially when it comes to trying food. All right, you guys, and with that, that brings this week's episode and my time in Cairo to a close. I really hope you've enjoyed it. Now, if you don't already, be sure to subscribe right now so you never miss a single episode, and say hello in the comments below. I hope you have a great week ahead, and I will see you with a brand new episode from the Nile next week. Love ya!