Cairo is “as engaging as ever” and is now a great holiday destination for budget travelers, Lucas Peterson writes in his budget travel column for the New York Times. “I felt no less safe traveling around the ancient capital as I have in any American or European city. The staggering amount of history, with its impressive relics and monuments, remains a dramatic accompaniment to serene desertscapes and welcoming people,” Peterson says. He notes that his stay at a hotel, his Uber trips across the city, the SIM card he purchased upon arriving, and the Cairene staple of having shisha after a heavy meal were all reasonably priced, particularly when calculating the costs in USD.

Egypt got some more good tourism press from The Sun, which sings the praises of vacationing at Soma Bay and El Gouna by the Red Sea. “Each has its own character but both have the same beautiful blue sea and sky all year round … The series of resort hotels that make up Soma Bay, which is south of Hurghada, are more peaceful than bustling, partying Hurghada itself. Meanwhile, El Gouna is north of Hurghada and much smaller and more beautiful.”