Exploring the pyramids and culture in Egypt's capital, Cairo

As the runner-up in the recent SnapGap competition we ran with StudentUniverse and Flypside, Brad won a homestay experience of his choice, anywhere in the world. Brad is an American student studying in Germany who is making the most of his time abroad to explore as many countries as he possibly can in his spare time.

Having always wanted to see the Pyramids of Giza for himself, his decision was easy, he packed his bags and headed for Egypt to stay with our host Daniele. We sat down with Brad to hear all about his time in Cairo.

What brought you to Cairo?

It has always been a dream of mine to travel to Cairo to see the Great Pyramids of Giza. I have been fascinated by the history of the Egyptians and the building of the Pyramids since I was a kid. I grew up learning about the Egyptians and Pharaohs in Bible school and decided I had to see it for myself.

I also feel like the region has a lot of misconceptions about it right now. The media paints Egypt as a dangerous place that should be avoided. I have travelled to other “dangerous” areas of the world and have found it to be a wonderful experience.

Why did you choose Daniele as your host?

I was looking for a family that spoke English who was located close to the city. I also wanted to stay with a family that was interested in sharing their culture and lifestyle with me. After looking at Daniele’s Homestay profile, I decided that her family would be a good fit.

Daniele has a very diverse family. She was born in Belgium, her husband is Egyptian, and their daughter was born in the United States.

I thought staying with them would be the best way to learn about the Egyptian culture since they can relate to my American cultural background. Their house was also located close to the Pyramids, which made it easy to travel around town.

Tell us about your Homestay experience.

I had no idea what to expect going into my first homestay experience. It was a mystery to me. I did not know much about the family, where they lived, or what their expectations were about the homestay experience. So, I did have some doubts about what I could expect from the experience.

I arrived at 1am at the airport in Cairo. My Homestay experience started immediately when I was greeted by my driver who was holding a big handmade poster with my name on it. My homestay family had creatively gone out of their way to make sure I would definitely find my driver in the night.

The family happily welcomed me to their home with a home cooked meal and good conversation. The rest of the time in Cairo was spent visiting the sites by myself during the day, followed by different activities with the family in the evening. Since it was Ramadan, the family was more available during the evenings.

Did anything surprise you about Cairo?

The most surprising thing about Cairo was a negative thing. It seemed like everyone wanted my money. While I was out exploring the city, I felt like people were constantly trying to trick me into buying things I did not want or need.

This included people on the street, tour guides, and local shop owners. The people on the streets would act as if they were trying to get to know me, offer advice, and potentially be looking to befriend me. Then they would change tactics and try to force me to pay money for the advice the offered.

Tour guides would do the same, they would openly offer information to me, and then as I tried to leave they would try to demand money for their service. Local shop owners would also try to entice or trick people into coming into their stores.

They’d go as far as to write your name on a gift without your permission. Then they’d look for you to pay for the gift you did not ask for.

I never paid for any of these unwelcome services, but it truly did surprise me that this was a common reaction to tourists.

What is your best memory of the trip?

I’ve been making a vlog as I travel. So I carry a pretty nice camera rig around with me that looks quite professional. So sometimes I get a lot of stares or questions about what I am doing with my camera.

This one instance, I was outside a restaurant. I was shooting a video clip and then all of a sudden these two teenagers come over to me to ask me if I was a vlogger from the USA. They told me that they like watching vlogs and that they wanted to subscribe to my channel because they never see anyone vlogging around Cairo.

This small act had a big impact on me. These guys were genuinely friendly and just curious about what I was doing. After eating, the same guys found me as I was leaving, but this time, they found a friend who also wanted to meet me. So we had a quick chat. It was a great little visit with some locals that I will definitely remember.

How would you advise others visiting Cairo?

There are three things that I would advise other travellers. Firstly, I would say do not go alone or else you're more likely to be harassed. I talked to friends that went in groups and they did not have the same experience that I had.

In a group, there are less people who will approach you to trick you into giving money. Or even better, if you go with a tour guide, no one will mess with you. I have travelled alone to other cities before, but this city is one that I would not go back to unless I was travelling with people.

The second piece of advice I would give is to encourage travellers to find a place close to the sites they value seeing. Public transportation is poor in Cairo. The main mode of transportation is taxis. Taxis are ok, but they will try to charge a higher price if they know you are not a local. Traffic can also be an issue, so staying close to the sites will save time.

Lastly, I would advise travellers to be ready for a culture shock if coming from a first world country. It is hard to describe a third world country to someone who has never visited one so I will just say that you cannot expect that all local people have the same standard of living.

What would you say to anyone thinking about trying Homestay?

Everyone should try a Homestay at least once. It is such a unique experience that a hotel cannot provide. If a traveller really wants to experience the culture of a city, then there is no better way. If someone just wants to see the sites, take pictures, and buy cheap souvenirs, then Homestay might not be for them. But if you stick with a hotel room, you are also missing out on what the locals have to offer.

Travelling to learn about the culture from the locals not only helps you learn about others, but it also helps you discover more about yourself and your own culture. Connecting with people from around the world opens you up to the similarities that we all share.

Staying with people you are unfamiliar with can be a nervous experience. But I would encourage people not to be afraid of local people. The majority of local people you meet will be nice to you, and anyone in the Homestay community will be someone who will welcome you with open arms. Embrace the opportunity as a chance to meet a new friend and experience a different way of living.

Would you use Homestay again?

I will use Homestay again in cities where the homestays are located in prime locations. As a traveller who likes to maximise my time and travel quickly, I found staying outside the city centre to be less convenient for my visit to Cairo. I loved staying with the family though and learning about their culture. So I will use Homestay again so I can learn about the people and culture in the location I am travelling to.

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