Despite its amazing history, there is almost nothing left of ancient Alexandria - if you go there hoping to see the sort of remains that can be found in places like Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, you will be sorely disappointed. It is also not exactly what you would call 'beautiful' despite the fact that Egyptians call it the 'Pearl of the Mediterranean' and visit in their millions during the summer.
Nevertheless, any visitor to Egypt should not forget Alexandria, for it is a truly wonderful city and full of character. You will probably see more of the 'real' Egypt during a weekend in Alex than a month touring the more famous sites further south. I spent a year living there while I was a student and totally fell in love with the place, although I didn't really realise this until I had flown home! Typical!
Alexandria is basically long and thin, stretching for miles along the coast in both directions from the city centre. Trams run in both directions and are an incredibly cheap way of exploring - although they are also very slow and should not be used if you are in anything even remotely approaching a hurry! Alex's beaches should probably be avoided, as they are far from clean - although in the summer they are an amazing spectacle and absolutely jammed pack with what seems like the entire population of Cairo. Visitors should definitely take a stroll along the corniche however, as this is also the main leisure activity of the locals too!
There are some excellent places to just sit and 'chill out' in Alexandria - there are some fantastic old cafes which are just like stepping back into the 1920s and 1930s. There are also some wonderful Egyptian fast food joints (and I'm not talking McDonald's here!) - my favourite is called Mohammed Ahmed's! There are also a few good bars (especially The Spitfire), but you can check guidebooks for details of how to find these...
The thing I like best about Alexandria is that most of the time you can just wander around without too much hassle, but there are a few sites that should be seen. Probably the best is the old Roman amphitheatre, and there is also a giant column called Pompei's Pillar (although if my memory serves me right it was nothing to do with Pompei - but don't quote me on this). The local museum is also excellent. There are some interesting catacombs which have a strange greek-egyptian-roman hybrid decor, and there is also the Arabfort of Qait Bey, which was built on the site of the lighthouse. Finally, if you get chance visit the gardens at Montazah - the deposed Royal family's Alexandrian palace. Guidebooks will go into much more detail.
If you are looking for somewhere to stay I can recommend the Union Hotel if you are on a budget, or the Cecil if you want to splash out. There are also some other big chain hotels but these are a long way out from the city centre. If you are travelling from Cairo for the day, take the first-class train as it only takes a few hours, is comfortable and the view is great. You could also take a taxi but go by the desert road rather than through the Delta as the Delta road is lethal!
Finally, Alexandria has also just opened its fabulous new library. I can't comment on this as I haven't seen it, but by all accounts it is architecturally stunning!
Well, I hope that by writing this I might tempt a few people to make a visit to Egypt's second city. I hope you won't be disappointed and I'd be interested to hear what you think and whether you agree with me!
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Advantages: Good inflight entertainment, friendly service. Disadvantages: Inconvenient intermediate stops, bad meals, rather expensive.
From_The_Continent 17.02.2001 (11.05.2001)
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