Sleep like an Egyptian (Youth Hostels in Cairo)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Youth Hostels in Cairo
Date:	05/05/08 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and just what the traveller needs

Disadvantages: Dull rooms

Having spent 2 months living in a hostel in Cairo and looking at plenty of others and at what time considering opening my own there, hopefully my insight will be of use to someone.

Firstly, I'd just like to point out this is Cairo and you will not find a Youth Hostel of European quality but you also won't have to pay such prices.

New Sun Hotel -

This was my choice of place to reside! The New Sun is bang in the middle of all the action, a small walk from the Egyptian museum, on the busiest square in Cairo with the main shopping street running adjacent to it. The hotel itself was dull but always clean, the staff were friendly if they wanted to be, the kitchen was available to you, breakfast was included, internet was much more pricier than at any of the internet cafes.

Men and women had seperate dormitories and there was at the time only one double room. Occasionally there were some Arab guests - a Palestinian woman, an Iraqi family and some businessmen from Lebanon from what I remember, they were always unbelievably pleasant. They get rave reviews in Korean guide books too, so the place is always full of Koreans. There was always a battle for the water, I found it hottest in the middle of the afternoon (this is a problem all over Cairo unless you play big bucks for a kip.)

At 2 pounds a night including breakfast for a 6 man dorm, you really can't go wrong.

Dahab Hostel -

Another similarly priced hotel, not too far away from The Sun Hotel. Many long-term residents live here on the top in the cold rooms on the matresses on the floor. Staff are friendly and there is a chilled out atmosphere (most probably because everyone is always stoned), the location opposite After Eight is perfect for those who want to spend several days smoking sheesha and playing chess. The hotel itself is a bit dirty but it's atmosphere is undoubtedly more open to parties than The Sun.. however you can always visit it anyway!

Safari Hotel has good ratings but looked very pokey when I visited it, there are more hostels further up in the building and they get rougher the further you go up.

Lialy Hostel - Never heard a single complaint about it, slightly more expensive by a dollar or two.

Pension Vienna is considerably more expensive, they often give jobs to people who are working there for a longer time. Cleaners have been caught stealing.

New hostels come and go there all the time and the behaviour of the staff is erratic to say at the least, generally I would stay out of the building with the Safari Hotel in and you can't really go wrong with The Sun Hotel or The Dahab Hostel.

Make sure you book first or reserve by telephone or simply work out where you are going, otherwise you will have people trying to take you to other hotels and take a commission.

Summary: Book first or know where you are going!