Sports and Recreation

  Cairo and Alexandria have many sporting clubs once patronized only by wealthy foreigners and Egyptians nobility. Today they're much more decmocratic, and tourists are invited to use the facilities as temporary or short-term members. In the heart of Cairo on the Island of Gezira are dozens of tennis courts a racetrack, a golf course, squash and handball courts, several swimming pools and every other imaginable sports facility. Due to sheer weight of numbers, they are often highly exclusive clubs, with strict admittance requirements and a hefty annual membership are: Cairo Yacht Club, Heliopolis Sporting Club, Maadi Yacht club, Mena Golf Club and the Shooting Club.

  Water Sports. As long as you don't swim in the Nile, you can enjoy a lot of water fun during your stay in Egypt. Besides the miles of beaches in Alexandria and along the Mediterranean coast, swimming amenities are offered by almost every large hotel and are open to outsiders on payment of a sizeable annual fee. Hurghada on the Egyptian Red Sea coast offers hotel and beach facilities and the best conditions in the country for scuba diving and snorkeling. Flights from Cairo and shared taxis or bus from Luxor are the best way to reach Hurghada. The return of the Sinai peninsula to Egypt under the peace treaty with Israel opened up some glorious holiday opportunities for visitors. Nuwaiba and Dahab on the Gulf of Aqaba and Sharm al-Sheikh on the Red Sea are three well-known resorts of international standard, proposing all manner of water sports as well as superb beaches for simply soaking up the sun.

  Riding. Whether your preference is sunlight or moonlight, you can rent a mount for an hour or a day, with a guide or without. Rates are very reasonable, though you may have to do some haggling. Most exciting of all trails is the one which takes you from the stables at the pyramids of Giza along the edge of the desert to the pyramids at Abusir and Saqqara.