Meng's Travels: Cairo to Alexandria

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Cairo to Alexandria - Day 1

We have a leisure morning before we get on the road to Alexandria. It was founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great. It is the second largest city in Egypt and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. I know very little about Alexandria and that's why I signed up for this post-trip. I never know when I will have another chance to come to this part of the world. The post-trip is 6 days but two are travel days. This means we will be spending four full days exploring the highlights of Alexandria.

Day 1 will be mostly travel. Four of us plus Gladys packed into a mini-van and took the 3-4 hour drive from Cairo to Alexandria. We made a short stop to stretch our legs and use the bathroom.

Mini-van to take us to Alexandria

A rest stop on the highway

We finally arrived in Alexandria at about 1pm. We had lunch at a well-known restaurant that serves local food. One dish that is commonly served in Egypt is Baba Ghanoush, a creamy Middle Eastern dip made from roasted or grilled eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. It is used as a dip, similar to hummus in other Middle Eastern countries or guacamole, in Mexican restaurants. You can use pita bread or vegetables to dip in the baba ghanoush. Also commonly served is falafel, deep-fried balls or patties made from chickpeas and fava beans mixed with spices. It is rich in protein and sometimes served as a vegetarian alternative. It is commonly served in Middle Eastern restaurants all over the world.

A very busy restaurant

Local Egyptian dishes

At about 2pm we arrived and checked into the Helnan Royal Hotel, where we'll spend the next four nights. It's a beautiful hotel right on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the El Montaza Gardens, a park-like area where there are many locals and tourists. Next to the hotel is the Montaza Palace.