Tuesday March 19th, 2024
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9 Ways To Travel Differently

Who wants to check into a stuffy hotel or a crappy hostel when you can see the world differently?

Staff Writer

Sick and tired of having to go through the conventional methods of travel over and over again? Whether it’s to reach a destination for work purposes or a vacation in or out of town, you know the burden of having to book a flight or train is the monkey on your back before you even start considering the hassle of having to accommodate yourself appropriately at some standard, expensive hotel, or a mediocre hostel where you’ll share a bathroom with an entire family of awkward strangers. Even the mere hassle of going through your friends list crossing your fingers over who’ll have the time and space to host you wherever you plan on going is nothing short of a pain in the ass most the time. Well we share your frustration and accordingly decided to create a list of trouble-free means of transport and accommodation in our out of Egypt, to make your travelling experience a whole lot better, and worth your while AND budget!


Airbnb

 

We kick off this list with the most striking and most diverse hub of hosts in more than 34,000 cities across 190 countries, ready to take you in. All you need to do is sign up on the website, enter your destination of choice, filter your search and pick a range of hosts with extra rooms, houses or even exotic spaces such as castles, huts, boats and igloos. You have a choice of instantly booking an accommodation all for yourself to enjoy, or get to know your host personally if you’re looking to share your space and make a friend or two, guaranteed it won’t be another unfamiliar torture dungeon! The entire process is safe with hosts and guests running their IDs and personal details through the website’s database, and with payments and refunds being processed by Airbnb themselves, and with confirmed guest and host reviews for further insight, safety is a no brainer.

GuestToGuest

 

Yet another similar idea to Airbrb, only here you swap homes across a social network, and is most importantly free of charge. However members have the option of paying a deposit fee for GuestToGuest to act as a third party between guest and host, or a 25 Euro verification fee, which 75% of GuestToGuest members are happy to pay to prove they are “for real,” as well as an insurance option available for hosts for protect their homes. This home exchange service is once again flexible, safe and across the globe, with a diverse range of homes to choose from and members to get to know beforehand.

U2Guide

The most ethical travel website around! Certified and such, U2Guide offers unique activities curated by passionate travellers, explorers, experienced guides and instructors and alternative travel agencies from all over the world. From the most metropolitan of cities to the most mysterious and outlandish of choices, you can sign up and generate your journey with a suitable member or facility of your choice and according to your schedule and agenda. Payments, refunds and cancellation policies are secure and prompt. Not only so, but 50% of their net profits go to charity! A noble hub for passionate travellers, indeed.

Couch Surfing

 

For the brave at heart because we all know how couch surfing can be a little bit dodgy, but so long as you create a full profile and search for other comprehensive, detailed profiles, you can trust your instincts and go for an absolutely raw and full experience of a new or familiar city. If you feel comfortable enough about the whole thing, then go for it and allow yourself the opportunity to explore events across 200,000 cities through possibly the cheapest manner of adventuring out there. And with a local by your side, you’re bound to get the best out of your journey.

Wild Guanabana

Get ready to get your hands dirty, or wet, or neither and stay sensible - that option is also available - with Wild Guanabana for life changing journeys. Founded by Omar Samra, the first Egyptian and youngest Arab to reach the top of Mount Everest, you can only imagine the sort of adventurous services that come forth from his extensive history of grand endeavors. From hiking, ziplining, and mountaineering to surfing, kayaking, diving... the list goes on. Some less exasperating activities are also available such as meditating, beach going and sightseeing. Authentic, reliable and most importantly adhering to the highest levels of safety guidelines, while working with individuals, schools and companies to deliver unique experiential programs in 15 countries across 6 continents. 

EatWith

An innovative and creative way to enhance your dining experience through an unique service available in over 150 cities, EatWith offers you a chance to share a gourmet meal with strangers at one of hundreds of curated dinners by talented chefs around the globe by simply picking a destination of your choice and reserving a spot. And for those looking to customise a dinner for their guests or simply desire a more exclusive dining experience in a more intimate environment, look no further, as EatWith also offers a private dining service where you can select a chef of your choice, craft your own exquisite menu and host a memorable night at a handpicked venue of your choice or even the chef’s home What better way to guarantee a one hundred percent evening or special occasion to include in your holiday schedule?

P.S: Service not available in Egypt, but is a sure way to entertain those travelling abroad to cities on the bill.

Dayma

The complete road-less-travelled experience, Dayma offer an enjoyable yet responsible and educational kind of tourism across natural resorts in Egypt, allowing people of all ages to explore the self, nature and community. By immersing yourself in the cultures surrounding such destinations, you become an active participant, further developing the ways you nurture community, the way in which you deal with nature, and the ways you design, produce, transport, and distribute goods and services. Schools and universities affiliated with Dayma allow students to explore marine, desert, oases and fresh water ecosystems over a period of 4 to 10 days while exclusive journeys are open to a more extensive range of locations for a group of 10 to 12 travellers and are carried 2 or 3 times a year and are announced on Facebook.

The Bedouin Way

Another off-the-beaten-track experience right here. The Bedoun Way, with Mondi and Sofian, arrange quiet mountain dinners, with an option to stay overnight, as well as safaris every Saturday. Bring your own alcohol and enjoy Mondi and Sofian’s slow cooked meat or vegetarian dishes under the starry skies of Dahab and South Sinai. They are there to answer any questions you have about Bedouin life and are happy to share their stories at your request, perhaps over a good cup of Sinai’s signature sweet tea. 

Featherlight EG


Not exactly a hub for travels itself but rather an engaging, educational source of knowledge and information on how to travel Egypt on a light footprint. You can join Featherlight EG as a tour operator, a lodge, a handicraft producer, an NGO or an ordinary national or international tourist, to learn more about environment-friendly means of traveling Egypt. Featherlight EG offers its concerned customers networking space, marketing support and skill development.

Photo credits to their respective, relevant company websites, blogs and Facebook pages.