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Doing business
Cairo’s bars and coffee shops are a great place to make friends, which is just as well as Egyptians place huge value on trust and knowledge of the person they’re dealing with. While you’re getting to know your contacts, remember to keep your attire formal, eye contact firm and handshakes prolonged yet loose.

Cool hotel
You’ve got to be by the Nile. Though lacking the location of the Nile Hilton, the Grand Hyatt (www.cairo.grand.hyatt.com) and the Sofitel (www.sofitel.com) have views of the river and city to help seal any deal, with the ambience to match. Don’t expect much change from £150 a night in either hotel.

Hip restaurant
The spot which always has Cairene’s getting hot under the collar is Kebabgy at the Sofitel. Its outdoor terrace is one of the most popular places for the political and business elite to meet. Dinner is a better bet than lunch: the Nile, and the city, look better at night.

Happening bar
Sequoia (Sharia Abou El Feda, Zamalek) is another great Nileside haunt. On the island of Zamalek, it is home to the fast-growing Cairo middle-classes. It is all white sofas, cool cocktails and a puff on a nargileh pipe – just the place to meet and make some new friends or impress some old business acquaintances. Back at the Sofitel, the Buddha Bar is rocking any night of
the week.

Must-see sights
The Pyramids are the obvious suggestion, but their location and time needed mean they’re a half-day excursion at least. If you only have an hour or two, head to the Egyptian Museum, preferably late in the day. You’ll avoid the crowds and stand a great chance of a more private audience with Tutankhamun himself – his magnificent funeral mask never leaves the museum.

Getting downtown
Grab a limousine from the desks just outside departures at the airport – the £8 charge is well worth paying to avoid the fuss of haggling for a taxi and making the journey in air-conditioned comfort. If you arrive on the late flight the journey will take 25-40 minutes, but during the day it can take an hour or more. Cairo’s traffic is chaotic and dismal.

The details
Visas can be bought on arrival at Cairo Airport – try to be quick off the plane to avoid the queue. They cost US$15 and payment in US Dollars is best. Egypt is two hours ahead of GMT. Cairo is hot and sunny year-round, but stiflingly hot in the summer months – try to avoid visiting at these times. There are 11 Egyptian Pounds to their British equivalent.

Getting there
bmi (www.flybmi.com) has recently launched services to Cairo from London Heathrow, joining British Airways and Egypt Air on the route. All three carrier's fares start at £300 including taxes.

The carbon cost
A return flight from London Heathrow to Cairo will cover 7,022km and emit 0.8 tonnes of CO2. Offset this with The CarbonNeutral Company starting from £6.00.

Compiled by Tom Hall on behalf of Lonely Planet. www.lonelyplanet.com

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