Egypt--Light and Sound show/Nile Dinner Cruise

[jalynn]

In trying to plan for our overnight in Cairo next March...I keep reading about the Light and Sound show and about the Nile dinner cruise. I know that different people like different things, but I would like to hear your comments on these two activities. Did you feel that they were worth it? Are they must sees? Since they are optional on the tours I've looked at, I know (or I assume) we can make a decision when we get there. But I'm curious about what the light and sound show entails.

 

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

[Hlitner]

There are quite a few different light and sound shows within Egypt. The popular one in Cairo is out at the Pyramids and would not be our choice (although many do seem to enjoy the show). The show we found truly amazing is the one in Luxor...but this is not an option for cruise ship passengers that only call in Alexandria. As to dinner cruises on the Nile in Cairo, there are a few decent boats. We went on the Nile Maxim and it was fun. But, the main point of that dinner cruise was the buffet dinner (quite good) and the floor show inside the boat. This is a very touristy way to spend an evening, but we were guests of the local owner of a tour company and could not refuse. Perhaps the most interesting part we sat next to a diplomat from a well kinown Middle Eastern Country (which we will leave unnamed) who was entertaining his gorgeous mistress. This made for some interesting dinner conversation.

 

Hank

[deniuh]

We did the Sound and Light Show a couple of weeks ago. It's "okay". If you can get there early and get a good seat at the front, it might be more interesting. After a long day of touring I found myself falling asleep. If you plan to go to Egypt once or you do not have anything that you really want to do in the evening, do it for the experience.

[jalynn]

What, exactly, is a sound and light show? I imagine laser lights shooting around to music...am I close?

[Toto2Kansas]

We chose a Bedouin Dinner out under the stars in Cairo instead of a Nile Dinner cruise, and it was great. We sailed on a Nile Lunch cruise the following day, and it could have been skipped entirely, mostI spoke with in our group weren't all that impressed with it, including us.

 

The sound and light show was quite good, but it was a one time thing, wouldn't do it a second time. But am happy we were able to attend it. If you only plan to visit Cairo and the pyramids once, I would say it is definitely worth it.

[cruisemom42]

What, exactly, is a sound and light show? I imagine laser lights shooting around to music...am I close?

 

They have lights (regular lights and lasers) that are used to "highlight" the pyramids and Sphinx in various ways. There is music and canned narration giving some very simple Egyptian history, particularly of the pyramids. I found it a little hokey, but I wouldn't necessarily say that I was sorry to have done it. I'd rather have been enjoying an Egyptian meal somewhere in Cairo.......but that wasn't an option. The best part (to me) was just BEING there in the desert, under the stars, near these ancient monuments I'd read about all my life.

[alexandra cruiser]

I ve been to too many of these to count, inc. on excursions.Find them very boring and hokey, as said above.Just lights and lasers on monuments and canned voice reciting history of same. If you re not going on cruise, take the Nile dinner cruise just for the sights, food just so so. Or go to Cairo Museum and see King Tut, have late nites,check schedule.Cairo is great, just watch the crazy traffic and drink bottled water.Have a great time.;)

[luv2bcruzng]

We just returned from Cairo and saw the Sound and Light Show. We booked this knowing it was pretty hokey but how many times will we have the opportunity to sit in front of the Pyramids and Sphinx and see them lit up at night?

There were 100's of people attending the English language show and Samo, our guide through Ramses Tours, saved us great seats and had the bus waiting for us once the show was over.

After that he took us to a really nice buffet in Cleopatra's Restaurant-off the beaten path but clean and very tasty!

[Marie-Claude]

Interesting comments about the Light & Sound...

We'll be in Egypt for the 3rd time next November, and this time, we will have an overnight.

Since the L&S seems a bit hokey, what else can we plan for our evening there? Any recommendations other than the show or a dinner cruise would be appreciated!!!

 

MC

[Valeen]

We were in Giza in late NOV. The light show was a part of our Nile Blue tour package - an option that we accepted. We were interested for about a third of the show, in part due to having to wear headsets to hear the program in English, and mine stopped working. (we were at the French version, No headsets would have been needed if we'd been at the earlier English presentation. This was not why we lost interest - the presentation was kind of hokey. We did enjoy being in the setting at night, experiencing the view, the sky, and the coolnees of the night. If you do this, do bring a jacket. So I'm saying if you miss it - no big loss. If you attend, you'll never wonder if you missed something worthwhile.

I thought my grandkids would have enjoyed the whole show. If I could do it over I'd have defected to the shops down the street during the show to get some shopping time. Our tour guide said "don't waste time shopping from the vendors here, because they have junk. I'll take you all to a government store tomorrow that has good stuff and good prices, and you do not have to do barganing.' I should have not believed him.

[GranMona]

We were in Cairo in December. After a long day of touring around the Pyramids, riding camels, and other sights, the Nile Dinner Cruise is one thing I wished I had passed on! The buffet was pretty good. The belly dancer entertainment was interesting. Since it was nighttime, there is not a lot to see except lights along the river. It didn't get started until 8 and it was after 11 before we got back to the hotel. I think I would have preferred a more local restaurant and a couple of hours at the hotel on our balcony that had a pyramid view.

[rsquare]

We did the S&L in October, and the experience was impeded by either haze (perhaps from dust blowing off of the desert) or smog (Cairo is said to be one of the world's most polluted cities). The Sphinx narrates, and colored lights pick out various temples and Pyramids as they are mentioned, with occasional laser beams and figures created by laser beams. It was, as earlier posters have said, not a knock-your-socks-off experience, but it was pleasant and cool after a mid-90s day, and given our tour schedule, was our first close-up look at the Sphinx.

 

I also would have preferred a dinner at a nice downtown restaurant, but that wasn't really an option as we were staying in 6 October City, about a half-hour from Giza. The dinner cruise was really not an option for us, I'm one of those odd ducks who hates entertainment mixed with eating - if the food is decent, then the entertainment is an unwanted distraction, and if the entertainment is intended to make up for deficiencies in the food (as it typically is) then I really don't see the point of the experience.

[nvbabe]

We chose a Bedouin Dinner out under the stars in Cairo instead of a Nile Dinner cruise, and it was great. We sailed on a Nile Lunch cruise the following day, and it could have been skipped entirely, mostI spoke with in our group weren't all that impressed with it, including us.

 

The sound and light show was quite good, but it was a one time thing, wouldn't do it a second time. But am happy we were able to attend it. If you only plan to visit Cairo and the pyramids once, I would say it is definitely worth it.

 

Could you tell me more about your Beduin Dinner? Did your guide arrange this? We will be spending one night at Le Meridien Pyramids, and not really interested in the sound and light show, or dinner cruise so looking for alternatives.

[dog]

I'd also like to hear about the Beduoin dinner, restaurants and hotels IN Cairo to stay. Considering Ramses tour.

[Alistair]

Has anyone taken a Felucca on the Nile for sunset sail?

[africandoll18]

what kind of food is served on these?