Eid without Mubarak spells the start of a new Egypt

The words tourism and Egypt are never found far apart, but the recent revolution has made even the gutsiest of travellers think twice about booking a trip to the exotic and cultured holiday destination.

As a leading trip provider in the region (and also huge fans of the country) we can completely understand. Although the revolution was peaceful, tensions ran high and the outcome was not always guaranteed to be a bloodless one.
But with Mubarak ousted from power and democratic elections lined up for November, it looks like there is no looking back for Egypt and its people.

The recent celebration of Eid in Tahir Square - a former stronghold of Mubarak's - is testament to this new outlook.
Revellers arrived in droves to bring an end to both the Muslim month of fasting - Ramadan - and symbolically to the tired, autocratic regime that had suppressed Egyptians for a generation.

Sheikh Mazhar Shaheen, who stood up to the former dictator in the very same square during the uprising, told Reuters: "Today is a joyous day without Mubarak. Everybody knows Egypt will not return to what it was before January 25th."
Sure, tourism has dropped off a cliff since the revolution began, with the Egyptian Tourism Authority itself claiming that it had witnessed a 28 per cent drop in numbers. But this is going to be short lived.

Rosie Millard, our brand ambassador, thinks the tourism revolution is already underway. Speaking to travel expert Simon Calder on LBC radio, she said that during her recent trip she never at any point felt unsafe and was awed by the sense of excitement and friendliness pouring from the Egyptian people.

She said - and we wholeheartedly agree - that now is the time to visit, because it is only a matter of time before flights start becoming over-subscribed and the queues to the Giza pyramids start to grow again.
You can listen to Rosie's take on why Egypt is the best holiday destination at the moment at our Egypt holiday page.