One Month in Cairo - tips?

[joizy]

I just booked a month in Cairo - October/November. Will be staying in an Airbnb in Zamalek and planning on getting a monthly gym/pool membership. Looks like the Marriott nearby is my best bet.

The Airbnb host has made it clear that no visitors are allowed. One slightly negative review got an angry response from her that the review was only negative because the guest tried several times to bring visitors past security.

I'm not going only for sex, I understand it is Egypt, but I would like to have some fun. Will there be opportunities? Maybe massage guys with their own places? Not thrilled about the idea of car sex or driving out into the dessert. What can I realistically expect? 

Also, for those who know Cairo, I'm open to any other tips - things to do, places to visit, etc. Interested in off-the-beaten path spots. The tourist spots are easy enough to get information about (for example, just saw a video about a cafe on the 14th floor of an apartment building with an amazing view and super friendly people).

Thanks in advance for your help.

[young11]

I haven't been very lucky in Cairo but I also didn't spend a lot of time there either. I can't give very detailed comments about Cairo places but if you want some tips or information feel free to dm me.

I know Egyptians are very eager for paid sex and on the streets and metro I see some sexy guys, probably more than other places like Luxor and Hurghada where sex can be found easily. Also remember you can go to Luxor and Hurghada quite easily by car or bus, even last minute trips are quite cheap. 

If you can cancel your Airbnb do cancel it and find more guest friendly options. It is really hard to find these apartments but they do exist and you have to check every unit by pics and reviews. A lot of work but if you find one, your life becomes a lot easier. 

In Hurghada I was told by a guy we can go to hourly hotels, I didn't know it existed in Egypt but I didn't go because I could bring guests to my apartment. So something that could be explored. A lot of people in Grindr will tell you some useful information locally 😂 

[Alex_Berl]

19 hours ago, joizy said:

I just booked a month in Cairo - October/November. Will be staying in an Airbnb in Zamalek and planning on getting a monthly gym/pool membership. Looks like the Marriott nearby is my best bet.

The Airbnb host has made it clear that no visitors are allowed. One slightly negative review got an angry response from her that the review was only negative because the guest tried several times to bring visitors past security.

I'm not going only for sex, I understand it is Egypt, but I would like to have some fun. Will there be opportunities? Maybe massage guys with their own places? Not thrilled about the idea of car sex or driving out into the dessert. What can I realistically expect? 

Also, for those who know Cairo, I'm open to any other tips - things to do, places to visit, etc. Interested in off-the-beaten path spots. The tourist spots are easy enough to get information about (for example, just saw a video about a cafe on the 14th floor of an apartment building with an amazing view and super friendly people).

Thanks in advance for your help.

I am living in Cairo since 2 years. And its very hard to bring guests-  even in my own apartment —because as a foreigner you're given extra protection/monitoring (?)—and I don't want the security guards to become suspicious, especially since in my case they're actual police officers.

That's why I even rent an apartment in Giza in a less desirable area, which is very cheap and, most importantly, has no security guards. Recently, however, the main gate is often locked and there's a doorman. So it's not so easy anymore.

When renting an Airbnb, you should make sure you can check in yourself, either with a key box or a code. If it says "with staff around the clock," it means that there's ALWAYS someone sitting downstairs watching.

When renting an apartment, it's also important to make sure it's not in a compound. This is often the case in 6th of October or New Cairo. I've had good experiences in New Cairo: there are many apartment buildings there without doormen or security. However, these apartments are quite expensive...

I think there are definitely a significant number of guys on Grindr in Cairo. But I'm certainly willing to pay for good-looking and muscular guys.

Some guys are available for visits—but very rarely, and often in very run-down apartments.

I highly recommend "Cap D'Or" downtown. It's a fairly large bar with good music and a very mixed crowd—but almost exclusively gay men and their allies. Recently, you have to reserve a table via WhatsApp (00201287130640). It's sometimes very crowded on Thursdays, so the manager felt he had to implement this measure—we'll see how long he can keep it up. At the moment, he has to close at 11:00 PM anyway due to the energy crisis, so reservations aren't necessary. Even though it's almost exclusively gay men there, it's obviously not a true gay bar. But you can definitely meet someone there! It's a 10-15 minute Uber ride from Zamalek.

In Zamalek, I went to the H2O Gym—in an old, somewhat run-down villa, but it's a gym just for men... and there's a hot tub where you sometimes sit with very hot guys, and as a foreigner, you're usually approached. I no longer live there and now go to the "Transformers - Nile View" gym. Apparently, things get pretty wild in the sauna area at night/early morning. I've never tried it and don't intend to.