Part I: The Budget Gateway to Egypt – Above the Sinai

 My name is Ikbal, and this is the first installment of my long-awaited "Travoltage" for ishabil.com—detailing how I finally realized my dream of seeing Egypt’s pyramids and historic structures on a shoestring budget.

💰 The Budget Blueprint
For months, I meticulously researched how to achieve this trip with minimal cost. My strategy was simple: leverage my travel from Saudi Arabia back to my hometown. By routing my trip through Egypt, I could solve the major issues of getting vacation time and minimize the costly extra exit/re-entry visa fees, all while combining the airfare.
Flights: I scored an amazing deal on a Jeddah to Cairo flight for just 249 SAR (Saudi Riyals). Remarkably, while other budget flights offer only 7kg hand luggage, this route included a 20kg checked bag and a meal.
Visa: Instead of the 350 SAR fee and the hassle at the Jeddah Consulate, I found an online solution through the Atlys app, securing my visa for just 2500 Indian Rupees.
Accommodation: I booked a central hostel near the city center, securing two nights for two people for a total of just 120 SAR.
Detailed study of the Cairo map showed that while the city is vast, all the key sights we needed to see were relatively close together, making internal travel cheap.
The plan got even better when I was connected through a friend to Shakir Azhari, a student who had been living in Cairo for years. He offered to help us with everything, and his local expertise proved invaluable. I also secured my return flight from Cairo to Calicut (via Riyadh) for 700 SAR with FlyNas.
Though I planned solo, my coworker and frequent travel buddy, Dr. Ijas, decided to join me. With all arrangements complete, we headed to Jeddah Airport’s new terminal.
🐠 The World’s Largest Airport Aquarium
I had traveled through the new terminal before but missed the massive aquarium, as it's located in the arrivals section. This time, after checking in our luggage and getting our boarding passes, we took the lift to the arrivals hall just to see it.
Billed as the World’s Largest Airport Aquarium (I'm not sure if any other airport has one!), this was an astonishing sight: 14 meters high and home to over 2,000 fish. We spent some time taking photos of this unexpected marine marvel before completing immigration.
Once inside, a subway-like train transported us to the duty-free area. We grabbed a quick bite at the legendary Al Baik and searched for our gate. Since this was a budget flight, we were taken to the aircraft by bus instead of an aerobridge, which was a bonus—I got great photos of the plane!
🗺️ The Red Sea and the Sinai Peninsula
Once on board, I had made sure to book a window seat for a small fee (20 SAR), hoping to catch a glimpse of the historic region below. Our flight path took us over the historic Gulf of Aqaba and the Sinai Desert.
The flight began over the Red Sea, flying parallel to the coast, allowing us to see small islands and coastal towns. I was curious about the promised meal, and soon after we reached cruising altitude, the food packets were distributed. Inside? A bottle of water (worth maybe half a riyal), a croissant (one riyal), and a small cake—a truly "budget" meal!
Looking out, I could clearly see the Saudi border, the beginning of the Egyptian Sinai Desert, and the narrow stretch of the Gulf of Aqaba separating them. We also saw parts of the famous Egyptian seaside resort, Sharm el-Sheikh. A bit further along the Gulf lies Jordan on one side and Israel on the other.
Our plane then flew over the Sinai Desert. I looked down at the vast, barren landscape of mountains and arid land, not a single tree in sight, and was astonished to think of the many wars fought over this rugged, seemingly desolate territory. Gaza, currently a zone of conflict, lies on one edge of this peninsula.
🛬 Landing in the Land of the Pharaohs
Soon, the view changed. The plane flew over Cairo, passing over its modern sectors, the life-giving Nile River, and the surrounding cultivated farmlands before finally landing at Cairo International Airport.
We had a long walk through the terminal to reach immigration, where there was a long queue. Anticipating being questioned, we were surprised when the officer simply stamped our passports without a word. Only then did another officer check the visa.
Outside, the person arranged to take us to the hostel was waiting. With the wonders of Cairo and its history just hours away, our journey into the historic city had officially begun!