Going on a road trip is challenging, made all the more difficult when a new-born joins the ride. But Ghada Kabesh and Mohamed El-Hebeishy made it a journey to savour for all three The moment you decide to have a baby, you know that your life will change forever, but regardless of how much you expect it to change or how much they tell you it will change, the changes you will experience with the transition from a couple to a family will always surprise, overwhelm and above all teach you a lot more than what you expected. No one prepares you for being a parent; you have to learn it along the way. When our baby boy Aman Allah was born we knew we would need to change many things about our lifestyle. As a young couple who likes to travel, mainly on road trips, not luxurious resorts, major changes had to be accepted -- but enjoyed. Road trips date back to 1903 when the first transcontinental journey using an automobile was completed in 63 days; driving from San Francisco to New York. Nonetheless, road tripping as an expression started to surface only after WWII. By definition, it is a journey using an automobile, mostly planned, sometimes not; a road trip usually takes days, if not months. We always liked the idea of taking road trips through Egypt. We would stop at various cities, towns and villages and get to see new things in our beloved country. Our travelling style was mainly based on budget accommodation and the occasional stay at a luxury hotel was only a pampering break. Even with our baby boy on board, we were simply not ready to completely give up our common hobby and passion: travelling. We knew we had to continue doing what we loved to do in order to be able to be good parents. We just needed to think of how to alter our travelling style to match our new status: a family with a very young baby. The idea of consistently travelling for a whole week with a four-month baby unquestionably seems frightening at the beginning. It seems we have been raised to believe that overprotection is the safest bet when it comes to raising a child, not to mention a baby. However, we managed to get over the misconceived notion that taking our baby on a trip automatically means putting him in danger. We started thinking about it from a different perspective: what do we need in order to make a road trip as comfortable and safe as possible for our little one? How can we plan our trip differently in order to create a safe environment for him and an enjoyable journey for us? What are the essentials we need to take into consideration to ensure our baby is safe and content while he is exploring new things? After a couple of hours of preparation it was no longer the mission impossible it first appeared. Taking off from bustling Cairo one very early Friday morning, we took the newly inaugurated Cairo-Ain Sukhna Highway, one of the best motorways through the whole of Egypt; a wide three-lane highway with all the U-turns in the form of tunnels as a safety precaution. Stopping at Zaafrana for breakfast and coffee with the beautiful morning breeze clearing all the noise Cairo has on offer, one could not help but thank God for ditching the capital, even if it was only for a week. Playing along the tune of relaxation, we opted to skip Hurghada with its heavily populated beaches and go for a far less crowded option, Sharm Al-Naga. A couple of decades ago, Sharm Al-Naga referred to the 60km coastal stretch from Hurghada southward to Safaga. Now, and with all the tourism development heavily taking place along the Red Sea Coast, Sharm Al-Naga is confined to a small and simple resort tucked away secretly amid the luxurious five stars. A chalet-based lodging facility overlooking a small bay, it is not the high end choice of the day, but after the long drive from Cairo, it was what we were looking for in terms of simplicity, relaxation and budget. Some people believe that having a baby in a car for a long time is troublesome, even hazardous at times; we found this to be not entirely true. Even though the baby needed to get out of the car every now and then, the constant motion of the car cradles him to sleep. Not to mention the joy he gets from the changing scenery along the drive, in addition to what this stimulation helps in terms of developing his awareness and senses. After Aman Allah enjoyed his first experience with the sandy beach -- he didn't go for a dip in the sea as it was a bit windy -- we went further south along the coast, heading to the beautiful Marsa Alam the next day. The Red Sea is an enchanting region and in our personal opinion, the farther south you go, the more beautiful it gets -- dazzling landscapes, relaxation at its best, not to mention the mind boggling underwater world. The only drawback is the rather limited night life -- that is of course if you are into clubbing and bar hopping. Staying in Awlad Baraka Camp, commonly known as Camp Zizo, 14km south of the town of Marsa Alam, we enjoyed the peacefulness of the place as well as the colourful scenery of life under the water's surface; snorkelling and diving in the Red Sea is an experience not to be missed. Camp Zizo is a nice cosy place with huts as the main accommodation. They come with or without bathroom, at your convenience. After two days in the Red Sea, though we didn't get enough even if we were to stay for two months, we wanted to go for a different ambiance and wanted our baby to experience new things. So off we went to Aswan. The Eastern Desert acts as a natural barrier from the Red Sea Coast to the Nile Valley. To cross it, a good-conditioned motorway acts as connecting corridors. From the coast, one can take the Marsa Alam-Edfu motorway and then move parallel to the Nile Valley until you reach Aswan, or go southward following the Red Sea coast all the way to Berenice and then cross directly to Aswan using the new motorway. Opting for the first path, it was a nice drive with rare encounters of other vehicles on either side. Having said so, you need to be sure you have enough basic necessities for yourself, your family and of course your car. There are absolutely no service stations. In fact, there is no human presence aside from the tiny settlement of Sidi Salem, where a few local Ababda tribesmen live close to the tomb of a revered local sheikh. Around 45km before you reach Edfu, look carefully at the mountains to your left. Walking distance from the asphalt is a small Pharaonic temple engraved in the mountain rocks. Dating back to the New Kingdom, the Temple of Kanais, as it is widely known, was built to the orders of Pharaoh Seti I commemorating a visit he paid to the ancient Egyptian quarries in the vicinity. Aswan is an enchanting place to visit, one of our old-time favourites. Its people, island temples and exquisite aura are all reasons why we fell in love with the city. Going for one of the budget hotels on the eastern bank, we were greeted every morning with the sun casting its feeble rays of light on the sleepy blue Nile. The Nile in Aswan looks different from the one that runs through Cairo. From the Nubian Museum to the Fatimid necropolis, from the rescued Temple of Philae to the symbol of eternal love -- the Mausoleum of Aga Khan -- we went on an intensive sightseeing mission for two days. Doing this with a four-month-old is not an easy job by any means but we were well prepared. After all, no one can afford visiting a temple on an island in the middle of the Nile, then have baby start crying because his diaper needs to be changed. Keep an extra one handy; you never know when or rather where you might need it. Most important is the heat. Aswan is a reputed winter destination, yet the mid-day sun can be perilous, especially if we are talking about a baby. Still hungry for history, we headed northward towards the largest open museum on this planet -- Luxor. Thebes was a seemingly busy capital some thousands of years ago, and our ancestors made sure to leave their mark well engraved in the books of history. Karnak, the Temple of Luxor, Madinet Habu, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Valley of the Kings are all just a teaser of what Luxor encloses. Sightseeing in Aswan is diverse, sightseeing in Luxor is immense, and no way could we do all these captivating sites in just two days. So we decided to be picky, going for one temple instead of all the temples, and for a couple of tombs instead of every single one of them. We wanted to leave something for the next visit to discover. Marsam is an Arabic word that means the place where you draw. Located in Gurna, Luxor's west bank, Marsam is a fascinating hotel far from the classical definition of hotels. It dates back to the 1920s when Luxor was making the headlines every other day with a new archaeological discovery. At the time Haj Abdel-Rasoul decided to transform a local house to accommodate the various archaeological missions working in the vicinity. And so it started. Marsam is in the attire of a local guesthouse that confines your soul in a state of tranquillity unparalleled in high-end hotels. Sipping traditional tea in the garden on a late afternoon while a soft cooling breeze willows the tree branches is our favourite Marsam experience. Make sure to check the latest exhibition its gallery features. You never know what you might miss. Six days on the road, it was about time for some pampering. Off we went back to the Red Sea coast, this time heading to Qusseir. Qusseir means "short" a name it acquired courtesy of the distance between the Red Sea Coast and the Nile Valley. The shortest route is between Qusseir and Qena. With the Ottoman fortress looms its monumental cannons on the coastal city. What was once a flourishing trading port has now been transformed into a heavily sought- after tourist destination known for its year round sunshine and glamorous beaches. Seeking a relaxing experience we went for one of the best options in town, Mövenpick Qusseir, a luxurious resort in the truest sense of the word. At the end of the trip, we could see that the journey had been as exciting for our baby as it was for us. With good preparation, an open-minded attitude and a will to make it work for you and your baby, travelling can actually enhance your baby's skills, help him open up to new things and explore the world. Having a baby while travelling should not stop you from going to new places and discovering new destinations. Finally don't forget to take as many pictures as you can to share with your baby when he's old enough to ask where he was. Five things to know when travelling with a baby: - Be well prepared. Write a list of what your baby needs on a daily basis. If in doubt take more than less. Worrying about not being able to find your baby's special diapers or baby food can easily spoil your day, not to mention unneeded distress to your baby. - Know your limits as well as your baby's. A baby can enjoy a nice walk in the morning sun. However, avoid mid-day heat even if it means your beach time will be shortened. - You are the only one who really knows what works and what doesn't for your baby. When travelling, follow your baby's rhythm and needs rather than the general guidelines. Everybody warned us about having our baby's routine messed up by travelling and long driving hours but it only made him more relaxed. He napped regularly and slept even better at night. - Have your husband help. Cooperation with your partner is key to making travelling with a baby successful. This does not only allow everybody to have a good time, with time off for the people concerned, but it could be a wonderful opportunity for father-baby bonding with more time and undivided attention given to the baby. - Take the mobile number of your pediatrician in case of emergency. When in doubt always call. If you are travelling to a new destination, finding a trustworthy medical service for your baby in case of emergency can be very difficult. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- Useful contacts Sharm Al-Naga Resort and Diving Centre: Tel: +2 010 111 2942 and +2 010 123 4540, Fax: +2 010 111 2958, Cairo Office Tel: +2 02 793 1166, Fax: +2 02 795 7758. www.sharmelnaga.com or e-mail [email protected]. Awlad Baraka Camp: +2 012 248 8062 and +2 010 585 1189. Marsam: +2 010 342 6471 and +2 095 237 2403 or e-mail [email protected] Mövenpick Qusseir: +2 065 333 2100, Fax +2 065 333 2128 or e-mail [email protected]
