Egypt, I’m back! Staying at Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo Hotel in Giza made me feel like one of the ancient queens like Cleopatra, Nefertiti and Hatshepsut. (And don’t forget Egyptian disco diva Dalida!)

Read on for a look inside my dreamy stay at this hotel, which is right across from the three famous pyramids and new Grand Egyptian Museum (which I also visited, and will show you soon).

I’ll also share some summer fashion inspiration. Living for this new bag / jewelry collab between Andresgallardo and Miffy, my beloved Dutch white bunny mascot! And I’ll be existing in this Scarlet Darkness cotton dress and headscarf, inspired by historical fashion. (Check out their new arrivals here, and scroll down for the full shoot.)

When I was researching places to stay in Giza, I was enthralled to find Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo Hotel. The location can’t be beat: right across from the GEM and Pyramids / Sphinx… a dream for Egyptology lovers like me.

I had a pyramids view suite with a patio, which also looked out at the luxurious pool.

Note that downtown Cairo is about a 30 min drive in traffic to Great Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, so it’s worth staying in Giza for easy access (I was literally across the street from GEM, and Steigenberger offers free shuttles there throughout the day!)

Watch my IG reel about the hotel experience, including the restaurant, cocktails by the pool, and a look at the various rooms. (I set it to a favorite disco track by Dalida.)

And see my Walk like an Egyptian reel, where I boogie to The Bangles’ 1980s hit in front of the pyramids!

Just the tip of the Pyramid is visible from the expansive pool, where I spent much of my time hanging. (With shade and sunscreen, obvi.)

Life doesn’t get much better than wearing a robe and vibing with the 4500 year old tombs of the pharaohs.

Located right across from GEM in the heart of Giza, Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo Hotel has 132 luxe rooms. It’s ancient Egypt meets modern comfort.

Tip: when you’re looking up Giza hotels with pyramid views, note that many are low cost apartments that happen to look out at the Pyramids, but don’t provide great service or amenities (and might be a bit run-down). Instead, stay at the safe and stress-free Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo.

I’ll never forget lounging poolside to live guitar with cocktails named after rulers like Cleopatra and Ramses II. The staff was so lovely and knew my name – talk about 5 star service. (Special shoutout to guest services concierge Caroline for her kindness and help with photos!)

I always looked forward the dinners by the always-smiling chef Mohamed. Each night at the buffet, he’d make me special dishes like spicy Egyptian street food.

Since this is a German hotel brand, the desserts and breads were elite.

Wouldn’t you like to stay with Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts Egypt when you journey to the land of the Sphinx and Anubis? They have several properties around the country including at Red Sea.

And the Grand Egyptian Museum is across the street: tons of ancient arm postures there to inspire your dance moves. “All the Japanese with their yen / They walk the line like Egyptian!” Who else loves The Bangles’ 1986 hit? See my reel to this song!

Another tip: whenever I travel out of the country, I get an eSIM from Airalo. Gone are the days of pricy roaming charges and annoying physical sims that you had to insert into phones. eSIMS are purchased and activated digitally on your smartphone so you’ll have access to data/texting as soon as you land.

You can choose the amount of data and whether you want phone/texting: I had 10GB of fast Internet on my phone for the trip. Airalo’s Discover Global plan worked perfectly in Uganda, Egypt, and all over the Balkans — even in the more remote areas of my African journey. Very satisfied with the seamless activation and speed.

If you need an eSIM for your next trip, enter “CARMEN9462” when you check out at Airalo.com; they have tons of global plans that include data and texting.

The world is heating up, so it’s time to bring out my summer wardrobe. I can’t get enough of this collaboration between Andresgallardo and Miffy, my favorite mascot – the cute white rabbit by artist Dick Bruna. I’m wearing the leather teddy bear bag, tote, and porcelain and pearl chokers.

My summer go-to: romantic, flowy cotton dresses. I’m loving my blue and white Scarlet Darkness dresses and headkerchief. The dress’s corset boning ribbon ties are a nod to historical fashion: talk about bringing Gothic fantasy main character energy. Plus, there were no microlastics historically… here’s to wearing natural fabrics like cotton.

Hail Miffy for focusing on luxe collections: ANDRESGALLARDO’s jewerly and bags are handcrafted by artisans in Spain and Portugal (just look at the closeups on the stitching and handpainting). I’m also eyeing their Snuffy dog longer necklace found here.

Do you also love Miffy the cute rabbit and vintage-inspired dresses? (These photos are taken at Nemesis Coffee Great Northern Way in Vancouver, BC — named one of the world’s 100 best coffee shops.)

Closeup on my Miffy ceramic and pearl choker, and Scarlet Darkness white cotton sundress.

More fashion inspiration and stories from my summer travels on @lacarmina IG. Lots to share from Uganda, Egypt and multiple Balkan countries — and soon I’ll be in Central Asia and Korea…

Pyramids pyramids pyramids! Were you enthralled by ancient Egypt as a child? See all my Egypt blogs here (I went to various parts of the country in 2019) — and stay tuned for much more from the land of ankhs and jackal death gods!