This trip happened over Christmas and New Year, and I’m only sitting down to write it properly now because, well… life. January disappears in five minutes, and suddenly it’s February and you’re still mentally unpacking a trip that was equal parts wow and why am I doing this to myself?
It was my fourth time in Egypt and Romeo’s third. But it felt different because it was Romeo’s first Christmas and New Year outside Portugal. We usually do the holidays at home, so swapping winter coats and rain for warm evenings and palm trees felt exciting… and also slightly surreal in that “this is not how we normally do it” way.
Christmas in the sun
And before anyone starts imagining a smooth, easy, Instagram-perfect “Christmas in the sun” fairytale: Egypt is incredible, but it’s also exhausting. That tension is the whole truth.
Christmas Eve in Luxor: not glamorous, but planned (and still special)
We flew into Luxor on Christmas Eve, and even though the original plan was to go straight to the Red Sea, I’d already decided not to take chances that night.
Because here’s the thing: when you’re travelling across Egypt (not just doing the typical “fly to the beach resort and stay there” version), there’s a very real chance you’ll be dealing with police convoys and fixed travel times, and taxis won’t just drive whenever you want. Luxor to Safaga is about a four-hour drive, and the last convoy leaves around 5pm. I knew our flight was arriving too late for that.
So this wasn’t “bad luck” or us being unprepared, it was me doing my due diligence. I spent days going back and forth with the resort, the hotel, taxis, agents… hours of messages, confirmations, double-checking. And because it was Christmas Eve, I wasn’t about to gamble and end up stuck without a plan for food or sleep.
I booked a hotel in Luxor for the night, and I booked the taxi for the next morning. Not glamorous, not the dream “arrive and relax” start — but it was the sensible one.
And also: the 24th is usually the most important day for us, so I still wanted it to feel like Christmas, even if we were landing in Luxor instead of waking up by the sea.
We’d already booked our Christmas meal, and we ended up going to the only fully vegan restaurant in Luxor (I think the others are vegetarian). It was lovely — obviously not the Christmas dinner we’d normally have, but it worked. It was a very Levant-style Christmas dinner, … and it was actually really nice. Different, warm, and it made the evening feel special instead of just “logistics night”.
Christmas in Safaga: rest on purpose (and an unplanned little family)
We made it to Safaga for Christmas, and that part of the trip was intentionally slow. Beach, pools, a bit of aqua park, and letting Romeo just be a kid — because if you try to do Egypt at full speed the whole time, you’ll burn out.
Romeo loved the pool most (warm water = happiness). The sea was a bit cold, and the aqua park was even colder — which sounds fun until you’re standing there trying to convince a six-year-old that freezing water is “part of the experience”.
The Warm Pool
We stayed in a resort for Christmas, and something really nice happened: we met another Portuguese mum travelling solo with her son, and we basically became an unplanned little duo. If you know me, you know I’m used to travelling alone — and now travelling with Romeo, it’s still usually just us. I’m not used to having other people around that much on trips.
Christmas at the Resort
So it was actually a really good change. It wasn’t planned, it wasn’t forced, it just happened — and we ended up spending loads of time together.
One of the unexpected highlights was the spa. We spent a ridiculous amount of time there and the kids were obsessed: massages, sauna, jacuzzi, even salt therapy. Watching them living their best little “wellness retreat” lives was honestly hilarious and also… kind of perfect.
The Red Sea highlight: Romeo, the open sea, and his underwater obsession
The biggest highlight of the whole trip was Romeo’s first proper snorkeling experience in the Red Sea.
Mega Excited
Fun fact: every time I ask Romeo what he wants to do when he’s an adult, he always says some version of the same thing: scuba diver. He’s genuinely obsessed with the ocean — the sea, the fish, anything underwater. It’s one of those interests that keeps coming back, stronger every time.
My little water baby
The thing is, he’s still too young to scuba dive properly. He can’t do the real open water course until he’s older (around 10–12 depending on the rules). So for now, snorkeling is the closest thing we’ve got — and for him, that made this a massive moment.
And it wasn’t just “looking at a few fish”. It was firsts on firsts: being on a private boat, being out in the open sea, doing something that felt grown-up and real. He was nervous at first — because open sea is a different kind of scary when you’re small — but he did so well.
We also had a professional diver with us, properly looking after everything and making sure Romeo was safe and comfortable the whole time. Once he relaxed, he was completely in his element — focused, calm, and genuinely happy in a way that’s hard to describe unless you’ve seen your kid find their thing.
And of course, because life loves irony, my GoPro decided to stop working while underwater (issues with the card), so I don’t have the underwater footage I wanted. I’m still annoyed about it… but also, maybe it’s a reminder that not everything needs to be documented to be real.
Future ScubaDiver
New Year back in Luxor: coming full circle
After Safaga, we went back to Luxor for New Year — and this was the part that felt most meaningful to me.
I’ve explored Luxor before, but showing it to Romeo felt like coming full circle. As a child I wanted to be an Egyptologist, so taking my son to Luxor Temple, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings felt like one of those “how is this my life?” moments.
My Little Egyptologist
And the best part is: Romeo was genuinely fascinated. Not just “walking around because mum says so”. He was asking questions, noticing details, actually interested in pharaohs, hieroglyphics, temples, ancient history — properly into it.
He did get tired (especially at the Valley of the Kings, because the heat is brutal), but that’s also the reality of Egypt. It’s not a soft destination. It asks a lot of you — physically and mentally.
One moment I loved was showing him the Nile. I don’t care how many times I’ve seen it — it still does something to me. And I loved that he knew what it was. That connection between “I’ve learned about this” and “I’m standing in front of it.” That’s the kind of thing travel gives kids.
We Love Egypt
Romeo being Romeo (aka: the tiny celebrity)
If you’ve ever met my son, you know this already: he loves dancing and singing.
Any chance to jump on a stage, grab a microphone, do a “show” for strangers — he’s there. No fear. Pure joy. And Egypt is perfect for that because people are warm and playful and they love kids.
Everywhere we went, people knew his name. Kids wanted to play with him. Adults were clapping, laughing, encouraging him. Watching him move through the world like that — comfortable, expressive, unselfconscious — is one of my favourite things about travelling with him.
The moment that brought me back to earth
And then there was a moment that completely changed the tone.
We were waiting for a bus when a child — maybe eight or ten — came over asking for money. Romeo noticed immediately. He was confused at first, then upset… and then he broke.
He started crying — properly crying — because he wanted to help. He couldn’t understand why a child would need to ask strangers for money. He kept asking if the boy was an orphan. He kept asking if we could give more. And when other kids came too, it just made it worse.
He cried for over an hour, and there was honestly nothing I could say that fixed it. Because what do you say to a six-year-old who has just realised the world isn’t fair?
I felt two things at once: this overwhelming pride that my son’s instinct is compassion… and this horrible feeling of powerlessness, because compassion doesn’t magically solve poverty.
That’s the thing about Egypt (and honestly, about a lot of places): even when you’re having the best time, something will happen that makes you stop and think, why is this like this? or what am I even doing here? It’s not a destination that lets you stay in a bubble for long — unless you try very hard to.
And let’s be honest: Egypt is not “easy”
I love Egypt. I really do. But I’m not going to romanticise it.
Things don’t work the way they should — and not just in “budget” places. Even in a nice resort, even when you’ve paid good money, you’ll have moments where you’re like… seriously?
And if you’re vegan? Prepare yourself. You can absolutely make it work, but you’ll also be hungry, frustrated, and eating the same thing on repeat more often than you’d like. Egypt is not a destination I’d casually recommend to everyone, because it takes patience and a certain tolerance for chaos.
Romeo
Why it was still worth it
And yet… it was worth it.
Because Egypt gave us warmth and history and rest — but it also gave Romeo something bigger: fascination, confidence, connection, and a very real moment of empathy that I’ll never forget.
This trip wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t “easy”.
But it was real. And it will stay with us.
Love,
Emma