Egypt Guide
The Canal Zone
Once feted as a triumph of nineteenth-century engineering and regarded as the linchpin of Britain's empire, the Suez Canal nowadays seems as Joseph Conrad described it: "a dismal but profitable ditch", connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. Except around the harbour mouths or where ships are glimpsed between sandbanks, it's a pretty dull waterway relieved only by the Canal cities of Port Said and Ismailiya.
With its evocative waterfront, beaches and duty-free shopping, Port Said feels like Alexandria minus its cultural baggage – and a place that's somehow more authentic as a maritime city. By contrast, the Canal scarcely impinges on the leafy, villa-lined streets of Ismailiya, once the residence of the Suez Canal Company's European staff and now a popular honeymoon destination for Egyptians. Foreigners generally overlook both cities, prejudging them on the basis of Suez, a neglected and untidy place but a vital transport nexus between Cairo, the Sinai and the Red Sea coast.
Several trains serve the Suez Canal towns daily from Cairo, but the carriages are grimy and it's better to head here by bus or service taxi, which also represent your options if you're starting from Alexandria. From Hurghada, you can reach Suez rapidly by service taxi, but if you intend to head on to Sinai the same day, aim to arrive by in Suez noon to be sure of getting a bus connection. Travelling along the canal itself are half a dozen or so buses between Suez and Port Said. Drivers should be note that stretches of the canal are off-limits and should stick to main routes to avoid questioning by the military.
Highlights
1 Ismailiya This European-style garden city was constructed for the builders of the canal.
2 Port Said The fresh sea breeze, shopping and pleasant street cafés are a particular attraction of Port Said.