One of my favorite sections of Cairo is Zamalek, an island in the Nile that basically lies between modern downtown Cairo and Giza. It is an upscale, garden area with a number of attractions as well as many embassies, schools popular hotels and some of the better budget hotels. Here, one finds the Cairo Marriott, one of our favorite luxury hotels, the Gezira Sheraton which is a popular stopover for many tours entering Egypt, as well as our favorite budget hotel, the Longchamps. There is also the Gezira Club, a country club originally built by the British, the modern Cairo Opera House and landmarks such as the Cairo Tower. There are a number of fine restaurants, a lot of fast food western outlets and reasonable and interesting shopping. It is often a beautiful area with lush trees overgrowing streets, offering easy access to other important sections of Cairo.