Help! Just can't decide!

Turkey
or
Egypt

Can't seem to combine both in my budget (you know, the under $2000 including taxes rule). Need to decide soon, as planning to depart between end Feb & end March.

I'd really appreciate your opinion and reasons for choice.

Thanks

If you are talking about prices....go for Egypt. I live in Egypt but took a package holiday to Turkey (Gumbet) last summer. Egypt is much cheaper in everything.

it all depends on how long you plan on being there.
egypt is definitely doable on your budget, but turkey isn't bad either. i spent about a week there and spent maybe $400. you really might be able to fit in both if you plan it right!

in my opinion though, i loved turkey a lot more than egypt. i lived in egypt though, so turkey was definitely more of a holiday for me. of course, egypt has got great stuff too. perhaps depending on your comfort level too turkey may be nicer- cleaner air, streets, and so on. ultimately it's all about what you're looking for.

anyway, good luck!!

Turkey is very very expensive, at least compared to Egypt anyway. People are much more friendly in Egypt than in Turkey, I found. Its a lot more fun and more 'different' than Turkey is. All the things to see in Egypt are much bigger and more amazing, than in Turkey.
Have a nice time, wherever you choose!

Ditto - how long, and what are you looking for? I've spent a lot of time in Turkey, and still planning a trip to Egypt.

For dramatic sites it sounds like it's Egypt, hands down.

What I liked about Turkey was it's diversity (it's a huge country), and the relative freedom you have (you can take a bus in any direction - there are no police convoys or restrictive tourist times). And, of course, the cuisine is among the world's best. I haven't heard many exciting things about Egypt's food yet.

Thanks everyone. Seems the lean is to Egypt here. hisurfer, you know I thought the food in Turkey would be similar to that of Egypt. What are the differences? One of the things I really enjoy is eating local food. Having said that I can also guarantee that I lose 5kg per month when travelling.

5: LOL, that's because there's not much to say about Egyptian food! Egypt has things like kushari, a combo of rice, noodles and lentils which backpackers seem to have a huge thing for, foul, a kinda bean paste and molokhiya, which is a spinach-like stew, quite slimey... Turkey's got an incredibly large and varied cuisine with so many amazing dishes...

IOW, if food's your priority, don't go to Egypt. It's not that the food ain't good, it's just not very varied.

Funny thing about the food is that all the countries in the Eastern Med use the same ingredients, but some (Greece, Turkey) just use them better. In Jordan we found that the food was basic, but always a bit too sweet, or too salty, or too dry - it was rare to find a dish that was really elevated. Whereas in Turkey even a simple bowl of lentil soup was often sublime.

This is food in Turkey: you order something simple like Iskender Kebab (like a lamb gyros with pita and a sauce of yogurt and tomato). Sounds simple, right? Cause sure you've had gyros before. But then the cook tells you that he only uses yogurt that comes from the first spring milking of newborn lambs that have grazed on the fresh grass after the last frost in a certain valley off the Black Sea. These guys would put the French too shame - I don't know who else in the world is like that.

Did you get the opposite answer on the Turkey thread (all pro-Turkey?).

I can't see how you'd go wrong with either country. February/March might be a little cold still in Turkey, so while it is one of my favorite countries in the world you might want to let the weather decide.

don't do either of them

turkey too cold

egypt too much hasle

save your money or just go to syria in april

Ahhhh! I have not been to Egypt yet but I will be going around March as well. I have to say, I am a foodie and sampling the local cuisines is one of my top priorities when I travel. With that said, if that is important to you, please go to Turkey! Everywhere I ate, the food was delicious!!!

I had a good time there... but as everyone else mentioned, it all depends on what you're trying to get out of it. If you want to travel somewhere where you really just want to immerse yourself in the culture and speak to locals and see everyday life, go to Turkey. If you want to see amazing architecture and historical sites, I'm thinking Egypt might be the better option (for the pyramids). Not to say Turkey didn't have its share of sites... but the mosques in the Sultanhamet are definitely not as old as the pyramids...

I hope that helps somewhat! Enjoy your trip, either way!