A week self catering in Luxor with little ones?

[Allegrogirl]

I'm trying to persuade DH that Egypt would be a good holiday for us as I've been desperate to go for years. On a tight budget but I'm thinking of a week self catering in Luxor. Just wondering if we could cope with the hassle as I've heard it's bad. For comparsion we've managed Morocco and West Africa, only Morocco since becoming parents.

I would love to hang out in tombs all week but DD will be aged 4 and require some entertainment although sunshine and a pool would work for her. DD2 will be 1 and happy with whatever.

Is this a crazy plan or doable? Any other cheap tips for Egypt gratefully received.

Egypt will never be cheaper or emptier than it is now; but I would hang on a bit.

1. Do not go in the summer. You will all be too hot and miserable. October/Novermber and March/April are better times
2. I have been a lot both for work and pleasure and there is nowhere else on the planet where I have caught more very unpleasant stomach bugs. Self catering will help; but the whole place is fundamentally filthy
3. A four year old and a 1 year old will have no interest in anything there. If you wait until they are, say, 6 and 10 they will love all the tombs and mummies etc.
4. The hassle is worse than Morocco, India etc etc. The "backsheesh" expectation gets very irritating
5. Althought the unrest isn't as bad as it looks on the television, the country is very unstable. There is a risk that you would be stuck there with two small children when a full scale revolution breaks out.

How about Turkey instead? Lots of good things to see there

Thanks for your really helpful post pointissima. I guess I'm struggling with the lack of trips abroad since starting a family. We had a few good ones, all on a budget but adventurous, before the babies. If we wait until the girls are at school hopefully they will get something out of it and the budget will be bigger and we can do it more comfortably.

Turkey is a great idea. DH went as part of a banger rally 6 years ago and loved it. We can always do Morocco again which is familiar territory for us.