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.