One week until Eid Al Adha…

Good morning, friends — and happy Week Before Eid to you all. Five (or maybe four, if you’re in Cairo / Doha / Riyadh) more days and we can all slide into some time off. God knows we’ve earned it after the events of the past three-and-a-half months.

From the EnterpriseAM Dept. of Tourism Promotion: If you’re thinking about booking into Egypt for the holiday, you might want to get a move on. The Mediterranean coast was long a secret known only to Egyptians, but holidaymakers from Saudi and the UAE have made it their own the past two years.

Rooms for next week are starting to fill up — and El Gouna, the Red Sea destination loved by Europeans and Egyptians alike, selling out even faster, we’re told.

Added bonus: Rates in Sahel go up for the Eid days, but they’re still substantially lower than you’ll pay in July and August. It’s not really swimming weather, but as a break from the heat and tension? Hard to beat. –Patrick and Salma