The ramshackle provincial capital of
BENI SUEF
is only 130km from Cairo, but there's no reason to come here except to switch transport for the Red Sea Coast, Fayoum Oasis or the Pyramid of Maidum. Should this mean staying overnight, your best option is the hotel
Semiramis
(tel 082/322-092; £E30-45 / US$10-15), up the road to the left.
The
bus and taxi stations
are 75m further down Bur Said. There are buses to Fayoum City every half-hour, and frequent
service
taxis. Morning is the best time to find taxis to Za'farana on the Red Sea Coast, a route that passes the turn-off for St Anthony's Monastery, 150km east of Beni Suef. Alternatively, you can aim for the Pyramid of Maidum, 30km north of Beni Suef, which involves taking a minibus to the Nile Valley town of El-Wasta, and then a
service
to Maidum.
Minibuses
for El-Wasta leave from a separate depot, 500m north along Sharia Salah Salem, which forks off Bur Said near the bus station.
