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Egypt just unveiled the first restaurant at the Great Pyramids ever as it doubles down on tourism to lure travelers back

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Libryia Jones, 44, booked an $83-per-night stay at a viral Giza Airbnb she first saw on Instagram.</li><li>She said it was much harder to find than she expected, even after prepping by reading the reviews.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with account director and <a href="https://libryiajones.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">content creator Libryia Jones</a>, 44, about her experience staying in a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=1274ec97cf05325e3af1bfd0f2d542219526f81f1518c4388feac325b59d386d&amp;postID=64f22b17fe7de7351163b20b&amp;postSlug=review-of-viral-airbnb-overlooking-the-great-pyramid-of-giza-2023-9&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F30139557%3Fsource_impression_id%3Dp3_1693589025_iIlVgfg4G5i0WAQU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viral Giza Airbnb</a> with sweeping views of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.Whenever I see cool Airbnbs on Instagram, I'll save it to a folder. I saw this Airbnb with views of the Great Pyramid of Giza. In the video, the guy is in bed and the woman is in this tub. The window shades start to come up and the pyramids come into view. I was like, "This is amazing!" They made it look really, really good. They made it look super sexy.A friend of mine runs a group for travelers of color called NoMadness Travel Tribe. I've been a member for 10 years or so and they were running a group trip to Egypt this past February. So, when I found out that I was going to Egypt, I went back to my folder and was like, "Oh, let me go check this Airbnb," and it was available. <h2>I thought I was prepared, but finding the Airbnb was a hassle and the building was even older than I expected </h2>I read the reviews that warned me about the exterior and said it was tough to find. It was a lot more difficult to find than I thought. When I first got there, my Uber driver didn't speak English. We were trying to communicate to figure out where this place was. And then someone on the street stopped to try and help. Then, a bunch of guys came over. At one point, I'm surrounded by five men. I'll be perfectly honest, there was a moment of panic because I'm a woman by myself in a foreign country. But I tend to believe there are more good people than bad in the world. And I genuinely felt like they were trying to help me. And they were. One of the guys recognized the pictures and said there was a popular Airbnb just down a side street. It was all just a bit disorienting when you land in a country where you don't speak the language and it's not a touristy area.The outside of the building didn't necessarily match the inside, but I knew that going in. One thing that you'll find on Airbnb is a lot of times, people don't post photos of the exterior or the surrounding areas. I will say, I was still a little shocked when I got there. The building was a lot older than I thought it was going to be. The elevator was such a paradox. On the one side, it was very old-world charm and beautiful. And on the other side, it was like, "Is this up to code?" <h2>There is no feeling like seeing the pyramids in person</h2>The views made it all worth it. When I walked in, that was my first time seeing the pyramids in real life. I saw them in full for the first time ever in this room.On the way to the Airbnb, you don't pass by them in full view or anything. I could only see the tops from the car.You've seen them on television and social media before. They're in movies, they're in pictures. You've "seen" the pyramids. But, in person, it was just completely breathtaking. My photos cannot even do it justice. It's not even about the view itself, it's about the experience of seeing them. <div type="image" title="A woman walks in front of the GReat Pyramids of Giza." height="591" width="886" msid="103391207" hostid="261" sizebytes="26136"></div>My plan was to just stay for one night, but I actually booked my hotel for longer than I was supposed to. It was too late to cancel the Airbnb and the hotel was nicer, so I ended up just spending the day there. I hung out, lounged around, had some coffee, and talked to the doorman. He had a friend who ended up showing me around. These guys are very enterprising. They know that there's a popular Airbnb, so they'll hang out and make conversation. He offered me a day rate to take me around Cairo, which I declined. After our day, though, I did tip him afterwards. <h2>I thought the stay was worth it, but it might not be for everyone </h2>I think for some people, it wouldn't be worth it. The views are great, but there's really nice hotels near the pyramids, too. There's even a Pizza Hut where you can get good views of the pyramids. For me, it was worth it. It was a really good value. One night was $83. It was nestled in this community where I could get away from touristy Cairo. <div type="image" title="Jones at a colorful outdoor market in Egypt" height="471" width="627" msid="103391209" hostid="261" sizebytes="57616"></div>The food that I had around the corner from the Airbnb was some of the best food I've had my entire trip. Chicken kebab, rice, baba ghanoush, hummus — the whole meal was just $13.<h2>I always read the reviews of a viral Airbnb beforehand and I usually don't book an Airbnb for the very first night of a trip </h2>Just keep in mind, when people are sharing these viral Airbnbs, there's quite a bit they're not showing you. The tub I originally saw ended up being very weird. The video that I saw on Instagram made it look all sexy. It was kind of a hot tub/sauna situation, but it was literally right next to the bed. It was very strange.<div type="image" title="Jones poses in front of an Egyptian statue" height="470" width="627" msid="103391211" hostid="261" sizebytes="71442"></div> When booking these viral spots, you need to read the reviews. People pointed out that it was tough to find and someone specifically said they had landed late at night, like I did. If I hadn't read beforehand, I would have been really uncomfortable getting there at midnight. In general, I try not to book an Airbnb the first night if I'm flying in late. You can't predict how difficult it's going to be to find. Whenever I fly, if I'm going to land after 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., I'm just going to book a hotel that's easy to find. Keep it safe. Then I'll go to an Airbnb the next day in the daylight.

I stayed in an $83-per-night viral Airbnb overlooking the Great Pyramid of Giza. The tub that hooked me on Instagram was odd, but the view made it worth it.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>My partner and I recently went on a 10-night Celebrity cruise for $2,357.</li><li>Our interior cabin was laid out well and felt like a great deal. </li></ul>Recently, my partner and I went on a 10-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the <a href="https://www.insider.com/reasons-not-enjoy-carnival-cruises-celebrity-better-opinion-2023-5">Celebrity Silhouette</a> for $2,357.We've sailed on this ship four times and each experience has been unique, even when the ports were the same.Here's what was <a href="https://www.insider.com/worth-it-not-worth-it-disney-cruise-family-review-2022-5">worth it and not worth it for us</a> on our most recent sailing. <h2>We were pleased with the value we received for the interior cabin we booked</h2>We selected an interior cabin for this voyage, as we appreciate sleeping in complete darkness after spending a day in the sun.We locked in the cheapest cabin available using the Sail Away rate option. This rate doesn't allow you to select your location on the ship and isn't eligible for additional perks, but it includes entertainment, complimentary dining, and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages.Our <a href="https://www.insider.com/celebrity-cruise-concierge-suite-balcony-tour-alaska-2023-4">cabin was small and laid out well</a> with plenty of storage even though, as usual, we overpacked. We asked for and received extra hangers, towels, feather pillows, an ice bucket, robes, and slippers at no additional charge.<h2>The Silhouette has so many unique spaces that we love to take advantage of </h2><div type="image" title="Celebrity Silhouette library" height="3024" width="4032" msid="100775242" hostid="261" sizebytes="623750"></div>The Silhouette has a few unique areas we love to visit and its library is one of the most beautiful at sea. It's worth checking it out even if you're not a big reader.It has no librarian, and taking and returning books is on the honor system. As avid cruisers, we've learned to go to the library as soon as possible after boarding for the best selection of titles.We each found a couple of books to read during our cruise. At the end of the trip, we returned the ones we borrowed and left behind the ones we'd brought from home. Another location I love on the Silhouette is the Lawn Club. Located on the ship's top deck, it's a lawn of green grass where guests can lay out in the sun, read a book, or watch a movie on the big screen.<div type="image" title="lawn with champagne glasses on cruise ship" height="3024" width="4032" msid="100775244" hostid="261" sizebytes="1071424"></div>It's worth a visit even if just to walk barefoot in the grass while floating in the middle of the ocean.<h2>We kept as busy as we wanted and enjoyed the ports and ship's musical entertainment</h2>Entertainment is available throughout the day <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-gay-cruise-what-its-like-essay-lgbtq-2022-10">across the ship</a> — trivia games, live music, lecturers, a silent disco, and shows.On this cruise, we skipped the activities and instead focused on the musical offerings and shows around the ship. <div type="image" title="stage on cruise ship lit up with purple, orange, and green lights" height="2799" width="4031" msid="100775246" hostid="261" sizebytes="481272"></div>At the martini bar, bartenders put on a fun, lively performance set to music outside the main dining room each night. They set up a pyramid of martini glasses and poured cocktails into them while standing on the bar. If you can grab a seat or stand close to the bar, you can receive a petite martini at no charge. We went to this show on our first night and ordered regular martinis since we arrived early but were charged $40 for two. Next time, we'll just watch the show. <div type="image" title="pyramid of martini glasses" height="3024" width="4032" msid="100775248" hostid="261" sizebytes="681770"></div>Some of our meals even came with entertainment. One of the most romantic spots on the ship is in front of the Murano specialty restaurant, the Ensemble Lounge.We started most evenings here, enjoying a cocktail and listening to live music before having dinner. I thought cocktails were reasonably priced at less than $9 each. <h2>On the other hand, we were disappointed to find a scaled-down offering of items in the evening buffet</h2>Complimentary dining at the Oceanview Cafe, the ship's buffet, was available for three meals daily, plus <a href="https://www.insider.com/guy-fieri-burger-restuarant-on-carnival-elation-cruise-review-2022-7">late-night snacks</a>. The lunch buffet was outstanding with multiple stations and plenty of food choices to accommodate special diets and allergies. But in my opinion, previous cruises on this ship had a better evening buffet. On this sailing, more than half of the buffet was shut down during the evening.We could also eat in the main dining room for a complimentary dinner, but the buffet is usually our bail-out when we don't like the menu there. I definitely wish we'd had more buffet stations to choose from once it got later.<h2>Specialty dining can be a pricey additional cost, and we skipped it this time around</h2>Specialty dining is available in multiple locations on the Silhouette and it <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-things-to-know-before-disney-cruise-photos-2022-9">costs extra</a>. There are outdoor options like The Porch, which serves seafood, and The Lawn Club, which has grilled entrees. There are also specialty dining locations serving sushi, Italian, and fusion dishes. We've done specialty dining on previous sailings but have noticed prices going up in the past few years — some spots now cost about $60 per person plus a 20% gratuity charge unless you purchase a special package. This time, from purely a budgetary standpoint, we didn't feel it was worth it to pay extra for it since our cruise fare included all the food we could eat from the complimentary dining areas.

My partner and I spent $2,357 on a 10-night Celebrity cruise. Here are 3 things that were an especially great value and 2 that weren't.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In the '60s and '70s, there were as many as a thousand Black-owned <keyword id="10999392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="record-stores">record stores</keyword> in the South alone.</li><li>Today, only a fraction of the US's 2,500 record stores are owned by Black businesspeople.</li><li>Black shop owners say a lack of product is the main difficulty in running a record store.</li></ul>When Le'Shawn Taylor started collecting <keyword id="519978" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vinyl-records">vinyl records</keyword> in college, he noticed a void in the <keyword id="82761" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vinyl">vinyl</keyword> community: There were no Black-owned shops. So in 2018, he started Vibes and Stuff in Valdosta, Georgia, which is now an online shop named <a href="https://www.stokelysrecords.com/">Stokely's Records</a>."I don't see no one like me doing this," Taylor said.The 28-year-old sells vintage jazz, funk, and soul records by Black artists. He named his store after Stokely Carmichael, the US civil-rights activist who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/16/us/stokely-carmichael-rights-leader-who-coined-black-power-dies-at-57.html">coined the phrase</a> "Black Power."In a sense, Taylor is continuing Carmichael's call for political, economic, and cultural empowerment by reclaiming Black <keyword id="6354530" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="music">music</keyword> white shoppers might be quick to overlook and returning them to the Black community."Some of the best stores that specialize in what I do - I mean, they're all owned by white dudes," he said. "Of course, they know their stuff. I'm not knocking them. "But in the back of my head, I'm, like, 'Damn, all this stuff, I'm pretty sure it was once owned by a lot of Black folks.' Some of them probably have no idea that it's valued that much or, like, the significance of what they once had. In my head I'm, like, 'Shoot, I gotta be one of the faces.'"Even though he doesn't have a physical storefront anymore, Taylor hopes he can be one of the faces who help preserve the Black vinyl experience.According to <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/record-stores-industry/">IBIS World</a>, there are over 2,500 record stores in the US. In August, a member of the online music marketplace Discogs helped create a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zboTA2CHr8_fy8BlaUtXI0q5_RvjlYD1YGAcP0uU8lA/edit#gid=0">spreadsheet of Black-owned record stores</a>, but as of this month there were only 36 businesses listed, and some are online stores, like Stokely's.For Black <keyword id="29052" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="history">History</keyword> Month, Common teamed up with the Record Store Day organization and compiled a similar <a href="https://blackownedrecordstores.com/">list of 29 Black-owned record stores</a>, many of which overlap with the previous list.The lists are by no means complete, but as <a href="http://blndedmedia.com/are-we-there-yet/">71% of US businesses are white-owned</a> - compared to 9.5% Black-owned - the total number likely pales in comparison to white-owned stores.Considering the majority of popular music from the past six decades has been rooted in Black music, and many artists owe their success to trailblazing Black musicians, you'd think there would be more Black-owned record stores. Not to mention that the vinyl industry is experiencing a resurgence.After <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/streaming-made-up-80-of-music-industry-revenue-in-2019-riaa-says/">14 consecutive years</a> of positive growth, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-spending-vinyl-records-cds-2020-data-2020-9">vinyl sales surpassed CD sales in the first half of 2020</a> for the first time since the 1980s. This year vinyl is already the <a href="https://twitter.com/chartdata/status/1364047374721679363">No. 1-selling pure-album format</a> in the US.Despite early <a href="https://qz.com/1851227/vinyl-sales-rock-on-in-spite-of-covid-19/">reports</a> that the pandemic would harm record stores and vinyl sales, the growth never slowed. Discogs experienced more than a <a href="http://blog.discogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/discogs-mid-year-report-2020.pdf">33% increase in vinyl sales</a> during the first half of last year, with sales skyrocketing during the early months of the pandemic when brick-and-mortar stores were closed.In the midst of it all, the vinyl community is left trying to understand why most people on both sides of the record-shop counter are white.<h2>Decades ago there used to be hundreds, if not thousands, of Black music stores</h2>In a 2011 essay for <a href="https://www.southerncultures.org/article/for-the-records-how-african-american-consumers-and-music-retailers-created-commercial-public-space-in-the-1960s-and-1970s-south/">SouthernCultures</a>, Joshua Clark Davis, a historian at the University of Baltimore, wrote that during the '60s and '70s, there were between 400 and 500 Black-owned record shops in the South alone (though it was probably closer to a thousand).Black-owned record stores across the country, but especially in the South, provided a sense of community for Black people at a time when they weren't welcome in white public institutions. In addition to having Black employees who were knowledgeable about Black music, some shops also sold beauty products, Black magazines, and clothing. Others started record labels or radio shows focused on Black music."By seeking out music from Black-owned record stores," Davis wrote, "African American consumers partook in a vibrant form of commercial public life, a community-based consumer culture that welcomed shoppers regardless of their color, age, or financial means."Being a Black entrepreneur didn't come without challenges. Davis told Insider that Black record-store owners faced a number of societal and industry barriers during the '60s and '70s - including credit discrimination, difficulty getting loans, difficulty obtaining products from distributors, the stigma that Black entrepreneurs were more likely to fail - that made opening and maintaining a <keyword id="6355515" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="business">business</keyword> difficult.<h2>Some Black record-store owners feel those barriers haven't disappeared</h2><a href="https://www.facebook.com/betterdayseast/">Better Days Records,</a> in Louisville, Kentucky, opened in 1979 and has been under the ownership of Ben Jones since about 1982.Jones has two locations: Better Days West, which he calls his Black store "in the hood," sells exclusively rap, soul, R&amp;B, and hip-hop LPs, and Better Days East, which sells exclusively pop and classic rock to a predominantly white customer base. The two locations are so separate, Jones said, that his Black customers don't even know he has a second location, adding that he couldn't keep his Black store open if it wasn't for the second location.This is because when he contacts his distributors to order records by Black musicians that his Black customers actually want, like Betty Wright, Shalamar, or Graham Central Station, they're all on back-order.But if he wants a Beatles or Pink Floyd album, Jones said, he has access to as many copies as he needs.<div type="image" title="Better Days record store" height="3024" width="4032" msid="81707031" hostid="261"></div>"Now you tell me how I'm supposed to stay in business," Jones said. "The white shit I can get every day. The Black shit I can't get at all. Now, how am I supposed to stay in business? When you walk in and tell me, 'Don't they do it all the same?' No, they don't. It's us versus them."That's why we can't have a Black record store no more," he added. "Because [white customers] won't buy gospel, they won't buy soul, they won't buy jazz, and they won't buy just basic R&amp;B or blues."The dearth of Black vinyl may also stem from a lack of trust.Walter Gibson has owned Jampac Records, in Monroe, North Carolina, since 1986. Gibson said that he wouldn't scan any product barcodes because he fears white record executives are collecting data about what Black consumers buy through his sales."If the big man sees you make a dollar off of something, he'll make a million," Gibson said. "He use you as the marketing tool. That's why I would never ever do any of this scanning or whatever else, because if you scan your product, and they know what's selling, the big man on the top will see what you're doing, and you think you making money, but no, you're working for him."Gibson believes scanning barcodes leads to Black customers shopping at white-owned chain stores instead of in their neighborhoods."It gets back to his system, and he can put it in his stores twice as hard and twice as much," Gibson said. "So, therefore, that would take the people in your neighborhood when you were selling it to them for $10, the bigger store says, well, we got for $8."It's unclear whether record labels and distributors are collecting data through independent record stores. What is undeniable is that at least one Black record-store owner has a mistrust of white business intentions related to a fear that such data would be manipulated to negatively affect Black businesspeople.<h2>Shop owners say the lack of Black vinyl is a reflection of a whitewashed industry</h2>Noura Gordon of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theworldfamouspyramidmusic/?hl=en">Pyramid Music and More</a>, in Augusta, Georgia, told Insider it's not that Black people aren't interested in vinyl. It's that labels aren't pressing the right Black music.Gordon had the opportunity to talk with the label Rhino Records, a division of Warner Music Group, about its Black History Month collection of rereleased vinyl and told them it felt whitewashed.Rhino released albums such as Aretha Franklin's "Young, Gifted and Black" and George Benson's "Breezin'," but Gordon said you could already find those albums used in record stores. Additionally, many of the records are on colored wax, which she feels Black customers don't care about and is just a money grab targeted at white customers.Gordon said most of the vinyl pressed has been by artists who are dead, adding that there are numerous Black artists still alive whose vinyl hasn't been reissued in years.If Rhino would have contacted a Black shop owner, she said, the campaign would've been much stronger."The people who are driving these record companies and making the decisions, they're telling Black people what they like, and that's the biggest problem," Gordon said. "People on the corporate side that aren't Black telling Black people and telling Black consumers, this is what you're going to have and this is what we're going to give you, so they're not pressing the right Black vinyl."<div type="image" title="Pyramid Music" height="2448" width="3264" msid="81707035" hostid="261"></div>A Rhino spokesperson said that the label takes any perception of whitewashing seriously and emphasized that the campaign was intended to honor Black musicians and their influence."Our campaign featured timeless albums from some of the most important and ever-relevant Black artists in the history of music, such as Aretha Franklin, Lil' Kim, and Curtis Mayfield, as well as unique promotions offered exclusively to Black-owned record stores," the Rhino spokesperson told Insider. "Conversations about the importance of these artists and their music are crucial, and we look forward to continuing the dialogue so we can honor them in a positive and meaningful way."This is why many Black shop owners say they rely on selling used instead of new vinyl so they can provide their customers with what they want. Sir Froderick, owner of <a href="https://fivespaceshop.com/">Fivespace</a>, in San Diego, spent years digging through crates at swap meets and flea markets to find vintage hip-hop and rap vinyl. Five years ago he opened shop with the hopes of providing Black customers and hip-hop heads with a place to buy vinyl not normally available in white-owned shops. "I go into a whole bunch of record stores," Sir Froderick said. "You'll never find something with a thick-enough hip-hop section - it will be so mediocre. If it's a white owner, they just don't know what to look for. If their customers don't tell them, they'll just grab what they know. So that's all you see. You'll see a reflection of whoever the owner is inside their stores."<h2>The evolution of music consumption also harmed Black-owned shops</h2>Davis said that white-owned record labels didn't take Black music seriously until the 1970s, and white-owned chain stores didn't sell Black music until the '80s.Once they realized that certain Black artists resonated with white audiences, too, Black music started appearing in chain record stores, big-box stores like Kmart, and in malls. Pair that with integration and desegregation, and suddenly Black customers were shopping in the white-owned record stores that previously didn't welcome them.It was the introduction of CDs in 1982, however, that hurt all vinyl retailers.The stragglers who survived through the '90s were later hit with the 2008 recession. The streaming era proved to be the nail in the coffin for many shop owners, but especially Black record-store owners who could no longer afford the rising rents in their often gentrified neighborhoods and business districts.Even now, amid the vinyl resurgence, the physical Black record-store space is still suffering. Davis said nowadays the big money to be made in vinyl is online, where predominantly white and foreign collectors pay top dollar for rare records.Pyramid Music and More has been open since 1974, but has been online-only for more than a year because of family matters and the pandemic. Gordon told Insider that she liked the pop-up sale and online approach, especially since she's saving money on mortgage and bills.Davis, the historian, said the one upside that Black record stores still have today is the sense of community they bring to a neighborhood."That community aspect is almost a prerequisite now," he said, adding that for traditional brick-and-mortar shops it would be "very tough going up against online retailers. If all you have to offer is the tangible product."That's what Jonathan Blanchard set out to do when he opened <a href="https://jbsrecordlounge.com/">JB's Record Lounge</a>, in Atlanta, in 2017. Despite his store only being 560 square feet, he turned it into a performance space, citing the lack of venues for Black artists to perform in as inspiration.<div type="image" title="JB's Record Lounge" height="450" width="600" msid="81707037" hostid="261"></div>"It makes me feel like I'm doing something other than running my mouth about the problem," Blanchard said.As the popularity of vinyl continues, Black record-store owners said they felt that racial oppression and discrimination within the industry would not go away unless more Black people got involved in both the corporate and the retail sectors.Pyramid Music's Gordon said she appreciated the increased urgency to support Black businesses like hers after the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement following the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020. But she felt it was too little too late."It's time to speak up," Gordon said. "Because it's, like, we've been screaming it. We've been busting down the door, our voices are hoarse. We're tired, but we're not going to give up."

Black-owned record stores are disappearing while vinyl sales are skyrocketing. Some shop owners say it's a sign of a 'whitewashed' industry.

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You Searched For "9 pyramids lounge" and got 5 results

Egypt just unveiled the first restaurant at the Great Pyramids ever as it doubles down on tourism to lure travelers back

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I stayed in an $83-per-night viral Airbnb overlooking the Great Pyramid of Giza. The tub that hooked me on Instagram was odd, but the view made it worth it.

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My partner and I spent $2,357 on a 10-night Celebrity cruise. Here are 3 things that were an especially great value and 2 that weren't.

Ann Peck

Black-owned record stores are disappearing while vinyl sales are skyrocketing. Some shop owners say it's a sign of a 'whitewashed' industry.

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This guy created a Twitter bot that won him over a thousand 'retweet to win' prizes

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