We've often searched for somewhere to spend the day while indulging in outdoor activities and alternative entertainment only to be disappointed. This is why when we finally came across Smart Camp we couldn't make our way over and see what treats they had in store.
Located inside the Ahmed Oraby Institute, on the Cairo-Ismailia Desert Road, Smart Camp is the perfect place to spend a full care-free day. Essentially farm land, robust in greenery, there are tents set up for the different activities, as well as a building designated to changing rooms and showers. Some of the sports available at the camp include sand boarding, soap football, regular football and American football as well as tennis and volleyball.
Smart Camp operates in a day-use format which starts at 9AM and lasts until 10PM. Larger groups are generally encouraged and this is because the place is usually rented out to schools and universities. One of the offered packages costs 100LE per person and allows you to go sand boarding on the expansive surrounding areas of soft sand or to try out soap football, which is essentially football on a soap covered floor - a recipe for good old fashioned slapstick fun. You can also battle it out in a coloured water fight or stick to the more conventional sports such as football and volleyball. For an extra 100LE you can even go horseback riding.
Another offer at Smart Camp is race-car driving that can have up to nine cars racing at the same time, while taking down your friends in a battle of paintball is also an option. This 200LE package also includes all other sports except for sand boarding and soap football.
A more family-oriented offer goes by ‘Telematch’ and involves games based on knowledge as well as fun and entertainment, appropriate for both children and adults. This package goes for 100LE per person.
When making a reservation you can add 50LE to each person for a full buffet meal that includes barbeque grills. The place is decked out with lighting and speakers if you want to play some of your own music, however, you can also hire a DJ but at a separate price.
A special option is to go camping there for a few days. With a camp fire before you, you'll surely be enticed to roast marshmallows as well as get the chance to embrace the simplicity of wilderness. A group of guides accompany you on this adventure, ensuring safety and the ultimate camping experience.
Smart Camp proved to be a fruitful experience and we suggest that next time you’re looking for a way to spend your day off, this could be the ideal answer to your needs.
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Entrance 5, Ahmed Oraby Institute, Cairo-Ismailia Desert Rd., Behind Carrefour, Oboor City
Oboor City, Cairo, Egypt.
Oboor City, Cairo, Egypt.
Address
Sports Club
Facility
01002009167
Telephone
Smart Camp: Outdoor Sports & Entertainment in Oboor City
Published On:
13/09/2012
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Come the weekend, many of us long for an escape from the dirty, noisy, hectic confines of Cairo. While it often means an escape to the beach, a retreat to the rural haven just over the Moneeb Bridge can be just as effective. We aren’t suggesting a picnic next to an irrigation canal; but a visit to Fagnoon, a delightfully irreverent art collective and activity centre on the banks of the Marioteya Canal.
We love Fagnoon’s off-beat name, a combination of the words ‘funoon’ and ‘magnoon’ (art and crazy), the spirit of which is reflected in every part of the compound from the imaginatively decorated parking lot and the staff’s creative nicknames to the homemade playground toys and vibrant mosaics decorating the property.
Founded by Egyptian artist Mohamed Allam, Fagnoon is the manifestation of Allam’s vision of an ideal society where freedom of expression, respect for the environment and mutual consideration are the norm. Allam wanted children to have a place to develop their talents and creativity in an unconstrained environment, and to express themselves freely outside the confines of daily life.
Fagnoon has expanded to include a range of art-related activities and other creative offerings for all ages. Activities on offer range from art projects in different mediums, including pottery, word carpentry, jewellery making, welding and other activities such as gardening and rustic baking. Homemade nets and swings make for fun climbing for kids and adults alike,and families will enjoy walking through Fagnoon’s grounds, which are surrounded by agricultural fields dotted with farm animals. Donkeys and horses turn up at random to offer rides.
Big kids will enjoy the mud pit, where groups can soak each other and engage in extreme wrestling competitions. While you must be prepared to throw away every article of clothing that enters this mud madhouse; it is well worth it. Water balloon fights are another fun activity for rowdy groups of friends. Plastic bags filled with water and dyed in bright blue, green, red and yellow are filled up and transported to the centre of a grassy field; and the battle is on.
Fagnoon’s accommodating staff are happy to photograph the madness and help add to the fun by egging on contenders and dumping surprise barrels of water over your group; making for hilarious pictures.
It is advisable to bring a towel and a change of clothes along if you intend to take part in these messy activities. Luckily, Fagnoon has rustic but clean shower facilities for de-grubbing.
Entrance for one session in the mud pit and one water fight costs 50LE per person. If you want to add another session of either, it’s just 20LE extra per person. Donkey and horse rides cost 20LE per turn.
So when your soul is weary of the hustle and bustle of Cairo; look no further than the Marioteya Canal, and by that we mean the peaceful and rejuvenating experience of a day of fresh air, green vistas, art and games at Fagnoon.
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