The Cairo 360 Editors’ Choice Awards 2017: Fitness, Beauty & Wellness Award Winners
Cairo 360
In a city like Cairo, the weak get chewed up and spat out again. It’s a city that, historically, has only really discovered the benefits of actually living healthy and pursuing wellness.
But over the last few years, fitness, beauty and wellness has come to mean much more than eating well and jumping on the treadmill. When it comes to fitness, the likes of pole fitness and CrossFit has added flavour to getting and staying fit. Beauty, meanwhile, has become a necessary cure, not just a luxury.
In this category we celebrate the salons, spas, gyms and wellness centres that excel in helping Cairo become the physical best they can be – and sometimes even the mental best.
Beauty & Wellness Award
Cairo finally has a barber that cares. Bebars the Barber has taken male grooming to levels it has never been and has already become a cult favourite among Cairo’s male population for its excellent service and the skill of its staff.
Keeping very much in line with the rest of the five-star hotel, the Four Season Nile Plaza’s spa fuses luxury with serenity in the most spectacular of ways, offering inclusive, personalised experiences.
There’s a reason Maadi residents seem much more laidback than the rest of Cairo – one theory is that Indra Spa has been draining away the aches, pains and stresses of life in the capital with excellent, personal services wrapped up in a Far Easter ambiance.
One of the biggest names in the business, KRISS’ arrival brought with it a new approach to hair and beauty through very specific (and very effective) treatments that have put them one step ahead of its competitors.
A go-to for beauty-seekers on the rush, La Coupe’s location in Dokki speaks little of the skill and craft inside. Whether you’re looking for something simple, or something a little more head-turning, La Coupe can do it all.
Another Asian-inspired haunt, Manuela is something of a godsend for Mohandiseen residents – the trick is to let it wash over you. Manuela’s excellent treatments and services are great value-for-money
There aren’t many places in Cairo that doesn’t have a Mohamed Al Sagheer – a chain that has become a household name. The continuing expansion of Al Sagheer pays testament to what stands as one of the most successful home-grown businesses.
Located at the Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah, So Spa is one of several winners at the Zamalek-located hotel – and for good reason. Its treatments and its facilities are of the highest order and is one of the hotel’s most impressive faculties.
With three branches across Cairo and a recent renovation that has seen one of them open a Moroccan bath, The Nail Spa is as impressive as ever, offering a wide variety of services and treatments.
Don’t let the simplicity of the Kempinski Nile resident hub of wellness fool you; what you’ll find behind the doors of ‘The Spa’ is something that will pull you away from the hustle and bustle of Cairo and into a world of relaxation.
Expertise is the word most used with Toi. Its seasoned owners take the business of beauty very seriously, using years of experience to offer unrivalled service.
Health & Fitness Award
Although it’s not as heavily marketed as it once was, Body Shapers’ reputation speaks for itself – a reputation of getting results through customised programs and expert trainers.
Former professional footballer, Aly Mazhar, made a huge comeback after a career-ending injury that has caught the imagination of CrossFit would-bes all across Cairo, with relentless but effective programs.
One of the more unique gyms in Cairo, Curves uses a circuit-based system that touches on all the major workouts for full-body routines that have become a hit with Cairo’s ladies.
Adding the fun in fitness, Fibers is one of the best gyms in Maadi, offering state-of-the-art equipment and top personal training staff.
Though there are gyms that specialise in combat sports, Fight & Fitness Factory is the first to offer the whole spectrum. From Muay Thai, to boxing, to kids MMA classes, F3 is another gym that inspired Cairenes to shape up and work out.
There’s no shortage of CrossFit teams in Cairo, but one of the most popular by far is FitBox, which has garnered a reputation for being both accessible to beginners and challenging for more seasoned CrossFit-ers.
Unfavourable publicity plagued the Gold’s Gym name last year, but the international brand’s presence in Cairo is as strong as ever, with the Nile-side Giza branch being a particularly impressive facility.
There are an increasing number of women-only gyms, but one of the first to provide a truly (after a particular name you’ll see later on) is Hers – top quality facilities and equipment in a professional and contemporary space.
There’s always an intangible camaraderie among CrossFit team, but Ignite’s rapport is the key to its growing popularity as one of the best in Cairo, as well as its effective training methods.
As it turned out, Yoga wasn’t just a passing fad in Egypt and one of the best venues for the practice is Mudra. Located in Zamalek, Mudra offers all manner of Yoga in a serene, simple venue.
Although it was first branded by Cairo as a Yoga studio, Nūn Center has evolved into much more of the years. Located at a gorgeous villa in Zamalek, the centre takes a holistic approach to health and fitness in offering much more than just Yoga.
Under the guidance of a team that includes renowned photographer, Steve Double, Osana has become a Maadi institution in its short existence, acting as a family-oriented hub for fitness, beauty and health, through a string of innovative treatments and practices not seen anywhere else in Egypt.
With pole fitness expert, Manar El Mokadem, leading the charge, Pole Fit Egypt was a trailblazer in bringing what is a terribly misunderstood exercise into mainstream acceptance. El Mokadem has since become a inspiration to many, while offering expert classes.
The rise of Project Pole is extraordinary; having initially taught a few friends for fun, founder Mia Carter, opened a small studio in Dokki, before high demand from pupils and would-be pupils allowed her to open a second branch in Maadi in next to-no time. But what has made Project Pole special is its inclusiveness and its ‘anyone-can-do-it’ attitude.
Samia Allouba
Speaking of inspirations and trailblazers, few can quite match Samia Allouba. As one of the most enduring names in women’s fitness in Egypt, Samia Allouba’s popularity, and quality of facilities and service, hasn’t waned.
Check out all this year’s Cairo 360 Editor’s Choice Award Winners here and stay tuned for more on the best that Egypt’s capital has to offer!
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