Egypt is probably the world’s oldest civilization having emerged from the Nile Valley around 3,100 years ago, historically. When most people think of Egypt, they think of antiquities, Pyramids and Temples. But really Egypt is more than that. It is also Red Sea scuba diving, luxury hotels and five star restaurants. It is romantic cruises down the Nile, and it is a cultural experience like none you have ever experienced. Egypt is a land bustling with life, beauty and excitement.
Here are some charming places in Egypt that you do not want to Miss!
CAIRO
Rising from the shimmering desert heat, Cairo is an intoxicating blend of cultures, history and peoples, which has fascinated travelers from earliest times. Much has been written and said about this incredible city, but to experience it for oneself, is to take home everlasting memories of the city known as “the mother of the World”.
Highlights in Cario
Egyptian Museum – Learn the history and see the antiquities of some of the great pharaohs. According to the tour guide… there are so many items inside this museum that one could actually spend 9 months going through each and every item.
No photos are allowed inside the museum
The Great Pyramid & Sphinx – One of the Seven Wonders of the World. Several pyramids and the Great Sphinx are located on the desert plateau marking the boundary of Giza, a suburb of Cairo. In Egyptian the site is known as “El-Ahram” (the pyramids). The specific purpose of these pyramids was to provide a place and means by which the dead Pharaoh would rise to the sky and join with the sun. The pyramid was also believed to be the mineral concentration of the sun’s rays of light. Another Hypothesis is that the Pyramids and the Nile represent Orion and the Milky Way; thus focusing the strength and power of heaven to Egypt. The best known pyramids are the tombs of the 3rd and 4th Dynasty Pharaohs: (the largest) Khufu, Cheops in Greek; Khafre, Chephren in Greek; and Menkaure, Mycerinus in Latin. Also, of course, there is the Great Sphinx (father of terror). This gigantic statue represents a lion with a human head, which was said to be a likeness of Chephren standing guard over this tomb.
The Great Sphinx
Khan El Khalili Bazaar – definitely the most exciting bazaar in Egypt! A retreat from the sun in summer, in milder winter temperatures it’s even easier to lose a day wandering in this sprawling market, this place is HUGE!! It exudes a truly amazing atmosphere with its labyrinth of bustling alleys lined with merchants displaying traditional crafts. Most of the shop fronts conceal cramped workshops, where craftsmen still produce lanterns, inlaid boxes, waterpipes and brassware using traditional techniques. Beware though—merchants here are masters at the art of haggling, and even the locals joke that they can never get local prices. Cash is definitely preferred here, but some vendors accept credit cards.
ASWAN
Aswan (1 hour 45mins flight from Cario) is situated at the south end of the section of the Nile plied by the cruise fleets, and just upriver is the First Cataract, the old Aswan Dam, and further, the High Dam.
MovenPick Cruise
The High Dam
To get the feel of Aswan, there is no better way than to take a horse-drawn carriage (negotiate the fare beforehand, and stipulate “No baksheesh”!) from your cruise boat to the Old Cataract Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote “Death on the Nile”. Here, have tea (or something stronger!) on the Terrace, which overlooks the Nile. A magnificent old colonial hotel!
Also at Aswan is the Nilometer, where the Pharaoh’s officials measured the annual flood and set that year’s tax level. On the West Bank, the Aga Khan’s Mausoleum may be visited, and there is a museum and temple on Elephantine Island in the middle of the Nile. Of the nearby temples, Philae in the middle of the lake between the dams is most often visited by organized tours, and is another venue for evening Son et Lumiere presentations. Also included in most cruise itineraries is a visit to the “Unfinished Obelisk”, which would have been the largest ever erected if it hadn’t cracked before it was fully quarried. As it was abandoned in mid-excavation, it provides the opportunity to see the Ancient Egyptian quarrying technique.
ASWAN – KOM OMBO – EDFU/ESNA
At Kom-Ombo, visit the double Temple of Sobek and Horus the Great.
LUXOR
Luxor is at the north end of the section of the Nile. Upon arriving Luxor, visit the East Bank – Karnak Temple and The Luxor Temple and the West Bank – Tombs of the Valleys of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.
A 3-d model of the Valley of the Kings (tiny squares are where the tombs of the kings were found)
Tram to the Valley of the Kings
Entrance of the King’s tomb (no photos allowed inside)
Colossi of Memnon
People walking round the beetle god for good luck
HURGHADA
One of the most developed tourist resort set beside the RED SEA. A holiday paradise that can satisfy the needs of every visitors, with activities ranging from scuba diving amongst the multitudes of ship wrecks, windsurfing on the crystal clear waters with untouched reefs, to desert safari tours exploring its colorful mountains and canyons.
Small pubs, restaurants and internet cafes line the main street
crystal clear water
glass bottom boat ride
EL BAHARIA OASIS
The Oasis, a depression in the desert comprising springs, wells and trees reflects the beauty, charm and diversity of nature; its surrounding deserts green valleys, water falls, high plateaus, therapeutic sulphur –rich springs. The Oasisis famed for its all-year-round pleasant climate and beautiful scenery. There is evidence of pre-historic settlements as well as Pharaonic, Greek Roman, Coptic, & monuments. The large depressions where the ground is close to the water table contain the five major oases of the Western Desert namely: Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga, plus the Fayoum, which is the closest to the Nile Valley.
The Bahriya Oases: - Bahariya, the first to be encountered, lies in a depression about 300 kmsouthwest of Cairo. The Greco-Roman period is represented in a huge cemetery (about 06 square kilometres) in the area of el-Bawiti, the capital of Bahariya. Statuettes, pottery, jewels and coins were found and helped date the cemetery to the Graeco-Roman period. The remains of a settlement in this area and probably an extended system of subterranean aqueducts still in use today also belong to the Graeco-Roman period. is worth mentioning the small temple of Alexander the Great, at Qasr el-Migysbah, apparently the only place where his cartouche and image were found in Egypt.
Baharia
3* Palm Resort
4*4 jeep to visit the Western Desert
Crystal Mountain
The Black Desert
The New White Desert
Magic Spring - fresh water from the ground
Sunset
BBQ camp fire @ the sand dune camp where local Bedouins stayed
Local preparing mint tea for us…
ABU SIMBEL
Not only are the two temples at Abu Simbel among the most magnificent monuments in the world but their removal and reconstruction was an historic event in itself. When the temples (280km from Aswan) were threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser, due to the construction of the High Dam, the Egyptian Government secured the support of UNESCO and launched a world wide appeal. During the salvage operation which began in 1964 and ends in 1968, the two temples were dismantled and raised over 60 meters up the sandstone cliff where they had been built more than 3,000 years before. Here they were reassembled, in the exact same relationship to each other and the sun, and covered with an artificial mountain. Most of the joins in the stone have now been filled by antiquity experts, but inside the temples it is still possible to see where the blocks were cut. You can also go inside the man made dome and see an exhibition of photographs showing the different stages of the massive removal project.
FOOD @ EGYPT
Seafood Meals…
On the move – breakfast box…
Meals on board of MovenPick…
Local Desserts
Street Hawkers…
Baked Maccaroni
Peanut Seller
Mint Tea
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