Of late Egypt has become famous for its troubled state. Hence when I choose Egypt as my vacation destination, I was asked by many- Why Egypt? I don’t really know, to see the pyramids and the mummies?
But this right angled country has always caught my attention on the world map. So going to Egypt was like living through my school books.
And hey here I am in Cairo!
The much awaited visit to Giza pyramids, they are massive structures surviving millenniums. The Sphinx stands through the dessert and is guarding the area. A look at the pyramids makes you think of how much they have seen, so many dynasties, invaders, earthquakes, calamities and through these ages they are standing here since 4000 years! Touching these great rocks that weigh around 1500kgs each will give you jitters.
More than to wonder how these pyramids were built, it is interesting why they were built, most of which is still a mystery.
If you are going to Egypt please do some prior reading on Egyptian history, then the whole trip would feel like a walk through a Story.
Cairo is an interesting city, not the best of places to stay in but it does surprise you when you look around. The un-plastered buildings, crowded streets, 6th October district, Cairo Museum, Khan Khalili Market all have a story to tell if you are willing to listen.
From Cairo to Alexandria- A historic city built by Alexander the Great, where the Dessert River meets the cool Mediterranean Sea, is a great change in landscape.
Cruising the Nile is like time travel!
So the best way to see all the monuments in Egypt is through the Nile cruise, like the ancient Egyptians. Nile which is the longest river in the world, is the life line of the country. 95% of the population lives on the banks of Nile which is 5% of the area. Apart from the banks of Nile, most of the country is just a dessert.
And the cruises here are heritage ones and the whole cruise experience is very relaxing.
The Nile cruise takes you from Aswan to Luxor, starting from Abu Simbel in south to Luxor in north. On the way you can visit many temples- Koh Ombo, Edfu, Hatshepsut temple and the temples of Luxor. To look at a culture and history which is so strikingly different then ours, is refreshing.
At Aswan we had booked a tour to a Nubian village which included a small boat ride through the rocks of Nile to the Nubian village with a camel ride. The small rehabilitated village was a nice experience to feel the local life. The spice market, School and traditional houses with crocodiles as pets was an interesting visit.
Luxor:
At Luxor the temples of Luxor, Karnak Temple and the valley of Kings are the places of must visit. They depict the grandeur of the ancient times and the great pharaohs who ruled. The best way to get a bird’s eye view of the unending line of ancient monuments is to go on a hot balloon ride here. It is definitely a must do.
This Egypt trip was like going in a time machine and being awestruck. The journey was a story that will be with me for an endless time.
P.S- Message me here on Tripoto if you need any help planning your trip. Maybe the research I did can help you out :-)
Happy Travelling!!