Egyptian Wonders
On arrival into Cairo my first impression was that it was a crazy city – there are virtually no road markings and everyone just drives wherever they want! With a population of 21 million people, there are a lot of cars! The city reminded me of a mixture of India, Marrakesh and Fes in Morocco and also Damascus and Istanbul.
My first full day was visiting the Pyramids of Giza on the west bank of the Nile. Surely one of the most famous sights in the world and the only remaining Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. I felt very thankful to be able to see and experience (we climbed up inside the Great Pyramid) this amazing sight. I then visited the Egyptian Museum – packed full of ancient Egyptian artefacts. Tutankhamun’s death mask was stunning! All that gold!
An early morning flight took my small group far south to Aswan. Here we travelled over the Aswan Dam and visited Philae which was painstakingly moved stone by stone to higher ground before the dam was built and the whole area flooded. I then boarded Le Fayan, home for the next three nights, as we travelled from Aswan along the Nile to Luxor. It was my first time on a cruise and I thought the boat was excellent. My cabin was well designed with a large window, there was an open-air top deck (great for watching life go by along the river), the food was excellent and all the staff were friendly and helpful.
I had the opportunity to visit an essential oils / perfume house to learn more about the ancient Egyptian use of aromatherapy and oils which was fascinating and very informative. There were several oils unique to Egypt (for example Lotus) in addition to some more familiar ones such as jasmine. I also visited a spice and herb specialist and again learnt a lot about the different uses for various spices and herbs.
En route from Aswan to Luxor we stopped to visit Kom Ombo – famous for being the only temple dedicated to two gods – Horus (falcon) and Sobek (crocodile). Early the next morning we stopped at Edfu to visit the Temple of Horus. It’s one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt and the roof is still intact giving it a very different feel to other temples I visited.
Upon arrival into Luxor (known as the largest open-air museum in the world), I visited Luxor Temple on the east bank of the Nile just before sunset. It was the largest and most significant religious centre in ancient Egypt in what was then Thebes and today it’s beautiful and very atmospheric.
The following day I ventured across to the west bank and to the Valley of the Kings. The barren, mountainous landscape hides some amazing sights. I visited several of the royal tombs – all different in terms of decoration / hieroglyphs - including Tutankhamun’s tomb. It was great having seen his death mask and inner coffins in the Egyptian Museum, to see where they were discovered. Next I went to the Temple of Hatshepsut – built for a female pharaoh (queen) – and considered a masterpiece of ancient architecture. The scale is impressive and it seems to blend into the mountains behind. The Colossi of Memnon are also massive. Back on the east bank of the Nile is Karnak Temple (linked with Luxor Temple by the Avenue of Sphinxes), thought to be the largest religious building ever constructed. The scale of it all is mind boggling!
I flew from Luxor back to Cairo and explored the area of Islamic Cairo, including Ibn Tulun Mosque and Khan el-Khalili (the souq) – a labyrinthine of tiny alleyways packed with stalls selling everything imaginable. On my last morning I visited the Islamic Art Museum which is full of gorgeous, patterned tiles, ceramics, woodwork, calligraphy etc.
I enjoyed some lovely food during my trip and I feel Egyptian cuisine probably doesn’t get the recognition or praise that it deserves. As part of my Intrepid itinerary we were invited into several local homes to find out more about their lives and culture and to enjoy some delicious home cooked food. As expected, alcohol isn’t widely available.
I felt safe during my week travelling around. There have been terrorist attacks in Egypt in the past so it’s best to keep an eye on the latest FCDO advice and to be sensible as you would in other countries and at home.
Overall I had a fantastic time in Egypt. It made me realise that international travel is possible and safe. After a difficult (and very restrictive) almost two years I am more than ready to explore lots more amazing destinations around the world in 2022!