I’m sad to say, Egypt was far down on my bucket list of places to visit. I guess I never really thought much of Egypt beyond the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Unexpectedly, we spent a magical week in Egypt. Now, whenever Art and I talk with others about travel, we tell everyone, “Put Egypt on your bucket list!”
Our trip occurred in 2007, when we still owned our travel agency. It was a familiarization trip provided to us by ISRAM tours. Our seven-day trip was jam packed with visits to all the most important Egyptian sights as well as hotel tours and a little free time for shopping or exploring. There were lots of early mornings and late nights, but it was so worth it.
Tour Guide Extraordinaire
By all accounts, what really took this trip over the top, was our guide, Hashem, an Egyptologist with a PhD in comparative religions. With this background, he provided some interesting insight to our trip. Hashem was also our escort for the entire trip. He met us at the airport upon our arrival and was with us every step of the way until we were all checked in at the airport for our return home.
At every museum and site we visited; Hashem was our lecturer. While we were on our tours, he introduced us to other tour guides, all of whom had PhDs. When you consider how many years of history Egypt holds, it should come as no surprise that these tour guides are very well educated.
A Short Night in Cairo
Our first night was in a suburb of Cairo; at the JW Marriott Resort. It was big and it was beautiful. The pool area looked like a wonderful oasis with lots of space for both adults and children. This would be a great place to decompress and recoup after touring Egypt before you head back home. With lots of marble it is very opulent. We had our welcome dinner here which we enjoyed. After our meal we took a tour of the hotel. It felt as though our heads had just hit the pillow before our wakeup call came, and we were headed back to the airport for our flight to Luxor.Beyond the Pyramids of Giza
Luxor
The flight was short, just about an hour, and it provided us with a little more sleep before we hit the ground running in Luxor. Our luggage was taken to our cruise ship, MS Alexander, while we went on to tour the amazing Karnak Temple. Again, Hashem was incredible. He gave us so much information about all the temples, the Pharos, the gods… he was able to go into as much detail as we wanted.
The sheer magnitude of the Karnak Temple complex was insane! You may recall reading about this place in the history books, but it is so much more than what you think. Just to give you an idea of the magnitude of things, Hashem had us encircle one of the many pillars with our arms outstretched, just touching our fingertips to one another. It took 13 of us to reach around just one pillar.
It’s astounding to think that all of this was made without the aid of modern machinery. It was simply manpower that did this work. Every hieroglyph was hand carved. Each monolith was hand chiseled. Every stone lifted by the efforts of many, many men. Yes, it was mostly slave labor, but that’s a whole different issue, which I won’t be discussing here.
The afternoon provided us with a little free time to get settled on the boat, visit a small museum on our own and explore the area a little. Since the boat overnighted in Luxor, we were able to go back and tour Karnak Temple a bit more and get to experience its magic under the lights.
A Magical Event During Our Tour of Egypt
The next morning was another, very, early morning. We had to be up in the lounge ready to go at 4 am. This was an optional part of our tour, and one that I am so glad we took advantage of. The ship had sack breakfasts ready for us when we made it to the lounge. We waited for a short while and soon a young boy came to the door and motioned for us to come with him. We all climbed into a van and stopped at few more of the river boats where we picked up additional passengers. After a few minutes we stopped and again, the young boy motioned for us to come with him. Not once did the driver speak to us, or the young boy, it was all hand signals.Water Taxi to the West Bank of the Nile
We followed the young boy to a water taxi, where there was some very, strong coffee and snacks for us. Soon a man came on board and introduced himself as Mohammad.As our water taxi took us across the Nile, Mohamad explained that he was the pilot of the hot air balloon which was to take us up over the west bank of the Nile. He provided us with a safety brief. But, most importantly, he explained the three kinds of balloon landings. The Egyptian landing is where the balloon slowly descends to the ground and we climb out. Next was the British landing where the balloon slowly descends, but the basket falls over and we all climb out. The last was the American landing, where the balloon descends, the basket falls over and the wind drags us along the ground. Then Mohamad announced, “Today we hope for an Egyptian landing.” To which we all agreed!
It was still very dark when we arrived at the west bank. We made our way across a few other water taxis and then onto a wooden board perhaps 10 inches wide, resting on sandbags, to the shore. Another young boy stood on the shore and shined a portable light so we could see where we were going. We were then directed to a van into which we all climbed.
Off to the Balloons
Outside of the van stood a couple of men dressed in traditional garb, their head coverings wrapped around their faces. We couldn’t tell for sure where we were, but it didn’t look like a commercial area. Soon the men jumped in the van and hit the gas. Rocks and dirt spewed out from under the wheels and chickens went flying. We bumped along for a few moments and were soon on a paved road. The sky was beginning to lighten by this time, and we could see the immense Colossi of Memnon as we passed by. Eventually, we pulled into a field where we could see the balloons glowing.
As we arrived you could hear the hiss the burners as the heat brought the balloons to life. Eventually, we were called over to a balloon and there was Mohamad, waiting for us in the center of a huge basket. I am not sure what I was expecting, but I never thought these balloons could lift a basket with 20 passengers plus the pilot. As there were no doors into the basket, they had a step ladder for us to climb over the side. The baskets were divided into four quadrants, plus a center location for the pilot. Although five of us were contained in each section, we had plenty of room and everyone had a great view.
Up, Up and Away
And then, the magic happened; our balloon slowly lifted from the ground. The burner would hiss, and the warmth of the flame would spread out, and then it was absolute silence. As we floated above the scenery it was magical. The sun rose, and I was mesmerized by the changing colors below; purple, blue, pink, orange and yellow. We floated over a man sitting outside his hut cooking over an open fire; the braying of his donkey was the only thing that broke the silence.
Then we floated up a bit higher and could see the entire complex of Hatshepsut’s Temple. On occasion, Mohamad’s walky-talky would go off and the balloon pilots briefly spoke to one another to coordinate their movements.
We floated over another large complex, which included the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep II and the sprawling Ramesseum, and then out over the desert. As we began to descend, children appeared on their bicycles and greeted us as our balloon gently touched the ground. Mohammad was a great pilot and we had our ‘Egyptian’ landing.
Sindbad Balloons
Although I’m not sure just how much we paid for the balloon ride, it was worth every penny. I’m sure it wasn’t inexpensive. I recall Art and I looking at each other, and him finally saying, “We’re probably never going to get back here again, so let’s do it.” Of all my travel memories, I must say, this is definitely a top contender. There are numerous different vendors who offer hot air balloon rides over the west bank of the Nile; we flew with Sindbad.Afterward, Art expressed that he had been worried that with my fear of heights I wouldn’t do well on the ride. But, honestly, it was so peaceful and serene. I never even felt as though we were moving, although we obviously did. I stood at the side of the basket and took hundreds of pictures. Thank goodness for digital cameras; I don’t think I could have carried enough rolls of film!
Here’s a compilation of my favorite pictures from the hot air balloon ride over the west bank of the Nile.
Hatshepsut’s Mortuary
After our hot air balloon ride, we met up with the rest of our group at the Colossi of Memnon and headed off to Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple. This is a large complex, but since it is a mortuary it is quite different from Karnak. As Hashem explained to us, Hatshepsut was a Queen, and was not entitled to be buried at the Valley of the Kings. Her mortuary was very magnificent, actually carved into the side of the mountain. Outwardly, more beautiful than those of the kings.
After exploring the mortuary, we once again boarded our motor coach and headed north to the Valley of the Kings where we went into a couple of tombs. In general, the tombs are large with multiple chambers and very elaborately decorated. It’s a stark difference when you enter Tutankhamun’s plain tomb with only two chambers.
In our short time of touring the area around Luxor, I was astounded at how much more there was to see of Egypt beyond the pyramids of Giza!
Cruising the Nile River
We returned to our boat and were soon headed down the Nile. It was a relaxing afternoon watching the scenery pass by. If I recall correctly, we fell asleep very quickly that night! It was a long, but beautiful, day.
The next morning, we were docked in Edfu, where we toured the Temple of Horus. We did have a little time for shopping before we took a carriage ride back to the boat.
The sun had already set by the time we arrived in Kom Ombo. The Temple of Kom Ombo was well lit, and once again, seeing a temple under the lights gave it a magical feel.
Our last stop was in Aswan where we had another night on the boat before our cruise ended. This allowed us to spend the day touring Aswan. Here we saw the Aswan High Dam, Temple of Isis and the unfinished obelisk. We also visited a ‘perfume’ store where we were provided a demonstration about all the different oils and what they were used for. It was quite interesting. Then we set sail on a felucca, a traditional wooden sailing boat of the region. It made for a nice relaxing respite from touring.
Abu Simbel
Our last morning in Aswan, we arose and headed for a flight to Abu Simbel. This was probably the most impressive stop on our tour. As it is an additional flight, it is often offered as an optional ‘add on’ to most tours. This is absolutely a sight you should see in Egypt; if you have the opportunity and the means, go.
Abu Simbel is an amazing sight just at face value. Then when you consider that the two temples of Abu Simbel were literally taken apart piece by piece and moved up the mountain, it is truly mind boggling! When the Aswan Dam was built, it would have flooded the original location of this site. UNESCO stepped in and facilitated the move up to higher ground which occurred between 1964 – 1968. There is a display at the site that details the entire fascinating process. The Abu Simbel Temples are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Temple of Isis on Philea island we visited in Aswan was also flooded by the building of Aswan Dam. UNESCO and the Egyptian government came together and moved this beautiful temple as well.
Back to Cairo
After our tour in Abu Simbel, we flew back to Cairo staying at the Cairo Hilton which was very conveniently located. We were struck by the amount of traffic in the city. In fact, we were warned that probably the biggest danger in Cairo, is crossing the street, and were instructed to take great care. When we walked over to the Cairo Tower we experienced the difficulty in crossing the streets firsthand, but we made it! There was no direct route to the tower. Although we could see it, a bit of effort was required to get to it. We finally found our way there and after paying admission, we went up to the observation deck. There we had a beautiful view of Cairo at sunset, and could even see the pyramids of Giza off in the distance.
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
Our tour of the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities was quite interesting. It was here they had a large display of King Tutankhamun artifacts as well as a mummy room. It was amazing to see the actual mummies, not just the sarcophagus. Hashem told us that a new, much larger, museum was scheduled to open soon which would be able to show many more of the antiquities owned by the museum. Unfortunately, it is now 2020 and the new museum has still not opened. Since our visit in 2007, Egypt has been through a lot. The Egyptian Revolution occurred in 2011 during which the museum was broken into and some items were damaged and stolen. There has also been a lot of governmental turnover since then. The last I read, the new museum was set to open in the fall of this year, but that was prior to the global epidemic.Old Cairo
Our next day started with an interesting walk though old Cairo. Here we visited the Ben Ezra Synagogue, built where the baby Moses was believed to have been found. We also saw the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus built over the cave where the Holy Family was believed to have stayed at the end of their journey to Egypt.Finally, the Pyramids of Giza
Then we went over to Giza where things started with a camel ride. Camels are not really my cup of tea. They are not very clean, and I had no desire to ride one. Others in the group did, and I was content to take pictures for them.
Afterward, we were off to the Solar Boat Museum which I had never heard of before. The boat which was intended to take the Pharaoh to the ‘next world,’ was one of several found buried near the Great Pyramid. We then went to the Great Pyramid, and since I am not one for tight spaces, I elected not to participate in the tour of the interior. Finally, we drove over to the Sphinx which was smaller than I had imagined.
Seeing the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx should be a ‘pinch me’ moment. After everything we had already seen I was, unfortunately, a little underwhelmed. Therefore, I highly recommend that you visit Giza at the beginning of your tour of Egypt. The truth is, as amazing as they are, there are many, many more magnificent sights to see other than pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.
Memphis
Our last day in Egypt was another busy one. We began in Memphis where we saw the Alabaster Sphinx, and the great statue of Ramses II. Next, we went to Saqqara where we saw Djoser’s Step Pyramid and another beautiful mortuary complex. We were able to go into one of the nearby tombs here as well.
On our way back to Cairo we stopped at El Sultan Carpet School, where they teach the locals, both young and old, the craft of hand knotting carpets. It really makes you appreciate the effort that goes into each one of these carpets. While there we watched a young man, who was creating carpets that where so detailed, they could have been paintings. I was so tempted to purchase a carpet, but we just didn’t have any place we could have used one in our house at the time.
Citadel of Salah al-Din
The last sight we visited on our tour of Egypt was the Citadel of Salah al-Din and the mosque of Muhammad Ali. The Citadel was not only the seat of government, but the residence of Egypt’s rulers from the 13th to 18th centuries. I had never heard of the Citadel or the mosque before our visit. It was another amazing sight to see in Cairo and is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Historic Cairo.
Getting Lost
We had some time to grab a falafel at a local restaurant and then a little free time to spend wandering the maze that made up the El Malek El Saleh Bazar. Art and I wandered quite a bit; to the point of we had no idea where we had been or where we were going. A shopkeeper must have seen the perplexed look on our faces. He asked if we were lost, and then offered to take us back to the entrance. However, he didn’t take us back the way we came. He took us through his shop, through several houses (apparently, they live behind their shops.) through another shop, and viola, we were back at the entrance to the bazar. The sun was setting as we drove back to our hotel, and I managed to capture another beautiful sunset in Egypt.
The Weather
Our tour was the around the second week of January, winter in Egypt. With cool nights (mid 40’s) and moderate temps (mid to upper 60’s) and abundant sunshine during the day, we were very comfortable. We wore jackets that we would normally wear in the spring or fall here in Ohio. As you can see from the pictures, we had great weather during our entire trip.Is it Safe to Travel to Egypt?
Things seem to have calmed down in the main part of Egypt. Currently the US Department of State’s website lists travel to Egypt as a level two; the same as France, the United Kingdom and several other European countries. I will say that we felt safe during our entire trip. Tourism is an important part of the Egyptian economy, and they do appreciate tourists. That said, do not be surprised that anyone who offers you any help at all will put their hand out for a tip. You don’t have to give them anything, I’m guessing they figure there’s no harm in trying. As you may know, there have been problems in the past, and like any place you travel to, check the Department of State’s website for the current travel advisories before you leave for any foreign country.Egypt, Highly Recommended
I am so grateful we were able to take advantage of the opportunity to take this trip. Egypt is a truly, amazing country. It will be worth your time and the expense of visiting. Unless you speak Arabic, I would suggest you take one of the many tours that are available. Although we enjoyed our tour with ISRAM, there are many different companies that provide tours of Egypt; your travel agent will be able to guide you to the one best suited to your desires. Be sure that you take the opportunity to see as much of the country as you can, there is so much more of Egypt to see beyond the pyramids of Giza.
Have you visited Egypt? What was your favorite sight? Any recommendations of things or places I didn’t include in this story? Scroll down and share your thoughts in the comments section!
Thinking about planning a trip? Check out my post How to Plan a Vacation in 5 Easy Steps!
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