The City in a Garden Reaching the farthermost south point in Egypt, merely a couple of kilometres away from Sudan after leaving Aswan behind and driving for over 3 hours along the…
The City in a Garden Arriving at the southernmost point you can reach on a Nile river cruise coming from Luxor, it is now the time to visit the large city of…
Continuing the trip through the whole of Egypt, we embark at Luxor on a 4 night’s Nile river cruise upstream towards Aswan, the final point to disembark and thereafter continue south towards Abu Simbel, right up to the border with Sudan at the very southernmost point of Egypt. This was for many years a dream to come true and finally got to make it with the best company possible, my family. After that many trips together, countless countries across all continents and so many different cultures, this trip will be remembered as one of the best ever in terms of how memorable, what an impressive country and the incredible ancient Egyptian civilisation everyone of us craves for. Certainly a once in a lifetime for anyone, yet in my case updating this short sentence here, as of May 2024 the third time in the country although just in Cairo and Alexandria.
While anyone can book a river cruise on their own at the countless travel websites offering the services should you plan a trip to Egypt on your own, it is best without any doubt, when booked as part of a wider organised trip. You have the option to plan a trip either including the Nile cruise or otherwise, the cheaper version overland between Luxor towards Aswan, however, I would never imagine anyone cutting some costs and not doing what is the most beautiful way to travel while in the country enjoying spectacular sunrises and sunsets, the landscapes and and the people’s day to day living.
The cruises depart weekly from Luxor and navigate upstream (Upper Egypt) towards Aswan where everyone disembark, and sail back from Aswan towards Luxor (Lower Egypt) in a continuous loop. No matter which direction you take it, these are all the very same whether 4 or 3 nights. If on a 4 nights, the first night is merely accommodation while docked in Luxor or Aswan. Some tours might include you the night at a hotel in either of the cities, others already onboard as was our in our case. On a good side, breakfast and dinner is also included, buffet style, and all of the ships do have a top deck bar where to enjoy from the chairs and hammocks cold Egyptian beers or whatever you like, and a generally very beautiful pub/bar to enjoy some music and drinks after dinner. And to bear in mind, not all the ships do have a top deck pool. Not that you will have much time to enjoy it, but it is nice during the parts of the journey that happen during the day.
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Moving onto what’s possibly the major and most important sight in the whole of Egypt, and to the humanity after some days visiting Cairo. The greatest archaeological site anywhere in the planet, Luxor. The once glorious and largest capital city of ancient Egypt during the Middle and New Kingdom eras, from 2130 to 1279 BCE and known as Waset and Thebes, time of the greatest dynasties ever, right after Thinis the first ever capital (3150-2686 BCE), Memphis (2686-2160) and Heracleopolis Magna (2160-2040). Almost a thousand years when the development of the civilization was at its height, notably in society, economy, expansion, power, every possible knowledge and of course, architecture which after all, it is what we can really tangibly see and admire when we come to this region of Egypt with such pharaonic constructions like no others and the most imposing tombs ever created in the world by the once most advanced civilization known in the planet.
For anyone coming to Egypt, especially if on a tour, this would be the busiest place in terms of tourists you will find at every site. The tours coming from the north from Cairo, the ones coming from the south from Aswan, the ones starting in Luxor and the thousands of twice weekly arrivals from the cruises either upriver or downriver. Honestly it can be stressing in small spaces within the temples considering the summer months temperatures when you end up absolutely soaked in sweat especially when inside the tombs but in the other hand, it does not really matter. The experience to see all that is priceless, and as you continue reading this guide I will let you know about some stunning tombs you might be visiting pretty much alone!
The modern day city of Luxor itself, is pretty much irrelevant in terms of sightseeing or anything worth to visit. Only the area around the Nile riverside is in general the busiest place as the docks for the dozens of ships are here, with many little shops around but nothing special as opposed to other cities we visited later on such as Kom Ombo or Aswan. Still within the city itself there are the two fabulous great temples of Karnak and Luxor, and having a calesa ride in the late afternoon or evening through the city when the temples are lighted up will be a great experience! Most if not all the tours do include it in their program however if not or you are not in a tour, it is easy to spot them and previously negotiating a price, do not hesitate in doing it.
This is without exception, the highlight of any trip to Egypt, including Cairo, Luxor, Aswan or Abu Simbel. Giza is in any case a suburb of the ever expanding Cairo, where the houses have reached literally the very limit of the fences that separate it from the Giza Plateau necropolis. Not a very wise decision, as it’s not any more as impressive as it would have been to arrive to Giza and see the magnificent Pyramids in full from far, and not a Pizza Hut for example, right opposite the Sphinx entrance!
The first and most impressive, complete, historical and largest of the ancient Pharaohs necropolis is Giza; then at just few kilometres to the south is Abusir, the next funerary complex which is closed to visitors, at least by the time of our trip here. And immediately south of Abusir is the enormous Saqqara site, home to the first and oldest pyramid ever built in humanity (the Step Pyramid, or Pyramid of Djoser), with many others from larger to much smaller, many tombs, the Imhotep Museum and the amazing Serapeum.
The last of the necropolis complexes within an acceptable distance from Cairo, is Dahshur, where you will find the first true smooth-sided pyramid ever built, The Red Pyramid of Sneferu; and one of the very last ever built by the ancient Egyptians, the Bent Pyramid; unique in the way that has two different angles since they did not know anymore how to really build perfect pyramids and had and angle miscalculation where if continuing at the initial angle, the whole structure would have collapsed, however changing its angle to a smaller one half way the construction meant stability yet its unique odd look. Completing this funerary complex among others, is the Black Pyramid of Sneferu, nowadays collapsed, however the original maze of corridors still intact underground.
Coming to Cairo, one of the greatest cities in the word notably for its incredible architecture and of course, being home to the only surviving Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a must do in a lifetime for anyone. Although in my case not the first anymore, but the third so far as or May 2024 and likely more to come in the coming years and continue discovering this incredible country full of amazing sights in every corner. While the first time was a quick and short trip just to Cairo and Alexandria, the second time was the most complete covering all the way from Cairo down to Abu Simbel, merely 3 kilometres from the border with Sudan, including a Nile river cruise and visiting plenty of cities such as Luxor, Esna, Kom Ombo and Aswan, temples and sites from what once was the most advanced and longest ancient civilization ever. Today I can only write a minor update after the third time which was once more pretty much reduced to Cairo and Alexandria.
This is the largest city in the Arab world, and one of the largest in the planet. A massive melting pot of ancient civilizations and cross-roads of cultures, ever growing as far your eyes can reach. Once the epi-centre of the world’s second oldest civilization known to man. It is amazing to think about the fact that we are closer to Cleopatra in time than the original Egyptians! It’s fascinating to think about it, and of course the invaluable legacy left and the few we still know about them with only around 15% of the entire civilization uncovered from the sand, and that is already vast. Just image what further surprises we will eventually get to see from the archaeologists.
In Cairo, no matter what you might hear in the news, sometimes sad, other horrific when there is a terrorist attack, what is certain is the great and fascinating people; truly nice and helpful, very hospitable and kind, making you feel very secure and protected; and there are hordes of people. Way too many inhabitants everywhere, packing the streets and the roads everywhere. It is a very safe city and a tourist should not fear nor be scared. Egypt is a very strong tourist destination, ever growing and developing, and in the last years the safety has improved at giant steps especially for tourists, no matter the city.
Istanbul, one of the greatest cities in the world since antiquity to current date, is always a treat to come and repeat. That’s the third time in my case, and will certainly be more to come. It is way too big, the largest city in Europe, and fascinating everywhere offering the visitor a great and vast amount of sights, monuments, museums and historical places. Once named Byzantium, the capital city of the great Byzantine Empire founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC; then Constantinople after the Roman emperor Constantine the Great made it his imperial capital in 330 AD, it continued capital during the even greater Ottoman Empire. Buildings from every era are still standing in great fusion with the modern and elegant architecture, where broad avenues where laid out on top of the ancient city, Roman basilicas turned into churches, then into mosques; impressive royal residences and palaces built.
The Romans made of Constantinople the second capital of the empire only after Rome, and transformed it into one of the most beautiful and luxurious city the world has ever seen in antiquity. Embellished with monuments created in situ and others taken here from all over the empire, notably the Obelisk of Thutmose III from the Temple of Karnak in Luxor or the Serpent Column from Delphi in Greece to be placed in the great hippodrome, thankfully there still today. Other one of such stunning monuments created were the bronze horses decorating the main entrance of the hippodrome, thereafter taken by the Venetians to Venice and ever since located at Saint Mark’s Basilica; of the Column of Constantine still in its original site at the former Imperial Forum.
With many civilizations and different empires eager to take the strategic city, there’s been rise and fall periods, sieges, war, destruction and reconstruction. Too many layers of history below current ground level where every hole you dig and the history comes back to live. Noteworthy the Basilica Cistern. A spectacular water cistern described as the “sunken palace” located few meters away from the Blue Mosque itself, however, not the only cistern in Istanbul. Plenty more, however not all opened to the public.
Reaching our last and farthest point in the trip, Tierra del Fuego; we land in Ushuaia; the southernmost city in the world. It is also to date, the second farthest point ever considering London as the departure point. On first place at merely 300 kilometres more, is Easter Island. On second place is Ushuaia at 13380 km, and on third place that would be Bali in Indonesia, some 12500 km away. And continuing with the stunning beauty of the nature and landscapes we had while in El Calafate with Los Glaciares National Park, El Chalten and Torres del Paine; here is to enjoy another glorious national park, mountains, a glacier right at the backdrop of the city, the Beagle Channel with stunning islands between Argentina and Chile and as something more unique, the Magellanic penguins that here thrive between December and March, notably in Isla Martillo, what is called the “pinguinera”, home to thousands of families.
A great description for this place comes from the Spanish: “Fin del mundo, principio de todo”, that translates “the end of the world, the beginning of everything”. No doubt that’s a great motto, and a true reality. But no one can argue about the beautiness of this place, even the prime location of its international airport. Landing and taking of from here is commonly referred as one of the most scenic. Watch out when landing you are at the same height of the surrounding mountains just meters away from your window. And if you manage to sit at the right hand side of the place when taking off, it’s matter of few minutes in the air that you will get the views over the Cape Horn islands. So near you, the very end of the continent and so the nearest point to Antarctica.
The longer road network in the world does end here, inside the Tierra del Fuego National Park, the southernmost terminus of the Panamericana Highway merely 2 kilometres from the border with Chile, where farther beyond would be the gigantic Alberto de Agostini National Park with its innumerable glaciers most of which inaccessible. The city of Ushuaia however was built on a flat valley along the shoreline of the Beagle Channel. All of this natural features create this unique place, richly beautiful in landscapes although not the city as such in terms of sights, which is nothing special bearing few historical wooden houses. The rest is quite plain and new. (more…)