End of 2018, I went to Egypt for a 2-week tour through the country. Even though I only visited the tourist sights, I was completely awe-struck. This was truly one of the best cultural trips I have ever taken, leaving me still gathering my thoughts a year after the trip had happened. Instead of running through my entire experience, I will just highlight a few things that these pictures don’t cover. Make sure to time scroll through the amazing pictures at the bottom and read through some of my experience, tips.
Now enjoy the pictures! Click on them to see the full picture!
Statues and Reliefs
Temples
Reliefs In Side The Tombs And Temples
Traveling as a female solo and crowds
I went right two weeks before Christmas in 2018. Even though winter should be the peak season in Egypt due to pleasant temperature, there are very few crowds considering the revolution and Egypt being and fear of terrorist attacks. In fact, I was the only one inside the famous Khufu’s Pyramid. I hired male guides from a reputable company found on Tripadvisor, so I felt safe most of the time. Though there was a bombing targeted the tourist busses at the Pyramids of Giza a week after I left, so you judge for yourself the political risks. I would say if you are a male traveler or someone who is very versed in traveling through Egypt, I would recommend traveling solo. Otherwise, do expect harassment if you are a female who doesn’t look like an Egyptian. I experienced some even visiting with male guides, so I could only imagine what would happen if I don’t have one. Of course, everyone should watch out for their bags as pickpocketing happens frequently (same as any touristy places).
By no means, I am saying these to implicate that Egypt is an unsafe place. Though it is a place where equality is very much lacking(similar to many countries in the world), so it is “logical” that males might slight the females of the society. This is worse if you have paler skin. However, the professionalism of the guides and the hostel hosts were beyond amazing. I highly recommend them. They were all very respectful and patient. If you are concerned about your safety or just want to learn more about Egypt, just get a guide. Hiring them will not only help out the local economy but also introduce you to some of the unknown customs of society. There is no shame in hiring guides. As a former tour guide myself, I can tell you that tour guides usually only tell you about 20% of what we know. A qualified guide’s knowledge is vast. Feel free to use them as your knowledge bank!
The Interesting Features At The Temples
From the Air — Hot Air Balloon
Sunrise on the Nile over the Valley of the Kings is absolutely amazing! I 100% recommend this activity. The pilot was handsome and skillful. He will try to maneuver you over some of the sights the balloons are allowed to fly over. Hot air ballooning is not a cheap activity, only try to splash if you can. The organization of the pre and post balloon transportation can be very chaotic. Because of the restrictions around the Valley of the Kings and Queens, tour groups cannot enter too early. The tour operator does not do a very good job of informing the tourists while we waited for an hour and a half to depart. Though this might have improved. But none of this takes away how amazing the sight was with the tombs and temples colored red by the sun.
From and By The Water — The Nile Cruise
Cannot recommend this one enough. The cruise is very comfortable. You get to see the fishermen on the river and hear the call of payers along the banks. Cruise is also a great way to tour all the temples by the banks of the Nile. You can try to hit all these temples using cars or local trains, though, tourist cruise is much more comfortable and scenic. Though I must warn you, throughout the cruise, many vendors will paddle their boats to your cruise to sell some souvenirs. If they throw anything aboard, please do not try to throw it back yourself. Ask one of the cruise staff to do it. Many companies offer this service; most of them are similar. Usually, you cannot book with the cruise line directly, but rather, through a third party (I.e., travel agency).
As for going upstream or downstream of the Nile is your choice. You can hit up just about the same spots. Though, there isn’t too much entertainment onboard, so you might want to choose downstream(South to North) if you get bored easily. On the other hand, if you want more afternoon tea on the Nile, you should try North to South upstream direction.
As for going to the South, I chose to go down via the overnight sleeper train run by Ernest Watania from Giza to Aswan. As of 2018 November, the train website was a bit difficult to use, though you can still manage. I think by now improvements should be made to better allow tourists to book for ourselves which I did. You can also have your travel agent to book this train (the easier way) as part of your Nile cruise package. Either way, you should try the website first, it is a bit cheaper.
The Antique, Bodies, And The Museum
But I Mean, Let’s Not Forget About The Living……
I was fortunate to have three different guides and an amazing driver to help me out throughout my journey. The three guides are of different backgrounds: one guide is Muslim, one is Christian, and one is Nubian. My conversation with them revealed the impact some of the country’s internal religious struggle and the interesting customs that they each have. Not only that I learned that the Nubian version of the milk tea is a cup of milk and a splash of tea, but also the internal struggles of young people and their religious beliefs. I won’t go too deep into the specific issues here in this blog. Again, another reason to get a guide to ask more about this.
Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed this trip and the afternoon tea on the Nile! Peace out!
