Where am I – living out my childhood (and grown up!) dream, to visit the land of the Pharaohs.
How we travelled – as part of a small group on the fantastic 12 day Intrepid ‘Experience Egypt.’
Highlight - too many to name! Every day featured something new and wonderous, and I’ve said many times since we returned home that it was such a unique destination - you never get complacent about visiting a tomb or temple, as each day brings a completely different experience.
I really liked the flow of the itinerary; starting with crazy Cairo, getting a dose of fresh sea air on the Mediterranean at Alexandria, then delving in to true Ancient Egypt - with Aswan, Abu Simbel and Luxor. If I had to give a couple of top highlights (in no particular order) I’d whittle it down to the Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel of course, and the time spent clambering around inside the Great Pyramid at Giza. But honestly, there were so many more.
Our Intrepid guide was the absolute fount of knowledge, and made this 10/10 trip truly next level amazing. There was nothing she did not know! I’d recommend to anyone about to embark on a journey to Egypt to do a little reading ahead of time (I read the Egypt Eyewitness guide cover to cover to brush up my own understanding.) This made all the information shared by Dalia, our guide, familiar and even more engaging - as I didn’t have to come to it completely unprepared.
Some of our journey (3 nights) was spent cruising along the Nile - a really welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. There’s something indescribably romantic about pottering up or down the river, with the dunes of the desert meeting the reed clad shores of the riverbank, and daily life going on seemingly undisturbed by milennia. No doubt all this was also enhanced by my choice of novel at the time; Agatha Christies Death on the Nile.
We also did the overnight train from Cairo to Aswan. And whilst this was viewed ahead of time with a certain amount of dread (by myself) it ended up being one of the most enjoyable things we did - a sentiment shared by everyone in the group! I am glad we stocked up on some gin, tonic and thought to byo a board game to while away some of the time. There’s just a simple toilet for each carriage (essentially a drop scenario), and one rather smokey lounge. But for one night only, what more could you need!
There are two main museums that are both unmissable on any visit here: the musty old Egyptian Museum (packed full of mummies, priceless treasures and oodles of charm.) And the sparkling new and gigantic Grand Egyptian Museum, which is due to fully open by the end of this year (2025) when it will be the new resting place for the relics of King Tut. We didn’t get around to visiting the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (famous for its Royal Mummies Hall), but then it’s always good to have something to see next time!
Must do - If Abu Simbel is not an inclusion on your visit, please add it on. We travelled overland to get there, and personally I like this way of travel - 4hrs on the road there and back truly gives you a sense of this majestic sights remoteness and proves a just reward for your trouble. But for those short on time (or not too keen on driving) it’s possible to fly direct. Once there, the main temple complex will blow you away - but almost equally enthralling is the smaller adjacent temple that Ramses II dedicated to his favourite wife Queen Nefertari.
Must do - Certainly a visit to the Valley of the Kings will be a highlight for almost everyone. As part of your ticket you’ll have entry to three tombs (which you can choose on the day.) There are a few which have a supplementary cost to enter - the tomb of Tutankhamun is one of these (and Intrepid included this for us as part of the ‘Comfort’ category trip.) A few of us also purchased tickets to the tomb of Ramses V & Ramses VI (a combination ticket) which proved perhaps the most impressive - due the scale and quality of its decoration. As well as its lovely peaceful atmosphere - aided no doubt by the relatively nominal entry cost which may have put some people off.
We loved trying the national dish Koshary (a mix of lentils, pasta and rice) as well as the moreish Om Ali (essentially bread pudding.) The best meal for me though was a home cooked feast we shared in the Nubian village, near Aswan. Made all the more memorable by the most hospitable hosts and their charming family.
