egypt was wonderful.
we flew from london to cairo, were efficiently collected by the exodus rep and taken to the hotel in a wee bus, afer that we went from Cairo to Luxor overnight on a sleeper train, i loved the rattling noisyness of it, had the best nights sleep for ages. then a night in a hotel then on to a boat to float down the nile for 3 days ‚ ther is a lock at edsu and the boats all race to be the first there as it takes half an hour to get through, abby and i got up on to deck at about half past one in the morning and stayed there till 3 a.m till we were well through , it was huge fun.. then we stayed at Aswan a coup[le of nights, going in a convoy of aboutr 100 bussses and vans across the nubian desert starting at 3.15 a.m i photographed the sun rising over the desert and i photographed the sun going down over the nile.….….i took 1001 photographs.……excessive or what.….….…
we visited lots of tombs, went into some of them, went into a couple of pyramids, all in all had a great time, i would do it all again tomorrow.….….…here is the itinarary
11 days start Cairo Friday end Cairo Monday.
Day 1
Start Cairo.
Day 2
which contains relics dating back to 4000 BC, including the fantastic
riches of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Here is the unique opportunity to survey
the many fabulous treasures of Egypt in one place and to set the scene
for the rest of the tour. After lunch we continue with a visit to Cairo’s
Citadel and old town. In the evening we travel by overnight train to Luxor.
Please note that dinner will be taken on the overnight sleeper
train.
We arrive in Luxor in the early morning. We visit the Luxor Temple
and the huge Karnak Temple Complex. Built over 1500 years, Karnak is
a confusion of pylons, courtyards, halls and sanctuaries. Its Hypostyle
hall has 134 columns 23 meters high and 15 meters in diameter! The
afternoon is free to relax by the pool or for further exploration
Day 4
This morning we cross the Nile to the West Bank. Here we see the
Valley of the Kings, which contains the once hidden tombs of over 62
Pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramses III and IV. A discreet
entrance in the hillside takes the visitor underground; a series of corridors
and anti-chambers leads us down to the burial chamber and
sarcophagus. The walls are covered in brightly painted images and
hieroglyphs - a map of the afterlife to ensure the king’s safe passage.
One ticket allows us to see three tombs. Visits to tombs are now strictly
controlled to halt further deterioration of wall paintings - each tomb is
periodically closed for a number of weeks.
Our guide will attempt to choose three tombs, which represent a range of
styles. Tutankhamun’s tomb is visited with a separate ticket. We then
drive to Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple at Dehr El Bahri. Cut from an eastfacing
cliff, the temple is famed for its carved reliefs and paintings, as well
as its impressive proportions, best viewed from above. The half-day
finishes with a visit to the Colossi of Memnon and a view of the
Ramesseum - a now fittingly dilapidated epitaph to Ramses II, who built
so much for his own glory. In the afternoon we board our boat and cruise
to Esna.
Days 5-6
traditional rural lifestyles of the riverside population, a time to relax on
one of the great rivers of the world, and the chance to enjoy two of the
best preserved Ptolomeic temples. These days are spent slowly cruising
down the Nile with visits to the temples of Edfu, famous for its roofed
inner temples and huge Pylon, and Kom Ombo. The town at sunset gives
us a chance to savour the tranquillity of the Nile.
Day 7
Aswan is a laidback, sleepy town that reflects the character of its
largely Nubian inhabitants and we have a day at ease to relax and enjoy
the atmosphere. In the afternoon there is the option to visit the Nubian
Museum, situated opposite the hotel. Opened in April 1998, the museum
chronologically charts the history and culture of the Nubian people.
Alternatively, there is the option of hiring a felucca to explore the
surrounding islands or going to the Philae Temple. Relocated in the
1970’s by UNESCO to Aglika Island once it became evident that the
original site of Philae would submerge on completion of the dam, Philae
is a magnificent and enduring testament to both ancient and modern
engineering.
Day 8
Today many people will take the chance for an optional visit Abu
Simbel, 300 km. to the south through the Nubian Desert. Built by Ramses
II the two temples are certainly some of the most spectacular in Egypt.
Originally on the banks of the Nile, the temples were raised to a new site
above the lake in the late 1960’s, as the waters from the new Lake
Nasser rose behind the Aswan High Dam. The four great-seated statues
of Ramses II now stare east towards the rising sun (optional).
Please note that the excursion to Abu Simbel can be a very early start
(3/4/5am) but the exact time depends on the flight or convoy departure
times from Aswan. These vary from season to season.
The afternoon is free to relax by the hotel swimming pool or explore the
famous Nubian Bazaar in the back streets of Aswan. In the evening we
will re-board the train back to Cairo.
Day 9
A memorable day tracing the history of the Pyramids. The day
(and story) starts at Saqqara where we visit the Step-Pyramid that was
constructed in 2780BC. From here we head to the little-visited pyramids
at Dashour. In particular we will concentrate on the Red & Bent Pyramids
- the first ‘true’ pyramids. In the afternoon we visit the best-known site at
Giza on the western outskirts of Cairo. Home to the Great Pyramids of
Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and the timeless and enigmatic
Sphinx, these great monuments to the afterlife defy the imagination. Only
the throng of sightseers, Egyptian and foreign, milling around their huge
foundations keep the viewer in the 21st century.
Day 10
Today is a free day to explore Cairo. Alternatively you could take
Today is a free day to explore Cairo. Alternatively you could take
A cruise down the Nile offers the opportunity to view the
Day 3
Today we visit the incredible Egyptian Museum of Antiquities,
met other members of the queens park camera club at the museum of modern art at 4 p.m. him upstairs , enticed by tales of talks on Greenland and rotten judges of competitions, decided he wanted to come too.
we all wandered round took lots of photos, drank some mulled wine. then some of us went into the counting house for an early dinner . excellent night.
