Lifting the Mysterious Veil of a Thousand Years, Find your Way to Egypt!
3. Aswan - The splendor that existed in ancient Egypt remains forever in Aswan
Once considered the birthplace of the Egyptian nation, it is also one of the driest cities in Egypt, though today more people know it because the Aswan Dam, the world's largest dam, is here. In fact, this section of the Nile between Aswan and Luxor is the essence of the entire Nile River, which meanders here, while a large number of well-preserved monuments and buildings have accumulated on both banks.
a. Abu Simbel - Proof of Pride and Love
Abu Simbel temple actually consists of two temples, one is dedicated to Ramses II's temple, Ramses II in order to show off the national prestige, a temple built by Ramses II for his beloved wife Nefertari, one for pride, one for love.
But the most famous, or Ramses II's own temple, outside the temple towered four directly from the mountain split into a huge pharaoh sitting statue, face solemn face facing the sunrise in the east, will be cast into the running Nile.
Abu Simbel was the first cultural building to be protected by the World Heritage List, and nothing is more special than the fact that every year, on the birth and enthronement of Ramses II, the sun rays pass right through the temple gates and shine through the 60-meter deep gallery, illuminating the stone sculptures of the pharaohs at the end of the temple.
When the Aswan Dam was built and the temple was in danger of being submerged by the lake, UNESCO launched a special rescue campaign, which took four years to divide the temple into more than 2,000 pieces and successfully relocate it 60 meters higher than its original location.
Although the solar spectacle of only 2 days in a year has also been preserved, but now the time of sunlight into the temple has deviated, with the wisdom of modern people, but still can not reach the accuracy of ancient Egyptian calculations, I have to say a little regret.
b. Temple of Edfu - the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak
On the back of the Egyptian currency of 20 Egyptian pounds, under the case of Horus, the god of the sky - the hawk god, is engraved the stone pillar of this temple.
This is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak, dedicated to the god of the sky - the hawk god Horus, the pharaoh is regarded as the incarnation of Horus on earth, so successive generations of pharaohs would come here to hold coronation ceremonies, Cleopatra's big wedding place is also here.
It is by chance the best preserved temple in Egypt, because not long after the temple was built, it was buried in thick quicksand at a depth of 12 meters, and it was only centuries later that a French expedition arrived in the 18th century to bring the temple back to life.
This temple can also be said to have been blessed by the disaster, escaping the human destruction and sand erosion of later generations, when it was excavated from the quicksand, almost intact. Especially the temple's tall outer gallery, densely carved with hieroglyphics, recorded the ancient Egyptian allusions and legends, ancient Egypt has broken the history of a breath here.
c. The Temple of Isis - Ancient Egyptian beliefs
This island temple, which was featured in "The Mummy Returns," is dedicated to Isis, the goddess of life, marriage and fertility in ancient Egyptian mythology, the mother of Horus and one of the most beloved Egyptian gods.
When the Aswan Dam was built, 23 temples were moved to avoid the monuments being flooded, and this temple of Isis was on that salvage list, as was Abu Simbayl.
This exquisite temple, the environment of which is one of the best among Egyptian monuments, is surrounded on all sides by the sparkling Nile River, and the only way to enter the temple to visit it is to board the island by canoe.
When the monuments were transferred in 1980, the Egyptian government only moved the core of the temple, which was located on the small island of Philae, to the island of Aggreka, which is more than 500 meters away from Philae, while the rest of the temple, which was still left in Philae, has sunk under the Nile and is no longer visible.
4. Nile Five Star Cruise
One of the best way to see the route of Luxor & Aswan is to take a five-star cruise on the Nile River. At 6,670 kilometers long, the Nile is the longest river in the world. More than 90% of Egypt's population is now located in the plains and delta along the Nile, which is called the "mother of life" by the Egyptians and was the source of the growth of Egypt's ancient civilization. Every summer the Nile floods, depositing fertile silt on its valley plains. In ancient Egyptian mythology, there was a god, Habibi, who was responsible for the annual flooding of the Nile.
5. Sahara Desert - Wandering Journey, White Desert and Black Desert Encounter
Egypt is 94% desert. Looking down from the plane, except for the Nile Valley, which has some greenery, the rest of the vast land is still yellow sand. Every step after leaving the Nile Valley seems to require great courage, but there are many surprises hidden in the endless sea of sand, such as star-shaped sand dunes that can only be seen in Egypt, mirage-like oases, and the unbelievable black and white desert.
a. Siva Oasis - Cleopatra's private spa
Before meeting the Siwa Oasis, many people think that the desert is just monotonous and boring yellow sand, but when you drive through nearly 300 kilometers of desert no man's land and finally arrive here, you will realize how naive you are.
This oasis, hidden in the great sand sea of northwestern Egypt, has a very different flavor from the cities of the eastern coast or other Egyptian cities, natural springs springing up underground to nourish this oasis, hundreds of thousands of lush and dense strains of palm, date palm and olive trees grow unchecked here, growing a vibrant green in the yellow sand.
Home to 23,000 Berbers and more than 1,000 Egyptians, it is both the loneliest settlement in Egypt and the most inaccessible of the country's five oases, where time moves extraordinarily slowly and where, until now, donkey carts still outnumber locomotives.
But there are still many people who dare to challenge the endless sea of sand just to see this unbelievable Garden of Eden, where Alexander the Great visited the Prophet Amun, and Cleopatra visited the hot springs here when she visited Siwa, so this small stone natural hot pool became famous and survives to this day.
b. White Desert - Sleeping with the starlight of the desert
White desert is not only in the United States Mexico, Brazil Thousand Lakes Desert can be seen, in Egypt, when you cross the sky through the yellow sand, there is also a strange white desert slowly appear on the horizon.
Like the layer of whipped cream on top of a naked cake, when you enter the White Sand Reserve, irregularly distributed white sand and rocks appear in the yellow sand, accompanied by more white rocks of different shapes and surreal sense, mushrooms, human statues, eagles, roosters, reclining lions, camels ......
This is more like the alien planet of Star Wars than Earth, where bizarrely shaped stone pillars abound, never repeating themselves. These white stone pillars are not ordinary either, they are formed by millions of years of wind erosion of chalk, which immediately stretches the historical dimension of this trip from a thousand years to a million years.
Whether it is a white desert or a black desert, or a big yellow sand sea, the desert after nightfall is generally similar, looking up is a bright moon hanging high, the sky is full of stars shining, with the gentle night and the bright Milky Way, desert camping will also become interesting.
c. Black Desert - Here the sun can "scorch" even the mountains
The Black Desert is very close to the White Desert, the sand is no longer occupied by stone pillars, but by small, undulating conical hills, which are not high, but seem to be scorched by the hot desert sun.
It only takes a few minutes to reach the top of the hill, but the view is too bleak and barren, black covers the yellow of the dunes themselves, compared to the surface of the Earth, it may be more convincing to say that this is Mars.
The cause of the black desert, the same need to take the time machine back to the ancient times, volcanic eruptions of magma covered the land, cooled to form basalt, and basalt after time and sand desert, and finally weathered into tiny particles, sprinkled on the land.
6. The Red Sea: Diving Vacation
Egypt is not just monuments and deserts, the Red Sea, located between the eastern part of Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, is exactly the same blue in Egypt's long yellow sand, yes, it is the same Red Sea in "Operation Red Sea", but the Red Sea is not red. It has crystal clear and pure water, tropical fish with fantastic colors, coral reefs comparable to the Great Barrier Reef, if you let diving enthusiasts rank a mecca in your mind, the Red Sea must be in the top three.
a. Hurghada - half sea and half fire, the blue in the yellow sand
Hurghada is a beautiful little seaside town on the east side of mainland Egypt (west of the Red Sea), the closest to Luxor, only 3 1/2 hours away by car. Hurghada is known as the "capital of the Red Sea" and its water sports and hotels, accommodation and restaurants are much more cost effective than Sharm El Sheikh and cheaper than Cairo. Therefore, after visiting the monuments and attractions, most travelers choose to go to Hurghada for a relaxing vacation of sailing, diving and vacationing.
The abundant sunshine all year round, the coastline stretching 40 kilometers, the light and dark blue water, and the oil painting silver-white sandy beaches are enough to make you fall in love with Hurghada alone. When you plunge into the Red Sea, the bottom of the sea is another world, like a kaleidoscope that dazzles you. In the underwater world of coral clumps and shallow reefs, thousands of small, brightly colored tropical fish greet you, as well as the chance to meet the big guys like hammerhead sharks, whitetips, tiger sharks, dolphins and whales.
b. Sharm el-Sheikh - Egypt's number one vacation paradise
Sharm El Sheikh is located in the Sinai Peninsula, and when you come here, it feels like you are in some European beach town, which is almost a European vacation paradise. The streets are filled with bikini-clad babes, bars, casinos, beach parties, and a drunken nightlife that contrasts sharply with the conservative Cairo.
Sharm El Sheikh is the more expensive part of Egypt. Usually from a time and economic point of view everyone chooses Hurghada because it is relatively easy to get there directly from Luxor, while if you choose to go to Sharm you need to go back to Cairo and fly there. The biggest difference between the two cities is that Sharm is more of an independent resort city with higher class hotels, and both are a paradise for diving enthusiasts, depending on personal preference. The Red Sea town of Dahab around Sharm is also worth a visit.
7. Alexandria - Mediterranean Blue Tour
Egypt's largest seaport and the country's second largest city, a historical city, a summer resort on the Mediterranean coast, with a mild climate and four seasons, Alexandria is known as the 'Bride of the Mediterranean', the most beautiful scenery in Egypt belongs to Alexandria, and the charm of Alexandria is inseparable from the Mediterranean Sea, compared with other European countries that are arranged on the Mediterranean coastline. Compared with other European countries on the Mediterranean coastline, Alexandria has a unique look and is a Mediterranean landscape with a full Arabian flavor. Upon entering the modern city of Alexandria, a 26-kilometer-long waterfront promenade across the azure sea leaps into your eyes, and the sea breeze welcomes you with a pleasant feeling. It is a very different city from Cairo.
But it's a spot I personally don't recommend much on the whole Egypt itinerary because his fame is far greater than his visitability. Cairo is about a three-hour drive away, which is tougher if you're taking a day trip, and there's not much to see.
8. Masar Matruh - a deep niche tour destination
In Egypt, where tourism resources are extremely developed, Matruh is not a must-visit destination for foreign tour groups and self-guided travelers, and there are very few travel tips on the internet. One is too far, about 6 hours from Cairo, the second is no good hotel, belong to the unexplored tourist destination. The reason why I recommend it is because she has the most beautiful and purest beach in Egypt - Agiba Beach. Like a peacock feather layered seawater, as pure as emerald, as deep as sapphire; silvery beach like a galaxy sprinkled on earth breathtaking. If everyone is looking for their own seaside town, Matruh is the place where my heart is at peace. If you have time to visit Egypt in depth, we suggest adding Matruh to the list, and the oasis town of SIWA around Matruh is also worth a visit.
l Useful travel information about Egypt
1. Accommodation in Egypt
Egyptian hotel accommodation depends on one's financial ability and outlook on spending, ranging from hotels with no air-conditioned public bathrooms for a few dozen Egyptian pounds to five-star hotels of international chains. Star hotels in Egypt are very cheap, especially after the two revolutions and the sharp drop in tourists, and many five-star hotels are very cost-effective. In addition, the price of star hotels booked through Egyptian travel agencies will be more favorable than booking through the Internet itself. But tourists also need to distinguish the grade of five-star hotels, for example, there are so-called local five-star in Egypt, in fact, the basic environment and the domestic three-star almost, which is why many five-star group is so cheap. Before you go to Egypt, it is best to verify the information and environmental map of the hotel through the depth of the network, so as not to produce a psychological gap.
2. Shopping in Egypt
First of all, there are no big luxury brands in Egypt, not to mention that Dubai's partners do not care about it. But it is possible to buy some souvenirs in Cairo's Khalili bazaar, remember to be sure to cut the price to death. Egypt's specialty products are mainly papyrus paintings, essential oils, crystals, Egyptian cotton bedding and so on. However, most of the papyrus is fake, made of banana leaves, the easiest way to tell is that the fake papyrus will break when folded, the real papyrus is not broken no matter how to fold.
3. Egyptian food
Egypt is a unique Arab food, some people may not be used to eat. However, Egypt's local grilled lamb chops and seafood is still good, because Egypt's own consumption level is also not high, so you can eat until the support of open stomach. In addition, Egypt's freshly squeezed juice is a must-have experience, a cup of sugar cane juice or mango juice gulp down in the hot summer, simply cool to the bottom of the feet. Because the temperature difference in Egypt is relatively large, the fruit here is generally sweet than the first love, more than what chemical pesticides, you can rest assured to eat, the focus is also particularly cheap.
4. Best travel time to Egypt. Peak Season, Shoulder Season & Off Season
Egypt's season with best temperature for tourism is October to April, which is the autumn and winter in Egypt, the average daily temperature is 15-25 ℃, not hot.
Peak Season: Actually Egypt has many destination and each one of it has its own seasonality but if we talk about our classic tours ( Cairo/Aswan/Luxor ) then the peak season is the winter and the peak period is the x-mas and new year and the Easter period! Because of the weather and prices of the hotels comparing to any other similar destination.
Shoulder season on the classic tours is Sep and October and Jan. Because those months are considered the beginning of the season ( SEP/OCT) or because it comes after a peak period when holidays is finished ( Jan ).
Off Season: On the classic tours is the Summer starting from MAY till SEP . Because it is quite hot at Upper Egypt (LXR/ASW), but prices are lower in comparing by the winter.
5. Transportation in Egypt
Egypt is a country with extremely developed tourism resources, but the supporting facilities are old and backward, especially in intercity traffic and traffic to attractions, some places do not even have a signboard for long-distance passenger stations, let alone public transportation between attractions, and there are no direct flights between cities of attractions, so they need to return to Cairo transit, which leads many people do Egypt itinerary often ignore this point. This leads to many people often ignore this point when doing their Egypt itinerary, which seems impractical when developing the itinerary, and is prone to the situation of not being able to complete the trip.