Egypt is hands-down a physical manifestation of structured chaos. Between the incessant honking, pedestrians confidently darting into the street, and pervasive tourist scamming, it was an assault on the senses. We can see why many westerners don't include Egypt on their favorite country list… However, over two weeks we slowly began to respect and embrace the madness, and recognized the ancient beauty that draws so many visitors.
Thousands of years of a civilization’s evolution is so well preserved, making the region a common topic taught in history classes around the world. If you find yourself "on the fence" about visiting Egypt because of what you've read online, we definitely advise you to go! With a bit of homework, you're in for an adventure you'll never forget.
Pre-Trip Notes
Rather than re-typing all the basics, check out Third Eye Traveller. We used her site as a general guide and found it to be really useful and generally accurate.
Timing: We visited during Ramadan, which means that places generally closed 2-3 hours earlier than normal. With a bit of pre-planning (and luck), we were able to see most of everything we wanted to see. Crowds were usually not a problem with it being Ramadan, a lull in the pandemic, and a "shoulder month" (April).
With it being Ramadan also meant that all the guides were fasting, which usually resulted in limited stops for food and water. So, when given the chance, stock up! Additionally, we heard some folks being discouraged from seeing some sites (specifically colorful tombs at Valley of the Kings), and we think it was because guides wanted to get back to the comfort of A/C (not because “they weren’t worth it,” because they certainly were worth the time and extra money).
Visa: We applied to get this in advance online beforehand (required proof of COVID-19 vaccination and passport details), but it wasn't approved until a couple of days into our trip. So, we advise if you're eligible, apply a month before OR just get the visa on-arrival. There's a sign before customs instructing you to get your visa at the nearby bank windows (possible to pay by cash or card).
Phone: We have Sprint (now T-Mobile), and our SIM cards should have worked (Pro tip: play around with the “Network Selection” in your settings, and you might be able to get it to work). But, since we couldn’t figure it out at the airport, we each got SIM cards with 80 MB of data each, which was more than enough for us (making sure to use Wifi whenever we could).
Money: It’s true that tourists are seen as “walking ATMs.” So, keep an eye on your cash. Lots of tour operators will insist you pay by cash, but most will “find” the company card reader if you push them enough. Generally, we did find ourselves pulling money quite often for some tours and souvenirs, but mostly for tips. Expect to have cash ready at all times, because you never know when card won’t be accepted.
Tipping: Expect to tip for everything, including the bathrooms, so always have tip money on-hand. You will even experience men trying to “help you” cross the street (which is, admittedly, overwhelming), for which they expect compensation. Just tell them “La a shukran” (no thank you in Arabic), and they’ll be more likely to leave you alone. There will also be men inside of tombs and temples that will offer to take your pictures and/or take you into roped-off areas. You can always say “no.” But, if you oblige, be prepared to tip.
Photography: Lots of places will charge extra for bringing in a large camera (i.e. DSLR). It isn’t much, but it can get tiresome as most of the time cards aren't accepted. Also, some places that usually charge for photography weren’t charging (possibly due to Ramadan). There were also places that said it was “free,” only to find out by the ticketing guard that this was “not true” (had to go back to buy the ticket). Guides may even tell you conflicting information, so just expect confusion. Nick - “Seriously, expect confusion”.
Taxis: We got around using Uber and Careem in Cairo, which is much less stressful than getting scammed by a taxi. However, a taxi was our only option in Aswan when we arrived for the Nile cruise. It’s a cartel, so just accept they will charge you more for being a tourist.
Clothing: As it’s a predominantly Islamic culture, it’s highly recommended ladies dress more conservatively (less likely to be harassed). Harassment is real, we didn’t experience it but MANY ladies do.
Americans: Traveling as an American in Egypt can take a bit more time to get around. The US embassy usually requires Egyptian police to accompany Americans and their tour guides to remote places outside of major cities. This usually leads to slight travel delay, so the tour guides usually tip/convince the police that they are not needed for where we were going. However, there was on exception when we went camping in Siwa. There was no negotiation - A police officer was required to accompany us due to the close proximity to Libya (~50 km) in the unlikely event we ran into some “bad hombres.”
Words that we learned (or already knew) and were useful/good to know:
Salam alaykum: Hello! (Literally means peace to you)
Shukran: Thank you
La’a shukran: No thank you (much more effective than saying it in English)
~Maya maya: Everything is great
~Amriki: American
Inshallah: God willing
Arabia: Arabic
Maesh: Ok/all is good
Egyptians say it A LOT. We’ve heard that it is short for Masha’Allah which is what you will hear in other Arabic speaking countries. It’s kind of a past tense for Inshallah, so basically “God willed it.”
What We Did
Cairo
Houseboat 65: Our Airbnb for five nights and was one of our favorite parts of our trip. Our host was incredibly friendly and helpful. We found ourselves wanting to sit on the Nile-side porch swing sipping tea as we watched the vibrant party boats buzz by.
The Egyptian Museum: We toured this on our own but wonder if it’s better to have the help of a guide. Most labels are several decades old and lack information. Also, this museum is PACKED with stuff (artifacts all over the floor). We spent about 3.5 hours here and found ourselves rushing towards the end (we definitely trend more towards reading a lot at museums, so the time you spend here highly depends on your level of enthusiasm for museums). We saw the famous mummies, Thuya and Yuya, lots of stelas (pronounced “steel-ahs,” which are a sign of sorts used in tombs), canopic jars (where organs were kept post-mummification), papyrus, tools, and most importantly King Tut’s “stuff!” There was no photography allowed, not even phones. Most notable treasures kept here from King Tut’s tomb were his golden headdress, solid gold coffin (110 kg!), and lots of scarab beetle jewelry. King Tut only ruled from the age of 9 to 19 years old. It is believed his family (like many Ancient Egyptians) was incestuous, resulting in King Tut’s long list of physical ailments. With his weak immune system, it is likely that an infection, such as malaria, was the cause of his death. Or maybe it was a conspiracy…
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC): If you are strapped for time, go downstairs immediately to see the royal mummies. These are the real gems, and this museum was clearly thought out and very well done. There are 22 royal mummies that are expertly maintained (temperature-controlled) and a must-visit! Similar to the King Tut exhibit, there was absolutely no photography allowed (usually two security guards per room). Some names we recalled were Amenhotep (multiple), Hatshepsut, Nefertari, and Ramses II (one of the longest-ruling pharaohs of Egypt - 66 years)! We knew mummification preserved bodies very well, but we were still shocked by just how much remains (e.g. skin color, hair, and head trauma). We went upstairs to see the rest of the museum but were kicked out due to early Ramadan closing hours.
Hanging Church: We walked here from NMEC, and the sidewalk was closed most of the way. So, walking in traffic was…an experience. Once we found the official entrance to the area, we saw some stairs with a sign showing the way to a cave church nearby. We started to go down the stairs and were stopped by a stranger across the street aggressively asking us where we were from. Nick responded with, “Where are YOU from?” To which the man said, “Okay, you do not want to talk.” And, that was the end of that tangent. Rather than exploring further, we found our way to the Hanging Church, which was named for being built on top of the Babylon Fortress. The church has beautiful woodwork, smells of incense, and has plexiglass windows on the ground to see parts of the fortress below. Also, it was free to visit when we were there!
Pyramids of Giza: We went here first-thing with our guide to avoid crowds. It is extra to go inside the largest (Khufu) pyramid, and they sometimes only accept cash (which was the case for us). We had a choice between the Khufu (largest - “Great”) and Khafre pyramids. We opted to go inside of Khufu (no large cameras allowed inside), which had a narrow and short-height descent followed by an impressively conical and tall ascent to get into the ceremonial chamber. The chamber is anticlimactic, but we couldn’t NOT go into the Great Pyramid. Our guide then took us to a couple of cool viewpoints of the pyramids and told us that all were built with a foundation of sandstone, and that only Khafre still has some of the smooth limestone exterior that all would have had as a shell. He also told us Egyptologists think that the laborers may have used wet sand as a ramp to get the blocks up the pyramids (which took 20 years to complete), and once finished, the pyramids would have been coated in gold.
Great Sphinx of Giza: Quick stop to take some fun pictures. The sphinx was carved out of the rock layers in-situ (original position)!
Dahshur Pyramids: We were given the option to go inside of just one more pyramid (in the interest of time), so we said we wanted to go inside of the one described as “most adventurous” and “difficult” - foreshadowing lol (Ash was comically sore for the next three days). We went inside the Bent Pyramid, where the descent was even smaller in height and much longer than Khufu. They turned the lights on about halfway down, and once we reached a landing a guy going the opposite direction told us, “It was so nice of them to finally turn the lights on…My 2x/week fitness club is paying off!” Went up some stairs inside and saw an empty chamber with some bats. Our guide told us that this pyramid was one of the first (Father of the King who built the Great Pyramid. It’s believed there was tension between the father and son due to the son’s “obvious need” to “one-up” his father). Builders figured out about halfway through that the angle they were using would be too steep to support the weight of the pyramid, so they lessened the angle giving the structure its unique shape. The Red Pyramid down the road was the final product as a result of the Bent Pyramid learnings. We walked around the entire Red Pyramid and saw some worn-down mud brick walls and assumed they were new. We later learned that these were likely original from the time of pyramid building.
Memphis: The oldest capital of Egypt! We saw the largest statue of Ramses II, which was originally found (in modern times) face-down in a marsh before being displayed in its current position. The second largest sphinx statue is also here. It is made from alabaster and has Hatshepsut’s face.
Saqqara Necropolis: We lost track of tombs while we were here. It was a major burial ground, so it’s huge. First, we went to the Teti Pyramid, which is very eroded on the outside but has incredible walls of hieroglyphics inside. Then, we went to the Tomb of Kagemni, which has amazing color and depictions of normal life inside. The last major stop was for some pictures of the Pyramid of Djoser (Step Pyramid), which is the oldest in Egypt! From here we wandered to a smaller, single mastaba (step) tomb (some underground), another very colorful tomb depicting everyday life, a massive, deep open burial pit, as well as a hallway of old polished columns that acted as the entryway to the Saqqara ceremonial area for the public. Since Saqqara is so close to Memphis, it was also used for “living” ceremonies. Once such a ceremony required pharaohs to fight a dangerous creature every 30 years minimum!
Wadi al-Hitan: Whale bones in the middle of the desert! Our Airbnb host took us on this adventure, which required going through a couple of checkpoints at which he convinced a guard to allow us to only pay for one ticket to go into the Rayan Protectorate and another that we did not need a police officer escort (since we’re American, as referred to in the pre-trip notes). Once at Wadi al-Hitan, we walked (we think) all of the paths over the course of 1.5 hours. It was much bigger than we expected. Aside from the obvious whale bones (some others, such as turtles), there were also cool rock formations similar to those of the White Desert, as well as what appear to be fossilized mangrove roots! We also went inside the museum, which was really well done. Most discoveries were facilitated by the University of Michigan, which included bones from a two-horned mammal endemic to the area. And, most importantly, the whale bones are proof of whales’ transition from land to water, as they found whale bones with fingers!
Bab Zuwaila -> Khan el-Khalili -> Bab al-Futuh: Instead of rushing to see Salah Al-Din Citadel before our flight to Aswan, Nick had the great idea to walk around old Cairo instead. We walked the entire way over the course of 1.5 hours (including walking from Zamalek) and started at Bab Zuweila, which is one of the old gates to the city. Once through the gate, the architecture changed quickly to much older buildings and mosques, which were very pretty. On our way to the second gate, we passed through Khan el-Khalili, which was very quiet since we visited in the morning. The time to go is clearly at night, but we were okay with a less aggressive and stressful stroll for once. We crossed some very busy intersections, through which we just “went with it” and followed the locals.
Marriott: We didn’t stay here, but we went inside to use the restrooms (public restrooms didn’t seem to be much of “a thing”). The place is expertly decorated like it was built during the time of cabaret and glamor of 1920’s Cairo. We thought it was much more interesting than the Ritz and Four Seasons combined (we stopped for beers in those spots as well due to Ramadan closing times at other bars).
Alexandria: Our tour guide for this one was quite unenthusiastic and discouraged us from seeing things she thought “weren’t interesting.” So, our advice to you - If you think it’s interesting, then do it! Because, you’ll regret not having seen whatever that thing was that sparked your interest. We were under the impression we would see all of the main sites of Alexandria, but due to Ramadan hours, we were told to pick four places. There was also confusion over whether tickets were included, which was an obvious mistake on their part. So, we suggest you print your tickets with the details to show your guides as proof. Anyway, these are the sites we chose:
Pompey’s Pillar: An obelisk and two sphinxes that were originally built by the Coptics as a beacon to the people to locate the public bath. Unfortunately, these were built here to cover up the underlying Egyptian temple and erase the following of “other gods” (classic Coptics). Nice to walk around above (Coptic bath) and below ground (Egyptian Temple).
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa: Easily the coolest thing to see in Alexandria. The catacombs are a fairly sizable underground maze of graves that were originally used by one Greek family but later taken over by the Romans. Burials ranged from mummification to cremation (horses were buried here, too).
Citadel of Qaitbay: Our guide said only the outside was worth the time, because the “inside doesn’t have any furniture” - lol. We insisted we go inside, and we thought it was VERY worth it. There was even a nice police officer (oozie in hand) who quickly showed us around and explained some of the important rooms for the generals and workers (we were happy to give him a good tip!). Most of the stones used to build the citadel are new but some are from the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina: We learned from another tour guide that if we wanted to see this we needed to go quickly to see it before it closed early due to Ramadan. Our guide said no big camera or bottled water, but we saw others with both once we were inside the library. We listened to the tour that came with the ticket for the library, which is when we learned that it’s the largest library in the Middle East and has one of the largest reading areas in the world. It also has a few interesting museums in the basement. We paid extra to see Ancient Manuscripts, which mostly included facsimiles (including a replica of the only papyrus believed to have survived the fire that destroyed the Library of Alexandria) but was still interesting to see. We also walked through the Sadat Museum, which is a dedication to the late president. Our favorite part of this one was the costume sketches for the 1969 Egyptian film, The Mummy. They were so beautiful.
Siwa Oasis: 3-day trip run by Marsa Alam Tours (8 hour drive from Cairo to Siwa). We were picked up at our Airbnb at 6 am, then went straight to the Mediterranean city of El Alamein. The coastal weather was refreshing, and we stopped at a few places to grab some snacks and use the restroom. Not long after passing Marsa Matrouh, we passed a couple of EDC drilling rig signs, as well as what appeared to be a non-enclosed landfill, allowing garbage to travel far from the source. That aside, Siwa Oasis itself, is an off-the-beaten-path place meant for those who strive for adventure over crowds. We highly recommend it!
El Alamein Military Museum: Had some interesting artifacts left in the desert from the battles between Allied and Axis Powers during WWII. We particularly enjoyed the machinery and a map that depicted the back-and-forth nature between Rommel and a slew of Allied leaders, with Montgomery finally leading the Allies to victory. Also, urban development is really challenging here similar to Europe because of unexploded land mines!
Fatnas Island: Lovely spot for tea or lemon mint and some dates by Siwa Lake
Ghaliet Ecolodge: Eco lodges are common in smaller Egyptian cities. They cater towards westerners who want to “unplug” by offering no A/C or Wifi (usually at a higher price point). But, the grounds were very pretty and the breakfast was really good (beans, eggs, and labneh with veggies)!
Gabal al-Mawta (Mountain of the Dead): Tombs that date back to the 26th dynasty (~663-535 BCE), including Si-Amun and Mesu Isis. Here we first learned about Amun-Re, Anubis, Osiris, and Isis. The mountain’s characteristic pock-marked texture is actually from Siwans using it as a cemetery during WWII while hiding from soldiers.
Temple of Amun-Re/Oracle: Made famous when visited by Alexander the Great journeyed here to see the oracle. He was elated when he left, so it is hypothesized that he may have learned of his real father, Zeus, and was told he would rule the world. There is also a well here that people used to escape enemies from the main part of the city.
Salt Lake(s): There are several lakes constantly being created and dredged. The lakes fill up naturally with hypersaline water and completely fill with salt in about 3 months (depending on the size of the lake). It’s unknown the source of the water, but we’re wondering if a fault is supplying brine from below. The water was surprisingly chilly and we didn’t have to do anything to float/swim due to the buoyancy effect of the hypersaline water.
Cleopatra’s Spring: Not actually visited by Cleopatra, but the pool was a nice place to rinse off the salt water. Some local boys were diving for rocks, and the water was nice and warm. There was some floating algae but it was pretty clean otherwise. If you can avoid it, do not use the restrooms here. It was one of the scarier ones we’ve used.
Shali Fortress: Pinnacle of the oldest part of the town. We walked through a colorful market, and we could see that the buildings of Siwa below have been built nearly the same way for centuries using carsheef (mud + salt). It was described to us that this means that Siwans love their culture and heritage.You could also see here, similar to other nearby ancient sites, significant damage done by a rainstorm in 1928.
Sahara Dune Bashing: We do this quite often in Abu Dhabi, but since the ladies who joined our tour had never been, we didn’t object. There was an extra level of adventure added by not all having seat belts! Driver did not speak much but was very sarcastic-funny in the Arabic sort of way, and he did not “cry for his engine” while he sped across the small dunes and slowly lowered us down from the towering giants.
Bir Wahed: Oasis with a hot spring that was rumored to have originated from an exploration well. The overflow goes down to another inter-dune location called “Cold Lake.” The hotspring looked pretty dirty, so we opted to just relax by the stone wall nearby where we had our lunch (Siwan bread, tuna/onion combo, eggplant dish, tahini, and cucumber). It was here that we saw a machine gun-equipped military/police convoy bringing smugglers and their contraband back to town. Smuggling is very common in Siwa since it is so much closer to Libya than Cairo to get things from cigarettes to vehicles.
Sand boarding: Sat on pre-waxed boards and slid down some decently-sized dunes at sunset. We also saw some beetles that were interested in my camera.
Camping at “A tent, overnight and dinner, in the desert”( خيمه مبيت و عشاء مردم بالصحراء): Most sites were closed due to low crowds during Ramadan (we were the only group there). However, one was open that had four campfires, palm leaf tents, and cots with sleeping bags. We had a nice dinner (chicken, rice, vegetables, bread) and enjoyed the stars by the firelight and afro beats from a light-up speaker that was pointed up the adjacent hill for a cool display. We think our guides didn’t anticipate just how much water westerners drink and suspected they had to go into town to get us some more. It was very windy and chilly, but the sand is made of heavier particles and minerals so it wasn’t blasting us in the face like the Abu Dhabi powder. The next morning, we watched the sun rise at the top of the hill and checked out the rocks (likely upper to middle shoreface). We walked to the next hill over from ours and saw some really cool ground exposures with ventifact textures with incredible mosaic-like fills. At the next hill, after climbing to the top and comparing the rocks to the previous, we got picked up by one of our guides…lol. They made us breakfast (eggs, jam, bread, and beans) and then we headed back to town before heading back to Cairo.
Aswan -> Luxor Nile Cruise: There was no Uber or Careem in Aswan or Luxor, so we ended up needing to take one taxi from the Aswan airport to our Airbnb before the cruise. The taxi drivers have a cartel, so you’ll likely need to accept whatever price they demand.
High Dam: Provides about 80% of Egypt’s electricity, but resulted in needing to move 18 temples and has now forced farmers to use fertilizers instead of purely relying on the nutrient-rich sediments from Nile floods. Moving of the temples was an international effort, but only the USSR was willing to fund the dam project.
Friendship Memorial: An extremely tall lotus monument commemorating the relationship between the USSR and Egypt (after building of the High Dam).
Philae Temple: One of the 18 temples that had to be moved; it was disassembled and reassembled in 40,000 pieces! Had to take boat to get to this one, which was built by the Greeks (paying tribute to Egyptian gods) and finished by the Romans (Coptics would later deface/chisel away at many temple carvings as part of their religious cleansing efforts…More like Copdicks amirite?).
Perfume shop: Our guide sneakily got us to go into a perfume shop. We were a bit annoyed but it was kind of cool to learn about how they let the flowers sit to separate into oil and sediment, and the essence/oil is used as a base for most perfumes/colognes. Compared to perfumes/colognes that last ~4 hours (~80% alcohol), pure essence can last 8-12 hours.
Unfinished Obelisk: This obelisk would have likely gone to Luxor at Hatshepsut’s request, but upon carving, several defects were found in the rock. Obelisks are carved by repeated heating and cooling to create cracks they use to then chisel away the spire.
Felucca: There was no wind, so we had to be tugged up-river and coasted back to the cruise ship back down-river. You’ll likely encounter people trying to sell you trinkets on these smaller boats, and it was on this one we bought a couple of things.
Abu Simbel: Really cool temple that was also moved as a result of the High Dam (~1,042 pieces). We had to leave at 5 am to do this, because it was about a 3 hour drive each way. But, we thought it was worth the trip since we figured we would never be back here again. And, the cruise provided breakfast that we ate along the way. The main temple was built by Ramses II as an homage to himself (very humble), as he believed he was also a god. There is another temple adjacent to the main site that Ramses dedicated to his favorite wife Nefertari (Nubian woman; he had eight wives, resulting in 99 children). There were a lot of people visiting, but the lines moved fairly quickly. There was a sand storm that day, and it was entertaining to see everyone losing their hats to the wind! We were at Abu Simbel for about 1.75 hours total before heading back to Aswan.
Kom Ombo: Another temple built by the Greeks and finished by the Romans and was built to honor two brothers, Horus and Sobek (one half of the temple (mirror image) dedicated to each brother). Some key scenes include a calendar that has allowed Egyptologists to know how Ancient Egyptians kept time, and that they also kept track of three farming-related seasons, as well as an assortment of medical tools towards the back of the temple.
Temple of Horus at Edfu: The only way to get here is by horse carriage, which was most entertaining. Another temple built by Greeks and finished by Romans, which was built to honor the meeting between Horus and his wife, Hathor. One of the more interesting scenes depicts Horus killing his uncle, Ses (evil), in the form of a hippo. Also, the sanctuary at the back (something most temples have) contains the original wooden boat said to have carried Horus and Hathor. This place is really big, so move quickly!
Nile Locks: Westerners love their engineering! Everyone came up to the top deck as we passed through two locks. The first didn’t appear to change our water elevation, but the second dropped us about 6 m (~20 ft). Between the two locks, Nick made a friend with some of the pirate salesmen (they rope up to the cruise ship and sell trinkets to the tourists on the top deck. It was impressive, really. Intrigued by their intrepid, “Alo, alo, aloooo,” Nick said “Okay, I’ll bite,” and negotiated with Mostafah for “best price” of a tablecloth and some napkins (threw the money to him in another bag they threw up from their boat below).
Karnak Temple: Since our cruise ship was so behind schedule, we got here late and only got to spend about 15-20 minutes. It’s one of the largest temples (maybe even THE largest) in the world (lol). It has the largest obelisks in Egypt and has some impressive columns, too!
Luxor Temple: The Karnak and Luxor temples used to be connected via a road lined with sphinxes (constructed over the span of several pharaohs). Most were uncovered, but the road does not fully connect anymore, unfortunately. Since we were there at night, both temples were illuminated, which was a really cool effect. At Luxor, there was a statue of Ramses II and a beautiful obelisk. Luxor is unique since it has three places of worship: the Pharaonic temple, a Coptic Basilica (church that has plaster-painted scenes on top of original hieroglyphs), and a mosque. The sanctuary has a smaller sanctuary nested within that was built during Alexander the Great’s time (~1,000 years spanned between the two sanctuaries).
Hot Air Balloon: Really cool experience! We had to wake up at 3 am to get on a bus, pick up some other people, take a boat ride across the river, and take another bus to the balloon site. It was all pretty rushed getting into the balloon, but once we were inside, our captain took great care of us. We were in the air for about an hour, from which we could see the mosaics of farmland, the Statues of Memnon, Hatshepsut Temple, and of course the sunrise. Once we landed (with the help of an official landing crew), farming children quickly came by begging for food and money, so come prepared with some food if you’re able.
Colossi of Memnon: All that remains of the Amenhotep III Temples (both statues represent the pharaoh, himself). This is a very quick stop, but it was still cool to see how big they are and that one was more damaged during an earthquake than the other.
Valley of the Kings: We saw Merenptah, Ramses III, and ? as part of the basic ticket. We also paid to see Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses V/VI. If you have the money, pay the extra money to see these three. It is absolutely worth it. The colors are unbelievably vibrant, and the tombs are so quiet since most don’t pay to visit them. Our philosophy: We will likely never visit here again, so we might as well check it out. We’re so glad we did. Also, King Tut’s mummy is inside of his tomb, which we didn’t expect! Some guides discouraged their clients from seeing these, saying “the free ones are just as colorful.” This isn’t true. We think this happened because guides were fasting and wanted to get back to A/C.
Valley of the Queens: We went to the Nefertari Tomb first (extra cost to basic ticket), which was also incredibly colorful and had white coloring as a general background making it really unique and beautiful. The rock at Valley of the Queens is weaker and more friable, so it is mostly painted on a plaster adhered to the underlying rock. In contrast, the tombs at Valley of the Kings were carved directly into the rock and painted. We also saw the tombs of Prince Amen Khopshef (6 month old baby), Titi, and Prince Kha Em Wast. All were covered by plexiglass to help preserve their vibrant colors.
Hatshepsut Temple: Incredible facade, but since it’s all exposed to the elements not much color is preserved (compared to the underground tombs).
Alabaster Factory: We told our guide that we wanted to get a scarab beetle for Nick’s sister, so he said, “I have just the place. Being geologists, you’ll know it’s good.” Well, there was a “song and dance” to show us how they make handmade alabaster pottery (machine-made is thick and heavy). Once inside, we were constantly being bothered about how to know if something is real. Finally, Nick says, “Don’t worry, we WILL buy something. But, I must admit, my wife and I are both geologists. So, we have a pretty good idea if something is real/old or not.” To this, the man immediately turned around and left us alone. Nick expertly bargained for four pieces (using two extra as negotiating leverage), pointing out how some were clearly fake (basalt with odd bubbles near edges and “granite” that had a matrix that was clearly epoxy). In the end, we felt pretty good with what we got, even if any were fake (can’t really tell since some are painted).
Deir el-Medina (Artisan City and Temple): Artisans and builders were required to live on the “Afterlife” side of the Nile (West) to help maintain secrecy of the tomb locations. At one point, some information was leaked, and two artisans thought to have been the perpetrators were killed. The rest of the city protested, to which the king “made nice” by allowing them to create their own temple to be buried like royalty. The diggers of tombs were killed as an honor and to serve the royal family in the afterlife (Did they know?), whereas the painters were kept alive to work on the next tomb. We saw the tombs of Inherkha and Sennutem, as well as the Family Tomb. These were some of our favorites! They are bright yellow and black with some more unique depictions of the afterlife on the walls.
Habu City Temple: This temple is attached to the only surviving royal palace! Generally, palaces were made of mud brick, so they were not as sturdy as the tombs and were seen as temporary structures. Inside of the main temple, there is a major scene that depicts Ramses III ordering that his enemies’ lose one hand (pile of hands below). And, in order to make sure these men did not return home and pass on their disloyalty to any children, Ramses also ordered that their baby makers be cut off (also a pile of…). There is another temple within the complex that belonged to the nephew of Hatshepsut, who didn’t like ruling after a woman, let alone his aunt. The third temple was for a woman who claimed to be the wife of Amun-Re. We really liked this temple. Also, our guide for these less-seen attractions in Luxor was definitely one of the best, so that was really refreshing!
Food
General note: We found it hard to find places open before 9 am other than hotel restaurants. Sometimes we pre-bought some food the night before or wandered around until we found a coffee shop that was open (there were a few among the main drag on Zamalek Island). Also, all liquor stores closed during Ramadan, which surprised us since the UAE keeps them open!
Cairo
Saigon Restaurant & Lounge: It was sometimes hard to find restaurants with vegetarian options, but this place at least had some veggie sushi (Nick had the cashew chicken). Great food!
Zooba: We ate the same things here twice. It was THAT good. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options. It was clearly a “westerner” hot spot, but still delicious Egyptian food. We had the spicy vegetarian zameeya, bread and tahini, chicken shawarma, and lemon mint drinks.
Cairo Kitchen: AMAZING Egyptian food. We had koshary, beef tajen, and hibiscus drinks.
Social: Was open when we finally found it around 8:30 am. Great place with tasty croissants and pain au chocolat.
Coffee Berry: Actually open before 9 am during Ramadan and has great coffee!
Zitouni: We didn’t make a reservation, and unfortunately it was fully booked when we wanted to go. The hostess told us to go to the pool restaurant, also in the Four Seasons, which was just “okay.”
Blue Lotus Guesthouse: Went here after our tour visiting the pyramids. It was super touristy, but the food was really good.
(Izbet) Ibis Restaurant and Cooking School: Delicious pesto pasta and chicken piccata (and lemon mint drinks, of course). This area (Fayoum) seems to be known for its pottery, so we took the time to walk around a bit after lunch to take a look.
Siwa Oasis
Abdu Restaurant: Our guides and the waiter recommended the couscous. So, we got the couscous! It was really tasty!
Aswan
Eco Nubia: We stayed here the night before embarking on a Nile cruise. We scheduled a boat ride from Batanyoun Port via the nubia in order to get to its location on Bigeh Island. During check-in, we needed to give our dinner orders since it takes about two hours to make (in the classic Nubian slow cooker-like way). After dropping off our bags at our nubia, we hiked up the tallest point (not well-marked and there is some trash, so watch your step), from which you get an amazing view of the Philae Temple. Dinner was delicious. We had an onion bread appetizer, potatoes, a carrot and peas dish, as well as a beef dish (Nick even gave some to the adorable, naughty kitten with a mustache). The one down-side of this place is the bugs. We got eaten alive by mosquitoes and gnats. And, we think the ceiling fan was blowing the wrong way, because it was oddly hot all night despite the fan running. The breakfast the next day was included with our stay, which was a typical Nubian spread (cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, bread, egg, falafel, labneh, and tahini). Overall, it was a really nice place.
Nile Cruise: Food on the boat was quite decent. It was buffet-style for all three meals, and there were plenty of vegetarian options. One thing we didn’t care much for was being required to eat at the same table every day. At the same time, we really enjoyed getting to know some of our table mates. We also really liked relaxing on the top deck at night and during some of the longer cruising stints.
Luxor
Nubian House Restaurant: No menu, just whatever is being cooked that day. The food was incredible and the hospitality unmatched. The gentleman who started the restaurant is originally from much further south but had to move due to the High Dam. An American encouraged him to open a restaurant in Luxor. The guy (American) went as far as putting him on Google Maps and all social media! The owner even owns land where he grows hibiscus, as well as a hodgepodge of crops behind the restaurant. They even have a cow in the back for all their dairy needs. So glad our Airbnb was only a minute walk down the road - highly recommended!
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