Luxor
Luxor is often called the world’s greatest open-air museum, but that comes nowhere near describing this extraordinary place. Nothing in the world compares to the scale and grandeur of the monuments that have survived from ancient Thebes.
The setting is breathtakingly beautiful, the Nile flowing between the modern city and west-bank necropolis, backed by the enigmatic Theban escarpment. Scattered across the landscape is an embarrassment of riches, from the temples of Karnakand Luxor in the east to the many tombs and temples on the west bank.
Thebes’ wealth and power, legendary in antiquity, began to lure Western travellers from the end of the 18th century. Depending on the political situation, today’s traveller might be alone at the sights, or be surrounded by coachloads of tourists. Whichever it is, a little planning will help you get the most from the magic of the Theban landscape and its unparalleled archaeological heritage.
Luxor is often called the world’s greatest open-air museum, but that comes nowhere near describing this extraordinary place. Nothing in the world compares to the scale and grandeur of the monuments that have survived from ancient Thebes.
The setting is breathtakingly beautiful, the Nile flowing between the modern city and west-bank necropolis, backed by the enigmatic Theban escarpment. Scattered across the landscape is an embarrassment of riches, from the temples of Karnakand Luxor in the east to the many tombs and temples on the west bank.
Thebes’ wealth and power, legendary in antiquity, began to lure Western travellers from the end of the 18th century. Depending on the political situation, today’s traveller might be alone at the sights, or be surrounded by coachloads of tourists. Whichever it is, a little planning will help you get the most from the magic of the Theban landscape and its unparalleled archaeological heritage.
Alexandria And the Mediterranean Coast
Egypt’s northern coastline runs for 500km along Mediterranean shores. Its sandy beaches and turquoise-hued sea lures floods of Egyptians here during the summertime. Most travellers, however, make a beeline straight to the once-great port city of
Egypt’s northern coastline runs for 500km along Mediterranean shores. Its sandy beaches and turquoise-hued sea lures floods of Egyptians here during the summertime. Most travellers, however, make a beeline straight to the once-great port city of
Alexandria
. Eulogised through the centuries, this faded old dame of a metropolis continues to be celebrated today in Egyptian music and literature despite it's well-worn facade. By far Egypt's most atmospheric city, Alexandria's fresh sea air, fantastic seafood, ancient history and crumbling gems of belle époque buildings imbue it with an urban pulse distinctly different from that of Cairo.
Outside of the old stomping grounds of Alexander the Great and Queen Cleopatra, foreign visitors are rarely spotted. To delve deeper into this region, take a pilgrimage to the sobering, beautifully kept WWII war memorials of El Alamein. Or amble the souq streets of Rosetta, edged by Ottoman-era architecture and brimming with time-stood-still ambience.
. Eulogised through the centuries, this faded old dame of a metropolis continues to be celebrated today in Egyptian music and literature despite it's well-worn facade. By far Egypt's most atmospheric city, Alexandria's fresh sea air, fantastic seafood, ancient history and crumbling gems of belle époque buildings imbue it with an urban pulse distinctly different from that of Cairo.
Outside of the old stomping grounds of Alexander the Great and Queen Cleopatra, foreign visitors are rarely spotted. To delve deeper into this region, take a pilgrimage to the sobering, beautifully kept WWII war memorials of El Alamein. Or amble the souq streets of Rosetta, edged by Ottoman-era architecture and brimming with time-stood-still ambience.
Siwa Oasis And the Western Desert
Older than the Pyramids, as sublime as any temple, Egypt’s Western Desert is a vast sweep of elemental beauty, as alluring as it is forbidding. Mother nature has hewn a masterpiece of whimsical artistry upon this raw canvas. The White Desert's fairy-tale vista of shimmering, surreal rock formations bewitches travellers, while the ripple and swell of the Great Sand Sea's mammoth dunes is the stuff of adventure daydreams.
Amid this intense landscape five oases, shaded by palm plantations and blessed by a plethora of natural hot and cold springs, provide a glimpse of rural Egyptian life. Get lost amid Al-Qasr's squiggling narrow lanes in Dakhla. Watch sunset sear across the countryside atop Gebel al-Ingleez in Bahariya. Take a stroll amid Siwa's sprawling date palms. When sandy escapades are done, the pace of oasis life is perfect for recharging travel-weary bones.
Older than the Pyramids, as sublime as any temple, Egypt’s Western Desert is a vast sweep of elemental beauty, as alluring as it is forbidding. Mother nature has hewn a masterpiece of whimsical artistry upon this raw canvas. The White Desert's fairy-tale vista of shimmering, surreal rock formations bewitches travellers, while the ripple and swell of the Great Sand Sea's mammoth dunes is the stuff of adventure daydreams.
Amid this intense landscape five oases, shaded by palm plantations and blessed by a plethora of natural hot and cold springs, provide a glimpse of rural Egyptian life. Get lost amid Al-Qasr's squiggling narrow lanes in Dakhla. Watch sunset sear across the countryside atop Gebel al-Ingleez in Bahariya. Take a stroll amid Siwa's sprawling date palms. When sandy escapades are done, the pace of oasis life is perfect for recharging travel-weary bones.
Hurghada
Plucked from obscurity and thrust into the limelight during the early days of the Red Sea’s tourism drive, the tiny fishing village of Hurghada has long since morphed into today’s dense band of concrete that marches relentlessly along the coastline for well over 20km. Rampant construction has left the town blighted by half-finished shells of pleasure palaces never realised. The coral reefs closest to the shore – which put Hurghada on the international hot-spot map originally – have been degraded by illegal landfill operations and irresponsible reef use. In recent years Hurghada’s star has largely lost its lustre and many travellers have migrated to the newer, glossier resorts of El-Gouna and Sharm el-Sheikh.
There is hope on the horizon, though. Further offshore there is still superb diving aplenty; local NGOs are now playing a leading role in getting the town to clean up its act; and the new resort area concentrated to the south of town and Sigala's swish new marina are bringing back some of Hurghada’s sheen. If you want to combine a diving holiday with the Nile Valley sites, Hurghada is a convenient destination. Independent travellers, however, will probably prefer to press on to Dahab inSinai.
Hurghada is split into three main areas. To the north is Ad-Dahar, the most ‘Egyptian’ part of the city, with lively backstreet neighbourhoods and a bustling souq. Separated from Ad-Dahar by a sandy mountain called Gebel al-Afish is the congested Sigala area, with shops and restaurants aplenty. South of Sigala, lining the coastal road, is the resort strip. Here you’ll find an ever-growing row of mostly upmarket resorts.
Sharm el-Sheikh And Na’ama Bay
The southern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, between Tiran Island and Ras Mohammed National Park, features some of the world’s most amazing underwater scenery. The crystal-clear waters, rare and lovely reefs and an incredible variety of exotic fish darting in and out of the colourful coral have made this a snorkelling and scuba-diving paradise. In a prime position on the coast, incorporating the two adjacent coves of Na'ama Bay and Sharm al-Maya, is the purpose-built resort of Sharm el-Sheikh; a tourism boom town devoted to sun-and-sea holidays that draws in legions of European holidaymakers every year on all-inclusive tour packages.
For families who want to bring the little ones to Egypt for a beach holiday, and package-travellers looking to mix resort comfort with world-class diving, Sharm covers all the bases. If it wasn't for the chain of jagged desert mountains that rim the western edge of town, most visitors here could easily forget they're in Egypt. Sharm el-Sheikh's international restaurants, buzzy bar scene and private hotel beaches make it an unashamed pleasure-seeking European enclave on the edge of Sinai.
Sharm has its fans but it also has harsh critics, who point out that its airbrushed facade covers up some serious environmental degradation, which has led to pressing issues of sustainability. Over the past decade the increasing sprawl of concrete along the coastline here to cater for the crowds has been relentless. Independent travellers who are turned off by gated resorts would be wise to skip Sharm, passing through only en route to the more low-key and backpacker-friendly town of Dahab.
Nile Valley: Esna to Abu Simbel
The Nile south of Luxor is increasingly hemmed in by the Eastern Desert, its banks lined with grand, well-preserved Graeco-Roman temples at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, and its lush fields punctuated by palm-backed villages – it’s the ideal place to sail through on a Nile boat. The once-great city of Al-Kab provides the perfect contrast to the grandeur of the temples, while at Gebel Silsila the river passes through a gorge sacred to the ancients, who used the quarry to built the temples in Luxor. Aswan, the ancient ivory-trading post, has a laid-back atmosphere and plenty of things to see.
South of Aswan, the land is dominated by Lake Nasser, the world’s largest artificial lake. On its shores is one of ancient Egypt’s most awesome structures: the Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.
Aswan
On the northern end of the First Cataract and marking the country’s ancient southern frontier, Aswan has always been of great strategic importance. In ancient times it was a garrison town for the military campaigns against Nubia; its quarries provided the valuable granite used for so many sculptures and obelisks; and it was a prosperous marketplace at the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes. Today, slower than most places in Egypt, laid-back and pleasant, it is the perfect place to linger for a few days, to rest and recover from the rigours of travelling along the Nile. The river is wide, languorous and stunningly beautiful here, flowing gently down from Lake Nasser, around dramatic black-granite boulders and palm-studded islands. Colourful, sleepy Nubian villages run down to the water and stand out against the backdrop of the desert on the west bank. Aswan comes as a relief, compared to places such as Luxor: it's seemingly off the radar in an Egypt that wants to move on with mass tourism.
With so long a history, there is plenty to see in Aswan, but somehow the sightseeing seems less urgent and certainly less overwhelming than elsewhere in Egypt, allowing more time to take in the magic of the Nile at sunset, to stroll in the exotic souq (one of the best outside Cairo), or to appreciate the gentleness of the Nubians. Most tour groups head straight for the Temple of Isis at Philae, taking in the Unfinished Obelisk and the dams on the way, but the rarely visited ruins of ancient Abu and the small Aswan Museum on Elephantine Island are fascinating, as are the exquisite botanical gardens and the Nubia Museum.
The best time to visit Aswan is in winter, when the days are warm and dry. In summer the temperature hovers between 38°C and 45°C; it’s too hot by day to do anything but sit by a fan and swat flies, or flop into a swimming pool.
Nile Valley: Beni Suef to Qena
If you’re in a hurry to reach the treasures and pleasures of the south, it is easy to dismiss this first segment of Upper Egypt between Cairo and Luxor. But the less touristed parts of the country almost always repay the effort of a visit.
Much of this part of the valley is less developed than the other valleys – you will see farmers still working by hand – but people here also have to grapple with the issues of modernity, with water and electricity shortages, and since the downfall of the Muslim Brotherhood, with sectarian tension and security issues.
However much a backwater this region might seem, it played a key role in Egypt’s destiny as its many archaeological sites bear witness – from the lavishly painted tombs of the early provincial rulers at Beni Hasan to the remains of the doomed city of Akhetaten, where Tutankhamun was brought up, and the Pharaonic-inspired monasteries of the early Christian period.
Dahab
Low-key, laid-back and low-rise, Dahab is the Middle East’s prime beach resort for independent travellers. The startling transformation from dusty Bedouin outpost to spruced-up tourist village is not without its detractors, who reminisce fondly of the days when beach bums dossed in basic huts by the shore. But for all the starry-eyed memories, there are plenty of plusses that have come with prosperity. Diving is now a much safer and more organised activity thanks to better regulation of operators; and the town is cleaner and more family-friendly, offering accommodation choices for everyone rather than just hardened backpackers.
Meaning ‘gold’ in Arabic – a reference to the area’s sandy coastline (despite the main tourist area having no golden sands to speak of) – Dahab is a great base from which to explore some of Egypt’s most spectacular diving and snorkelling. Predominantly a Bedouin enclave at its heart, Dahab is also the preferred base for organising guided trekking and camel excursions into the interior deserts, as well as to the lofty heights of Mt Sinai.
This is the one town in South Sinai where independent travellers are the rule rather than the exception and Dahab’s growth has not destroyed its budget-traveller roots. Reeled in by a fusion of hippy mellowness and resort chic (where cappuccino and sushi are as much a part of the action as cheap rooms and herds of goats fossicking in the back alleys), many travellers plan a few nights here and instead stay for weeks.
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal, Egypt’s glorious triumph of engineering over nature, dominates this region, slicing through the sands of the Isthmus of Suez for 163km, not only severing mainland Egypt from Sinai but also Africa from Asia. The canal was the remarkable achievement of Egypt’s belle époque, an era buoyed by grand aspirations and finished by bankruptcy and broken dreams. This period also gave birth to the canalside cities of Port Said and Ismailia. Today their streets remain haunted by this fleeting age of grandeur, their distinctive architecture teetering on picturesque disrepair.
Although this region is often bypassed by all but the most rampant supertanker-spotters, anyone with an interest in Egypt’s modern history will enjoy the crumbs of former finery on display. And while the Canal Zone may have no vast ruins or mammoth temples, there’s a slower pace to life here that will be appreciated by those travelling with time up their sleeve.
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