No, Egypt holidays are ideal for those who want to come home from their holiday having done things they couldn’t do at home, and feeling enriched in mind and spirit even if they are a bit impoverished in the pocket for a while afterwards.
The fact is that there is so much to experience and to learn in the land of the pharaohs that however many holidays to Egypt you take you’ll always come back having done or learned something different from your previous trips. You’ll be doing all this in the warm, sunny climate of North Africa too. Egypt has it all!
Whereabouts in Egypt is the best place to head for? That’s a tough question, there are so many places of interest. Holidays to Luxor are very popular, it being so handy for the Valley of The Kings and the Pyramids and all the other temples and monuments.
Luxor has plenty to offer in its own right. It was the ancient city of Thebes which was the great capital of Egypt in the time of the New Kingdom. It was the glorious city of the God, Amon Ra. Even today, coming from the UK, you feel as though you’ve wandered into another world as you stroll around the bazaars and soak up the atmosphere.
From here you can even take a trip in a balloon over the Valley of The Kings to get a completely different perspective on the amazing structures. That could be very useful if you’re only on a short visit!
But that’s just Luxor. Everywhere you go in Egypt you’re surrounded by history and relics of the great civilisation that flourished here so many centuries ago.
One of the great features of Egypt of course is the River Nile. For many years regarded as the World’s longest river, though these days many say it’s actually second to the Amazon if you care about that sort of argument, it is the reason for Egypt’s existence.
The effect of that is that all of Egypt’s civilisations have grown up and faded away in their turn along a relatively narrow strip of land on each side of the river. That means that most of the places of interest are within easy reach of the river.
One exception to that is the city of Sharm el Sheikh which is on the shore of the Red sea. It‘s a very popular resort and for anyone who wants to go diving in Egypt it’s the place to go. If you’re not a diver already what better place to learn than in the warm waters of the Red Sea?
Going back to the Nile, and in Egypt you’re never far away from it, it is a feature you can make good use of on your holiday. As long as people have lived in Egypt, which is about as long as they’ve lived anywhere, the Nile has provided a ready made natural highway to enable people and goods to travel about the country. Ever since holidays to Egypt first became popular, many years ago now, Nile cruises have been a favourite way to see and enjoy the sights and local culture.
Cruising the Nile can be done in a number of ways. Anyone familiar with Agatha Christie’s, “Death on the Nile,” especially one of the film versions, will recognise the large river steamers that carry numerous passengers in style and elegance stopping off at all the places of interest. That’s a wonderful way to see Egypt in comfort.
If you’d rather get closer to the working life of the country and its atmosphere and character, you can. Sail the river in a traditional Felucca, one of the few types of working sailing vessels still in everyday use earning their keep. You’ll soon appreciate how the winds and the river currents are used to advantage by these sailors using skills and knowledge handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.
Egypt holidays frequently start and finish in Cairo, “the city of a thousand minarets,” as it has been called. Then as you follow the Nile you won’t miss anything, since most places of interest are situated close to the river. Either when you arrive or before you leave, you’ll want to spend time exploring the fascinating city of Cairo itself.
If you don’t see everything this time, never mind. You’ll be back for more!
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