Egypt invites exploration into a captivating past and present. Bustling cities such as Cairo and Luxor embrace Egypt’s ancient civilization which boasts a rich tapestry of thousands of years of history.
Egypt was a trip that I had not planned on taking. Because of covid I ended up with a rather large credit from a cancelled tour that I was to take in 2020. This credit was set to expire at the end of December 2023. When going through options to use up my credit I came across a riverboat cruise down the Nile. This cruise is offered by many different riverboat companies. I sailed with https://www.amawaterways.ca/. Egypt became a default destination that turned out to be one of the best trips I’ve ever taken.
Pinch me moments
During my time in Egypt I had so many pinch me moments. I don’t remember how many times I said “wow” in the 12 days I spent there, from the first time I seen the pyramids to walking through the Valley of the Kings and descending the steps to the Tomb of Tut Ankh Amun (Tutankhamun).
Of course, I want to share some tips, information on the cruise, and things I didn’t expect, but first here are some of the highlights from my visit to Egypt:
The Pyramids
The first pyramid I visited was King Djoser’s step pyramid in Saqqara. What amazed me was not only the size but the fact that we were able to get close enough to touch it. It is said that this is the first pyramid the Egyptians ever build. The fact that it still stands, 4500 years after it was constructed, is amazing.
The three pyramids in Giza were also amazing. As expected, the site was very touristy and the trinket merchants were everywhere. I will talk about these merchants and their sales tactics later in this blog. That was an experience that was not enjoyable………..but I digress. As a photographer, I was excited to visit the Great Pyramid and I was not disappointed.
This was my favourite view of the pyramids. Prior to taking this shot I was actually right beside the great pyramid and even got to climb part way up it. You can even pay to go inside the pyramid but I choose not to do that. As I mentioned before I don’t always do the expected touristy stuff. I pick my moments. The line to get inside the pyramid was very lengthy and apparently the tunnel to the centre is very narrow and low, and the chamber is empty. I did toy with the idea of going inside the pyramid just so I could say I was there, but, for me, that wasn’t important. I got to enter lots of burial chambers at other sites that were very impressive. I don’t feel like I missed out by not going inside the pyramid.
The above images are two different views of the pyramids. The one on the left was taken from the patio of the Mena House (https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/caimn-marriott-mena-house-cairo/) where we had lunch. The image on the right is a shot taken at sunset from the balcony of my hotel room, The Four Seasons in Cairo (https://www.fourseasons.com/cairofr/). Prior to visiting Cairo I was told that the pyramids are in the middle of the city and that is somewhat true. The pyramids stand in the middle of a desert complex in Giza but are visible from many parts of the city.
Sphinx
Now, I thought there was only one sphinx, the famous one beside the Pyramids of Giza. I have since learned that the sphinx was a symbol used in many temples. The body of the sphinx is always a lion but the head is different, depending on who it represents.
Sometimes the sphinx has the head of an animal. In Luxor there are rows of sphinx lining the promenades into the temple. It isn’t hard to imagine how imposing the sight must have been 3500 years ago.
Tombs and Temples
As mentioned before, I visited lots of temples and tombs (10+). While they were all very impressive the one that is most memorable for me is the Tomb of Queen Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens. The drawings and hieroglyphics are so intact and vibrant that they could have been painted recently.
Descending the passageways into each tomb was exciting.
But, of course, the most exciting decent was to the burial chamber of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. Much smaller than expected and missing his treasures (but not his mummified body which is on display in the tomb) it was still a thrill to visit such a well known historical site. I did get to see some of the treasures from King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, including the burial mask. Many of the treasures have been moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), set to open sometime in the near future.
Some Things to Keep in Mind if Planning a Trip to Egypt
Currency
The Egyptian Pound (EGP) is the official currency in Egypt. I had taken some EGP with me but I also took US dollars. US dollars are widely accepted throughout Egypt. Crisp bills are preferred as the Egyptian banks do not take less than perfect bills.
Tipping
Tipping is expected in Egypt. You even have to tip to use the public washrooms. If you are using a tour company they will advise you on who to tip and how much is expected. Of course, the numbers provided are guidelines. Tourism is the number one source of income in Egypt so those in the industry rely on tips and will be very grateful for anything you can give. I suggest you take lots of $1 US bills. I had 20x$1 bills with me but ended up getting another 20 from my tour guide. The small bills are also good for small purchases, such as coffee or ice cream.
Public Washrooms
The public washrooms in Egypt are not clean. They also lack toilet paper, soap, and paper towels to dry your hands. You will be offered a few sheets of toilet paper as you enter the facility (you are expected to tip the attendant). Keeping this in mind, take tissues with you as well as hand sanitizer. Our guide pointed out the facilities that were the cleanest, told us which facilities to avoid, and even tipped the attendant for us.
Tourism Police and Armed Guards
Egypt takes the safety of tourists seriously. Police presence is all over Egypt. As a result there are armed tourism police everywhere. We even had an armed escort assigned to us every day. Tourism is the number one industry in Egypt so the government have put measures in place to make visitors to the country feel safe. When entering public spaces, such as historical sites and even our hotel and cruise ship, we had to go through a metal detector, just like the one at airport security. Don’t be unnerved or put off by this. I never felt unsafe in Egypt. I found the people to be very friendly and welcoming.
You May Need a Visa to Enter Egypt
Check with your travel agent or tour company to see if you need a visa to enter Egypt. I applied for an E-Visa online. It was processed quickly and I received it by email within two days of applying. The application process for you might be different. Because I had an E-Visa the authorities were able to access it online at the airport when I arrived. As I said before, I travelled with AmaWaterways. We were met at the airport by an Ama representative. The representative escorted us through security. Your tour company might offer the same service.
Souvenir Merchants
Souvenirs are on offer everywhere. It’s a given, right. Who doesn’t like to do a bit of window shopping when away? For me the Egyptian shopping experience was not pleasant. The merchants’ stalls are set up outside every tourist site. Very convenient except I found the merchants to be very aggressive and pushy. If I stopped to look at merchandise I was immediately swarmed by at least six merchants trying to sell me their wares. As a result browsing became impossible. I found the whole experience to be very uncomfortable and I eventually just kept my head down and walked as quickly as I could through the stalls. Now, this was just my experience and I understand you might enjoy stopping and bartering with the merchants. For me it was an experience I could have done without.
Cruising the Nile with AmaWaterways https://www.amawaterways.ca/
AmaWaterways were fantastic to deal with. Prior to my trip to Egypt I had never travelled with them before. All staff that I interacted with, from Chelsea who took care of my booking, to the staff on board the ship, were very friendly and accommodating. The standard of customer service was excellent.
The ship we were on was the AmaDahlia. It can accommodate up to 72 passengers. We had 57 passengers on board which meant our groups were small.
We were assigned an Egyptologist, Marwa, for the duration of our tour. Her knowledge of Ancient Egypt and love for her country made the trip even more enjoyable. She was a passionate storyteller who was able to take us back 4000 years to when the kings ruled Egypt.
My only critique would be how my omission from the list of the optional tour to Abu Simbel was handled. This optional tour cost an additional $900 for both me and my husband. I had emails confirming we were on the tour so I was surprised we were not on the list. When I brought the omission to the onboard Tour Manager I was told it was my responsibility to sort it out. Not exactly what you want to hear when you are thousands of miles from home. Fortunately Chelsea, my Ama booking agent back in the US, was able to resolve the issue for me. This would have been a less stressful experience had the Tour Manager sorted it out for me.
Apart from that, everything else went smoothly. I would definitely recommend AmaWaterways if you are thinking on booking a riverboat cruise.
In Conclusion
Egypt is a fantastic country to visit. The people are friendly and the historical sites are exceptional. I would encourage you to visit Egypt. Explore the ancient wonders and learn about the rich history of the pharaohs and dynasties. Take a cruise down the Nile, enjoy the cuisine, and experience the warm hospitality of Egypt’s captivating culture.