My trip to Egypt last month..

If there is heaven on earth coupled with merciless heat from the hell it is none other than a serene cruise along the river Nile teleporting you back to the ancient kingdom rich with history and culture, the mythical and mystical land of Egypt. As a kid I never dreamt of visiting Eiffel Tower in Paris, Statue of Liberty in NY or the spectacular Petronas Towers in KL but was always fascinated with the temples of Egypt mesmerizing one with the beautifully engraved hieroglyphs. As soon as I landed in Egypt, the cool breeze emanating from River Nile refreshed my senses and I was all excited to explore the magnificent land.

Cairo is a very beautiful city and the lifestyle is a blend of oriental and occidental culture.The tangy hibiscus drink ‘karkedy’ served at the hotel was so invigorating after a tiresome journey that I quaffed 3 glasses. The next day we set out for sight seeing in Cairo .First stop was undoubtedly the Giza pyramids. Breathtaking and spectacular the trio of pyramids of Khufu, Menkaure and Khafre speak volumes of the pharoah’s effort in laying out a royal tomb ranging from 20-50 years. Could not help wondering the luxury and the godly status given to the pharaohs not only when they are alive enjoying all the perks but even their death is marked with pomp and stupendous farewell. There was a small entrance to the pyramid brightly lit with electrical lamps, flanked with plates of hieroglyphics which opened up a tunnel into history to view the burial chambers where the pharaohs were buried. There were no steps, one had to clamber and reach the burial chamber. There was this never ending queue and seeing the tourists puffing and panting for breath I could not venture to go in which I dearly regret. Amidst the scorching heart of the desert was the Sphinx overlooking all the pyramids, which is incidentally the guardian of the desert. After the Giza , it was the turn to visit the world renowned Papyrus Institute where they show how ancient Egyptians manufactured paper from the Papyrus plant , the live demonstration of the papyrus was complemented with the breath taking papyrus gallery Next , it is the Cairo Museum where one can find royal mummies and Tutankuman's coffin made of gold !. Finally you can’t leave Cairo without visiting the Khan e Khalili market where Indians are greeted with hospitality. Aruna and others have managed to provide me few tips for bargaining and I landed up buying exquisite souvenirs and show pieces. I had tough time resisting the urge to buy everything made of Egyptian cotton which was so soft.

We journeyed past the Cosmopolitan Cairo towards the South along the river Nile visiting Luxor, Karnak, Edfu, Valley of the Kings etc. The temples in Karnak and Luxor were splendidly lit in the night and buzzing with tourists. One can’t help wondering how the ancient Egyptians could carve perfect symmetrical shapes with primitive tools and the nature preserved all this for more than 5000 years. The Karnak temple was very vast and
one should not miss the rows of pillars in the Hypostyle Hall. After watching several programs on Discovery on the mind boggling tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the moment I was seated on the tuk- tuk which transported people from the entrance to the valley, my heart started to race for I was going to see one of the most awaited places on my agenda. The valley is laced with tombs and it could take days to visit all of them and I could only visit 3.I chose two easy ones and one tough tomb to explore. The tough one being that of Thutmosis III which I believe is the toughest in the valley to explore. The easy ones were quite straightforward to explore you just have to walk on the horizontal ramp provided from the entrance of the tomb with a slight slope and marvel at the rock cut inscriptions. Finally after 5-20 mins [depending on the selected tomb] you arrive at the sarcophagus alas the burial chamber. Most of the mummies are in Cairo museum so don’t get disappointed to find an empty coffin for the chamber is worth to visit. Thutmosis was unlike the other two it was more like a task from a ‘Crystal Maze’ series where you need to go up and down the stairs, walk using a rope, go several meters deep in the ground with no light, air and finally you arrive at the chamber. Trust me if you ever have to choose which tomb to visit then TIII is a must and don’t miss out on that.


Though most of the architectural wonders in Egypt lay in ruins today nevertheless it is worth watching the amazing artistry our ancients were capable of. This trip was even more special to me because I travelled with my parents and had an opportunity to meet some really nice people. Some of the other highlights of the trip were Calash ride [tonga ride] in Luxor, Felucca ride in the Nile, lovely Mediterranean food to tantalize any gastronomist's palate.


Last but not the least neither my glorified words nor my amateurish photographs can truly describe the extraordinary place called `Egypt'.

1) Giza Pyramids
2) Sphinx
3) Valley of the Kings
4) Luxor Temple
5) Karnak Temple

Dear Sabita ...

Very happy for you !! Enjoyed your write-up !! Nice to see the snaps... Awesome !

Very very good description of your trip Sabitha . Enjoyed seeing the pics. too !
Took me back to ours 8 yrs. ago . We can keep marvelling at the Pyramids for the whole day .... pity you opted not to go into one !
Did you go the Pharonic Village ?
In Luxor, there are so many tombs and so little time to see everything. Yes, even I would rate the Tutmoses tomb as the 'not to be missed' one. We narrowly missed it 'cos our guide was rushing us & suggested some other tomb ; but my husband remembered the hotel guide's recommendation and thankfully we didn't miss it at all . We enjoyed the calm and organised pace of Luxor more than bustling Cairo . In fact, only after Luxor did we know that Egypt is not just about Tutankhamun and Cleopatra alone ...

Gowri , thanks for your lovely comments.

Grace, aah I regret my decision of not going inside the pyramid and as a rebound chose the toughest tomb to explore in the valley and was puffing and panting by the time I came out.You are right there is so much more than just the Giza Pyramids in Egypt and I loved the rural city of Luxor.Next time I would love to go to Alexandria and other places that I missed out..and probably learn lil Arabic as well.The people were so friendly but unfortunately I could not communicate in their language and felt bad that I could not thank for their hospitality enough.

-Sabitha

Sabitha,

Awesome writeup, felt like I was there with ya...

I wish I see those amazing pyramids one day..

HI sabitha...

wonderful writeup enjoyed reading...
pictures were too good gave us the real feel...
thanks for sharing...

It was the urge to get information on travel destinations made me join this place and even before I could give my introduction this particular thread attracted me.
Always had a passion of visiting passion and after the detailed reading and the pictures you have simply ignited my passion even more. Yes as all others have mentioned here too your way of describing is awesome and you actually made me see the places through your eyes. In future when things get finalized of the trip there I might require some more tips from you hope to get your support then too.
Please let us all know of the other places where you traveled.

Mkanera, thanks for the lovely comments.

You are from Tripura.It is so rare to come across people from such gorgeous places since most of them move to metropolitan cities owing to education or work.Would love to hear more about your place.I am sure you have reams to speak of your beautiful place.

-Sabitha

Hey Sabitha ,

I just stumbled by your post !! I liked the visit with you ! ;) Truly awesome !!