As you probably know, Dan and I went to Jordan last month for almost two weeks! Our trip was amazing, but the main point of it was, obviously, Petra!! Petra had just re-opened during our visit and we only saw 12 other tourists, which was crazy! I will be posting a full write up and guide on Tuesday, but here are some of our favorite pictures for your Friday viewing pleasure! Happy Weekend!!
After Dan and my Nile River cruise last April ended in Aswan, Egypt, we flew from Aswan to Cairo to end our trip sightseeing around Cairo and of course, visiting the Great Egyptian Pyramids! Arriving in Cairo after spending a week in small towns was a bit of a wake-up and an interesting way to end our trip. Many people we spoke with on our trip, both tourists and Egyptians, advised that Cairo would be our least favorite place in Egypt, and categorized it as a dirty, dangerous, sprawling city. We didn’t find this to be the case AT ALL and actually had a ton of fun in Cairo! That being said, it is a CRAZY HUGE city with a million things happening at once. This post talks about what we did in Cairo and our experience in the city in 2019 (pre-COVID)!
From the Carlton Hotel’s rooftop bar, The Roof Garden, overlooking the Egyptian Supreme Court in Downtown Cairo on a Saturday afternoon.
Al-Sahaby Lane is a good, while touristy, Egyptian restaurant right in the middle of Luxor, very close to the Luxor tourist souk and within walking distance of the river cruise port and the Temple of Luxor. Al-Sahaby Lane is located on the roof of the Nefertiti Hotel (there are many steps and I did not see an elevator). Reservations are not required and the restaurant is most certainly casual.
Entrance to Al Sah-aby Lane from the street.
Aswan, Egypt. Its a small city in Southern Egypt, home to the High Aswan Dam, an unfinished obelisk, the Philae Temple, and the Old Cataract Hotel (of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile fame). Its also a really gorgeous city set along the Nile River and the gateway to Abu Simbel. The locals were friendly and, notably (and somewhat surprisingly), it felt more progressive than the other cities that we visited in Egypt. For all of these reasons, I loved Aswan, and I would love to go back and spend more time.
Pretty flowers everywhere in Aswan.
We visited Aswan at the end of a 5-night Nile River cruise earlier this year. I knew nothing – at all – about Aswan prior to visiting and would have certainly skipped Aswan absent our cruise itinerary. However, I am so glad we stopped, as it was the prettiest city that we visited in Egypt! I kept saying that it reminded me of a Greek island. And it really did!
Prior to planning our trip to Egypt, I hardly knew anything about Abu Simbel. Yes, I had heard of it and I *kind of* knew what it looked like, but nothing more. At all. But, as soon as I dug into Abu Simbel, a visit was absolutely non-negotiable. Planning this “must do” activity turned out to be more work than anticipated, as its a flight from Cairo or Luxor or 6-hour round trip drive from Aswan! In any case, we worked it out and it was one of both Dan and my favorite activities in Egypt, rivaling even the pyramids!
Shara sunrise en route to Abu Simbel.
