One of our intrepid travellers, Huey, travelled on the ‘Best of Egypt’ 14 day accommodated trip which started on the 5th December 2010 in Cairo, and wrote us a daily diary!

Here is the final part of her series of diary entries….

Day 10 – 13 – Hurghada to Dahab
We took the short flight from Hurghada to Sharm el-Sheikh, before continuing by road to Dahab as the ferry services were not operational during our stay.

Dahab is a magical laid-back seaside town where you can choose to do plenty (from climbing Mount Sinai & visiting St Catherine’s Monastery, hop across the Gulf to Petra, Jordan to see one of the 7 Wonders of the World, snorkel/scuba-dive the amazing Red Sea, quad-biking in the desert) or do nothing!

We opted to climb Mount Sinai & visit St Catherine’s Monastery. We also did a daytrip to Petra, Jordan to see one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

Day 14 – Dahab to Cairo
An overnight bus trip back to Cairo marks the end of a wonderful journey where we saw plenty of historical monuments, breathtaking scenery, amazing stories & lots of friendly locals.

To find our more about overland trips in Egypt and the Middle East contact the OverlandingAfrica.com team or post your comments below.

One of our intrepid travellers, Huey, travelled on the ‘Best of Egypt’ 14 day accommodated trip which started on the 5th December 2010 in Cairo, and wrote us a daily diary!

Here is the fifth part of her series of diary entries….

Day 8 – Luxor
Valley of the Kings is where we headed today. With 63 tombs discovered & more to go, it’s no wonder why the name. The choice of Middle Kingdom Pharaohs onwards to deter grave robbers, they chose this location due to its super hard limestone rock. The choice of 3 tombs to visit is up to what fascinates you – the artwork, painting, carvings which are still intact (Ramses IV for example), Tutankhamen’s famously intact tomb (with his mummy still in it) or Tutmosis III’s super deep, 135 metre deep tomb – there’s something for everyone!

Valley of the Workers (or more like, Artists) is even more impressive as we get to see some truly impressive artwork which the artists/architects that works on the King’s tombs produce for their own afterlife home! The artwork & carvings are still very well preserved & shows the life of these artisans during ancient times.

You can opt to see a more rustic side of Luxor on donkey or horse back, where it is good fun to see locals & school kids waving hello at you!

We also visited the Sunshine Project, a home for children which Oasis Overland sponsors a child. It was a lot of fun playing with the kids which are abandoned or orphaned, while doing our part to help the centre run better via contributions as well as knowing that by traveling with Oasis, we are indirectly helping local kids to have a better future as well. A truly meaningful trip!

Day 9 – Luxor to Hurghada
We say goodbye to our 10 day trip buddies & make our way to Hurghada, a Red Sea Coast town. After a scenic 5 hour drive through the Eastern Desert, which offered amazing landscapes in the changing light, we arrive at Hurghada where many come for the beaches to spend the night. We enjoyed a more relaxed night with some pizza, beers & game of pool at our hotel lounge.

To find our more about overland trips in Egypt and the Middle East contact the OverlandingAfrica.com team or post your comments below.

One of our intrepid travellers, Huey, travelled on the ‘Best of Egypt‘ 14 day accommodated trip which started on the 5th December 2010 in Cairo, and wrote us a daily diary!

Here is the fourth part of her series of diary entries….

Day 6 – Felucca sailing down the Nile
We begun the next morning bright & early, where a much welcomed breakfast of eggs & bread is served. Imagine our happiness when there was coffee & tea too!

After a quick round of clean up, we set sail again where everyone caught up on reading, chats & some trivia as well.

Sailing on the Nile without all the modern convenience trappings was interesting to say the least. It offered a good chance to just disconnect from everything & catch up on more traditional things like chit chatting in person & reading books, which are all things we take for granted these days.

Even though it can be a bit drawn out, nothing beats waking up on the water, literally!

Day 7 – Off the Felucca, off to Edfu & Luxor
After 2 peaceful days aboard the Felucca, we docked & caught up with our minibus to make our way to Luxor, where many sights await us.

En-route to Luxor, we stopped by Edfu to see Temple of Horus . A temple only rediscovered 200 years ago, it is a complex dedicated to the falcon God, Horus. The son of the God, Osiris & Goddess, Isis, he is  very important in ancient Egyptian times as he signifies protection by being the God of the Sky & War.

In this temple is also where Horus met his wife, Hathor (Goddess of Music & Art) as depicted by the carving of the Beautiful Meeting. One of the most intact & well-preserved temple, with some of its original colours still visible, this temple offered many invaluable information about high priest practices & way of life during the ancient Egyptian times to Egyptologists.

We finally arrived at historic Luxor, home to Valley of the Kings & some truly amazing temples. The capital for many Pharaohs, this city held tremendous importance during ancient Egyptian rule.

Our first stop was to visit Luxor temple, where many Egyptian rulers from Old to New Kingdom, to Greco-Roman & Arabian rule converge via continuous building across the site. Pharaohs from Ramses II to Tutankhamun to Alexander the Great all left their mark here & with it still being so remarkable despite it being badly ruined only make us wonder how much more grand it was during its heyday.

To find our more about overland trips in Egypt and the Middle East contact the OverlandingAfrica.com team or post your comments below.