Photo of the Week: Watermelons For Sale (Luxor, Egypt)

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With a backdrop of centuries-old walls and only a block from the stunning Karnak Temple, a watermelon salesman tries to sell his stock of watermelons before the heat of the midday sun empties the streets. The Egyptian streets were filled with wonderful seasonal fruits and spices grown on the banks of the life-giving Nile.

Luxor Vacations

The Splendours of Makadi Bay (Egypt)

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guest post by Red Sea Holidays

Egypt is home to many ancient splendours and modern attractions, making the country a favourite Middle Eastern holiday destinations. And why not? Situated between the Mediterranean Basin and the Red Sea, Egypt has a great range of tempting locations in which to stay for a short break or for a long holiday – the choice is up to you. And if Egypt’s the destination, make Makadi Bay, on the eastern coast, the travel base.

One of the new resorts springing up along the Red Sea, Makadi Bay is an experience in Egyptian luxury and hospitality that shouldn’t be missed. Based around leisure, shopping, and activities, Makadi Bay is the perfect destination for those seeking escapism, pampering, relaxation and something a little different. The resort is home to bars, restaurants, shops, bazaars, and the latest in relaxation facilities; there are also amazing beaches and stunning views of the arid land between the Nile and the Red Sea. Just south of Hurghada, the capital of the Red Sea governorate and site of the closest international airport, the resort is incredibly easy to reach. If none of that sounds ideal enough already, the resort acts as a fantastic base for trips to other places of interest in Egypt and out in the Red Sea.

Due to the nature of the resort, the quality of accommodation is really high; you can book with complete ease of mind that, whatever your budget, your stay will be comfortable and of a superb standard. Egyptian service is beyond compare, as all visitors are welcomed here and every need is catered for. Looking for adventure and activity? The water sports are incomparable: the Red Sea is one of the most fascinating dive sites in the world, and Makadi Bay is perfect for beginner and professional alike. Swimming, horse riding, tennis, indoor climbing, whatever particular thrill you’re seeking, Makadi Bay offers it. As well as entertainment on tap, the resort has some of the best spa and relaxation facilities in the area. For those needing pampering, the massages, spas, indoor pools and health gyms will provide the relief necessary for a true holiday.

The bars, restaurants and shops located with the resort-town are definitely recommended. A world of cuisines is available, with a restaurant to suit every taste and enough places to experience a different flavour every day for at least a month. Don’t miss the local restaurants offering authentic Middle Eastern fare. The shops are individualistic and fascinating, enough to tempt even the most retail-resistant partner into browsing for hours. Finding a souvenir was never so easy. And at night, the bars and clubs come to life: the nightlife is vibrant and fun, so expect to make new friends and enjoy new experiences during a stay in Makadi Bay.

However long the visit, whatever your budget, and whatever personal taste, there is something here for everyone. Makadi Bay is considered part of the Red Sea Riviera for a reason: visit and experience the comfort and the exquisite beauty on offer in style.

Photo Credits: sunrise, resort, fish, bar

Photo of the Week: The Winds of Change in Egypt

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The people-driven winds of change blow through Egypt and its Middle Eastern and North African neighbours will hopefully lead to improved leadership across the region. It is difficult to imagine what the average person on the street must be thinking in a country that has been characterised by submission to a ruler since the times of the pharoahs (how else would these remarkable temples such as the pictured 2,000 year old Edfu Temple have been so effectively built) and that has undergone remarkably few dramatic political changes in its long history.

Is the population that has booted out the Mubarak regime ready to voice and express their opinions for a new inclusive leadership where the elected officials govern for the population and not simply themselves? What of the other countries in the region? Only time will tell...

Step Pyramid: The First Pyramid (Saqqara, Egypt)

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Written by Travel Wonders and sponsored by DealChecker.co.uk, providers of Egypt holidays and holiday dreams around the world.

Around 40 kilometres south of Cairo lays Egypt’s first great pyramid – one of history’s most enduring ancient symbols. While the pyramid is the centrepiece of any funerary complex for an Egyptian pharaoh, a number of other buildings are built to support the pharaoh’s more than comfortable transition to the afterlife.

Historians believe that previous tombs were unimpressively constructed of mud-brick and sand, built as a single large platform. The Step Pyramid was planned with six stacked terraces or mastabas of large stone blocks and was originally encased in polished white limestone. Like their famous cousins at Giza, the large stones created an exceptional workload and huge engineering challenges with over 250,000 tonnes of rock slabs lifted and joined to create this staggering 60 metre tall edifice.

Hidden from view are kilometres of passageways for the burial of the pharaoh’s family and the various goods, food stuffs, furniture, jewels and comforts required for the next life.

Entrance to the complex is via an impressive colonnaded corridor of 20 pairs of six metre columns into a giant hall, the modern roof providing the only relief from the sapping desert heat.

Further buildings include the impressive Jubilee Court featuring shrines to Upper and Lower Egypt (the two kingdoms that merged under pharaonic rule).

Remarkably the shrines include the first example of tourist graffiti with a protected black marking estimated to have been mischievously scrawled 1,500 years after the tomb’s construction.

From this one location, looking further south around 10 kilometres over the parched desert sands, the evolution of Egyptian pyramids stands before us. The so-called Bent Pyramid represents the first straight sided pyramid but the engineers started construction too steeply. Half way through the building, the angle dramatically changes from the initial 56 degrees to the standard 43 degrees resulting in a pronounced kink in the sides. Interestingly, this pyramid retains most of white limestone casing, lost on most pyramids over the centuries.

The neighbouring Red Pyramid, named for its reddish hue, shows the first true pyramid built at an angle of 43 degrees from the start. The three pyramids capture the development of Egypt’s extraordinary monuments – their longevity a testament to exceptional feats of mind-blowing engineering. Only one hundred years later, the great pyramids at Giza and the only survivor of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World were constructed.

While the area is dusty, dry and hot, it is difficult to comprehend standing around nearly 5,000 years of history celebrating one of mankind’s earliest advanced civilisations (check out the Egyptian medical knowledge). Imagine the incredible skills and knowledge required to move huge stone blocks using little more than wooden rollers and manpower. To view the first attempt of Egypt’s finest travel legacy is to witness Egypt’s superb monuments to the immortality of its ancient leaders.

This Egyptian article (written by Travel Wonders) is sponsored by cheap holidays from dealchecker.co.uk - the travel comparison website.

Photo of the Week - The Nile: Lifeblood of Egypt

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Even as a child, I recall learning of the huge importance of the Nile flood plain to the ancient Egyptians as their source of crops. Twisting its way through the Sahara Desert, the Nile was the lifeblood of Egypt throughout the ages.

This hazy photo snapped from a plane flying to Luxor shows the sharp contrast between the rich, fertile soils of the Nile and the arid sands of the Egyptian desert. Every square inch of arable land is dedicated to growing food, the housing relegated to the desert sands. I think the photo captures in the sharp contrast of green and yellow, the significance of the Nile as a source of food and transportation and its support of virtually the entire Egyptian population who live within a short distance of this meandering famed river.

Modern Medicine in Ancient Egypt? (Kom Ombo, Egypt)

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With scant and imprecise records, it remains somewhat of a mystery as to how developed in the science of medicine and health some of the advanced ancient civilizations were around the world. One such mystery lies in the elegant travel wonder, the Temple of Kom Ombo, built on a bend in the Nile just over two thousand years ago.


Most visitors to Egypt split their time between the seething pandemonium of Cairo with its world-famous Pyramids, Sphinx and museum and enjoying a few days cruising the snaking Nile between Luxor and Aswan (or vice versa). Between restful scenes of farm and rural life along the banks and the gentle flutter of white sails on the feluccas as they exploit the subtle breezes, the cruises stop off at various temples. These remarkable feats of engineering on an immense scale are richly inscribed and delicately decorated in hieroglyphics detailing the deep sense of the importance of religion and culture in Egyptian life at the time.

Strolling around the dual temple at Kom Ombo, unusually dedicated to both Sobek (the crocodile-headed god of creation and fertility) and Horus the Elder (the falcon-headed god of protection) there is a sense of familiarity with the towering symmetric columns of the hypostyle halls and the remains of the various rooms, halls, chambers and sanctuaries. The flecks of paint that have survived the test of time serve as a reminder of what an extraordinary sight these striking structures must have been in full vivid colour back in ancient times. A small crypt off to one side houses a handful of mummified crocodiles.

However, along the back wall in among the hieroglyphics is a surprise. The wall contains engravings of scalpels, forceps, small bottles, scissors, scales, hooks, probes, dilators and various other pieces of medical supplies – the first known depictions of surgical equipment and surely an indicator of advanced medical expertise. Despite the ancient Egyptian’s remarkable skills in dealing with mummies, is it feasible that such medical practices were available over two thousand years ago and numerous centuries before most of these procedures are generally accepted to have been performed?

Another wall shows what appears to be a stethoscope complete with its two cords for the ears and cup for placing against the patient’s chest. Yet, the invention for this instrument is credited to a Frenchman, René Laennec around twenty centuries later in 1816. While opinion among Egyptologists vary as to whether this is a stethoscope, it is difficult to come up with another sensible view on what we may be.

As the small boats paddle for home silhouetted by the reds and oranges of the setting sun painted on the Nile and the floodlights start to dominate the Ptolemaic temple, it is interesting to contemplate on whether Kom Ombo will ever yield its medical secrets to the modern world. Irrespective, it is interesting to hear the stories of the guides around the Egyptian travel wonders and to speculate on the skills of this extraordinary ancient civilisation.

Great Pyramids and Sphinx (Egypt)

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Through the dust and sand, these three giants stand proudly overseeing so much of the world's history. Crowds snap photos and gaze in amazement, touts hawk the latest in T-shirts, plastic pyramids and hats to hide the sun. Camels cruise by, seemingly unaware of the fuss.

Built over 4,500 years ago, the Pyramids are the only survivor of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Although there are around 100 pyramids in Egypt and Sudan, the most famous are the Pyramids of Giza, a virtual suburb of Cairo. As the ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife, the pyramids are built on the west side (setting sun side) of the Nile and are glorious mausoleums to the pharaohs. They sit on a perfect north-south alignment. When you are there, note the extraordinary architectural skill - the huge blocks aligned into a perfect pyramid with only the mesuring tools of almost 4,000 years ago to guide.

In order of size, and looking from right to left are the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) at 137 metres in height, the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus). All three were originally coated in a white limestone coating so they would have sparkled in the hot desert sun. The limestone has been taken over the years for other buildings and only a small cap on the middle pyramid (Khafre) and a small amount around the base of Khufu remains.

The Pyramid of Khufu remained the tallest building in the world for another 3,800 years.

Near the Pyramid of Menkaure are the three much smaller Queen’s pyramids. Beyond this area, touts will sell camel rides. While they charge much more than they should, some bargaining will reduce the price a little (though the camel owners are seasoned pros). The view from the end of the ride makes it all worthwhile and sets a great end-on scene of all three giants.

Either side of the Pyramid of Khufu are the cemeteries of the various nobles. At times, a couple of these are accessible though finding the guard with the keys can be tricky.

Getting There

Try to come here early in the morning to have less crowds and to get away from some of the midday desert heat. Taxis cost around E£20 (US$3) from the center of Cairo or E£5 (US$1) from the Giza metro stop. There are two entrances to the Pyramids.

The Sphinx

Though smaller than most people imagine when they first see it (due to photos where it is in the foreground and the pyramids in the background), the Sphinx is still a mesmerising sight. Thought to be a model of Khafre (the middle pyramid’s pharaoh) with his royal headcloth, the Sphinx looks eastward guarding the Pyramids. The story that one of Napoleon's men shot off his nose seems unlikely. Sadly, the Sphinx's beard is in the British Museum (London).

Inside the Pyramids

Although there is not much to see inside, it is an experience to climb through one of these ancient wonders and into the actual tomb area. Khufu follows to both the King’s gallery and also to the Queen’s gallery. Typically two of the three pyramids are open at any one time (one being closed for maintenance).

Light and Sound Show

The sound and light show is held every night in different languages (three shows per night). It is well worth the journey as the lighting is spectacular with the use of colors and lasers to tell the story of the pharaohs (the Sphinx tells the story!).