| Leg 11 - Egypt |
At Aswan we leave the ferry from Wadi Halfi and enter Egypt. Aswan is situated at a particularly beautiful stretch of the Nile, dark blue water surrounded by dense palms and butterscotch islands. |
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Nile river at Aswan |
Abu Simbel - Ramses II |
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| It is also Egypt's southernmost city and the place where the Nubian culture meets the legendary history of Egypt. Above all, it will be our base to discover the awesome temple complex of Abu Simple before heading north towards Luxor. |
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Luxor at night |
Luxor at daylight |
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| Luxor is built on the remains of the 4000 year-old city of Thebes and has an extraordinary concentration of monuments. There are countless temples, the Colossi of Menron and the Valley of the Kings. But there is also the Valley of the Queens with its star attraction, the Tomb of Nefertari, whose stunning wall paintings are known to be the finest in all Egypt. |
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Great Pyramids at Giza |
Sphinx at Giza |
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| The Great Pyramids of Giza are the sole survivors of the Seven Wonders of the World. The most spectacular views are from afar, at sunrise and sunset without the crowds who converge on them like ants to their hill. Little is known about them and the neighbouring Sphinx. Much of what is told is based on assumptions which are not necessarily true. So when visiting them, let your imagination take control. |
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Egyptian Museum - Cairo |
Islamic Art Museum - Cairo |
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| Cairo is the biggest city in Africa and certainly a busy one too. Some say it survives each day in brilliant chaos orchestrated by the never ending sound of traffic horns. There is much to see and one of the highlights is the Egyptian Museum with its treasures and mummies of the ancient Egyptian civilisation. |
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Egyptian men |
Bibliotheca Alexandrina |
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From Cairo our journey continues north to Alexandria, the famous city on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Alexandria was established in 332 BC by Alexander the Great and was a major trading centre and a place of learning. However, the legendary ancient library which once held over 500 000 volumes of books and papyrus scrolls burnt down in the 3rd century. Today Alexandria seeks to rekindle its former status with the creation of its new Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
It is here where we have completed the first part of our expedition - crossing Africa from South to North! Now we will head East to West, from Egypt via Libya to Tunesia.
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Leg 11 - Estimated distances and duration |
| Aswan - Luxor |
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| Luxor - Cairo |
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| Cairo - Alexandria - Sallum |
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| Accumulated estimates from start at Cape Agulhas |
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| Above travel distances are between major travel beacons and do not include any deviations such as excursions to tourist attractions, scenic routes, game drives etc. |
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| Other Information |
Unfortunately, we can not cover all great travel landmarks, destinations and tourist attractions in Egypt but will mention some of them here for you to explore:
Luxor, Abu Simbel, Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, Memphis, Saqqara, Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Western desert and oasis, Sinai peninsula and Mt Sinai, Suez Canal and last but not least diving in the Red Sea. |
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