Exploring the Essence of Egypt through Uday’s Lenses
It was a very passionate endeavour, a trip to Egypt.
Uday’s wife’s willingness to explore this ancient land of mystery was stalled for quite a few years until they got the opportunity again this year in April. And he must say, it was a wonderful experience!
It was a long process, deciding on the travel company. But looking at the value Thrillophilia was offering, they had finally chosen to go with them. Their professional nature and caring attitude towards the customers are commendable.
Also, their communication skills are something to be proud of, Uday and his wife had all the info in their hands before boarding the flight, and even they were thorough in finalising the hotels and activities they wanted to do on this trip.
They also wanted the trip to focus more on the cultural aspect of the region, and not just the famous attractions. Additionally, they really wanted to go for the Nile river cruise which was duly added to the itinerary as well.
A big shout out to Akhil for that!
It was a trip of 11 days and they covered almost everything, starting from Cairo to Giza, Alexandria and Luxor. They got to know so many things about the place that no YouTube video or Google search can bring to you. Talking with the local people of a region is the best way to know about a place.
Human interactions can still overpower technology, this trip restored this belief of Uday’s.
The tour and its gems
For some time, Uday and his wife were stunned to see the cityscapes of Cairo. It was the perfect blend of the present and the past, with an impeccable scope for having a splendid future. It was a well-built city that gave access to some of the most important signs of world history (like the pyramids and the museums).
Their first day was spent in the Sahara Desert and the Bahariya Oasis. Uday must say this was the first time he had such an experience – the black and white sands gave a unique touch to the scenery, and the food at El Hez was delicious. They tried Fatta, Falafel, and Koshari, all of which were super savoury and gave them an idea of the regional agricultural products.
Exploring the cotton shops, the perfume factory and the papyrus fair the next day was awesome. They saw hundreds of varieties of cotton made here. Egyptian cotton is known to be the best quality cotton in the world, so buying a few products was the call of the day. Egypt is also famous for its attar and perfumes, and the factory producing these left them in awe. They witnessed the complex and fairly difficult process of making perfume, which only skilled hands could do justice to.
And the Papyrus Fair successfully took them on a tour of the past. The first origin of paper was the papyrus tree, and each piece of paper was very precious, carefully made to perfection, the fair showcased many ancient drawings and scriptures that truly enlightened them.
Apart from these, the second day was marked with a visit to the iconic Giza pyramids as well.
Time turning- a feeling
It would be foolish to say that they were transported back in time while touring Egypt. But yes, they did feel a tingling sensation of the past overpowering the present. Throughout the trip, they would compare sceneries and monuments to what they had learnt about them in the books, however, standing right in front of such sights, they were taken aback.
They had a 3-day-long Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. On the way, they made stops to explore other places like Edfu and Kom Ombo.
The most memorable part of the trip was visiting Luxor. They had a scheduled hot air balloon ride there, but they got so busy exploring the Luxor and the Karnak Temple that they got a bit late to reach the riding spot. Unfortunately, they could not take the ride as the weather conditions were not right.
It was best not to take any life risk, if anything happened, who would reflect on this trip and perhaps make an album out of it?
So, they skipped it and moved on to another attraction, the Colossi of Memnon. The two huge sculptures were initially built as guards to the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest one in the entire Theban Necropolis.
It was a marvellous sight that made sure you utter “this is larger than life”.
Sand- from deserts to beaches
On reaching Hurghada, Uday and his wife were awe-struck. The sparkling blue waters of the Red Sea soothed their minds and hearts. They spent this day at leisure doing a lot of beach activities, but mostly, they were swimming and spending a beautiful sunny day with each other.
It was a starkly different experience in Egypt. They started by visiting the desert, and they ended up exploring beaches. It was sandy all around, however, the diverse range of terrains was quite interesting to note.
Oh, Uday forgot to mention one part.
Their train ride from Cairo to Aswan was one hell of an experience. They could see the Egyptian countryside and the local people immersed in their daily livelihoods. Although the river cruise also offered them a similar sight, watching that from a cruise was different than taking a train ride. The passengers were also mostly local, so they could talk to them about their lives and hurdles as well.
Overall, it was a lovely trip. Uday and his wife had so much fun and such enriching events on their trip that they could not thank Thrillophilia enough after returning.
They kept enough scope to explore the place on their own, which elevated the experience. Uday and his wife are looking forward to more such travel experiences in the future as well. Hopefully, they will be with Thrillophilia as well!
Read More: Thrillophilia Egypt Reviews