Exploring the Essence of Egypt through Uday’s Lenses
It was a very passionate endeavour, a trip to Egypt.
My wife’s willingness to explore this ancient land of mystery was stalled for quite a few years until we got the opportunity again this year in April. And I 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 we 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, we had all the info in our hands before boarding the flight, and even they were thorough in finalising the hotels and activities we wanted to do on this trip.
We also wanted our trip to focus more on the cultural aspect of the region, and not just the famous attractions. Additionally, we 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 we covered almost everything, starting from Cairo to Giza, Alexandria and Luxor. We 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 mine.
The tour and its gems
For some time, my wife and I 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 you access to some of the most important signs of world history (like the pyramids and the museums).
Our first day was spent in the Sahara Desert and the Bahariya Oasis. I must say this was the first time I had such an experience- the black and white sands gave a unique touch to the scenery, and the food at El Hez was delicious. We tried Fatta, Falafel, and Koshari, all of which were super savoury and gave us an idea of the regional agricultural products.
Exploring the cotton shops, the perfume factory and the papyrus fair the next day was awesome. We 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 us in awe. We witness the complex and fairly difficult process of making perfume, which only skilled hands could do justice to.
And the Papyrus Fair successfully took us 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 us.
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 we were transported back in time while touring Egypt. But yes, we did feel a tingling sensation of the past overpowering the present. Throughout the trip, we would compare sceneries and monuments to what we had learnt about them in the books, however, standing right in front of such sights, we were taken aback.
We had a 3-day-long Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. On the way, we made stops to explore other places like Edfu and Kom Ombo.
The most memorable part of the trip was visiting Luxor. We had a scheduled hot air balloon ride there, but we got so busy exploring the Luxor and the Karnak Temple that we got a bit late to reach the riding spot. Unfortunately, we 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, we 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 of 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, we were swe-struck. The sparkling blue waters of the Red Sea soothed our minds and hearts. We spent this day at leisure doing a lot of beach activities, but mostly, we were swimming and spending a beautiful sunny day with each other.
It was a starkly different experience in Egypt. We started by visiting the desert, and we ended up exploring beaches. It was sandy all around, however, the diverse range of terrains was quite interesting to note.
Oh, I forgot to mention one part.
Our train ride from Cairo to Aswan was one hell of an experience. We could see the Egyptian countryside and the local people immersed in their daily livelihoods. Although the river cruise also offered us a similar sight, watching that from a cruise was different than taking a train ride. The passengers were also mostly local, so we could talk to them about their lives and hurdles as well.
Overall, it was a lovely trip. We had so much fun and such enriching events on our trip that we could not thank Thrillophilia enough after returning.
They kept enough scope to explore the place on your own, which elevated our experience.We 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