Archive for September, 2010
A day trip to Cairo from Sharm
Posted by: | CommentsEach and every year, tourists descend upon the renowned destination of Sharm el Sheikh from Britain. They come to unwind by the beach or swimming pool. Some want to scuba dive and other spend hours snorkelling on neighbouring coral reefs. There are enough excursions offered for travellers and tourists to Sharm and undoubtedly one of the more successful ones is a tour to Egypt’s capital, Cairo.
Cairo is home to the world renowned Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx but the day outings to Cairo offer you considerably more than only these age-old monuments. From Sharm el Sheikh, visitors can either get to Cairo by road or air. Either way, its an early morning start with road outings departing at close to 2am and flights at close to five in the morning. It makes for a long day ahead but it is definitely worth the effort.
Itineraries can vary on trip to trip but normally starts off with a pay a visit to the Cairo Museum or to give it’s proper title “The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo”. A lot of the morning is spent at the museum and it is full with some popular items. Several of the more wonderful treasures are those that were found in the tomb of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamen which include the renowned gold and blue death mask. There are quite a few items of furniture and ornaments and one thing that is noticeable is how well the colours are preserved in a number of the items bearing in mind they are 1000′s of years old. Nonetheless there is simply too much to explore in the museum which means travellers have to decide on the areas they want to look at.
From the museum, the tour group is driven down to the River for lunch aboard a river boat. There is a decent array of food and for entertainment there are also dancers. On the other hand, you’re able to watch the Cairo skyline pass by as you sail up and back to your departure point.
The next item on the itinerary are the Pyramids of Giza. Looking at a great many photos, you should be forgiven for imagining the Pyramids are in the middle of the desert but that isn’t true. The Pyramids and Sphinx are merely on the outskirts of Cairo. It is extremely hard not to be impressed after you get up close to the Great Pyramid by the actual size of the it. You’re able to have a good amount of time here to wander round the Pyramids and there are no lack of local people trying to sell you a large array of mementos or rides on their camels. There are a lot of chances for photos prior to the tour coach drives you a bit further down to the Sphinx. Again, you will be given the opportunity to purchase all sorts of souvenirs and there are further photograph opportunities. Yet, the Sphinx has not worn nearly as well as the Pyramids therefore you can not get as near to it. Its late afternoon as the tour leaves Cairo’s most well-known tourist sights but there is still time for one or two more stops.
The first of these stops is at a perfume shop where your are asked to try some of the numerous perfumes the shop stocks. From here the tour bus gets going to head back to the airport with one final stop en route. Papyrus is the paper like material made by the ancient Egyptians from the pith of the Papyrus reed. It was used to write on but nowadays, it is a popular tourist souvenir, generally with images of age-old Egyptian gods and similar images. At the Papyrus shop, there is a wide range of Papyrus available and people can also observe a demonstration of how modern day Papyrus is created.
The tour coach leaves and the tour group to Cairo is over. The tour group now heads back to the airport for the flight back to Sharm el Sheikh or the road journey. The day excursions to Cairo from Sharm are quite exhausting but are great value. For holiday makers staying in Sharm el Sheikh, it is a pretty good way to see some of the sights of Cairo without actually staying there.
Google Earth Finds Meteor Crater in Egypt
Posted by: | CommentsWith the help of Google Earth, the Kamil Crater was found in the border region of Egypt, Sudan and Libya. The Kamil Crater is 50 feet deep and 150 feet wide, and is one of the most well preserved sites ever found.
According to the Telegraph, scientists believe that the Kamil Crater is only a few thousand years old.
“The crater is certainly less than ten thousand years old and potentially less than a few thousand, said Dr. Detlef Koschny. “The impact may even have been observed by humans, and archaeological investigations at nearby ancient settlements may help fix the date.”
The crater was discovered by Google Earth in 2008, but it wasn’t until February of this year that scientists were able to examine the Kamil Crater more closely.
The National Institute of Astrophysics believe that the meteor, which weighed about ten tons, was traveling at more than 7,500 mph when it struck the earth.
According to the European Space Agency, the expedition to investigate the Kamil crater will help the world prepare for future meteor impacts.
“The data gathered during the expedition will be very useful to ESA’s Space Situational Awareness program’s activities for risk assessment of small asteroids with orbits that approach Earth.”
Source: Indyposted (http://www.indyposted.com/113538/google-earth-finds-meteor-crater-in-egypt/)
Review of the Video Death On The Nile
Posted by: | CommentsDeath On The Nile is among Agatha Christies most well known books and it was the first of the author’s movies I saw. The 1978 classic saw Peter Ustinov take the leading role as the fictional, Belgium detective Hercule Poirot and his travelling friend Colonel Race who was played by David Niven.
As the title suggests, the video is set on the River Nile in Egypt. Once a young heiress is murdered, Poirot is called upon to address the crime. The movie is set aboard the Nile River boat the SS Cataract with visits at a number of Egypt’s best known historical places.
Immediately after Linnet Doyle (nee Ridgeway) is murdered it very quickly becomes obvious that there is more than one man or woman with a potential reason for murder. Linnet Doyle was on honeymoon in Egypt with her new husband Simon. The couple were being followed by Jacqueline, Simon’s former lover. She follows the pair from the Pyramids in Cairo down to the Nile and boards the SS Cataract.
Linnet Doyle was the first murder victim and as Poirot began to analyze, the various suspects motives started to be exposed. Her expensive necklace was coveted by Mrs van Schuyler, Salome Otterbourne faced a law suit from Doyle over a piece she had printed, Doyle had declined her maid the dowry she had promised and there were some others too.
As the vessel sailed down the river stopping off at sites including the Temple of Karnak, Aswan and the Temple of Abu Simbel, other travellers were also being killed. Eventually Poirot works out the observations and the murderers are unmasked. Simon Doyle had married Linnet to secure easy access to her financial wealth. With her out of the way, Simon would be free to wed his true love, Jacqueline.
The deaths don’t cease here as in desperation, Jacqueline first shoots Simon and then herself rather than face justice. Initially composed in the 1930s, the story is a Christie classic. Even if some of the trips are improbable (such as cruising from Karnak to Abu Simbel in an afternoon), this doesn’t take away from the film whatsoever. Thankfully, modern tourists don’t suffer from quite so much drama on their Nile Cruise holidays.
The Leading Twin Centre Option With A Cruise On The Nile
Posted by: | CommentsThe River Nile is the life blood of Egypt and for several years, tourists have travelled to sail up and down the river between Luxor and Aswan. They come to take delight in the historic treasures that are found in abundance in this part of Egypt and to sit back and unwind as their cruise boat sails down the River Nile.
Normally, a Nile cruise takes 7 nights and from there, holiday makers either return home but they also have the selection to take in other areas of The Red Sea. There are plenty of resorts along the coast offering something for everyone.
The most successful location in Egypt is Sharm el Sheikh but it also quite tricky to get to from Luxor. Owing to the long distance, the only practical option is to catch a flight but depending on flight availability and timings, it may mean a single night in a hotel in Luxor before catching a flight the next morning.
The least costly option is to remain in Luxor but its miles from the coast. Yet, the coast is easily accessible by road in about four hours. The primary resort is Hurghada which has plenty of hotels but there are possible choices to the north of Hurghada at El Gouna or to the south at many different destinations such as Soma Bay, Makadi Bay and Qusier.
The resorts around Hurghada are the most economical alternative as the flight home is from Luxor which means charter airlines can be used instead of the more pricey scheduled airlines. Hurghada itself is a busy resort with several hotels from budget up to 5* luxury.
El Gouna is more quiet and is well known for the people needing a more relaxing week by the sea immediately after a Nile cruise. For secluded luxury, El Quseir is the best preference with just two self contained hotels being on offer; the Movenpick or the Radisson Blu. This part of the Red Sea is very underdeveloped and the town of Quseir is worth visiting if you want to watch a town that remains to be relatively tourist free.
5 Things You Must Do In Sharm
Posted by: | CommentsSharm el Sheikh is Egypt’s oldest and most popular location. Its terrific climate lures visitors from Europe and the rest of the globe all year round. In the daytime, holiday makers relax on the shores or by the pool and at nighttime, Sharm el Sheikh Old Town and Na’ama Bay come to life with countless bars, cafes and restaurants offering something for all.
Throughout the day, for people who must have something to keep them busy, there are many tours out there and these are five of the best ones available. One of the main reasons that tempted folk to the area was the fantastic marine life and you’re able to explore the stunning reefs with a snorkeling trip. The most popular places for the day excursions are the Ras Mohammed National Park or Jackson Reef in the Straits of Tiran. Regardless of which excursion you decided upon, you won’t be disappointed.
Two or three hours drive is Mount Sinai and there are regular coach trips taking travellers to the highest point in the Sinai to observe the sun rise over the mountains. The scenery around the mountains is dramatic and anyone making the early start won’t be disappointed. A different in demand destination in the Sinai is the magnificent Colour Canyon. Visiting by 4-wheel drive vehicles, people are able to explore the amazing tones and rock formations of the Colour Canyon.
Cairo is always a well liked excursion from Sharm el Sheikh and frequent excursions by plane and bus take people off to the Egyptian capital. The tour starts off with a visit to the Cairo Museum which is rife with historic items such as the celebrated Mask of Tutankhamen. From the museum, the next stop is lunch time of a Nile river boat before venturing over to Giza and the Pyramids. The Sphinx is a quick bus ride away and when you finish spending time there, there is still time to have a look at a perfume shop and a papyrus shop before travelling back to Sharm el Sheikh.
Not wishing to overlook an Egyptian encounter, a different in demand Sharm tour is an early evening camel ride out in the desert followed by a Bedouin dinner. Taking in the quiet of the desert below a starlit sky is a perfect way to wind down after a day unwinding on the beach front.
