The Disco Ball Traveler

Egypt has been on the list for awhile – Ancient Egypt mystery, the scale of the pyramids and temples, the logistics of how they moved everything? And boy have I gotten a ton of questions since we returned.

I went in blind armed with my middle school education (that clearly has faded with time). La! Glad I did, but I was also a bit lost at some points along the timeline – Like 2670 BC is when the Step Pyramids were built? That’s like 4695 years ago? The math wasn’t mathing for me, but is clearly backed by facts and science.

What I do know is that the stories and the art witnessed in Egypt were beyond anything a book or picture could show. The scale!? The engineering and movement of building materials hundreds of miles? Near perfect angles of temples built to the sun, stars? No wonder people think aliens were involved.

If you are thinking of a trip to Egypt, just do it. If you need more coercion, here’s a cool vid from Rick Steves, my travel hero. I don’t need to sell the sites, but I am here to help guide your trip choice and how to best prepare!

How to choose a trip to Egypt?!

• The Tour Life: Are you strapped for time off from work? Do you not want to stress about planning air, guides, site entry tickets? Take a tour my love, it’s worth the extra money.
• The Independent Traveler: We did not choose this route, but it is a popular one – Love adventure, saving a few bucks and local transportation? We saw many people navigating Egypt on their own, Uber is reliable, be sure not to fall for scams like “$20 more because there was a little more traffic”, or “there was an added charge for access through security stop, etc.” This is BS. Leverage your hotel concierge to help where questions arise. The metro can be unreliable and driving in bigger cities is not for the faint of heart!
• Some questions to ask yourself:
  • Do you want to visit allll the temples, or do you want some local experiences sprinkled in?
  • What cities provide the experience you’re looking for? Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, or maybe add on a trip to the beach town of Hurghada for some R & R?
  • Nile River cruises are a popular way to see the Nile Valley
• Tip: Once you have an idea of your experience, join some groups online and see what Egypt experiences are out there. I found many great itinerary ideas on Facebook, travel company itineraries, and Rick Steves is always a favorite!

When’s the best time to visit Egypt?

• We paid a little bit more to visit in January, when the weather is milder. 50’s in the morning, warming up to 70’s and 80’s in the afternoon. I’m not big into the heat so this was glorious.
• Ramadan is observed in February for a month. Egypt is 90% Muslim, and the fasting and reflection during this time can impact some sites, restaurants, attractions, and availability of alcohol.
• The Nile can rise or fall throughout the year and may impact itineraries. A few weeks before our tour started, we were notified that our cruise stop in Dendera was cancelled due to dry, hot conditions. Eh, no biggie.

Which type of trip would you choose? And when would you go? Stay tuned for what we decided and some tips and tricks.