For the Adventure of a Lifetime, Check out the Nile

Hi everybody, a friend of mine "Nick" is in the middle of a love story with the Nile River, and I borrowed his passionate words to discribe the beauty of the Nile banks, here is what he said when I asked him about the Nile.

Imagine yourself exploring ancient Egypt, taking in the vistas once ruled by Pharaohs, and traveling along the Nile, one of the world’s largest rivers, and arguably the river most imbued with the history, architecture, and culture that made ancient Egypt the richest, most powerful kingdom in the world.

We’ve traveled extensively throughout Egypt, and feel there’s no better way to experience this fascinating, historical country than one of the many river cruises that travel along the Nile. A few longer cruises (ten to twelve days, mostly), go from Cairo all the way to Aswan, but most travelers choose a shorter four-day cruise from Luxor to Aswan, since most of the main attractions are between those areas. There are many options available, but in researching your Nile river cruise, be sure to see these can’t-miss sights:

Abu Simbel

This amazing place consists of two huge temples that were originally carved into the mountainside during the reign of Ramesses II as a monument to his power and victory during the Battle of Kadesh. Something very interesting about this massive structures is that they were completely relocated in the 1960s to avoid their being submerged when Lake Nasser was created. Abu Simbel is one of the top tourist attractions in all of Egypt.

Karnak

A massive campus of ruins, temples, chapels, and other buildings, Karnak is the largest ancient religious site in the world. Most tourists concentrate their visit on the Precinct of Amun-Re, which features the Great Hypostyle Hall, an area filled with 134 of the most massive columns you’ll ever see.

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is essentially an enormous graveyard! For almost 500 years, this was the spot where major royal figures and other privileged people were buried. There are currently 63 known tombs and chambers, some just a simple pit in the ground, some extremely opulent and enormous. The Valley is probably most notable for the discovery of the tomb of King Tut.

More Temples

Don’t miss these temples, either! The Temple of Hatshepsut is an homage to the “Foremost of Noble Ladies,” the female pharaoh who is generally seen as one of the most successful pharaohs to rule ancient Egypt. Another can’t-miss is the Temple of Kom Ombo, which is a strange “double” temple dedicated to two different gods, and is therefore split down the middle and perfectly symmetrical. Finally, don’t miss Luxor Temple, which sits next to Karnak and approaches Karnak’s grandeur.

This short guide is by no means an exhaustive list of everything you must see and do on your cruise along the Nile, but hopefully it’ll give you some idea of what this fabulous river has to offer. Filled with the history, culture, and romance that make every vacation special, a cruise along the Nile will be a trip you’ll never forget.

Cairo Nile Cruise

Cairo Nile Cruise, It could be the most relaxing and dazzling experience you'll get in Cairo, it doesn't matter if you board a five stars ship or just rent a Felucca from the Nile's shore, and if you are lucky enough to be there just before sunset I'm sure you would be more then happy to watch the sun set over the waters of the great and ancient river that was once holly for the Egyptians.

Don't forget to take your camera with you, because the first time I took a Cairo Nile Cruise I didn't have my camera on me, so I missed a lot of photos I should have taken, If you're into photography follow my advice and take your camera with you. The image above is one of the hundreds that I took to make a gallery of the Nile River, I later edited it using photoshop so that it matched the theme of my graduation project which was about Cairo. Although it is not from a boat but it still is one of my favourites because I took it from the same spot where I first met my girl friend, and it gives you an idea of what you will be seeing, and I hope you enjoy your Cairo Nile Cruise.

Top 10 Places To Visit In Egypt

Egypt is the most mysterious place on earth, The taste of Ancient Egyptian Mysticism still lingers in the air, This ancient atmosphere really does give you the feeling that secrets are yet to be revealed. Maybe you could be lucky to reveal some secrets yourself, here's where to find them:

1- Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx
These pyramids of kings Khufu, Kafhre, and Menkaura, are the greatest tombs on earth in means of size and structure, these perfectly shaped structures leave anybody seeing them with the mysterious questions of how they were built.
As for the Sphinx, the saying "The riddle of the Sphinx" is full of meaning because archaeologies until this day still argue about its purpose and orgin

2- Abu Simbil
Ramsis II had these two temples built in order to give himself and his wife Nevertari mortality, It is said that these two temples are of the most beautiful in Egypt and the world, What is also extraordinary is that these temples were relocated in order to avoid the floods in the late years of the 20th century.

3- Cairo, The capital of culture
Cairo isn't the place you would want to miss, if you really want to dive in Egyptian culture Cairo is the place to go, full of luxurious bazaars and great restaurants makes it your chance to grab a bite from Egypt.

4- Al Azhar Gardens
As one of the most beautiful parks in the world. Al Azhar Gardens remains a landmark in Cairo, where you can catch a panoramic view of the old city, and it's spectacular minarets.

5- Temples of Karnak
This is where the ancient Egyptians worshipped their gods, This temple holds a monument of almost every single god in the Theban religion.

6- The Nile River
Who would be willing to miss the famous Nile Cruise? Yes that's right, Nobody.
It is the reason why all the other wonders are present, the legendary river has been the vein of life in Egypt for thousands of years, and it is said that the Nile river will be the last water source to dry out on earth, what else could be magic?

7- Valley of the Kings
The most sacred place of the Pharaohs, this is where the most esteemed kings were buried , present there are many mummies and lots of un-revealed treasures, in fact the most famous mummy was found there "Tutankhamun".

8- The Egyptian Museum
After visiting where the treasures were found, you sure would want to see what was found, if that's the case then the Egyptian Museum is the place to go.

9- Siwa Oasis
If Alexander the great liked this place, Why wouldn't you? Egypt is not all about monuments and Pharaohs, this place is one where you could loosen up a bit and take a swim in the cool waters in the middle of the desert.

10- Hurgada & Sharm El-Sheikh
Two world ranked resorts also well known for the great coral reefs and scuba diving sports, Here you can swim in the spectacular waters of the red sea, or dance your hips of at the famous bars and discos.

Overview about Egypt

From the great Pyramids of Giza to the spectacular Valley of the Kings, Egypt is full of history.
If you are planning a trip to Egypt, you should know the following about the
country.

Egypt has plenty of land, but much of it is sparsely inhabited. This leads to a situation where nearly all of the people live along the Nile River, particularly in Cairo, Alexandria, and the Nile Delta. Cairo in particular is one of the world’s most densely populated cities with a whopping 3,800 people per square mile and roughly 18 million in the extended city.

Egypt covers an area of roughly 1,000,000 square kilometres. The capital is Cairo with a population of 18 million people. The climate is universally dry and hot. In the Summer but in the Winter the weather is always good.

The people of Egypt are known as “Egyptians.” The total population is over 77 million and growing at a rate of 1.78 percent per year. 94 percent claim to be Muslim. Arabic is the official language although English and French are also widely spoken.

When you drink from the Nile

It is said that once you drink water from the Nile river you have a passion to drink once again, It's a passion that lasts for ever. If you don't think it's true, then try it!
I personally think it is true, but it's not actually the water that makes you want to come back it's the calm feeling you get when you visit Egypt, and the warm welcome you receive from the people here, and the great places and sites that are found in many cities like Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, and Hurghada.
I think it is the enjoyment and pleasure that make visitors want to come back, It's a passion for Egypt.