City of History

It’s hard to picture an ancient land back in the day, a world so completely alien to how we live now. I sometimes wonder if any of it really happened, simply because today’s life is a million miles away from it all, but then you see sights that truly hark back to these times, and you’re left in no doubt at all that such a way of life did indeed exist. One of these truly wondrous destination is ancient Egypt, and Luxor is one of my favorite.

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Egypt often gets lumped into the summer/winter destination bracket these days, with the Red Sea Rivera resorts taking top priority, however a two-centre holiday with a stay in Luxor is certainly one to be considered. If you’re going with the two-centre idea, or simply spending your whole break in Luxor, you’ll need a rested start, to truly get the best out of this ancient city. A great way to do that is to pre-book one of the fantastic value airport hotels available countrywide. I often fly from Manchester, as this is the nearest major airport to me, and I’ve stayed at many of the Manchester Airport hotels, and can’t fault one of them for comfort. I used AirportHotels.com and was very impressed by the convenience and price.

You’ll be glad of that extra bit of sleep, as there’s so much to see, although thankfully it’s all in relatively close distance. The Luxor Temple is a great starting point, to introduce you to the culture and religion, before heading over to the really famous stuff – The Valley of the Kings.

A ferry along the Nile is certainly a must do regardless of visiting the sights, and you’ll find lots of different variations, including sunset tours. If you head off in the midday heat however, be aware you’ll be needing sun-cream and a hat – Luxor can be baking in summer.

Luxor is of course built on the site of ancient Thebes, so from start to finish, you’re looking at history in a major degree. To truly get the most out of your visit, I’d recommend booking a guided tour when you’re visiting any of the sites, as you’ll learn more about the background to these stunning tombs, confusing hieroglyphics and that imposing but simply awe-inspiring line of sphinxes, which is famous the world over.

The shopping experience in Luxor is one to behold, with colorful markets, or souks, designed for haggling for those bargains.

All this history spotting and shopping will leave you needing a rest, and the pace of evening entertainment is laid-back and chilled. You won’t find all-night parties in Luxor, but you will find many delicious restaurants, perfect for a tasty meal and a chat with good company. I’d recommend trying some local cuisine if you can, however hotels will cater for international tastes.

Luxor will leave you open-mouthed in awe, so be sure to get that much-needed rest to truly experience everything this wonderful destination has to offer. If you fly from Manchester like me, you’ll find a large range of hotels to suit, with the Bewley’s Hotel at Manchester Airport, my personal favorite.

For sheer history and wonderment, Luxor delivers and then some.