EGYPT: ANA'S DREAM TRIP - The Curious Mufambi

Egypt: Ana’s dream trip. Ana Martins is a Portuguese girl who lives in London. She is a Holistic Coach and a passionate traveler. In this article she tells us about her trip to Egypt, why it was one of her favorite destinations and what are the things you should not miss if you are going to undertake an adventure like hers.

Ana tells us that Egypt has always been a destination she would have liked to visit but before making the decision to take a trip to this country she had to think a little bit. Despite her fears she tells us about this as a wonderful trip.

Talking to her, she said a phrase that struck me very much:

Feeling insecure and uncomfortable isn’t the same thing.

There wasn’t a single moment during her trip when she felt insecure or scared, but there were moments when she felt uncomfortable. According to her opinion all this comes from cultural diversity, different ways of approaching and dealing with people. Once she understood how to relate to local people she let herself go. ( It turns out that the Egyptians are a very expansive people).

Ana tells us: “My advice to you, if you are going to visit Egypt, is to go with confidence and an open mind, be polite and friendly, and politely refuse everything that does not interest you”.

What are the things not to miss in Egypt: Ana’s dream trip

1. Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx – Giza

Ana says the Pyramids are one of the most impressive things she’s ever seen. Staying at the Marriott Mena House Hotel which is just a few steps from the Pyramids, she decided to visit the Pyramids on her own without booking any organized tours.

If you decide to opt for an organized tour you must pay attention to the many “aspiring” guides who try to cheat you or who will ask for a tip as a reward to give you information. The same thing happens inside the archaeological site, where you can find people who offer “free” tours, they never are!

Be careful to choose the right guide with the right references!

Another thing not to miss is the evening light show. Every day around 7:30. Ana says that thanks to these lights the pyramids looked even bigger and more majestic.

2.The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities – Cairo

You will hardly find as much history in one place as in this museum! Being an old place it turns out to be disorganized but they are creating a new space to reorganize the museum properly.

Why visit it:

– It has one of the best collections of antiques and artifacts in the world.

– The museum’s collection exceeds 120,000 objects ranging from the historical period to the Greco-Roman period.

– It has a room dedicated to royal mummies.

– It preserves the contents of the royal tombs of Tuthmosis III, Tuthmosis IV, Amenhotep III and Horemheb and the tomb of Yuya and Thuya.

– Preserves artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun, consisting of more than 3500 pieces.

– Most of these exhibits belong to Egypt and are over 5000 years old.

3. Temple of Karnak – Luxor

The Karnak Temple Complex is a series of temples, chapels, pillars and other decayed buildings.
They are buildings constructed during the Ptolemaic reign of Senusret I.

Karnak is an open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world. It consists of
huge pillars, towering columns, massive avenues of sphinxes, and an obelisk that rises three feet tall and weighs 323 tons.

This is the second most visited place in Egypt after the Pyramids of Giza. The huge pillars completely engraved with hieroglyphs take you completely back in time! In some places you can still see the original colors.

4. Valley of the Kings – Luxor

The Valley of the Kings is located on the west bank of the Nile, near Luxor, and from afar it looks like a normal valley within a huge mountain formation. During the New Kingdom of Egypt the valley became a royal burial place for pharaohs like Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses II, as well as queens, high priests and other elites of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties.

The graves were built inside the mountains and some of them of them still have all the colours and engravings well preserved! The regular entrance ticket allows you to enter three different Tombs but the Tomb of Tutankhamun is not one of them – you have to pay extra. But apparently the Tutankhamun The tomb isn’t even the most beautiful or interesting, it’s just the most famous.

5. Queen Hatshepsut Temple of Luxor

The temple of Queen Hatshepsut is located in Upper Egypt under the cliffs of “Deir El-Bahari”, about 17 miles northwest of Luxor. It is located next to the Mentuhotep II Mortuary Temple and marks the entrance to the Valley of the Kings.

Although some elements of this superb historical structure have been damaged by vandalism, this site is well preserved. This astonishing temple stands on three huge connected terraces by ramps. Inside this temple, you can see the colonnade of Birth &, the colonnade of Punt, Hathor, the chapel of Anubis and the sanctuary of Amon.

6. Hurghada

Hurghada is the perfect destination if you want to include a bit of ‘beach fun’ in your trip to Egypt. The city itself is quite small and there isn’t much to see, but it has a beautiful mosque and the Marina, perfect to visit at sunset.

The beauty of Hurghada (and the reason why she decided to have her base there) is that it’s a bit halfway between Cairo and the Luxor, and it has the most beautiful beaches. Hurghada is the perfect place to swim in the Red Sea, and there are a lot of activities that you can do like visiting Paradise Island, snorkeling, swimming with dolphins and all your typical beach activities. There is also a wide choice of shops and shopping centres.

Egypt: Ana's dream trip
Recommended hotels and travel tips

1. Sentido Mamlouk Palace Resor Hurghada: she recommends the Sentido Mamlouk Palace Resort, since it was beautiful, the food was surprisingly, the staff was super friendly and helpful, and the rooms were very spacious and comfortable.

2. Marriott Mena residence: same thing for Marriott Mena House in Giza, which has everything I said before plus an incredible view of the Pyramids!

More advice:

– It’s important to always have cash on hand. They accept euros, but having the Egyptian pound is the best thing.

– Be sure to download the Uber app (best way to get around) because it’s super easy and cheap. – Always bring a hat or scarf, sunscreen and a bottle of water.

Want to know more about Ana Martins?

Visit her Instagram Profile @anafcmartins

Visit her webpage msha.ke/anafcmartins/

I came to the end of this article where I tell you about Ana Martins’ trip to Egypt.

I hope you have found some useful information to organize such a trip.

See you soon from your curious traveler Chiara and the beautiful Ana.