Luxor after Red Sea

[Pillpusher]

Reading the one day here and there while in Egypt is pitiful. I spent three weeks in Egypt and of that only three days of diving. If went back I would spend a week diving and two weeks seeing 5000 years of history again.

Good for you. I find living in the past pitiful, so to each their own. I’m just not a history buff. The novelty of seeing things that are old wears on me quickly… Same reason I’m not a huge fan of wreck dives. I enjoy seeing life far more than I do death and things of the past.

 

[scubadada]

Reading the one day here and there while in Egypt is pitiful. I spent three weeks in Egypt and of that only three days of diving. If went back I would spend a week diving and two weeks seeing 5000 years of history again.

From 2014-2016, my wife and I lived in Switzerland. We had nonstop flights to Cairo and to Hurghada from Zurich. We spent 2 weeks in Cairo, on a boat between Luxor and Aswan, and a day at Abu Simbel. I could easily spend that amount of time again. I also spent 2 weeks diving Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone and the southern route, it was fabulous. Trip Report - Red Sea Aggressor April-May 2016 I'm seriously considering the Sudan and South Sudan Routes.

 

[Dan]

From 2014-2016, my wife and I lived in Switzerland. We had nonstop flights to Cairo and to Hurghada. We spent 2 weeks in Cairo, on a boat between Luxor and Aswan, and a day at Abu Simbel. I could easily spend that amount of time again. I also spent 2 weeks diving Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone and the southern route, it was fabulous. Trip Report - Red Sea Aggressor April-May 2016 I'm seriously considering the Sudan and South Sudan Routes.

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Now I’m retired. I’ll have more time to do the land touring as much as on diving. However, it would be in the winter time. I’ve been in Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE) in the summer time. No more.

 

[scubadada]

Now I’m retired. I’ll have more time to do the land touring as much as on diving. However, it would be in the winter time. I’ve been in Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE) in the summer time. No more.

Ha, we were in Egypt in February, the temperatures were very comfortable in the winter. And, in 2016, we were essentially there alone.

 

[Sunn]

Last year i did the Luxor visit, but I set it up before my Port Ghalib liveaboard. My two cents of advice would be (1) drop off your gear at your hotel, give the bellhop a few bucks, and they’ll keep it safe until you return to check in, (2) do NOT expect a real “Egyptologist” on any tour, regardless of how you booked the tour, as most of what you will get is very superficial convention wisdom learned from the same guidebook that you could buy at any gift shop — so you might as well just find a cab driver with a sense of humor, and a good guidebook, and do your own itinerary at your own pace, and (3) take MASSIVE amounts of water with you any time you head out to see the sights. It was 112 degrees in the shade in Luxor during our trip last May. At least 20 degrees hotter than at Port Ghalib.

Excellent advice !

 

[ontdiver]

I've been to Egypt a number of times and never tire of seeing the various sites. You do not have to be a history buff to enjoy some of the most breathtaking ruins you will find on this earth.

 

[Pillpusher]

I've been to Egypt a number of times and never tire of seeing the various sites. You do not have to be a history buff to enjoy some of the most breathtaking ruins you will find on this earth.

Look, I have roughly two and a half weeks. Because nearly all of the dive boats go out for a week at a time, my options are:
1) Dive for two weeks, spend 3-4 days seeing the sites on land.
2) Dive for only one week and spend 10-11 days seeing the sites on land.

Personally, I would MUCH rather dive for two weeks, and spend 3-4 days on the other stuff… and it’s not even close. Like I said, to each their own.

 

[scubadada]

Look, I have roughly two and a half weeks. Because nearly all of the dive boats go out for a week at a time, my options are:
1) Dive for two weeks, spend 3-4 days seeing the sites on land.
2) Dive for only one week and spend 10-11 days seeing the sites on land.

Personally, I would MUCH rather dive for two weeks, and spend 3-4 days on the other stuff… and it’s not even close. Like I said, to each their own.

Better than nothing, That would be OK for seeing Luxor and Valley of the Kings, a pretty targeted trip. Maybe you can get to Cairo another time.

 

[Pillpusher]

Better than nothing, That would be OK for seeing Luxor and Valley of the Kings, a pretty targeted trip. Maybe you can get to Cairo another time.

Honestly, other than the pyramids and maybe the museum, I haven’t come across anything else in Cairo that interests me much. So, my 1 day and 1 night there will likely be enough for me. Camping in the white desert would have been cool, but I don’t have enough days for something that remote.

 

[mcohen1021]

Unfortunately, I found some of the locals to be aggressive and bold-

I agree with the above… I wouldn't have done anything without a guide that can speak the language. some of the checkpoints on the road were scary.