7 experiences in the 80 million VND trip to Egypt

In addition to visiting the pyramids, visitors can fly a hot air balloon to see the ancient city or experience a luxury cruise down the Nile.

In early May, Mr. Ly Thanh Co, working in the field of media in Ho Chi Minh City, had a 12 day trip to Egypt. He shared this trip as "a dream come true" because since childhood, he had heard and read many mythical stories about the mysterious land by the Nile but had not had the opportunity to visit.

View of the "valley of the kings" from a hot air balloon.

Mr. Co spent about VND 80 million for a nearly two-week trip in Egypt, of which a round-trip flight ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Cairo was VND 30 million, VND 40 million for a 10-day 9-night landtour and the remaining VND 10 million. expenses such as flying hot air balloons, tickets to visit monuments and museums.

The male tourist said this was his first visit to Egypt. He does not understand this country well, moreover, the booking process, booking local travel services is quite complicated, so choose to book a local tour to refer to their schedule and listen to cultural and historical stories. at each destination.

After 12 days in the "land of the Pharaohs", Co has summarized 7 experiences suitable for first-time visitors to Egypt.

Fly a hot air balloon in Luxor

From above, visitors can admire the whole ancient architectural complex. The hot air balloon will fly along the west bank of the Nile from north to south. Visitors will admire the "valley of the kings", the temple of Hatshepsut, the temple of Amenhotep III in the west. "You have to go up high to see very clearly the fertile green plains and barren deserts lying side by side, but creating a contrasting and amazingly realistic scene," said Mr. Co.

Luxor is considered the "valley of the kings" because from the 16th to the 11th centuries BC, the Egyptians built many tombs for Pharaohs and court officials. The valley is located on the west bank of the Nile, in the heart of the Theban Necropolis. In addition, Luxor is also likened to a huge open-air museum when it comes to the ruins of the ancient temple complex of Karnak and Luxor.

He shared that the cost of flying a hot air balloon at Luxor was about $120 per person. This price is almost half cheaper than when flying in Cappadocia, Türkiye.

Admire the pyramids

These huge stone structures have been seen as cultural symbols of Egypt through the centuries. Mr. Co said pyramid attractions sell tickets to serve tourists. During this trip, he visited the pyramids of Giza. This is the oldest building in the list of 7 wonders of the ancient world and also the only one remaining.

Anh Co at the Giza pyramid during his trip to Egypt in May.

"The Pyramids of Giza are a masterpiece of human construction. Over 4,000 years ago, this place still retains its mystical nuances because of a series of stories about thousands of years old mummies and mysterious curses after. death of the ancient pharaohs," said Co.

Cruise along the Nile River

Co's most "expensive and expensive" experience during his 12 days in Egypt was a cruise down the legendary Nile River. There are two cruises including from Luxor city to Aswan or from Aswan to Luxor. You choose to depart from Aswan because Luxor is close to Cairo, convenient to travel to attractions. The cost per night on the yacht is about 170 USD (about 4 million VND).

Along the journey, male tourists can admire the peaceful countryside and small towns along the banks of the Nile. To enjoy the clear blue sky of the ancient land, you can move up to the top deck of the yacht, "sipping cocktails and sunbathing on the benches".

Diving to see dolphins in the Red Sea

Egypt is not only a dry desert but also a "paradise for scuba diving lovers". At the Red Sea, in the Red Sea province, visitors can dive to explore the coral reefs under the turquoise water. The town of Marsa Alam has the largest concentration of dolphins, also known as "the house of dolphins". If you are lucky, you can catch and swim with dolphins while scuba diving.

Visiting the Black Desert, camping overnight in the White Desert

As the name suggests, the Black Desert is home to hundreds of mountains that are "covered with black powder". These mountains are distributed along about 30 km in western Egypt, between the Bahariya Oasis in the north and about 100 km from the White Desert in the south. Located in an area formed by volcanic eruptions, dating back to the Jurassic period 180 million years ago, most of the mountainside is covered with a characteristic black color. There are also fossils of shrubs and forests, showing that plants once flourished.

Meanwhile, the White Desert, also known as Farafra, is located in the North of Farafra Oasis, about 570 km from Cairo, more than 3,000 km2. This place was formerly the sea, after the sea receded, the inert rocky outcrops over time have been eroded to create a unique scene like today. The desert surface is covered with white sand dunes and giant natural stone structures.

The white desert setting is an overnight camping ground for tourists to Egypt.

In the White Desert, there is an overnight camping service, where visitors sleep in tents set up in the middle of the white sand. "This service is part of the landtour I booked in advance. Lying in the middle of the vast desert watching the starry sky, I thought I was floating in the middle of the galaxy. It's been a long time since I've seen a sky full of stars. That's it," said Co.

See 100,000 artifacts at the Egyptian Museum

Located in the heart of Cairo, the Egyptian museum is a must-see for visitors interested in ancient history. Since 1902, it has been a repository of artifacts unearthed at legendary archaeological sites such as the Valley of the Kings and Luxor. The local guide shared that the museum is keeping more than 100,000 artifacts in a 15-hectare space. Visitors can tour the treasures of the legendary king Tutankhamun and the mummies of the pharaohs.

Visit ancient temples

During the trip, Mr. Co had the opportunity to visit 4 ancient temples in Egypt. These works are thousands of years old and still have architectural and historical value intact. Located in the most remote part of Egypt, 300 km from the city of Aswan, Abu Simbel Temple is considered an open-air museum, demonstrating the brilliant civilization that existed on the banks of the Nile thousands of years ago.

Karnak Temple in the ancient city of Luxor, about 800 km from Cairo, is the largest and most important temple architecture complex in the temples and mausoleums of ancient Egypt, has the longest history of construction, experienced. More than 30 pharaohs and more than 1,000 years of construction and expansion.

People visit the Karnak temple in Luxor city in early May.

It is dedicated to the sun god Amun-Ree. The biggest attraction of the Karnak temple is the monumental pylons (gates) with many giant arch columns. According to the concept of the ancient Egyptians, stone pillars are flowering plants that grow from the ground. This is the reason why the top of the stone pillars in ancient temples often have soft patterned carvings.

Moving to the banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt, visitors can visit the temple of Kom Ombo, built during the Ptolemaic period, which began in 332 BC. The temple was built on the site of an earlier temple, dedicated to two gods Sobek - the crocodile god and Horus - the falcon-headed god.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the god Sobek was responsible for the fertility of the Nile and for the protection of those who lived and worked along its banks. Meanwhile, Horus was also an important deity in ancient Egyptian culture, said to have a connection with the pharaohs.

Finally, there is the Philae Temple, located on a rocky island in the middle of the Nile, 12 kilometers south of the city of Aswan. Because it is located in the middle of the river, visitors have to travel by boat to reach the temple. This place used to be submerged in water after the first Aswan Dam was built in 1906 and it was not until the 1970s that many countries along with UNESCO tried to save the temple by moving blocks from the original construction on Philae Island to Agilika Island.