The Secret History of The Old Cataract, Egypt's Most Romantic Hotel<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/p>\n Follow in the footsteps of some of the titans of history, from Tsar Nicholas II to Churchill, from Jimmy Carter to Princess Diana, and take afternoon tea at the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan, one of the more luxurious Egypt tourist spots. A British colonial-era hotel, it\u2019s so grand and stately that filmmakers can barely keep themselves away.<\/p>\n Afternoon Tea \u00a9 iStock\/SergioZacchi<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Constructed during the Roman period, Kom Ombo is unusual as it allows visitors to see double. There are twin courts, halls and sanctuaries in order to celebrate both the crocodile god Sobek, and the fertility god Hathor, usually depicted as a cow. The temple also mummified quite a few crocodiles \u2013 though these are now displayed in the Crocodile Museum.<\/p>\n Temple of Kom Ombo \u00a9 iStock\/Xavierarnau<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Grand Egyptian Museum, affectionately known as the GEM, began construction in 2014 and was finally opened in 2025, set to become one of the top tourist attractions in Egypt (despite the wait). The GEM contains over 100,000 antiquities from Ancient Egypt including a 3,200-year-old sculpture of Rameses II, and is the world\u2019s largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilization, boasting the full Tutankhamun collection in one place for the first time \u2013 that\u2019s around 5,300 pieces. The national museum has taken the crown of the world\u2019s largest museum from The Louvre in Paris, covering 90,000 square meters of a 50-hectare site.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What to do in Egypt when you want to support local people? In Aswan, you can meet the women of a local women-owned co-operative whose mission is to support vulnerable women from the local villages to learn new skills and become financially independent. The organization provides a hub of support and comfort for over 300 women who may live in poverty or suffer from loneliness and want to become financially independent. Thanks to their newly learnt skills, the women are now able to provide the main source of income for their family. The co-op also strives to reduce waste with a secondary mission to ensure a garbage-free world by using waste and natural material like bamboo or palm trees to create fine handicrafts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n DISCOVER MORE ON<\/p><\/div>\n <\/div>\n Splendours of Egypt, a Women-Only Tour TOUR<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>\n Though Egypt is known for its deserts and temples, you can find some of the best diving and snorkeling here too. Around 20km west of Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea coast you\u2019ll find the Ras Muhammad National Park, on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Tourists can go diving and snorkeling, and as well as the pristine waters and coral reefs, you\u2019ll also find a diverse landscape of mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and desert to explore \u2013 \u00a0 storks also migrate through the region (sometimes as many as 10,000 at a time, between August and October).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo by hany mohamed<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n So many of the top places to visit in Egypt have an otherworldly quality to them, feeling as if you’ve stepped back in time \u2013 but just a few hours from bustling Cairo you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported to another world entirely. In the white desert, you\u2019ll find yourself in an almost lunar landscape where you can see some of the most unique rock formations in the world, formed by centuries of erosion and sandstorms. while the striking white colour is due to the calcium in the rock.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Aswan is one of the sunniest places on Earth, and this laid-back, modern city is ripe for exploring, with key sites including High Dam, Nubian villages and the Philae Temple. On tour with Insight Vacations, you’ll take a short boat ride to Philae Island where the temple of Isis was carefully reassembled after the original site was submerged by the rising Nile. After a private tour, watch as the temple facade becomes a canvas for light and sound, recounting the myth of Isis and Hathor and the Nile\u2019s sacred floods in a vivid display.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Temple of Philae on the Nile <\/em><\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Stand in the center of Cairo\u2019s history when you visit Tahrir Square. Found in downtown Cairo, the historic site became a focal point for the Egyptian Revolution in 2011 \u2013 protestors occupied the Square for 18 days, from 25th January to 11th February, demanding this resignation of President Hosni Mubarak (this eventually happened in the February). Since, the square has been the site for many other protests, including those against the military government that took power after Mubarak\u2019s resignation, and the 2013 Egyptian coup d\u2019\u00e9tat. The square is now full of lively bustle and business with blaring horns, street food vendors and tea houses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Feeling dwarfed by the magnificent Karnak Temple has got to be one of the best things to do in Egypt. Forests of columns make up the largest known temple complex, and on tour with us a trained Egyptologist will explain the significance of this great temple. Walk the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, see the of Rameses II and the Hypostyle Hall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Karnak Temple<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n There’s no shortage of temples in Egypt, and each is unique. The vast Abu Simbel temples were built as royal tombs to Ra-Horakhty, Amun and Ptah (the latter a deified version of Ramses himself). Four gigantic statues of Ramses II guarding the Great Temple, and within you’ll find a sanctuary that houses the four deities. On two days a year, 22nd of February and 22nd of October, the sun\u2019s rays enter the temple at such an angle that the innermost are completely illuminated \u2013 it’s quite magical.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The ancient and traditional Egyptian art of carpet weaving is beautifully mesmerizing, and you’ll meet\u00a0the skilled artisans of a local weaving school to take part in a carpet weaving workshop. One of the oldest crafts in the country, only few schools have been safeguarding the traditional weaving methods on wooden looms, using silk and cotton, and natural dyes. Think of them as functional works of art.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n DISCOVER MORE ON<\/p><\/div>\n <\/div>\n Wonders of Egypt TOUR<\/p>\n <\/div>\n 7. Enjoy High Tea in Luxury<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n8. Discover Egypt\u2019s Only Double Temple<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n9. Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum<\/h2>\n
10. Support Aswan\u2019s Women Co-operative<\/h2>\n
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n 11. Dive into Ras Muhammad National Park<\/h2>\n
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12. Marvel at the White Desert<\/h2>\n
13. Watch the light show in Aswan<\/h2>\n
14. See Tahrir Square<\/h2>\n
15. Stroll through Karnak Temple<\/h2>\n
16. Abu Simbel Temples<\/h2>\n
17. Learn ancient crafts<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nSphinx in Gaza \u00a9 iStock\/holgs<\/a><\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s a hot summer night or a morning with a gentle breeze, feluccas – wooden sailing boats and the traditional workhorses of Egypt\u2019s nautical world – look romantic at any time of day. Draped with soft, colorful cushions, visitors can meet a sailor to learn the art of sailing or simply relax under the shade of the billowing sail and let the world drift by.<\/p>\n Dhow at Sunset \u00a9 iStock\/WLDavies<\/a><\/p>\n On the West Bank far away from the edifices of the pyramids, where Old Kingdom pharaohs were buried, lies the Valley of the Kings. As most of the New Kingdom treasures are buried, descend down rock-cut corridors, through dark and narrow pathways, and into tombs lined with jaw-dropping paintings, sarcophagi and hieroglyphics.<\/p>\n Ramesses Relief \u00a9 iStock\/barbun<\/a><\/p>\n Bread has been a staple in these ancient lands for longer than anyone can remember, so head to a working bakery where local artisans could be preparing anything from flatbreads (baladi) to big fat loaves and baguettes. If you have a sweet tooth, there\u2019ll likely be some baklava piled high in the window, too.<\/p>\n pita \u00a9 iStock\/stevenallan<\/a><\/p>\n So magnificent that even the Romans tried to reconstruct them, the Colossi of Memnon tower 18 meters above bystanders and depict 14th century BC pharaoh, Amenhotep. Listen carefully to the northern colossus if you can. At dawn, the ancients used to hear it whisper the name of \u2018Memnon\u2019 (a king of Ethiopia) when the wind whistled through the cracks of these mammoth stone statues.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
2. Climb Aboard a Sailboat<\/h2>\n
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3. Go Underground<\/h2>\n
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4. Sample Local Bread<\/h2>\n
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5. Listen to the Singing Statue<\/h2>\n