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The unforgettable sights of Hatshepsutt

Off the ship, we were well fed and watered during excursions – usually a buffet lunch in a nice hotel.

On that subject, the five-star Steigenberger Nile Palace in Luxor was a fine place to stay on an overnight trip when Celebration was docked at Safaga (Scruffy? Oh yes).

It eliminated two four-hour coach rides on a day trip and offered a more relaxed tour of ancient Thebes, capital of the pharaohs’ New Kingdom.

After a beer on the hotel terrace, watching the sun set over the Nile and the Valley of the Kings, and an early dinner, the sightseeing began with a look at Luxor Temple and an underwhelming sound and light show which did not do justice to Karnak Temple, a wonder built on the scale of the gods and dating back 4,000 years in parts.

Up at dawn, we were at the Valley of the Kings by 8am to beat the heat, stopping off for a look at the Colossi of Memnon, twin 60ft seated statues of king Amenhotep III.

The Valley is fiercely sunny – you’ll need a hat and sunscreen – and home to more than 60 tombs.

Only a few are open to the public (to prevent too much moisture from our breath damaging the hieroglyphics) and the entrance ticket with the tour gets you into three.

To see two extra showstoppers will cost you another £15 but you won’t want to miss the elaborate and wellpreserved hieroglyphics and centuriesold graffiti in the tomb of Ramses VI and, of course, the last resting place of boy king Tutankhamun.

It’s not spectacular, but it is the most famous one in the world after it was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, with its fabulous riches still intact. It is slightly eerie looking at the mummy of Tut after you’ve seen his death mask and treasures in Cairo.

Close by, and also unmissable, is the cliffside Temple of Hatshepsut, a feisty queen who reigned for around 20 years.

Before we left the Steigenberger for the bus back to Safaga, we went for a final look at the languid Nile and the Valley of the Kings and remembered that a sunset cold beer awaited us on our last night on board the ship.

Now that calls for a Celebration...

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