Unravel the secrets of Egypt’s mummies
OUR fascination with Ancient Egypt remains undimmed. At school we lap up l essons on hieroglyphs, pharaohs and pyramids, while incredible fictional tales from the civilisation are often turned into Hollywood blockbusters. The latest offering, The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe, is in cinemas now.
Renewed interest in all things Egyptian is great news for the country’s tourism industry, which still hasn’t fully recovered from the 2011 revolution and its aftermath.
But as I write, there is no Foreign Office advice against travel to the capital Cairo, the port city of Alexandria, and t he Red Sea resorts of Hurghada and Sharmel-Sheik (though it advises against all but essential travel by air to or f r om Sharm).
Nor is t here any adv ice against travell i ng to t o uri s t areas along the Nile, including Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and t he Valley of t he Kings. That’ s news because it means you can go on the world’s best river cruise. It’s more than five years since holiday firm Cosmos offered Nile cruises, but the company will be restarting them from October. As evennight adventure will take place aboard the five- star Steigenberger Legacy.
A Nile cruise is great value as it usually includes full board and most sightseeing trips. However, you will need three days more in Cairo to explore the pyramids and the treasures of the Egyptian Museum.
A seven-night Nile voyage between Luxor and Aswan takes in the temples of Karnak, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo and, at extra cost, Abu Simbel – all have awesome stone carvings, statues and hieroglyphs.
In the Valley of the Kings, you can visit Tutankhamun’s tomb – his mummy lies there, and you can actually see him through the glass.
You may even see a mummy on your boat – one of the games on board involves wrapping your spouse in l oo roll to create a modern-day version. Believe me, it’s not as easy as it looks…