Egypt Adventure 2019

Learning Egypt's beautiful history from my Araling Panlipunan teachers way back my high school days got me fascinated with the country's rich history and culture. My desire to visit Egypt started way back then. 

Setting foot to Egypt is another item ticked off my bucket list. I traveled together with eight friends in December 2019 and explored for eight days the land of the pyramids, the mummies, the pharaohs and the sphinx. 

Riding on a camel with the pyramid as my backdrop.

Prior to the travel, we already planned our itineraries, contacted three travel agencies, discussed our plan and selected the agency with the best package (the cheapest package actually 😃) . Thanks to our dear friend Chumpzy, who did most of the planning!

Filipinos need to apply for visa to enter the country.

Itineraries/Places visited: Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, Hurgadha


Day 1: City of Alexandria 

a.  Arrival and Breakfast

We flew from Muscat to Alexandria, Egypt. 
Alexandria is one of the most historical cities not only in Egypt but in the world. Named after Alexander the Great, this second-biggest city in Egypt is home to many historical attractions.  We reached the old city very early morning (4 am) and were fetched from the airport by our travel agent and had our continental breakfast at Abo3Ali cafe where we had a clear view of the Alexandria coastline from the second floor . We had a windy morning walk at the seaside right after breakfast.

b.  Citadel of Qaitbay
-  This is the main attraction of the city of Alexandria.  This ancient stronghold which was built in 1477 AD from the remains of The Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the seven wonders of  the ancient world) is a must-see. Its strategic location at the Mediterranean sea coast, the rock-hard walls of the fort and its unique structure explain how it became a defensive fortress for Egypt.  Thanks to our friendly tour guide, John, who explained in details the rich history of the fort.

Group photo at the entrance of Qaitbay citadel

c. Montaza Palace

- we only had a quick visit as guests are not allowed to enter the palace. We viewed the Italian designed palace only from the gate where we also had some of our pictures taken. The beautiful garden surrounding the palace, and the bridge and clock tower opposite the palace are all nice for pictures. 

At the gate of Montaza Palace

d. The Great Library of Alexandria
 Impressive. This is how I would describe the Alexandria library.  This repository of massive intellectual and historical items make it a one of a kind library in the world. We also got a chance to explore the Sadat Museum inside the library building.

e. Abu Al-Abbas Al-Mursi Mosque 

Located just very close at the citadel of Qaitbay is the Abu Al-Abbas Al-Mursi Mosque, one of the most beautiful mosque in the city. Women should wear scarfs and should use a separate entrance to get inside. Men were not allowed to enter in their shorts and can enter the mosque through the main entrance. 

After lunch, we traveled for four hours (including the traffic) to the capital, Cairo. We reached the city early evening, checked in to our hotel, had a short rest, and explored the nearby restaurants for dinner. 

Day 2: Cairo

a. The Memphis

b. Great Pyramid of Egypt / The Sphinx

Group photo at one of the pyramids

Day 3:  Cairo

a.  Cavern Church or Abu Serga

This historical church in Cairo is where the Holy family stayed for a week. The exact underground area where the  Holy family stayed is still preserved up to this date.

Inside the Cavern church

b.  The Nile River

A buffet lunch at a boat restaurant floating in the longest river in the world, the Nile, is a great way to escape the busy streets of Cairo. 

c. Al Khalily Suq 

For both expensive and budget friendly souvenirs, this is the exact place to go. From antique lamps and lanterns, to papyrus paintings and to stuff of all types, the market is frequented by the locals and the tourists. Restaurants and cafes are also lined in the streets of the Al Khalily suq. 

d. Travel to Hurghada

Our group travel for six hours from Cairo to Hurghada city. We arrived at Panorama Hotel early morning for a vacation of three days.

Day 4-6 - Hurghada

a. Hurghada Staycation

-  Panorama Hotel provides great facilities to unwind. Three days of unlimited food, pica-pica, drinks and night parties for all their guests is such a warm welcome. Our stay in the hotel, including the food, the parties, the massage, beach and pool swimming as well as watching the sun set at this part of Egypt are what we enjoyed the most in our Egypt trip. We also appreciate their friendly hotel staff. Don't forget to include Hurghada in your itinerary or plan a separate trip to this place when going to Egypt.

b. Travel to Luxor

Day 7 - 8  - Luxor

a. Valley of the Queens

The valley of the Queens in Luxor is the burial sites of the wives of Pharaohs. The tomb of the most famoust queen, Nefertari, is here. Some royal children were also buried in this place.

b. The Ramesseum

Group photo at the ruins of the Ramesseum

Ruins of the Ramesseum as my background

c. Corniche 

We dined in one of the restaurants in corniche, while overlooking the very calm Nile river and strolled the area until past midnight. We also bought some souvenir items from the stores lined in the banks of the river.

d. Travel back to Alexandria

Day 8 - Alexandria to Muscat

Flew early morning of January 2019 back to Muscat. 

Visiting Egypt is not just for the pyramids, there is more to explore in this beautiful country. Hotels, tour packages and food prices are affordable. Each historical city and towns has its own unique attractions waiting to be seen and explored by the rest of the world.

*This trip is my last trip for 2019. Two months after this trip, so many travel restrictions were placed by almost all countries because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope this will end soon so I can start my travel adventure again. See you in my next blog and keep safe everyone!

MORE  PHOTOS ... 

At the Red Sea in Hurgada

Lunch at this boat while cruising the Nile River