2026 - The Ladies Go South to Visit the Temples at Abu Simbel, Part II

A visit by bus to the southernmost part of Egypt at Abu Simbel is typically offered as part of the southern experience and our group spent a full morning on this outing.The fact that the boat provides a breakfast box to those leaving Aswan before dawn is little incentive but the visit to Abu Simbel is an absolute must.

 

 

When the Aswan high dam was constructed in the 1960s and the area now known as Lake Nasser began to flood, the world rallied to preserve a number of the existing monuments on the upper Nile. The temple of Abu Simbel is the best known along with the Temple of Isis at Aswan. But more than twenty monuments were preserved - the story is best told by Jocelyn Gohary in her fine book, "Guide to the Nubian Monuments on Lake Nasser." 

 

In and around Aswan, along the route to Abu Simbel, and generally throughout the countryside, scenes of rural and small-town life offer a myriad of photo opportunities. Have a camera ready and find a window seat on whatever transportation you use. Be alert! Life is fascinating.  (That is a bird flying north as we travel south.)

    

    

 

The village of Abu Simbel lies just twenty-five miles north of Egypt's border with Sudan.  Current borders blur the region long ago known as Nubia that extended some seven hundred miles from around Aswan to Khartoum.   After passing through the tiny town of about 2,500, tourists approach the site of the well-preserved temples.

  

 

Abu Simbel is best visited in the late afternoon after most of the crowds have dispersed - or better yet, at dawn, before the crowds arrive. Nevertheless, it is a "must see" destination for anyone visiting Egypt  Yes, the statues and relocated temple of Ramses II are worth the bus ride from Aswan, the wait for admission and the walk down the hill to see them, No. Doubt. About. It!

 

Our guide, Roshdy, accompanied us on the journey from Cairo and gave us an introduction to the history, archeology, and mammoth engineering project required to move the monuments onto the top of this hill.  For a new visitor to Egypt, the significance of Pharaoh Ramses II is beginning to sink in. 

 

The walk down the hill, while not particularly long, can be bypassed by those looking for a little bit of assistance.

 

I took this photo of a Bloomington friend back in 2010. At the time, a popular photo opportunity for visitors to Abu Simbel was this one showing a picture of the giant statues on the Egyptian one pound note in comparison to the actual scene at the temple.

 

 

Sixteen years later, the value of the Egyptian pound has sunk so low (it's now worth about two cents, U.S.) that the one pound note can no longer be found except on sites such as Etsy or eBay where it is valued as a collectible!  

It's 2026 now. Almost everyone is a journalist, an Instagram Influencer or a YouTube star. I admire the "unipod in a weighted bag" mount for this videographer's phone! Like many folks who have been blogging for twenty years, I remain wedded to the now ancient technology of the written word with still photos,

 

 

The interiors of both temples as Abu Simbel have wonderful images that make the extra effort to reach the site worthwhile. Linda concentrated her viewing time inside the smaller temple of Queen Nefertari, said to be the favorite wife of Ramses II. 

  

While Linda browsed that interior, the rest of the group approached the exterior facade.  It is difficult to imagine the great temples and statues cut into blocks and reconstructed here.  For the curious, both short form and lengthy videos detail the construction work. 

 

A few "minders/watchmen" of the tombs are on duty. I imagine they would be right on you if you attempted to climb a statue or otherwise violate protocol. Linda captured a couple of images to add to our collection.

 

 

We're pretty sure this is also a "minder/watchman" of the tombs. He was having great fun photographing ladies through a "key of life" that he had handy. All the ladies surrounding him had great fun as well as getting a unique photo as a memory.

  

 

At the exit from the site, there is opportunity to view some informative exhibits about the site. There is also a nearby refreshment area and of course, the ubiquitous stands of souvenir salesmen.

 

It doesn't take a long time to tour the site, then it's back to the van for the return trip to Aswan. The number of buses in the parking lot comes as a shock if one hasn't visited Egypt for a number of years. On this particular day, most were filled with Asians. Americans are relatively few in number at the tourist sites with South Americans seeming to rank next after Asians. The Chinese, in particular, appear in large numbers in January.

 

Our touring van from Aswan to Abu Simbel came with two drivers - a safety feature now required for vans and buses. The early start and long two-way drive had yielded too many accidents in the past.

 

The return trip to Aswan offers opportunity for a nap or a few more glances at the scenery. Soon the visitor is back in Aswan and has the opportunity to tour the bazaar, visit some spice shops or otherwise enjoy the town before the cruise boat sets sail for Luxor with stops at more temples along the way.

  

  

 

A reminder that electricity is Aswan's most important product. Many lines lead north toward Cairo.

 

With the return trip to Aswan completed, the group and drivers paused for a group photo. Back on the cruise boat after a nice buffet lunch, they will plan their afternoon adventure.

 

Additional photos for this post (and the previous post from Aswan) can be found on this Flickr Album.

Other posts on this blog pertaining to a particular topic can be found by entering the topic (such as Abu Simbel) in the search bar at the top of this post and clicking the little magnifying glass nearby.

 

 

 

Last year's visit to the Nubian Monuments on Lake Nasser were blogged by us beginning here and continuing to "newer posts".  

2026 - The Ladies Go South. A Nile Riverboat Cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Part 1 - Travel to Aswan and the Philae Temple of Isis

After a few days in Cairo, Linda and friends traveled south to Aswan, Abu Simbel, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. As is typical of such a journey, the group proceeded from Aswan to Luxor on a Nile Cruise ship. 

The trip south from Cairo to Aswan began in the early hours of the morning with a 4:30 departure to the airport from the ladies' hotel in the shadow of the Giza Pyramids, for a 6:45 flight to Aswan, some 500 miles south. 

 

  

Baggage check-in at the domestic terminal at Cairo International.  The ladies hoped for warmer desert temps along the Nile near the southern border of Egypt. 

Nile Air is one of several domestic airlines offering transportation to the south.  These airlines offer competitive rates to the overnight train or bus transportation that once was the traditional mode of travel.  For travelers with the time and inclination, smaller river boats still offer an "Agatha Christie" experience in the wind-powered Dahabiya - the Thomas Cook steamers having long disappeared.

Here's a map from our trip south last year showing the geography of the area.

Arriving in Aswan in early morning presents the problem of what to do until check-in time on the Nile cruise ship.  This problem is usually solved with an expedition out to the Aswan High Dam, source of much of the electricity in Egypt and the stabilizer of water flow that has eliminated the annual flooding of the countryside downstream.  This view is on the downstream side of the dam with Aswan in the background.

Another picture gives an overview of the area near the dam.

 

The 250 foot high monument from 1967 commemorating the friendship of the people of the Soviet Union and Egypt is one of the few reminders of the Soviet Union's presence in Egypt.  Travelers of a certain age may conjure up memories of the Cold War, Sputnik and other 1950s-60s events as they walk through the lotus-flower inspired monument.

 

 

On the way back into town, the group stopped to visit the Philae Temple of Isis, located on an island just below the Aswan High Dam.  This temple is a highlight of any visit to Aswan.  Dating from the Ptolemaic era of Greek and Roman world power, this temple is one of the monuments that was relocated to protect it from the rising waters of the Nile as the new "High Dam" was built.  The temple's pillars are spectacular.  Access is via a fifteen minute ride on small ferry boats in the nearby harbor, a fun adventure itself. 

 

  

 

After checking in at the Nile Cruise boat/floating hotel, visitors usually tour the city of Aswan (population almost 400,000) offering some insight into the Nubian population of southern Egypt and a variety of sights on Elephantine Island.  (Tom highly recommends spending time at the Aswan Museum and its surrounding archeological highlights discovered by Egyptian archeologist Labib Habachi).

When Linda first visited Egypt in 1977, to put her Arabic language study to a practical test, Aswan was a sleepy town of perhaps 50,000.  As the tourism business has grown to be a major pillar of the Egyptian economy, Aswan has  boomed.  The usual tourist shops selling spices, cotton, tee-shirts and tiny pyramids are doing well.  A visit to both the bazaar and Nubian marketplace are worthwhile if only for lively banter with the merchants. 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

   

We stopped in this lovely location for a relaxing cup of tea,

Additional photos for this post (and the next post from Abu Simbel) can be found on this Flickr Album.

Other posts on this blog pertaining to a particular topic can be found by entering the topic (such as Aswan) in the search bar at the top of this post and clicking the little magnifying glass nearby.