Souq Sharq and Nearby Area Nightscape

january 18, 2013

friday

Pinoy Digital Photographer's in Kuwait another gathering and photowalk activity on friday night.

The Souq Sharq is a major shopping centre in Kuwait City. The centre began as a traditional souq but as the city has undergone investment has expanded into a modernized western-style shopping mall
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souq_Sharq

souq sharq and nearby area nightscape

souq sharq and nearby area nightscape

Budget and Safety tips on Solo Self-guided Traveling Egypt

fearless 4.5 days DIY eid season solo trip to Egypt

october 25-29, 2012 thursday to monday

biking the luxor's west bank

Walked like Egyptian probably was the most challenging and rewarding travel in 15 countries I have visited so far. Before I give some insights regarding this trip, let me show-off first my condition before and during the travel period. 

1. I almost considered this trip as cancelled due to my work as it is hard to file an exit permit as an expat government employee though it is holiday on the entire trip duration. This is the main reason why I did not somehow research for the missing links and just booked the plane tickets at most 3 weeks before the departure and walk-in train seats.

2. The entire travel period (Oct. 25-29, 2012) is a holiday celebration for a Muslim country, thus, a very very peak season.  Plane ticket price is almost thrice the regular, a really expensive trip.

3. My outbound flight fare is a gamble due to the risk it had. I have to wait at least 30 minutes before the departing time to make sure I have a sure seat.

4. Egypt just recently experienced revolution for ousting Mubarak and had the national election this year. Thus, peace and order is somehow at stake.

budget and itinerary print-outs

Biking the Luxor's West Bank

fearless 4.5 days DIY solo backpacking Egypt

october 25-29, 2012 thursday to monday

luxor temple & museum (luxor's east bank)

Bike rental is located just exactly outside the West Bank port and Bus terminal, around 100 meters away. I rented for 3 hours that costs only 15 EGP. Since I already mapped-out my planned destinations the day before during my van tour to major landmarks, I know somehow where to go.

Photography is allowed to all, and strolling can be enough at most 3 hours.

Colossi of Memnon (known to locals as el-Colossat, or es-Salamat) are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. For the past 3400 years (since 1350 BC) they have stood in the Theban necropolis, across the River Nile from the modern city of Luxor.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossi_of_Memnon



biking the luxor's west bank



Luxor Temple & Museum (East Bank)

fearless 4.5 days DIY eid season solo trip to Egypt
october 25-29, 2012 thursday to monday

magnificent karnak temple (luxor's east bank)

Luxor temple has also this great numbers of huge columns located along the corniche and just at the Luxor downtown.

How to go to Luxor temple;
From Luxor Railway Station, just walk straight to corniche at around 300 meters away. Entrance fee costs 55 EGP, opens daily from 0800H to 1800H.
Photography is allowed inside, and strolling can be enough at least 1 hour.

Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes) and was founded in 1400 BCE. For centuries Thebes was once known as the capital of the known world. Known in the Egyptian language as ipet resyt, or "the southern sanctuary." In Luxor there are six great temples, the four on the left bank are known to travellers and readers of travels as Goornah, Deir-el-Bahri, the Ramesseum, and Medinet Habu; and the two temples on the right bank are known as the Karnak and Luxor.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_Temple

luxor temple

Magnificent Karnak Temple (East Bank)

fearless 4.5 days DIY eid season solo trip to Egypt

october 25-29, 2012 thursday to monday

hatshepsut and ramessium temple (luxor's west bank)
 
Probably the most fantastic temple I have ever seen in my entire backpacking because of its 134 huge columns which is the largest accounted in the world.

How to go here;
Starting from corniche in east bank, walk or hire a carriage (costs 5EGP) going straight at approximate 3 km. Entrance fee is 65 EGP, opens daily from 0800H-1800H.

Photography is allowed inside, and strolling can be enough at most 1 hour.

The Karnak Temple Complex—usually called Karnak, comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut ("The Most Selected of Places") and the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex gives its name to the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern village of el-Karnak, some 2.5 km north of Luxor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnak

karnak temple

Hatshepsut and Ramessium Temple (West Bank)

fearless 4.5 days DIY eid season solo trip to Egypt
october 25-29, 2012
thursday to monday

valley of the kings & queens (luxor's west bank)

Hatshepsut temple is my next destination after finishing the tour in Valley of the Kings.

How to go to Hatshepsut Temple;
From Valley of the Kings, plan your itinerary next ideally to this place as this is the next nearest important tourist landmark on this valley. Entrance costs only 30 EGP only with 2 EGP charge for the mini-train inside.

Photography is allowed inside, and strolling can be enough at most 1 hour.

The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, "Holy of Holies", is located beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile near the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. The mortuary temple is dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra and is located next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, which served both as an inspiration, and later, a quarry. It is considered one of the "incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt." The temple was the site of the massacre of 62 people, mostly tourists, by Islamist extremists that took place on 17 November 1997
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortuary_Temple_of_Hatshepsut

hatshepsut temple

Valley of the Kings & Queens (Luxor's West Bank)

fearless 4.5 days DIY eid season solo trip to Egypt

october 25-29, 2012

thursday to monday 

collosal abu simbel temples (ramesses & nefertari)

Valley of the Kings is the major tourist landmark of West Bank. Separate entrance fees are charge inside of every tomb especially the famous ones (Ramesses and Tutankhamun) aside from the general entrance fee for the compound.

How to go to Valley of the Kings;
It is cheaper to hire the public microbus (van) rather than a taxi in touring major spots of West Bank. As for what I did, I hired a van which is exclusively for me as only passenger during my ENTIRE tour, the local driver is considerate enough not to hitchhike possible passengers along the way. I negotiated to a fixed price of 80 EGP ($13) starting from west bank port to valley of the king and queens, hatchepsut and ramessium temple (1230H-1700H). Compared to taxi, they will charged around more than 100 EGP ($16) depending upon the places to visit.

So we started the round to the Valley of the Kings which is the farthest one, I think its around 12km from the port. Local touts have been roaming around since the start of my journey here in Luxor so be prepared how to avoid or leave them away politely. Entrance fee for this valley is 80 EGP with 4 EGP charge for a round trip mini-train inside.

inside valley of the kings

Collosal Abu Simbel Temples (Ramesses and Nefertari)

fearless 4.5 days DIY eid season solo trip to Egypt
october 25-29, 2012 thursday to monday

train travel from cairo to aswan

Abu Simbel temples are one of the best tourist spot in Southern Egypt. This temples are for Ramesses and Nefertari (King and Queens, husband and wife).

how to go here;
from Abu simbel downtown, the distance to the Abu Simbel temples is around 4 km. There is a minimal tricycles roaming around but I still prefer walking to feel the place. Just go straight on the main road until you find a huge billboard fo the temples. Entrance fee totals 95 EGP that includes the 80 EGP for the entrance on Rameses and Nefertari temples, 13 EGP for guide fee (which I did not experience to have) and 2 EGP for environmental fee. Opens daily from 0800H to 1800H.

abu simbel (ramesses temple)