egypt
Aswan
Aswan is Egypt ’ s most relaxed city . Lateen-sailed feluccas ( Egyptian sailboats ) skim around lush islands on the wide yawn of the Nile while a backdrop of tangerine-hued dunes loom over the fertile riverbank thread , which holds the city on the east bank and huddles of Nubian villages on the west . Aswan was on the border between the two glorious civilisations of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Nubia , and this cultural blend remains an important part of the city ’ s identity . To explore Aswan ’ s Nubian heritage , head to the Nubian villages on Elephantine Island , check out the Nubian Museum , or take a stroll through Aswan market with its pyramid-piles of dried karkadai ( hibiscus ) and colourful basketry .
Aswan is also the port for excursions to the temples of Abu Simbel . Hewn out of a mountainside in the 13th century BCE , and guarded by colossal statues of Pharaoh Ramses II , it was one of Ancient Egypt ’ s most audacious building projects . Due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the mid-20th century , the temple complex was deconstructed and rebuilt block by block at its present-day location to save it from being submerged under the rising waters of Lake Nasser , as part of a massive UNESCO-led salvage operation that also included Philae ’ s Temple of Isis .
For a close-up experience of Nile-side life , board a felucca for an Aswan boat tour . Keen photographers should keep their eyes peeled to spot kingfishers , sunbirds and herons while gently sailing around the river ’ s boulder outcrops and islands . Because Aswan is really about sitting back and soaking up the scenery , don ’ t miss a visit to the Old Cataract Hotel for high tea on the terrace . This heritage hotel offers commanding Nile views and has played host to everyone from Winston Churchill to Agatha Christie , who wrote part of Death on the Nile while staying here .
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