Meya! Meya!

We lost count of the number of “WT!! I can’t believe this! How could this have been built?” moments we had on this trip. We were completely overwhelmed—utterly gobsmacked—maybe even flirting with Stendhal syndrome, all while weaving through the ever-present tourist crowds following a small pink pony dangling from a pointer held high by our tour guide. Yes, we even teared up at one point. And rightfully so, the scale alone is emotional. Everyone should see the wonders of this ancient world at least once in their lifetime if they can swing it and tolerate the pace, with stamina needed to see as much as you can in a concentrated time. It’s all a marvel on the colossal scale and we had the added bonus of sharing it with friends Lesa and Clare that have known us since our New Orleans days and 12 new friends all part of the Detours tour we signed up for what feels like years ago.

Basing ourselves out of Cairo, Dan and Hend—our brilliant trip planners and leaders—wisely chose not to oversell a single moment. Instead, they created space for us to experience everything on our own terms, enriching each stop with Hend’s local insight, cultural depth and textbook recall of Egyptian history, alongside Dan’s seasoned perspective as a visitor who has led countless groups through the Egyptian desert and along the Nile.

Our first stop was the awe-inspiring Great Pyramid of Giza. It’s hard to imagine anything topping that introduction, and in many ways, it was the perfect place to begin. Standing before it without the sensory overload of the days to come allowed us to fully absorb its scale, history, and quiet grandeur before the whirlwind of Egypt swept us up.

The Giza complex includes the three great pyramids honouring the Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure along with the celebrated Great Sphynx. Scattered about are a number of smaller “Queen’s pyramids” of varying states of preservation adding to the visual detail. The queue to get into Khufu wrapped up and down stairs so we opted instead to walk the perimeter and take some needed catch-up time with our travel family. As we discovered about every site in Egypt, you could spend hours (maybe even a few days) peeling back the layers, but so much more was waiting.

Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country, with Islam as its state religion. While homosexuality is not explicitly illegal, LGBTQ+ individuals — particularly men — can face arrest or prosecution under broadly interpreted “debauchery” laws. As with certain Christian communities, opposition to same-sex relationships often aligns with literal readings of sacred texts — the Quran here, much like Biblical literalism elsewhere. It’s only natural, then, to question what traveling there as a same-sex couple might feel like.

Yet, with Detours, there was never a moment of unease — especially with Hend, a Cairo local and global travel pro who is Muslim, guiding us throughout (pink pony in tow). Conversations about faith and culture weren’t avoided; they were welcomed. During our visit to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali — one of the most iconic silhouettes on Cairo’s skyline, located in the Salah El-Din Citadel — she offered thoughtful context about Islam, how she practices her faith in a modern world, and what it meant for her to be traveling with our group. It was candid, generous, and immediately disarming — the kind of exchange that quietly dissolves all stereotypes.

The mosque itself is a stunning fusion of Ottoman grandeur and European influence, wrapped in alabaster — one of Egypt’s prized exports. The colonnade is sweeping and the interior glistens — but it was the conversation in the courtyard that made the visit personal and unique.

There’s no extra naval-gazing time when you’re trying to absorb as much of the ancient world as possible in a single, concentrated visit. A quick flight to Luxor (on Cambodia Airways?!) had us standing inside Karnak Temple before we had fully processed leaving Cairo, and the upcoming check in to our Nile float for the next four days: the Mövenpick Royal Lotus Nile Cruise. Like our trip to the Galápagos Islands in 2024, there are boats for every comfort level and budget, and this one — included with the tour — met us exactly where we needed it to.

Karnak is the largest religious complex ever built, and once you pass through its towering entrance walls, the 134 massive carved stone columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall don’t just impress — they overwhelm. This is Egypt’s second most visited site, once the primary place of worship for Amun-Ra, his consort Mut, and their son Khonsu, and the starting point of the grand Avenue of Sphinxes that once stretched all the way to Luxor Temple. Breathtaking — there’s no other word that sticks. It is also home to Egypt’s tallest standing obelisk, the 29-metre granite monument commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut. And again: how did they build this — any of this — with the limitations of the tools and engineering of the time? What definitely wasn’t limited was skill and artistry.

That evening, we navigated crowds and colossi at Luxor Temple, the other well-known UNESCO World Heritage site in ancient Thebes (once Egypt’s capital). It was packed, but worth every push, turn, and craned neck to see it at sunset. The light bathes the temple in a golden glow, heightening the drama of its scale and hinting at the site where many Pharaohs may have been crowned. It’s a mixed bag of history— built by different rulers spanning Ancient Egypt through Roman and Islamic periods — and a reminder that grandeur often comes in stages, not in a single sweep.

It was hard to grasp that we were only on day four — or was it five? Time had begun to blur in the best possible way. So many highlights, so much to absorb, and somehow the bar kept lifting. This time, quite literally.

At sunrise, we hovered above the outskirts of Luxor in a parade of hot air balloons — something we’d never done before. Could it really be as magical as all those perfectly filtered influencer posts floating across the internet? As it turns out… yes. Entirely yes. What started off in classic travel fashion — a bit of hurry up and wait, mild chaos in the dark, rushing to meeting point, and obligatory photos — was transformed the moment our basket lifted off into pure, suspended bliss. For quiet stretches between the rush of flame power overhead, we simply floated, absorbing a perspective that made the ancient landscape feel somehow even more surreal.

Yes, it WAS only day four! and even with that joyride in the sky, it was barely morning. Next stop: Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, a few minutes’ bus ride from our landing. This temple, built by a queen acting as king — one of the only female pharaohs (and maybe the first drag king) — feels surprisingly modern, with a geometrically precise plan and a three-tiered colonnade carved directly into limestone. In one section, the coloured wall engravings, a blend of original pigments and careful, ongoing restoration, remain vivid. It’s a testament to both ancient craftsmanship and contemporary preservation expertise. And to top it off, a cute guard dog kept watch at the entrance – and got loads of attention.

Valley of the Kings was listed as the big-ticket item of the day, the burial place for almost all pharaohs from the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth dynasties of ancient Egypt, but by this point, our senses were so overloaded, every site and activity equally impressed.

In the vein of “once you’ve seen the best, why see the rest”, we signed up to join the queue for KV17 – the tomb of Seti I, one of the largest and deepest in the valley and the most decorated. He was known for his contribution to art and culture, and his tomb showcases extensive use of bas-reliefs and gold leaf, a high point of New Kingdom tomb art.

The other 60+ tombs are said to be less elaborate, but to be sure we weren’t missing anything, we visited the nearby KV14 used for Queen Tausert, thought to be the second royal wife of Seti II. It was later usurped and expanded to accommodate King Setnakhte. The work inside was not as detailed or complete as Seti I, but as we said – everything impressed in its own right throughout this stunning experience.

A quick stop on the way back to our floating hotel on the Nile landed us at the base of the Colossi of Memnon. Once again, the mind boggles how such massive, overpowering pieces of sculpture just sit next to a highway, seemingly watching the world pass by, undisturbed except for the occasional onslaught of a flock of tourists, iPhones in hand.

With the little time we had, our Nile trip wasn’t exactly all cocktails and cruising. It was more like: how many incredible sites can we squeeze into one day?

A bit north of Aswan sits Kom Ombo — a rare double temple — another stop to briefly take in. One half honours Sobek, the crocodile god of fertility. The other is dedicated to Horus, the falcon god and ultimate protector of the pharaohs.

Sobek, in particular, had a serious cult-like following and he’s usually depicted as a man with a crocodile head. His followers revered anything croc-like, and the actual reptiles were treated as his earthly incarnations. When they died, like humans, they were mummified — and you can see remarkably intact examples today in the nearby Crocodile Museum.

But beyond the gods and crocs, this site’s more intimate etchings were detailed and prolific, remarkably preserving scenes of daily life, religious rituals, and, notably, depictions of surgical instruments.  It’s a glimpse into early medical practices. You could easily spend hours just studying these marks in the stone.

Near the southern border, the Aswan High Dam, a major UNESCO project in the 1960s - 70s, permanently revolutionised Egypt's economy. Flood control, year-round irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation were essential to both survival and growth. At the same time, and to this day, the project galvanized two of the most impressive fetes of contemporary engineering and preservation in the world. Both the Abu Simbel Temple (Ramses Il), and the Temple of Isis (Philae) faced devastation from the resulting flooding and were relocated. Abu Simbel originally carved into a mountainside along the Nile in Nubia, was moved over 60 meters higher to avoid submergence. It is now located on the western bank of the artificial lake. Temple of Isis, originally located on Philae Island was moved to the higher ancient engineering being saved by modern engineering. Impressive to say the least.

As you round the corner after trudging through an entry pavilion and walking around a huge sand mound, it appears – stately, commanding, domineering and one of the times we felt the Stendhal Syndrome vibes – this is Abu Simbel. The crowds are also mind blowing and you must be prepared to navigate all that push and pull. As every challenge on this trip – well worth it.

That night, we boarded a traditional felucca boat – otherwise known by us as a giant floating bed – and joined the flotilla of tourists and locals, drifting around the Nile, with a soundtrack of both serene wind and distant beats from some great house music. It was relaxing, and a little reflection and connection time we all probably needed at this point.

The next morning, a quick motorboat ride, captained by a local hawking some local wares, brought us to the Temple of Isis on its new higher perch. It was painstakingly recreated to reflect the original location, even down to the landscaping and the payoff is a pristine, picturesque view of a ruin surrounded by water. When we were there, the site lacked the crowds we had gotten used to, giving us more time to just admire, relax and take it all in.

Both our Nile cruise and our bus trips throughout the region showcased the positive impact the damn project brought. But as with most large-scale environmental change, there is a risk. Because of flooding, approximately 100,000 people were resettled in Sudan and Egypt. In 2019–20, Egypt started to compensate those Nubians who lost their homes.

More often than not, clichés are rooted in truth, and when looking back on travel we always come to the adage “people make the place”. Our guides Dan and Hend, our new travel crew — Chris, Danny, Dave, Syed, Jeff, Matt, Mois, Theresa, Tim, and Zack — and getting to share the whole adventure with expert photographers and longtime friends (now even closer) Lesa and Clare really made that saying feel completely true. There’s no way to avoid feeling close to people who have been thrown together to experience intense travel in short periods of time – just learning to dodge the hawkers with “La’ Shukran” was bonding in itself.

As part of our final days n Cairo, we spent a few hours at a local market, in the midst of the bustling vibe of its busy streets. That same evening, all sixteen of us were fed like kings and queens with a star-worthy (or if in Australia “hat worthy”) home cooked meal painstakingly prepared by Mai who gives this unique experience to groups day in and day out. Loads of food, loads of flavour and loads of love on that night. Very special experience. We had been well fed on the trip – especially the boat with elaborate buffets and local specialties – but this surpassed it all.

It felt perfectly fitting that at the very end of the trip, we finally made it to the Grand Egyptian Museum — the one everyone kept asking about before we left: “Are you going to see the GEM?” Depending on your interest, you can spend one hour, ten hours or ten days exploring all that’s on display. Everything we’d heard about from all those tombs, temple complexes, and submerged, ancient cities were at our fingertips. . . more senses overload. We’ll let the pics speak for themselves, but it was comparable to a visit of the Louvre in Paris or the British Museum in London and good to see many artifacts back on home turf after being returned - part of a broader effort by the Egyptian government to repatriate stolen or traded antiquities.

And since we’re talking photos, some images posted here were shared by every member of our travel family, especially our guides Dan and Hend and close friends Lesa and Clare – helping capture the adventure with fresh eyes. Thank you.

So this was Egypt – or at lease our short but intense experience with the tourist side of Ancient Egypt.

The trip was meya, meya – perfect in every way.

NOTE: As we upload this travelogue, bombing has begun in Iran by the US and Israel. Airports are closed in the region. This will decimate the still recovering tourist market in Egypt and Jordan - and to its people dependent on it, our heavy hearts are with you.