Mapenzi Overland

Hi Guys

Glad to hear your both well, sorry to hear of your frustrations with visas i can totally sypathise!!

I was just thinking of you on my way into work. Your getting closer to Egypt so i thought id leave you some (hopefully) helpful tips!

Good luck with Cairo is about all i can say! Just be careful on the fast roads! I dont really know of anywhere to stay there apart from fairly central, let me know if you want that info. You must get out to Saquara and Dashur if you can though (ie step pyramid, bent pyramid and red pyramid) There are far less tourists and i really enjoyed seeing the progression of pyramid building! The cairo museum is a must! And pretty close to most of the embassies and visa places so you could tie the 2 in!

In Luxor stay at the Reziki camp, its about the only place you can camp there, and they also have basic rooms if you fancy it. The guys that run it are nice, if not a little challenging at times! They have a pool!! Dont forget to go over and see the Valley of the Workers! The valley of the knings is also fab, but if you do those 2 i wouldnt bother going to see valley of queens (unless of course they open nefataris tomb (unlikely. Hatchespsuts temple on the west bank is probably the best and the only place you can take photos of some pretty intact hyroglyphs. On the east bank karnak is fantastic, avoid the night show unless your feeling very cheesy!! The luxor museum is also fab if you have the time and inclination! Let me know if you think you will want guides at these places and i can totally recomend one!

Aswan! I think you'l struggle to find a camp site we never did, we stayed at the Orchida hotel there, very basic, but the rooms are generally ok, if you get one where the shower, toilet or aircon dont work complain and move rooms! The food is pretty crap in general in Aswan, but if i had to recomenned somewhere to eat it would be the aswan moon down on the river front. A felucca tour is a must in aswan, by far the prettiest section of the nile, can go over to one of the Nubian Islands or to elephant and/or kitchen island. If you stay at Orchida ask at reception for them to ring achmed or mohammed( Nubian) that oasis usually use for the feluccas (tell them claire from oasis said so!) Both super nice blokes! Say hi to them too!

The temple of Philae is also a fab temple that they moved to protect from the flood water (if your not too templed out!) Aparently theirs is the best night light display if your going to pick one! And the markets are also pretty fun in Aswan!!

Ok i think i have gone on enough!! Il try get surnames of mohammed and achmed before you get there (cant think right now!)

Hope thats all helpful! Good luck with the visas!

Take care

Claire xx

howdy you two.

sounds like you're having a good time. check out your face book sarah, i've left some good news for you there.

dave

Hi you happy travellers

Sounds like it is already a real adventure! It is so great that you can keep in touch via your blog and it feels like we are living it through you. Very jealous! Love the roughing it look on Mike! :-)

Good luck in Libya.

Love
Bron and Mike

Hello maate nice post