Egypt, Ever a Wonder! (Part 7): A-Bunch of Temples at Abu Simbel

- April 4, 2026, Saturday.

- Abu Simbel is one of the final frontiers of southern Egypt as it is close to the country's border with Sudan. Abu Simbel is actually still part of the Aswan governorate, which starts from right below Luxor until the border, but it really is so far from most other major tourist sites. Since my dad and I were staying in Luxor, the only thing most Egyptians told us after telling them of our day trip (booked via GetYourGuide) to Abu Simbel from Luxor was "good luck." It was a 6- to 7-hour drive from Luxor, better if from Aswan (around 3 hours). If I only planned our journey trip, I might actually have considered Aswan as a "homebase" in the south rather than Luxor as it appears to be in the middle of everything. Anyway, the only thing we had to do was to start our day at 4:30AM, and with a good driver (which we thankfully had), we reached Abu Simbel in no time. (There was a stopover too for toilet and snacks, but at some point my dad and I really had to pee, so we both were told to pee in the desert - a first experience for us, I guess.)

- Upon arrival at the Abu Simbel temples and meeting our guide, we took no time and immediately went around them. The original temples were built in 13th century BCE. However, due to the construction of the Aswan Dam in the 1960s, the temples had to be relocated to higher ground (similar case to Philae Temple, which we visited the day prior, as well as many other temples in the region). The relocation had to be done with mathematical precision because factors such as when and how the sunlight would illuminate the temple interior had to be considered. Apart from this, an artificial hill had to be created from the same stones and soil from the original location to recreate the look of the original temples.

- The bigger of the two temples was built by and dedicated to Ramesses II. It has four gigantic statues of him at the gate. His family members can be seen standing by his lower legs. Inside the temple's main hall are four statues: Ptah (god of the dead), Amun-Ra (king of gods), Ramesses II (at par with the gods), and Ra-Horakhty (fusion of Ra and Horus).

Spot the not.

The temple was cut up into hundreds of blocks during relocation.

Closer up of Ramesses II's statues.

Inside, see the Osiride Ramesses II statues.

Ramesses II on a chariot.

Left to right: Ptah, Amun-Ra, Ramesses II, and Ra-Horakhty. 

Another spot where one can take photos as one of the Ramesses II statues.

- The smaller temple at the other side of the mountain was dedicated to Hathor, the cow-headed fertility goddess, and Ramesses II's consoert, Nefertari. Unusually, Nefertari's statues at the temple's gate are the same size as Ramesses II's statues; pharaohs often had the largest statues with everyone else's being smaller (as in the bigger temple). The design of the whole temple was meant to be a simpler version of the bigger temple.

At the smaller temple. Notice how Ramesses II and Nefertari are standing alternately.

Pillars bearing images of Hathor (she looks like a human here, but with cow ears.)

From the sanctuary.

Inside the sanctuary.

Ramesses II giving offerings to Ra-Horakhty.

With a view of both temples.

First time seeing a wild falcon. At least, I was tlod it was a falcon.

-These two temples were the only ones we saw the whole day; we went back to Luxor after lunch. While ideally we'd spend some more time in Abu Simbel, these two temples were the main things to see. Other people opt to fly in and out within the day, but the flights from Abu Simbel only go to/from Cairo and Aswan, not Luxor (and I think they should consider flights to/from Luxor too, if possible.) Well, I used the rest of the time in the car to rest and edit photos; we arrived in Luxor just in time for dinner - around 2 hours ahead of our scheduled arrival! 

- I initially had hesitations about going to Abu Simbel because of its distance from Luxor (or anywhere else, really). However, seeing it personally and knowing about its story of relocation made me realize that I was right in trusting my gut to not let these two temples pass. They are remarkable works of ancient Egypt and I am also happy that they were able to restore them as accurately as possible after relocation!

** Check out my other adventures in Egypt here!

Part 1: Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and Giza Pyramid View Inn (Rooftop Cafe) - here

Part 2: Islamic Cairo - here

Part 3: Pyramids of Giza, Memphis, and Saqqara - here

Part 4: Coptic Cairo - here

Part 5: Luxor - here

Part 6: Aswan - here

Part 8: Dendera and Medinet Habu - here     

Part 9: Egyptian Museum in Cairo and Abdeen Palace Museum - here

Egypt, Ever a Wonder! (Part 3): The Pyramid Post You're Looking For

- March 30, 2026, Monday.

- The Pyramids of Giza need no introduction. They're big, they're old, they're historical - and they alone serve as the face of Egyptian tourism and Egyptian civilization. While Egypt is definitely more than the pyramids in reality, a visit to Egypt for the first time will never be complete without a trip to Giza's pyramids! After all, they pyramids are the only remaining "Wonder of the Ancient World"!

- The Giza necropolis, where the pyramids are located, can be overwhelming to visit by oneself, even with the shuttlebus system within the archeological park that helps people go around the vast necropolis. It was more practical for us to book a tour with Klook, with an Egyptologist as a guide. 

- We arrived at Giza early in the morning; most people think that the pyramids stand lonely in the middle of the desert, but in reality they're so close to the city, roughly a short 30-minute drive from Cairo. (As can be seen in my first post of my Egypt trip series, hotels line the streets right outside the necropolis, so the whole area isn't too detached from modern civilization.) Our first agenda upon arriving was a camel ride across the desert. There are many camel guides across the necropolis, but with a recommendation from our tour guide, prices are significantly lower or "more reasonable" compared to hiring one by yourself (they tend to over-change greatly). It was my second time to ride a camel, and even with my previous experience it did not make riding one more comfortable. I keep forgetting how big camels are, and how I need to balance whenever it tries to get up or sit down because of it's long legs. But yes, it is a highly recommended activity (given that the camels are treated well by the guide), as it is a practical way to see the pyramids away from the tourist crowds.

There are three main pyramids, but there are actually nine (plus other smaller pyramids.)

Though plain in appearance, they were probably coated with shiny rock to let them shine under the sun. And yes, no one can completely explain how they were made. These pyramids are almost 5000 years old.

I love this candid look - and it was right after my camel stood up! A camel's legs are so long so its body rocks as it gets up or sits down.

Finally, a smile.

In the middle of nowhere.

This is how we all envision Egypt.

Did you notice my (modern and DIY) pharaoh look?

- After the camel ride we entered the pyramid of Menkaure, which didn't have much (not recommended, but I guess, only to say that I went inside one of the pyramids.) I figured a lot of the stuff people found inside pyramids are now placed in the museums in Egypt and across the world.  

Pyramids, slightly up close.

Inside Menkaure.

Outside Menkaure. 

- The Great Sphinx of Giza was another curiosity to check out. Until today, scholars cannot agree on who or what it really is. The term sphinx was based on the Greek name and iconography, but unlike the Greek version, Egyptian sphinxes are wingless male creatures. The human heads may also represent pharaohs.

Sphinx.

Nose to nose!

Backside.

- After visiting the pyramids, we had a brief visit to the papyrus center where we were shown how papyrus sheets were made from the papyrus plants, which is a kind of reed. We had lunch at an Egyptian restaurant afterwards, then off we went to Memphis, the first capital of Egypt since upper and lower Egypt were united in 3100BCE, originally called Min-Nefer (Memphis is a Greek name.) It was the capital of Egypt until Luxor (then Thebes) gained prominence in the 2000s BCE. It was finally abandoned in 7th century CE when Alexandria in the north gained prominence due to Roman dominance. Despite this, the open air museum has remnants of the richness of Memphis, including numerous status of Ramesses II, one of the most respected kings in Egyptian history.

Papyrus Center.

What papyrus looks like.

Now at Memphis, with the Colossus of Ramesses II.

A small sphinx.

Another statue of Ramesses II.

Many artefacts at the open air museum.

- Finally, we ended the afternoon by dropping by at Saqqara, a village in Giza where the oldest pyramid stands: the Step Pyramid of Djoser. The pyramid, which shows big steps instead of the finer triangular look of those in Giza. Djoser's pyramid was also built around 100 years before the Giza pyramids (that is, in 2600+ BCE.)

This reminds me more of pyramids in Latin America.

Djoser's funerary complex.

Pillar after pillar.

Yes, I'm happy because I can't believe I'm here!

These aren't the Giza pyramids, but other pyramids. Left: Sneferu's Bent Pyramid. Right: Sneferu's Red Pyramid.

Ruins.

More tombs.

Step pyramid from afar.

- The whole tour we had was so well-paced, I was able to do most of what I wanted to experience in Giza (yes, all these places I mentioned above are within the Giza governorate). Of course, given more time, I would have waned to see more areas of the Giza Necropolis, as well as the Saqqara necropolis. These places were nothing short of spectacular, and I ended the day with more curiosity than when I arrived in Egypt!  

** Check out my other adventures in Egypt here!

Part 1: Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and Giza Pyramid View Inn (Rooftop Cafe) - here

Part 2: Islamic Cairo - here

Part 4: Coptic Cairo - here

Part 5: Luxor - here

Part 6: Aswan - here

Part 7: Abu Simbel - here

Part 8: Dendera and Medinet Habu - here     

Part 9: Egyptian Museum in Cairo and Abdeen Palace Museum - here