"Luxor" a Luxor Travel Page by Angelal

Luxor is divided by the Nile River which gives the town an East and West Bank.

When flying into Luxor Airport, the view from the plane is breathtaking! The Nile river, the luscious green sugar cane fields and the barren mountains beyond that look a fantastic shade of red when landing around Sunset.

Luxors main source of income is through Tourism. There are no factories or large companies outside of this sector. Hence the majority of the population make their living through tourism with farming as a close second. I have heard it said that Luxor is the hassle capital of Egypt and this is probably correct, endless offers of Felucca trips, callesh rides and offers to look inside Papyrus shops/Alabaster factories and endless cups of tea can be frustrating. However when you bear in mind that you are probably their only source of income you can kind of understand why. Usually a firm but polite response in Arabic such as 'La Shukran' said with a serious facial expression is enough to deflect them.

If you are willing to see beyond the hassle and look at Egypt with an open mind, you will probably meet some of the kindest, hospitable, generous and warm hearted people that you could ever wish to meet. The place never ceases to fascinate me, not just the Ancient wonders but the modern day culture and the close knit communities and extended families that are almost non existent in the UK where I come from.

Before visiting Luxor I would definitely recommend reading a novel based in Upper Egypt. One that springs to mind is 'Shahhat -An Egyptian'. This is the true story of an Egyptian Fellah (farmer) who lived in a West Bank Village who had his life followed for two years by the American author. The book was written just after the completion of the Aswan High Dam and talks of how his farming life changed because of this but also an insight into the village traditions. Fascinating reading!

Another thing you will notice in Egypt, very similar to some Southern European countries is that many houses are not completed, or perhaps two storeys have been build but not the third, or it has not been painted etc. It can look rather unsightly but the concept of a 'mortgage' is pretty much unheard of in Luxor or at least unobtainable for the majority. Therefore the house is usually built in stages, as and when the owner has sufficient funds. The benefit of this is that once the building is completed, it is paid for. It does however mean that it can look pretty unsightly in the process! I have heard many tourists mention this and put it down to laziness which astounds me! We are so used in the West to getting mortgages, paid for over 25 years, cars and even furniture and household appliances on HP. It would be interesting to see how many of us would cope if we had to save for every last fixture and fitting and possibly make us less keen to judge!

Apart from the Ancient sites there are so many lovely things to do! Perhaps take a sunset felucca ride and stop of at Banana Island for a roam and to scoff bananas which incidentally are tiny compared to the ones we are used to in the UK! Sit in a cafe and enjoy a water pipe and a glass of mint tea. Visit the animal market - a bit dirty and very smelly but v interesting to see the local farmers bartering for a new Ox or horse etc. If you feel like a bit of exercise, pop into the gym at Le Meridian Hotel on the East Bank. There is a charge for entry to the gym but the view from the running machine of the Nile river and West bank mountains is out of this world.
If you have children perhaps take the courtesy boat or bus to the Movenpick Resort on Crocodile Island where there is a playground and small zoo, featuring Luxor's very last crocodile. Be careful though! He has already attacked a pelican and taken off half his beak! The Movenpick is famous for its ice creams so finish the afternoon with a nice Caramelita or Choco Chocolate ice cream sundae. Delicious!

If you visit Luxor with an open mind and an open heart - you'll love it and be one of the many visitors that return time and time again!