Luxor Things to Do Tips by dutchboycalledjan

We've visited five tombs in the Valley of th Nobles. It was a great experience, as these tombs lay scattered in a 'valley' that is still inhabited. We were told that the governement wants the people to move, so they have no running water nor electricty. We bought tickets at a ticket boot outside the valley, near a cross roads. Check which tombs you want to visit.

We were dropped off at a parking place. You can try to find your own way, but we choose a guide to bring us to the various tombs. We agreed 30 pounds before hand ('money is not a problem, sir'. 'No, but for us it is') .

The tombs are very different, not as elaborate as the one's in The Valley of the Kings, but some were very remarkable. In every tomb is a caretaker willing to point out some details, but do not expect a long explanation. Have some 1 pounds notes ready and be prepared for an argument over the amount of money. In one tomb there was a man with a mirror outside and a man with a mirror on the inside, shining light on the pictures.

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Address: Valley of the Nobles
Directions: Cross the Nile with the ferry and hire a cab, a bicycle or walk to the ticket box, slightly up hill.

We were dropped of at the parking place by our driver. We bought a ticket to see three tombs;- we didn't care for the seperate ticket for Tut's tomb - and a small train took us to the entrance of the site. As usual, we started with walking: we try to go first as far away as possible, because that makes it easier to time when you want to be back. In the end we had to climb a stair to enter our first tomb.

To our amazement, it wasn't cool inside. Is that because the number of visitors? Or because it is the temperature? Inside a man tried to point out the obvious, but the hint of looking into the sacrophagus was a good one.

In most of the tombes you see a five pointed star, sometimes lots of them. They also are a symbolic representation of man: a head, two arms and two legs.

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Directions: Walk to the end, then to the left: the large stairs

We had a three hours 'sail' to Banana Island. I write 'sail', because there was too little wind and we were twice pulled by a motorboat and on the way back we drifted on the current and had to row. In this way it can easily been done in two hours. But, we're on holiday and needed the time to relax. And it was somewhat cooler on the water.

After the first pull, we rested on the shore and made some tea. 'The wind will come', the captain said. Then we tried to get another hike and after some time we managed to attract the attention of a motor boat. We were dropped at the Banana island - 20 pounds again - which is a lovely place. Full of fruit trees. We watched the sun setting on the southern most tip. Then we had some of the best banana's ever. Banana's with much flavour, a good bite and smell.

Then it became dark fast and we slowly drifted back to Luxor, now and then some wind, but not enough and the crew had to row. There were a number of very noisy boats on the Nile. Paid 45 euro's, it was worth it, but it was our first full day in Aegypt, so I had still somethings to learn.

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Directions: We started on the West Bank, there are a number of boats, but Jamaica's captain speaks good English, is great fun and has a lot of experience.

The Luxor Museum of Ancient Art is worth a visit, if only because it is air conditioned. The museum's outside and inside have been designed with care. The displays are very good and the light is briljant (sometimes to). Also, there is not too much, like in the Egyptian museum in Caïro. Used the illustrated guide to Luxor to guide us through the highlights. The only drawback during our visit was a guide that spoke very loud, as if he was still in the open air. We paid 55 pounds each.

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Address: Nile Corniche