Luxor Transportation Tips by Janani

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bicycle
Getting TO/AROUND: I’m definitely not good with bicycles generally; I’ve even managed to fall off an exercise bike once. In fact, I learned to ride a bicycle for the first time on holiday in Luxor, as I thought it would be a good way to see all the mortuary temples. I found it easy to hire one from the hotel, picking up a bicycle that was standing on its own, so I didn’t knock the others over, took it on the ferry and walked with it until I got near to the Colossi of Memnon (where no one was about to see if I fell off!) then I got on the bicycle and practised in the parking area, so I felt safe before going on the road. I cycled about all day from place to place, but it seemed so uncomfortable and bumpy, I couldn’t believe that so many people ride them all the time. When I got back to the hotel, the man who looked after the bicycles told me he’d been looking all day for that bicycle; it had been put separately from the others because it had a flat tyre which needed repairing!!!

Despite this I really think that a bicycle is the best way to see all the areas to the West of the Nile in Luxor. I had no problems at all using the ferry across or the quiet roads here (although I must put this down to the skills of other road users rather than any of my own) or parking the bicycle securely at each of the places I stopped to visit. As it was so hot and I felt very thirsty I was also glad to be able to keep my water bottles on the bicycle rather than carrying the heavy things around in my bag all day and I was certainly glad of the breeze you get while cycling along. Do try it. If I could do it, anyone can!

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: Staying at the Novotel, I could see the ferry a little way from the gardens, running back and forth across the Nile with its load of cars, animals and people and so had no trouble locating it, accompanied by my bicycle, on the days I planned to visit the mortuary temples on the west bank of the Nile.

I went up to the top deck, as the boat turned slowly around and began to progress slowly across the river. From here I could watch, as the boats large steering wheel was controlled by the expert feet of the ferry man, who sat cross legged on a ledge in his small cabin with his assistant, who collected the miniscule fares we were charged for using the service. I asked if I could take a photo and they both smiled and posed for it; I'm sure they've been asked many times! (I was later rather embarrassed, showing the pictures to my parents, to find I'd taken a picture of some less than charming English graffiti on the painted side of the cabin so I'd better crop that picture before adding it here!)

I was surprised not to see any other tourists on the ferry but was told that a rather smarter tourist ferry runs a different route a little way to the north, so the older public ferry I was using gets little custom from overseas visitors. I was lucky with my timing on the way across in the morning but in the evening I discovered I had just missed one, although who could complain, when waiting for its return simply means half an hour spent on the banks of the Nile in the evening sun, watching the feluccas drift past and chatting to the other passengers?

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