STAY IN LUXOR, EATS AND TREATS TOO!

Staying At Luxor

Luxor is the place which can truly transport one to the Pharonic era; if you are visiting Luxor, you should be spending very little time in your hotel room. While choosing a hotel, the emphasis and concern should be getting clean beds and bathrooms. Most of the hotels are on the East Bank. This is much quieter than the West Bank and you will be close to the Luxor and the Karnak temples!

For checking out the hotel options in Luxor, log onto http://www.allhotels.com/. But be warned – the room rates mentioned on the site are not necessarily the correct ones-as I learnt the hard way! I chose Pyramisa Hotel from this website-a double room with a Nile view When I tried booking the room through the website, the operation failed every time. Then I called them and told them about the dates and the room that I wanted-and got the shock of my life-when the rates that were quoted were almost double and I was told that the website did not carry the correct rates! I suggest you use the website to get an idea of the hotels and the kind of facilities available therein and then do the bookings on the telephone. You will have to remit the money by wire transfer to confirm your bookings.

We finally stayed at Tutotel; a three star. Our rooms were clean and had good bathrooms. For the price of USD 44/- per night (double occupancy), it served our purpose. It has a small terrace pool and a terrace restaurant. The location is also very convenient.

Moving Around Luxor

We hired a car for the two days that we stayed in Luxor to take us around-for LE 300/day. We used the services of “Egypt on Line Tours” who provided us with an air-conditioned mini-van with a chauffeur who knew “basic” English and was conversant with all the sites. Though we did not hire any guide, it is possible to hire english-speaking guides for LE 150/- per day.

Eating Out

I would recommend the Africa restaurant on the West Bank- it has a friendly staff and serves freshly made Egyptian fare. A great place for vegetarians too! We had hummus and baba ghanough, greens salads together with rice, mixed vegetables, potato gravy and French fries for the main course. And of course, to help with the digestion; freshly squeezed lemon juice. We paid LE 48 per person, all inclusive. This place is extremely popular with tourist groups and if you get a table, you may be subject to subtle prodding by the staff to finish your meal and be off!

Treats

Treat yourself to a cold karkade and sheeshah at the Metropolitan Café on the Corniche while watching the sun set over the river Nile. The perfect place to rest your tired limbs and reflect on the historical sites that you have just visited is definitely by the river Nile – which too is as old as history!

A ferry ride between the West and the East Bank in Luxor is highly recommended-not only as the fastest and the easiest mode of travel between the two banks, but also for the sheer joy of cruising the Nile and feeling the spray of water on your face! Expect to pay around LE 1-2 per person for the crossing.

Take Me Home!

There are lovely clay pots (tagens) that can be bought beside the police station in Luxor. With some bargaining, you can buy the small pots for LE 5 and slightly bigger ones for LE 7-10. They can be used for cooking over the stove and can be used for serving too-to add a “different” touch to your dinner party!