Even in a simple trip, there are some complexities. I wanted to get done with them earlier and then relax in Almaty. Three of the most recommended destinations were a bit of a drive away and in the same direction. It was strongly recommended that we make it into an overnight trip, and we did. A friend with a local contact got in touch with … Continue reading Day 2,3 – Glamping trip to Kolsai, Kaindy and Charyn
I had planned and even booked trips to Kazakhstan a few times before. Those trips never happened for many different reasons – visa was a pain in the a**, flights got canceled due to Pakistan airspace closure, etc. This time the stars aligned a lot better. The flights are operating normally and new flights are starting on the route. The complicated visa process has been … Continue reading Kazakhstan – A planners delight!
I always knew I would write a blog on this one, before the end of my Egypt series. It has taken longer than planned but the various scams of this amazing country are still fresh in my mind. On some days it felt that everyone around was out to get you – some with a smile, some others with anger and most just making good … Continue reading Egypt – The art of ‘thuggery’
It was getting a little tiring – several long road trips, loads of eating and walking, and even more passive smoking. In addition, some incredible history – stories, paintings, sculptures, and monuments just blow your mind. They take you back a few thousand years and put you in awe of how it all could have been built and then how it all survived. There was … Continue reading Day 9, 10: Saving the best for last – Saqqara and the Museum
There was finally a much-needed slow day on the trip. We had a late morning flight to Cairo and the morning, after a stroll outside, was spent packing and getting to the airport. The airport was a much better experience than the one in Cairo – there was a departure area with food and water. It was a short flight and soon we were haggling … Continue reading Day 7-8: Cairo and a road trip to Alexandria
The hotel was just by the Nile and after not liking the first room I was given, I was moved to a spectacular room with a wonderful river view. Luxor as a modern city is a massive upgrade over Aswan. The Steigenberger Hotel had multiple restaurants and a fully stocked bar. The city had many restaurants and places to eat outside the hotel – we … Continue reading Day 5,6: Luxor – an open-air museum!
The drive to Luxor was slower than expected, though it did include some amazing history. Our driver from the trip to Abu Simbel had agreed to drive us to Luxor while stopping at most of the historic sites in Aswan on the way. He had also promised to include a meal in my fixed price. Little did I know that he would want to include … Continue reading Day 4: The drive to Luxor!
Why was our guide calling what I thought was the Nile, Lake Nasser? This question hounded me for a long time before I made the starting discovery that the Nile flows South to North. In addition, the High Dam (in Aswan) creates a massive reservoir that spreads across southern Egypt and Sudan -this is Lake Nasser. My first domestic flight in Egypt was an interesting … Continue reading Day 2,3: Abu Simbel and the River before the Nile
I landed at 6 am in Cairo after a lovely day in Mumbai and a relatively sleepless 6.5-hour red-eye. We had landed in Mumbai just after noon on Saturday, the day before Christmas. We checked into a hotel right next to the airport just to avoid spending travel time before a 3 am flight. The day was spent meeting a friend over a fabulous lunch … Continue reading Day 1: Arrival and the Pyramids of Giza
An Egypt trip had been in the planning for the last several years. It was fully booked when the pandemic stuck and everything had to be canceled. I wasn’t sure if this was too soon, but Egypt seemed to be the country with the least post-covid hangups or delays and I was craving to see all that history. Given about 3 years of research in … Continue reading Egypt – Tombs, Temples, and Thugs
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