Abu Simbel, a popular tourist destination in Egypt, has seen a significant improvement in safety over the past few years. Previously, tourists were only allowed to visit the area with military convoy escorts and independent travel was banned. However, the area is now heavily patrolled by the Egyptian army to ensure tourists’ safety. A short flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel is an optional extra, and violent crimes against tourists are rare. The government has stringent laws and penalties against such offenses, making Egypt a relatively safe destination.
Violent crimes against tourists are rare, and the government has stringent laws and penalties against such offenses. The main bugbears are people hassling tourists to buy things, but good advice is to wear sunnies, hats, and no eye contact.
While it is technically possible to fly to Abu Simbel from Luxor, it is not recommended. The day trip from Aswan is not considered unsafe, as it is dangerous even in the desert. Air travel is the safest option, with no increased risk of overland travel and always remaining within heavily secured areas. Buses are considered safer than private vehicles.
In conclusion, Abu Simbel is a safe destination for tourists, and the UAE is among the safest countries in the world.
📹 Egypt: The Abu Simbel Temple Complex – Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide – Travel Bite
Rick Steves, America’s most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows …
Is it safe to travel to Egypt right now?
The Middle East may experience increased tensions, leading to airspace closures, flight cancellations, and travel disruptions. It is advised to avoid demonstrations and protests and exercise caution in Egypt due to terrorism threats. Landmines are present in certain areas, including the desert around El Alamein, Marsa Matruh coastline, the western shore of the Gulf of Suez, and the Sinai Peninsula.
Is it safe to go see the pyramids in Egypt in 2024?
Egypt is a crime-free country with a majority of crime being petty theft. However, it is important to be cautious in densely populated areas like Cairo or Alexandria, as they are often inhabited by pickpockets and purse-snatchers. If you encounter any issues requiring law enforcement intervention, look for officers with a tourism police badge on their shoulders. Tour operators offer the largest selection of times and flight availabilities, so be flexible and creative when planning your trip to Egypt. Lonely Planet advises looking for officers with a tourism police badge.
Is it worth going to Abu Simbel?
The twin temples of Abu Simbel, located on the bank of Lake Nasser, are one of Egypt’s most impressive and unique monuments. Built by Ramesses II over 3, 000 years ago, these temples have stood the test of time. The story behind Abu Simbel is even more fascinating when it is revealed that the entire complex was dismantled and relocated to higher ground after the construction of the Aswan High Dam. To reach Abu Simbel, one can plan a day trip from either Aswan or Cairo. Travel times can be long or expensive, but the temples of Abu Simbel are worth the visit. Whether traveling by land or air, the twin temples of Abu Simbel are a must-see for any Egypt traveler.
Is visiting Abu Simbel safe?
The Western Desert is advised against all but essential travel to certain areas west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, except for Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel, and the Valley of the Kings. The Governorate of Faiyum, coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh, the Marsa Matruh-Siwa Road, Siwa, Giza Governorate, the road between Giza and Farafra, Bahariya Oasis, Farafra, the White Desert, and Black Desert must be applied for permits in advance and used by an official guide. Limited phone reception and poor medical facilities are also advised. The road between Al Bawiti and Siwa is closed and has military checkpoints.
Is it safe to travel to Egypt right now in 2024?
Cairo is considered safe to visit by the Foreign Office, as per general travel advice. However, it is important to stay vigilant for petty crime and female travelers, as harassment and sexual assault can occur in other parts of the country. Sharm el-Sheikh, a resort in the Red Sea, reopened to British tourists in October 2019, four years after a bomb exploded on a Russian plane carrying 224 tourists and crew. Security measures at the resort include x-ray scanners in hotels, security walls, and high perimeter fences around the airport.
What happened twice a year at Abu Simbel?
Abu Simbel is a temple built by Ramesses II in ancient Nubia to showcase his divine nature and power. The temple features four colossal statues of him flanking the entrance, with the head and torso of the statue to the left falling during ancient times. The temple faces east and features Re-Horakhty, a sun god manifestation, inside the niche above the entrance. The temple is aligned so that the sun’s rays illuminate the statues twice a year.
The temple was cut out of sandstone cliffs above the Nile River near the Second Cataract. In the 1960s, international cooperation helped move the temple to higher ground to avoid flooding by Lake Nasser during the construction of the High Dam.
What was the threat to Abu Simbel?
The Abu Simbel Temples were relocated in 1968 to protect them from the Nile River’s rising waters due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The temples were dismantled and relocated on a desert plateau 64 meters above and 180 meters west of their original site. The relocation involved massive work, including cutting the temples into pieces weighing 3 to 20 tons and reassembling them exactly as they were at the new site. The two temples are the Great Temple, dedicated to Ramesses II, and the Small Temple, dedicated to his wife Queen Nefertari. The relocation took almost five years to complete.
What is the best time to visit Abu Simbel?
Abu Simbel, a hot desert city, is known for its year-round hot weather, making it an ideal destination for tourists. The best months to visit are January, February, and December, which experience mildly warm winters with maximum temperatures reaching 23°C and minimum temperatures falling to 10°C. These months are the busiest for tourism, with the Abu Simbel Sun Festival on February 22 attracting thousands of tourists.
The months between June and August have scorching hot and dry weather, with average temperatures ranging between 25°C and 40°C. During these months, the city experiences moderately warm temperatures, with an average night temperature of 22°C. This allows for quieter, less tourist-crowded areas and cheaper accommodation and lodging costs.
If you don’t mind the summer heat, these months are a favorable time to visit Abu Simbel and Aswan, while also saving on hotel rooms and Nile cruises. Abu Simbel is located about 280 km south of Aswan and can be reached by various transportation methods.
What happened at Abu Simbel?
The Abu Simbel temples were salvaged in 1964 by a multinational team under the UNESCO banner, costing $40 million. The site was carefully dismantled, lifted, and reassembled in a new location 65 meters higher and 200 meters back from the river, a challenge in archaeological engineering. Some structures were even saved from under the waters of Lake Nasser. Today, a few hundred tourists visit the temples daily, with most arriving by road from Aswan or by plane at Abu Simbel Airport.
The complex consists of two temples: the larger one dedicated to Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and Amun, Egypt’s three state deities, and the smaller one to the goddess Hathor, personified by Nefertari. The Great Temple at Abu Simbel, completed around 1265 BC, is considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during Ramesses II’s reign and one of the most beautiful in Egypt.
What to wear to visit Abu Simbel?
To ensure comfort during a trip to a temple, wear capris or white or light-colored pants or capris, as they are comfortable and light. Jeans, even white ones, can be hot and should be avoided unless in the evening. For modern temples, wear long pants, a rolled-up shirt with sleeves, and a scarf to cover your head. A scarf is unnecessary as there haven’t been any temples visited so far. For beach activities, wear any bathing suit you like, as the beach resort in Hurghada was a typical American beach resort. It’s best to avoid wearing jeans unless in the evening, as they can be too heavy and hot.
Are the pyramids in Egypt safe to visit?
Egypt remains a popular destination worldwide, despite threats of terrorism, crime, and internal conflicts. Tourist gems like the Pyramids and Ancient Egyptian sites across the Nile have remained safe. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) lists Aswan, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, and Giza as safe places to visit. However, there are some precautions to stay safe in Egypt. Official travel advisories and ethical rules should be followed when planning a safe trip.
The UK Foreign Office provides travel advice for high-threat areas in Egypt, and travelers should ensure their itinerary does not include these areas. Overall, Egypt is generally considered a safe country to visit.
📹 Day Trip to ABU SIMBEL from ASWAN, EGYPT!
The video follows a traveler on a day trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel, a temple complex in southern Egypt. The journey includes a long drive through a desert landscape, a visit to the temple, and a stop at a rest area. The traveler shares insights about the history and construction of the temple, as well as the surrounding area.
The drive to this place from Aswan is unbelievable. Several hours each way, and there is NOTHING in between except for sand, a few rocks, and a snack bar sort of place. Before booking a tour, make very sure you want to see this. Once you get close to the temple, things get better. There is a fleet of boats to take you to the complex, and there are tons of souvenir vendors by the dock. At the complex itself, there is an outdoor cafe with shade.
A much older cousin, a paleontology instructor at SMU, spent a year at the Abu Simbel site, assisting in the global effort to save this ancient complex from drowning from the waters of the under-construction Aswan High Dam. I remember looking at some of the photos he took – incredible would be an understatement! This was a UNESCO undertaking – 100 countries contributed in various ways to make this a reality; what I didn’t realize was that this was the very first UNESCO World Heritage Site in existence! Of all my relatives, he was one of my favorites, ’cause of his sense of humor and his modest ways! Those of you who are interested, there is a book by David Roberts titled Egypt Yesterday and Today – in it are many of his illustrations. It’s worth a look!
Liked the clip. … about folks who really were large and in charge. Which for me brings up an observation that the BCE Egyptian types were a sort of a feudal society with the triangular shaped society which looks like some of the pictures I’ve seen when I used to go down to the local Public Library to poke around in some of those books back when I was much, much younger. What are the odds?