The rooms and bathroom are huge at Panorama Village.  Great for families with a large living and dining area too.

Although a little dated, it was very clean, neat and comfortable.  Each room on the second floor has a huge balcony overlooking Lake Qarun and the swimming pool.  The sunset was fantastic.

There is a real Mediterranean feel to the place.

The food was good in the restaurant.

Stop at Kitcheners Island when taking a relaxing ride on a felucca.

A very small but pretty botanical garden.

Beware of those who pretend to work there and tell you incorrect information about the plants then want a tip for their "guided tour" that you didn't ask for.

The temple is very well preserved and as the roof remains intact, many of the hieroglyphics inside have been preserved.

Hathor is the goddess of joy, motherhood and love amongst other things.  She can be seen in many forms, primarily as a beautiful lady or a cow.  She often is easily recognised by the cow horns with the sun disc in the middle.

On the second level, we were walking on huge cut stones which fit together so perfectly that they have remained 1000's of years without any supports or pillars to hold them up!  Architectural magnificence!

Unofficially the temple is also called the revolution temple as many of the cartouches do not contain names and many of the writings speak poorly about the Romans who occupied Egypt at the time but could not understand Egyptian Hieroglyphics.

There was originally a zodiac calendar on the ceiling of one of the rooms in the temple but it has been taken to the Louvre.  A smaller smoke covered one remains.

Another temple which is well worth visiting.

Stop for lunch and a beer at the Ettamogah Pub complex.  There isn't a great deal there but it is a good place to stop and see and iconic cartoon pub.

Also have a look at the cartoon museum out the back.

The Park is small but has the main native Australian animals such as Wallaby, Kangaroo, Koala, Emu, Dingo, Kookaburra, Wombat and Snakes.  There are also some deer, penguins, peacocks and other birds.

The best thing about the park is that you can get close and personal with the animals.  Great for photo's.  It it great for overseas visitors who can pat and feed Kangaroo's and if they make arrangements the will also be able to feed and pat the Koala and hold a snake.

The animals are all in good condition and breeding, which shows that they are being well looked after.

As the park is small, you can walk through very quickly or take a picnic (there are barbeque facilities) lunch.  The Ettamogah pub from the Ken Maynard caroons is also close by.

I can't tell you why but there is something about this temple that intrigues me.  I have visited it twice.

Although the temple is not as well preserved as some, there is something special about the hieroglyphics.  Alot of them have been carved deep so have withstood time well.  Look at the remaining ceilings as color remains.  I also like the medical instruments on the back left wall.  For some reason this temple made me want to be able to read Hieroglyphics more than the others in Egypt.

Well worth visiting.

If you can, visit from the water.  It is alot more impressive entrance and first view than going by bus.

We found the ferry ride across the Nile more interesting than the tombs themselves.

There are better tombs to see in Egypt than these ones.  The only difference her is that the escape tunnels from the tombs are visible.

If you are in the area, go to the Bani Hassan tombs instead as they are alot more impressive

As you walk through the foyer area to get to the lifts, you cannot help but be impressed by the display of Egyptian wares.  From colorful papyrus pictures to statues and mosaic art.
 The hotel is in a great location within close walking distance to the Nile or the local markets.  Everything that you need is close by including the Luxor Museum.
The bathroom actually had a bath and was quite large compared to alot of other accommodation.  The rooms, although having dated bed spreads, were comfortable, neat and clean.

The food at the restaurant was good as was the art work, painting and mosaics.

Water, snacks and internet are available directly across the road.

Be prepared to be woken by the call to prayer (not the most musical I have heard) at the nearly mosque at 4.45am every morning.

Don't miss the workers tombs.  After all they were the ones who painted the tombs for the Pharoahs/Kings and they left some of their best work for their own tombs.

The hotel, like many hotels in Egypt is old and dated but neat and clean.  The room we stayed in was very small.  So small that there was NO room for our suitcases, which had to be opened on the bed.

The bathroom was so small that you could sit on the toilet and wash your feet in the shower.   It is definitely not a place for larger people.

The view from the balcony and restaurant was excellent with views overlooking the Nile.  Spectacular at night.

Internet access is available and the staff were very friendly.

Good value for money when you just need a clean bed/room for the night.

 

As you drive south of Minya, the first thing that you will see are what look like thousands of eggs built into the limestone cliffs.  This is a Muslim cemetary.

The colors of the local people are just beautiful and contrast to the green of the fields.

You need to climb a high number of steps to get to the tombs and have a wonderful view of the Nile Valley below.

On the day we visited there must have been a local event as we were lucky enough to have a backdrop of local music.

The colors and detail of the tombs is astounding and different to most tombs in Egypt with vivid greens. I would have loved a photo but they are not allowed inside.

These tombs are well worth a visit and are different (as is the area) to other places that you will see in Egypt.

 

Wow there are so many pyramids in this area.

The Red Pyramid was my favourite pyramid in Egypt.  I think this is because of the color and there were less visitors so it was more relaxing too.

It is called the Red Pyramid because when the sun sets and rises it looks red. 

To get into it, your firstly climb steps on the outside of the pyramid about 1/2 way up.  Then it is a long dark (low) tunnel going down inside which seems to go forever.  Many people turned back because it just seemed too far but they were very close to the end.  It really did seem to be quicker going back up but that is because you could see the light and knew how far that you had to go.

The Bent Pyramid is in military ground and we were not able to go inside the fenced off area but instead viewed from afar.

As you are amid a military base you need to be very careful of where you point your camera as not photos can be taken of the military site nearby.

Well worth the visit.

The Most Impressive temples in Egypt. 

A must see for visitors to Egypt.  The size is hard to comprehend until you visit them.

It is a long boring drive to Abu Simbel (take a pillow and sleep) but it is well worth the effort.

It is a good idea to go to the smaller temple first to avoid the crowds.  By the time you have had a good look at the smaller temple, the crowds are leaving the main temple and you get a better look.

We have snorkelled many places around the World and the Great Barrier Reef is rated in the best.  It is hard to match the color and variety of fish found on the Great Barrier Reef.

It is so good that we do it time and time again.

 

It is amazing that the Pyramids are so close to town.  One minute you are driving through busy streets and the next the Pyramids are towering over the buildings and shops like huge mountains.

The size of the pyramids cannot be appreciated until you visit them.  The TV and books do not prepare you for their immensity.

I was amazed to learn that on one level of each pyramid (not the same level in each) that food does not decompose.  This is the level that the mummies were placed on.  Gravity is lighter inside the pyramids than outside.  Electronic devices do not work inside.  These are only evident at the Giza pyramids. 

They really are wonderous and seeing them creates more questions than answers.

Don't forget to visit the Boat House either.

The vendors and scammers at the Pyramids annoy many people but if you are aware before you go and learn some of the local language, you will be more aware and not fall for tricks and being able to speak a few words of their language stops hassling quickly.  Treat it as a fun experience not an inconvenience.

 

 

Having traveled around Egypt twice (I love the place), I do not agree that the Memphis Museum is a "must see".

Instead I would say that the country towns and way of life are more interesting and the museum is something else to see while you are in the area.  It is hard to believe that Memphis was once the capital of Egypt as the area is primarily a rural farming town and very poor.

The Memphis Museum has a total of 29 pieces on display with the most notable being the huge 29 tonne statue of Ramses II and the alabaster Sphinx of Pharoah Hatchepsut.  These pieces are most impressive.

There were more vendors at the museum than display pieces. Don't go there just to see the museum but only if you want to see some of the rural lifestyle and culture, which is an interesting and enjoyable experience.

To get the most from the Museum (and Egypt) have an Egyptologist as a guide.
It would take you 9 months to see everything if you spent just one minute at each display so where to your start?
The Cairo Museum is not like Museums as we know them.  There are 1.2 Million pieces on display over a floor space of 3 acres (until the new museum is finished in 2010).  They are not presented very well with poor lighting and poor information (if any).  An Egytologist who knows the museum is able to design a tour depending on what interests you most, the time that you want to spend or what they believe is the most important pieces.  You can walk past a piece and not even realise its significance but an Egyptologist will tell you about things.  Where they came from, what their importance was and the scientific discoveries that have arisen since discovery of pieces.
Then when you travel Egypt and visit a temple, you can picture the pieces that were recovered from sites.  You will  learn so much more about the history of items and the country by having an Eqygptologist guide you.

Saying that, the highlights for me were the gold of King Tut (not just in the King Tut room but in the hallway also) and the mysteries (past and present) of the mummies.

I'd also suggest that you take two shorter visits because at the end of one long visit, it is total information overload.

I am sorry to disagree with the others but I was very disappointed in the Sound and Light Show at Philae Temple. 

I could't understand it properly and what I could understand was very corny.

Although it is a good temple (better during the day from my opinion), there are many other better and more interesting temples and sites in Egypt than Philae.

Sugarland Waterslides is not to be confused with a theme park.  It is more your local swimming pool with waterslides.

The four water slides are alot of fun and there are several swimming pools (all covered by shade sails) to cater for all age groups.

We go to Cairns every year to see family and our kids have always enjoyed spending the day at SugarWorld to cool down and have a bit of fun.  They are teenagers now and still look forward to visiting Sugarworld every year.

There are chairs and tables spread through out the grounds and a kiosk is on site to purchase food or drinks.  However, bringing your own supplies (picnic) is also permitted.

My only criticism would be the rough concrete path leading up to the waterslides.  By the end of the day, your (water softened) feet are very sore from walking up the path  time after time.

A relaxing and cooling day for the whole family.

An excellent day for the whole family.  It is the best "family" water park in the world that we have been to. However if you are an adrenalin seeker then it is probably not for you.

The Park is a good size as it is not too big but has plenty to do and see with lots of variety.  The queues move quickly so you are not waiting long and spend more time having fun.

We loved that there weren't many stairs.  Kids on waterslides can be tiring after a while if you are climbing stairs all day so at Wild Wadi you can have fun all day without getting too tired and worn out.  Great for those who are not real mobile too.

The Park is very clean and well presented with great views of the Burj Al Arab and surrounding areas from higher points.

A great day!

• Milawa is well known for the Gourmet Food and Wine in the area.  There are things to see, eat and drink within walking distance including:
•  Brown Brothers Winery, Cellar Door and Epicurean Centre
•  Milawa Mustards
•  Anna Bienvenu Gallery
•  The Olive Shop
•  Milawa Cheese Factory
•  Milawa Chocolates
•  The Muse Gallery
•  Walk about apiaries (honey tasting and sales)

You can also eat local foods at:

• Brown Brothers Epicurean Centre
• Merlot Restaurant at Lindewarrah
• Food on Wood
• Milawa Cheese Factory Restaurant
• King River Cafe (at nearby Oxley)

Accommodation is available at the Milawa Lodge Motel or Lindewarrah.

Don't miss going Jungle Surfing at Cape Tribulation (Refer to my other review for more details).  Excellent Fun for any age! An experience that will be remembered forever.

One of my favourite sites in Egypt.  I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie going into the Queens Mastaba.

The Meidum Pyramid and Queens Mastaba are one of the lesser visited sites in Egypt but well worthwhile.  I really enjoyed my day.  It was one of the more memorable in Egypt.

Firstly, the country areas are like going back in time 1000's of years.  The people are poor and live very simple lives but are very happy.  As it is not a typical tourist area (you need a police guard to visit), you see and experience things that most tourists don't.  The people in this area are very religious so it is important to wear appropriate clothing (covering knees and elbows) and be polite and respectful.

The Meidum Pyramid is one of the easiest pyramids to enter as the tunnel is high (no hunching or bending) and short.  It is also the only pyramid where we were allowed to take photo's (which depends on the mood of the guard on the day).  This area is considered to be rich in artifacts yet to be recovered so is watched by armed guards 24/7.  Anyone trying to steal artifacts will be shot.

We crawled down a small dusty tunnel 47 metres, balanced across a bridge made from boards and crossed a hole to go down a rickety hand made ladder into the tomb of the Mastaba. The tomb was dug out out the solid earth and the Mastaba steps built on top to conceal it.  Inside the tomb, the coffin remains as it is bigger than the entrance tunnel.  It is still a mystery how they got it in there.  It was very dusty and claustrophic but well worth the visit.  It felt "real" and not touristy!

 

 

Well worth visiting.

As you leave the city of Cairo, you also leave behind the pollution, noise,hustle and bustle.  Saqqara means Sugar Cane and as you leave the city you start to see the farms of Sugar Cane, Dates, Tea and other crops.

The Step Pyramid was the starting point for the Pyramids as we know them and is over 5100 years old.  It is not actually a pyramid but a series of steps (called Mastaba's) build over the tomb which is under the ground.  The idea was to make it harder for grave robbers but it didn't work as planned!

It was so nice to walk around without too many other tourists around and without the "hard sell" of many other touristy sites.

In this area you can see lots of pyramids close by and in the distance.  Many of them are large piles of rubble as they were destroyed 100's of years ago by earthquake.

Include Saqqara on your itinerary.

Europa Park in Rust, Germany is better than Paris Disneyland as it costs less, there are less people and therefore reduced queues and there is more variety in rides.

In one day at Europa Park, we went on more rides than we did in two days at Disneyland Paris with alot less stress and fewer queues.  Terrific Value and Fun for the whole family.

The park is a cheaper "copy cat" of Disneyland and can't beat the original Disneyland in California but go to Europa Park Germany instead of Disneyland Paris.

WOW!  Soaring 19.5 metres above ground in the trees of the Daintree Forest with great views of the ocean, forest and wildlife below.  Adrenalin +, Fun and Excitement for any age group.
Forwards, Backwards, Upside down, fast or slow.  Its up to you.
Jungle Surfing is a series of 5 environmentally friendly platforms built within the trees of the Daintree forest and connected by flying foxes.  Safety conscious guides assist you "fly" from platform to platform. Once you slide off the first platform, there is no going back.  It's fun and excitement (and a little bit of fear) all the way to the end.  (Oops, better not forget the educational learnings about the flora and fauna too).
Give it go and you will have an experience that you will remember forever.  Excellent Fun!