TRAVELING TO EGYPT: FLIGHTS AND AIRPORTS

My two trips to Egypt have entailed a considerable number of flights, 16 total, which equates to hours spent at airports. In this post, I will provide reviews on the airlines used during my 2018 trip and feedback on the various airports that I traversed on my journey.

NOTE Since I am really short, a height of 4' 11", I cannot provide feedback on the legroom, or lack thereof, found in airplanes.

AIRLINES

For my first trip to Egypt, I chose Delta Airlines since the flight was reasonably priced and the connection was in the US not Europe. The connection airport was important to me since the trip was my first major international journey and I was traveling solo. My trip originated at Miami International Airport (MIA), connected in JFK International Airport (JFK), and ended at Cairo International Airport (CAI). The decline in tourism after the 2012 Egyptian Revolution led Delta Airlines and other domestic carriers to stop offering direct flights to Egypt. This decline in tourism has also led to a decrease in overall flights to Egypt which means a limited choice of airlines, airports, and flight times. 

The approach to Cairo, airplane headrest TV monitor.

When doing research for my 2018 trip, I noticed that all flights leading to Cairo departing from MIA connected in Europe - mainly in Frankfurt, Germany and Rome, Italy. Domestic carriers offered flights to Europe but not Egypt and this is a hassle since an airline change during a connection means claiming your luggage and having to once again go through the check-in and security process. As such, I opted for Lufthansa since the company offered flights from Miami to Cairo with a decent layover at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), 5 hours, and reasonable fares. I prefer the longer layovers in the event of a delay which was the case during my 2010 trip when the flight to Cairo with Delta departed about 2 hours late. 

Trip comparison in regards to flights:

2010

6 flights

5 airports (MIA, JFK, CAI, ASW, ABS)

2 airlines (Delta and Egypt Air)

2 continents (North America and Africa)

Shortest flight - 40 minutes

Longest flight - 11 hours 20 minutes

2018

10 flights

7 airports (GNV, MIA, FRA, CAI, LUX, ASW, ABS)

3 airlines (American Eagle, Lufthansa, EgyptAir)

3 continents (North America, Europe, Africa)

Shortest flight - 40 minutes

Longest flight - 10 hours 5 minutes

NOTE  Airlines will be rated on three factors - customer service, timeliness of flights, and flight meals - with scores ranging from 1, very poor, to 10, excellent.

Lufthansa

Customer Service:  8

Timeliness of Flights:  6.5

Flight Meals:  9

I will start off with the food because I was amazed at the deliciousness of the meals!

The journey from Miami to Frankfurt started with your choice of beverage, I opted for coffee, and a bag of pretzels.

On the menu: Mixed salad with creamy Italian dressing, dinner roll, golden butter crackers (shaped like butterflies), a bar of Tillamook monterey-jack cheese, three cheese pasta with roasted red tomatoes, and a fudge brownie. The salad was fresh and crispy, bread was warm and melt in your mouth, pasta was creamy and cheesy, and the brownie was a little dry but still delicious. Only downside was that the pasta sauce was a tad heavy so I ate only half the tray but it was still good. This meal was a pleasant surprise, not what I expected to be served in economy during a flight.

Breakfast was just as delicious; an egg omelette topped with veggies and a side of potatoes. It was light and filling which is perfect for an early breakfast (it was served around 6:30 AM). For some reason I did not take a picture of the breakfast, maybe because I was partly asleep when I was eating it.

On the trip to Cairo from Frankfurt, I enjoyed one of the best meals I have ever eaten. The main dish was roasted potatoes in a light marinara sauce topped with a variety of roasted peppers and veggies. It was a simple dish but it was perfectly cooked and filled with flavor. The side salad was a mix of veggies and olives but I could barely eat it since the sauce was a bit too spicy for my taste. The dessert was some sort of yogurt with peaches; the yogurt wasn't too sweet and the peaches were great.

On the return trip to Frankfurt, I was once again served an omelette with veggies and potatoes for breakfast but this time, I was also given a croissant and side salad. The omelette was a bit dry but the potatoes and veggies were delicious as was the croissant. The omelette and croissant filled me up so I did not eat the salad. The picture came out dark because I didn't want to use flash, it was 4:00 AM and those around me were sleeping.

The first meal I was given on the Frankfurt to Miami route was the delicious potato dish. And fortunately, it was as great as it was the first time. The accompanying salad and dessert were also the same. 

I had high hopes for my final Lufthansa meal; however, it was too spicy! The dish was a mix of rice, chickpeas (garbanzos), and veggies in a curry sauce. I was able to eat the portions of rice that were not covered with the sauce and it was good but the rest was just too hot for me. The accompanying fruit salad was cool and fresh.

Another positive aspect of Lufthansa is the customer service. The representatives at MIA, FRA, and CAI were all helpful and the flight attendants were very attentive. When there were flight delays, representatives from Lufthansa did their best to keep us updated on the situation and provided revised departure times.

The one thing I did not like about Lufthansa is that 3 of my 4 flights departed late. My flight to Frankfurt from Miami was delayed a little over an hour, the flight to Cairo was late by about 40 minutes, and the flight to Miami was also delayed by approximately 40 minutes. Fortunately, they weren't major delays but when you have connections every minute counts.


My flights between Miami and Frankfurt were on board the Airbus 380 which is an airplane with 2 decks. I highly recommend that if your flight is on the 380 that you try to reserve a seat on the top deck. The economy section on the upper deck is just 35 seats, the seats are configured 2-3-2 instead of 3-4-3 like the bottom section, and the window seats have additional storage space next to them. The economy section on the upper deck was also rather peaceful since there was only a small group of passengers and the area is separated from business and premium economy by a set of curtains.

My travel buddy Albert the Gator
enjoying the bonus storage compartment. 

Lufthansa Airbus 380

EgyptAir

Customer Service:  8

Timeliness of Flights:  5.5

Flight Meals: N/A

For my recent trip to Egypt, Trafalgar used EgyptAir to travel between Cairo and Luxor instead of taking the overnight train which was the case on my 2010 tour with Contiki. And just like my previous trip, the optional tour to Abu Simbel included a flight from Aswan using EgyptAir.

One positive aspect of EgyptAir is the customer service. The gentlemen at the check-in counters were very helpful and tried to fulfill special requests such as my preference for window seats. Those working at the gate and the flight attendants were also attentive. Unfortunately, their punctuality is not as great with two flights experiencing unexplained delays. The most frustrating delay was for the flight to Abu Simbel; tours at Abu Simbel are approximately two hours long so the one hour delay cut our time at the site in half. This made me very upset especially since the optional excursion costs $293. We were never given an explanation for the delay nor were we informed on an estimated time of departure. The return flight to Cairo from Luxor was delayed by over an hour and again, there was no explanation.

The internal flights are rather short - about 60 minutes between Cairo and Luxor and about 40 minutes between Aswan and Abu Simbel - so EgyptAir does not provide meals but they do offer cookies and soda, water, or juice (apple, orange, and guava). Growing up in Miami and being Cuban, I very much love all things guava so I was excited when I was offered guava juice.

I want to support all things Egypt especially now that things have been rough for the country with the downturn in tourism. However, from my experience in January and what I have read on several travel sites, flight delays are not uncommon. EgyptAir does provide great customer service and their fleet seems to be well maintained and clean but on-time departures are important when it comes to pending connections and tours.

EgyptAir

American Eagle

Customer Service:  8

Timeliness of Flights:  9

Flight Meals: N/A

The area I live in does not have a major airport so I have to fly out of Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) to connect to larger airports offering international flights. GNV only offers flights to Miami, Atlanta, and Charlotte via American Eagle and Delta and I frequently use the former to visit family in South Florida.

Similar to the internal flights from EgyptAir, meals are not provided since the journey is less than an hour. We are generally provided shortbread cookies or pretzels and water, soda, or juice. I am not a fan of the pretzels but I love the cookies. The best thing about American Eagle at GNV is the punctuality, I have only experienced a delay once and it was related to severe storms.

AIRPORTS 

Airports are never fun - overpriced food, bright florescent lights, mile-long security lines, uncomfortable chairs, and screaming children. In January 2018, I had the joy of spending about 18 hours in 7 airports over 16 days. Those are the crazy things I do for my love of Egypt!

The airports I traversed during my 2018 journey were the following: GNV, MIA, FRA, CAI, LUX, ASW, and ABU. Below, I will provide feedback on check-in, security, and food options.

Check-In

I completed check-in at GNV and MIA alone; however, in Egypt, we had either our tour guide or a Trafalgar representative assist us with the process. Check-in at GNV is great since it is a small regional airport where crowds tend to be light and lines nonexistent. I checked-in at about 5:00 AM for my flight and there were no lines. Unfortunately, that was not the case at MIA where I waited about 30 minutes to check-in for my flight to Cairo. The Lufthansa check-in area is in Terminal J which wasn't too crowded on a Sunday afternoon but the line for my flight was crazy long despite having several representatives at the counters. Once it was my turn to check-in, the process took less than 5 minutes so I am not sure why the line was moving at a snails pace.

For the internal flights, our tour guide Tarek assisted the group with check-in at CAI and LUX with neither airport having much of a line at the counter. When the group had to check-in at ASW for the flight to Abu Simbel, we were assigned another Trafalgar tour guide which led to a crazy mess since he was not very prepared and did not have all of our boarding passes. Fortunately, the EgyptAir representative was very helpful and assisted my tour mates and I with the check-in process.

The check-in process with Lufthansa at CAI turned out to be the same experience as the one at MIA. When my tour mates Alicia, Charles, and I arrived to the Lufthansa check-in area, there were no representatives at the counters and we had to wait for about 15 minutes before they showed up. Then the check-in process took about 20 minutes and this was with the assistance of our awesome Trafalgar representative. While the airline representatives are helpful and the flight meals are delicious; Lufthansa is not very efficient when it comes to on-time departures or the check-in process.

Security 

Security tends to be the biggest nightmare when traveling and nothing compares to the security at the airports in Egypt. At the 4 airports we traversed in Egypt, there were two security check points - one immediately upon entering the airport and then another at the gate - with the process taking a while since they were really thorough. Also, some lines were split by gender given the fact that the security officers basically patted everyone down after they passed the metal detector. Women are always assigned to a female officer so I really never had an issue with the extra security precautions.

My experience with security at GNV has generally been positive given that lines are very short and I generally do not have an issue with my carry-on luggage. Twice a TSA agent has taken a food item for additional inspection, first time it was a jar of key lime jam and the other was a mini key lime pie, but that process just took a few minutes. As for MIA, security tends to be pain because of the long, slow moving lines. Every time I go through security in Terminal D there is a considerable line and this past trip, on my return flight to GNV, the wait was almost an hour. Security in Terminal J was a better experience, shorter line and the agents were more efficient. I only had to wait about 10 minutes.

At FRA, my only issue with security was the lack of consistency with the process. One security check point required I just remove my shoes while another allowed me to keep my shoes on but take out my camera, Kindle, and chargers and yet another required I take off my shoes, remove my jacket, and basically empty out my carry-on bag. It was very confusing and frustrating especially during a flight connection. Other than that, the security lines at FRA were not that long and they moved rather quickly.

Food Options

Finding affordable food options at an airport is always a challenge especially in smaller airports like GNV which has only one restaurant and one store selling some food items. The restaurant does have good food but it is rather pricey given the quantity you receive. I purchased a small plain coffee and a yogurt and fruit parfait for $6.70; the coffee was decent and the yogurt was filling but too sweet for my taste.

Albert enjoying his coffee at 5:00 AM.

MIA has a considerable number of restaurants with Terminal J, together with neighboring Terminal H, having about 10 eateries. The dining establishments range from sit-down restaurants like Bongos Cuban Grill to grab-n-go stores such as Jamba Juice. I grabbed lunch at Earl of Sandwich where I paid $9.17 for an amazing veggie sandwich which was absolutely delicious, fresh, and filling.

Feta, cucumber, red peppers, red onions,
lettuce, tomato & Mediterranean dressing

At FRA, I did not see too many eateries around my gate, B 24, but there was a little deli selling grab-n-go items like sandwiches, muffins, salads, etc. The items were pricey given the combination of the deli being located inside an airport and the conversion rate of the US Dollar to the Euro. A bottle of soda and a small muffin cost me $7.65 and it was quite possibly one of the worst muffins I have ever eaten!! It was very dry and bland and I managed to eat only half.

I didn't spend much time at CAI, LUX, ASW, or ABU to explore the terminals but on the walk to the gates I did notice several eateries and stores selling food items. At ASW, during our one hour delay, I stopped by a grab-n-go store where I paid 10 Egyptian Pounds (approximately $0.57 as of April 22, 2018) for a pack of shortbread crackers and a packet of peanuts. The crackers were really good!

KARNAK TEMPLE

HISTORY

The great Karnak temple complex is considered to be one of the largest religious sites in the world covering over 200 acres on the Nile’s east bank in modern day Luxor. The Ancient Egyptians called Karnak Nesut-Towi, ‘Throne of the Two Lands’, Ipet-Iset, ‘The Finest of Seats’, and Ipt-Swt, ‘Selected Spot’ with Ipt-Swt being a reference to the belief that Thebes was the first city founded on the primordial mound.

Karnak is comprised of multiple temples that were built over a span of 2,000 years starting in the Middle Kingdom with the pharaoh Senusret I and continuing through the Ptolemaic Period. The construction and expansion of the Karnak temples parallels the building projects of the 4th dynasty pharaohs at Giza in Lower Egypt. Within the complex, the largest temple is dedicated to Amun - king of the gods -  while several of the smaller temples were dedicated to the gods Osiris, Montu, Khonsu, and Ptah and the goddesses Isis and Hathor. Towards the end of the 18th dynasty, there was one temple dedicated to the god Aten but it was destroyed after the reign of Akhenaten when Ancient Egyptians resumed the worship of Amun. Furthermore, several temples were constructed to honor the pharaohs Senusret I, Amenophis II, and Ramesses II. 

FAST FACTS

The god Amun is part of the Theban Triad along with his wife Mut and their son Khonsu, the moon god. Amun rose in importance during the New Kingdom when his name was merged with that of the sun god Ra to become Amun-Ra, King of the Gods. Amun’s temple is the main structure at Karnak while Mut has a smaller temple bordering a sacred lake in the Southern Temple Precinct. Khonsu’s temple is south of the Temple of Amun near the Gateway of Euergetes I (Euergetes was a king during Ptolemaic Period). 

The temple complex has 10 pylons: one through six have an east-west orientation leading towards the Nile while pylons seven through ten were built at a right angle to the first six. Pylon 1 was actually the last to be constructed but the project was never completed; the north tower is a little over 30 feet shorter than the south tower and portions of the mud brick ramps used during construction are still visible in the first courtyard. Another sign of incompletion is the lack of inscriptions on the pylon. 

The pylon that was never completed as seen by
the height difference and lack of inscriptions. 

Behind the tree, one sees a portion of the
mud brick ramp used during construction.

A set of incomplete columns in the courtyard. 

One of the finest components of the Temple of Amun is the ‘Great Hypostyle Hall’  between the 2nd and 3rd pylon. The hall is comprised of 134 columns that were built to resemble papyrus stalks with those in the middle having capitals depicting open papyrus blossoms. The 12 columns that support the central nave have a height of 70 feet (21 meters) while the other columns measure 40 feet (12 meters). 

The 12 tallest columns with the capitals
depicting open papyrus blossoms. 

The smaller columns in the hypostyle hall. 

In the top center, one sees 'windows' that
were built to allow sunlight to enter the hall. 

The bright colors still visible on
the remaining sections of roof. 

King Seti I started the construction of the Great Hypostyle Hall and the project was completed by his son, Pharaoh Ramesses II. 

Historical reliefs on the outer walls depict the military campaigns of Seti I and Ramesses II in ancient Syria, Canaan, Lebanon, and Libya. 

The pharaoh depicted with the defeated enemies.

The Sacred Lake near the Temple of Amun is the largest in Egypt measuring 393 feet (120 meters) by 252 feet (77 meters). It was dug during the reign of Thutmosis III. 

The sacred lake. 

In ancient times, Karnak was connected to the Temple of Luxor via a 2 mile “Avenue of Sphinxes”. Today, archaeologists are uncovering portions of the avenue and restoring the sphinxes. 

Several obelisks were erected at Karnak; however, only two remain - those of Queen Hatshepsut and her son Thutmosis III. Queen Hatshepsut’s obelisk is currently the tallest surviving obelisk in Egypt and it is made of pink granite. When she died, her son ordered that the obelisk be covered in stone which in turn helped preserve the structure. 

Queen Hatshepsut's obelisk - top, middle, and bottom.

Towards the end of the New Kingdom, over 80,000 priests were employed at Karnak with the high priests being wealthier than the pharaoh. 

Karnak was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. 

UNESCO is one of the organizations
that supports restoration projects in Egypt.

VISITING KARNAK 

Visiting modern day Luxor is akin to stepping into a time machine and journeying to an era when pharaohs ruled the land. A drive around the Nile’s east bank affords the opportunity to see the ruins of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor and upon crossing the river, one gets a glimpse of mortuary temples and the cliffs that house the royal tombs at the Valley of the Kings. 

Karnak is included on most tour itineraries and there always seems to be a steady crowd at the complex. My first trip to Karnak was in 2010 with Contiki and it was included in the cost; now, the company lists the site as an optional tour. On my recent trip with Trafalgar, Karnak was one of the 18 sites requiring an admission ticket that was included in the tour price. Both tours covered the same areas of the complex but Trafalgar provided free time at the end of the guided tour for us to take additional pictures and walk around the Temple of Amun at our own pace. My tour guide with Trafalgar was extremely knowledgeable sharing considerable information on the history and construction of the various structures within the Karnak complex.  

The model of Karnak found at the visitor's center. 

An aerial view of Karnak. 

My two visits to Karnak were during the late morning hours and there were sizeable crowds at that time. The crowds didn’t affect my ability to enjoy the tour but it was a hassle to take certain pictures without having hundreds of folks in the way. I have read that the complex opens at 6:00 AM so it may be worth for those traveling independently to visit Karnak at day break before the arrival of the tour groups. This will allow for better pictures and provide the opportunity to take in the beauty of the temples in silence. I recommend allotting at least 3 hours when visiting Karnak given the amount of temples one can visit plus the size of the complex. 

The admission ticket to the complex. 

The vendors at Karnak are all situated at the exit near the parking lot. Also, in my two visits, I did not see any independent guides within the complex trying to solicit business. This makes the visit to Karnak more enjoyable when compared to Giza where you have touts and guides constantly chasing you.

NOTE The ground at Karnak is relatively even so those with mobility issues should not have a problem in that regard; however, a visit to the complex requires a lot of walking and I did not see seats at the site where one could take a break. 

My favorite part of Karnak is the Great Hypostyle Hall - very difficult to put into words the feeling of awe one experiences walking around the gigantic columns covered in hieroglyphs and seeing the sections of roof painted in bright hues. And what makes it that much more amazing is the fact that the Ancient Egyptians built everything with simple tools and machinery. 

Some of the smaller columns in the hypostyle hall. 

The Avenue of Sphinxes one passes
walking towards the Temple of Amun. 

Inscriptions covering one of the
outer walls of the Temple of Amun.

A sacred scarab - walk around
it 7 times for good luck!

My travel buddy Albert sitting at the base
of one of the columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall. 

TEMPLES OF ANCIENT EGYPT

This post will focus on the structure and features of Ancient Egyptian temples while future posts will be dedicated to specific temples and their respective purpose and corresponding gods and goddesses. 

The Ancient Egyptians were builders as evidenced by the plethora of temples, tombs, colossi, obelisks, and other structures found throughout Egypt. They were also pious individuals that worshiped a myriad of gods and goddesses with each deity corresponding to an aspect of nature and life. This penchant for building combined with the importance of gods and goddesses led the Ancient Egyptians to construct hundreds of temples from the Nile Delta to the Nubian border. The temples were a place where the pharaohs and priests could connect with the gods and goddesses by leaving offerings and burning incense in the sanctuary, a room that housed a statue of the god inside a shrine. These temples were not public venues; only pharaohs and priests were allowed to enter except during certain occasions when citizens could gather in the courtyard.

STRUCTURE

The majority of temples in Ancient Egypt followed a pattern in regards to the layout which included high wall enclosures, towering pylons, courtyards with colonnades, hypostyle halls, and sanctuaries. The pylons were gateways and hypostyle halls were 'rooms' filled with columns that supported a roof.

The visitor center at the Karnak complex has a wonderful model that showcases many of the key structural elements of Ancient Egyptian temples. In order, on the far left, we can see the following: Avenue of the Sphinxes; first pylon, which was never completed; first courtyard; second pylon; great hypostyle hall; several additional pylons and and temples. In the middle of the model, we see more pylons with a sacred lake in the background. On the right, towards the front, there is a replica of a smaller temple that contained a colonnade.  

Pylon at the Temple of Edfu, one of the best preserved temples of Ancient Egypt. 

The courtyard at Luxor Temple surrounded by columns.

The great hypostyle hall at Karnak can best be described as a forest of columns. In ancient times, the hall was covered in a brightly colored stone roof of which only parts survive today. 

A sanctuary at the Temple of Edfu shows the shrine where the statue of the god would have been placed as well as the ark that would have carried said statue during ceremonial processions.  

The columns found at the various temples are among the most beautiful form of art and architecture produced by the Ancient Egyptians. The shafts are covered in intricate carvings and the capitals sport a multitude of designs such as the lotus flower or papyrus bud.

Pictures: Top Row, hypostyle hall at Karnak and Temple of Luxor courtyard; Middle Row, vestibule at Temple of Hathor and courtyard at the Temple of Edfu; Bottom Row, hypostyle hall at Kom Ombo and courtyard at the Temple of Philae 

TOURS AND TEMPLES

I have had the opportunity to visit 8 temples with the Temple of Hathor at Dendera being my favorite. I absolutely loved the design, colors, and rooftop access plus lack of crowds. This temple was part of the Trafalgar 12 day tour and it is about 2 hours north of Luxor. I also enjoyed my visits to Karnak and Temple of Philae. 

In researching tours, it seems that most incorporate Karnak, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Abu Simbel into the itinerary either as an included excursion or an optional trip. Some companies that offer longer tours add Dendera, Philae, and the Temple of Hatshepsut to the itinerary. For my third trip to Egypt, I would like to visit the temples at Abydos and Tell el-Armana, two cities that are rarely visited by tourists but contain amazing temples and tombs. 

In future posts focusing on specific temples, I will provide ticket prices, tips on how to make the most of your visit, and information on accessibility for those with mobility issues.