The Mirage.
After Landing at Aswan Station
The girl with her father.
Be careful of this shop & the blokesPracticalities for visiting Abu Simbel
Some practical tips for visiting Abu Simbel:
1) Foreigners are not allowed to go on their own - you have to join the early morning convoy which starts at an ungodly 4 am. Buses will normally pick you up at your hotel at around 3:30 am. Independent travelers may book their trips with travel agencies in Aswan, many of them along Corniche el-Nil. You could also inquire at your hotel if they could help you out . Many of these hotels will, in any case, give you unsolicted offers. The going rate is USD 20 as of May 2007.
2) Advise your hotel that you are doing the Abu Simbel tour a day earlier - so they could pack a breakfast box for you. It's not much (toast, butter and jelly, hard boiled egg), but keeps the hunger pangs away during the long trip. Alternatively, you could bring your own food, but the breakfast box is usually covered by your room rate.
3) Bring protective clothing and sun screen - very important especially during the hotter spring and summer months. The trip begins at dawn and finishes early (convoy leaves Abu Simbel at 10 am), but the sun could still burn your skin.
4) If you don't want to pay for the excessively overpriced drinks at Abu Simbel (can of Coke costs about USD 2) - no choice, you're in the middle of nowhere - you can always bring your own drinks.
