Temple of Abu Simbel Travel Forum

We will be in Egyt mid may and have the chance to go to Abu Simbel for 1 day. Out of the possile bus, flight and ship which allows the longest time at the temples?

It doesn't make any difference. If you come in on one flight, you will be sent back on the next. If you come in on one convoy, they'll ship you back on the next. The only way you'll get more time is to stay the night.

I found that out the "hard" way - I'd booked a morning flight to Abu Simbel, then an afternoon return flight, skipping a midday flight, so that we'd have plenty of time and also have some time without a convoyload of people milling about. When we confirmed the tickets a few days beforehand, I discovered that we'd be moved onto the first flight leaving after we'd arrived (about 2-3 hours later). No amount of haggling, persuasion, argument or carrying on would make them change it, it's apparently official policy now. You leave on the convoy you arrived on, you fly out on the flight you arrived on.

As it turned out, it didn't matter. When our flight arrived there were no other people there, so by ditching the guide who you get assigned to when you enter the site, I went ahead and snapped off a heap of pictures of the temple with nobody in sight. And I was able to wander through the temples with only the scattering of people from the flight there, not a convoy-load of people. So by the time we had to leave, I'd seen all that I wanted to see and was ready to go. Abu Simbel is more the place you'd want to visit twice, rather than once for a long time.

I will NEVER go to Abu Simbel with the convoy again!! I loved the tempel, but I hated the crowd. I don't know about the flight, but I do know about the cruise going there (see my Abu Simbel pages) and that is to my idea the best way to visit the site. We had the whole afternoon to visit the tempels, cool down and relax at the next door cafe, stroll around the small tourist market and than sit down to see the best Sound and Light show Egypt has to offer. Just to see the site highlighted at night is awesome. To see them emerge from the distance when the ship approaches is even more breath taking.

If you have 4 days to spend, see some other unique sites in Egypt and the magnificent sunset above Lake Nasser, I would advice: forget going there by convoy or flight; take the boat!

Love, Dora.

Saw your post after I posted this in reply to another question on the bus versus plane question. MAybe I'm not in too late with my thoughts.

>>We took the plane and were delighted with the trip.

However, the reason we were happy was that we flew in one morning and out again the next day. This meant that we could see the temples in the daytime without the (not very large admittedly) crowds that arrive with the bus convoy.

The bus convoy folk left around 10.30am - 11.00am and left the site almost deserted and very very peaceful. The change in the attitude of the attendants when there were just a few of us there added to the atmosphere. They lightened up alot and were up for more than a few cups of tea and a chat about the place. Good lads.

The evening light show was a good hoot and we were glad we saw the temples and statues lit up at night. This is where the plane trip gives a big advantage over the bus. I doubt any bus tour allows you to go on a convoy one day and return on the next days buses.

We stayed overnight at the Nefertari Hotel. It is really only 100 yards from the temple entrance, so you can also stroll up to the temple after some breakie and catch the site in the early morning - this time totally deserted.

We had decided to stay so long as we heard such good reports of this site (from Vjoorte to be honest!!), and we wanted to see it at different times of the day and evening.

Whatever way you decide to go, I am sure you will love the place. Don't miss it because it "seems" a tiring trip.

(If we had had the tie we would have loved to arrived by a cruiser. There was a fantastic boat there called the MS Eugenie, they berthed right in front of the temple and were able to have a candlelit deck dinner with the temples in the background. Lucky folk they were.)

LOL!! Ian (in Bangkok and all over the world) Thank you!! Thought you would like the cruise trip.....;-)))))