Cliffs and shoreline near the Sharm El Sheikh tourist town in Sinai in Egypt

Shoreline near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt with coral reefs below water in the Red Sea

Water of the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh, near the coral reefs of the Ras Mohammed Park

Rugged cliffs of the shoreline near the city of Sharm el Sheikh on the Red Sea

The portion of the Sinai Peninsula in the Red Sea near the tourist city of Sharm el Sheikh has some cliffs including near the marine park called Ras Mohammed park (famous for the coral reefs and the marine life), and the land over there is fairly barren. In these photos, you can see how the whole land mass looks barren and there are some cliff like structures. Tourists can either take ships to come near the coral reefs from the water, or there are land tours organized that take people over this dry desert type land to the edge of the water (I don't know whether they offer an option for snorkeling or not). The coral reefs are located near the shore, and that is where a number of ships make a stop nearby, so that tourists can don their snorkeling gear and swim the short stretch of water from the ship to the reefs. These reefs almost come to the surface of the water and in fact, one cannot swim over many of them, since there is not enough water over the surface of the reefs.

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Rocky shoreline near Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea in Egypt

Rocky cliff near the shore of the Red Sea in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Multiple ships near the shore of the Red Sea in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

The portion of the Sinai Peninsula in the Red Sea near the tourist city of Sharm el Sheikh has some cliffs, and the land over there is fairly barren. In these photos, you can a number of ships near the barren rocky area. Even the coral reefs are located near the shore, and that is where a number of ships make a stop nearby, so that tourists can don their snorkeling gear and swim the short stretch of water from the ship to the reefs. These reefs almost come to the surface of the water and in fact, one cannot swim over many of them, since there is not enough water over the surface of the reefs.

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Vast open areas with some small hills and a lot of clouds overhead on the way from Abu Simbel to Aswan

As in some previous photos, you get a view of the terrain on the way from Aswan to Abu Simbel. The terrain is a dry, almost desert kind of view, as you could see in this photo. The distance from Aswan to Abu Simbel is around 260km with most of this route being of a deserted and dry condition. One would not think that this would be true about being a dry place, given the presence of the massive River Nile through this area, but the Nile has been famous in the past as well for fostering greenery on a narrow patch next to the river, but otherwise the most common terrain type is that of a dry place. The photo shows a large plain with a few hills in the distance, and no greenery in the place, just a vast flat area that seems like a desert. However, if you consider that the place is like a desert, the clouds that cover more than half of the sky seem to depict it to be other than a desert and a dry place.

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Desert like road condition on the route between Aswan and the temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt

Desert like road condition on the trip between Aswan and Abu Simbel. This part of Egypt, the southern half, is somewhat dry and barren. The River Nile does run through this region, but the river only provides a wet condition for a small stretch of land on either side of the river, but the rest of the place would remain barren. When we traveled between Aswan and Abu Simbel, a view of the journey (a distance of about 3 hours, 260 km) showed land similar to what was in the photo. In the photo, it seems like a desert but not too much sand, more like a barren area with some scrub types of plants (at the minimum, you can see that there is not at all any kind of greenery in the place). Driving through such an area can be extremely boring, although you are able to maintain a high speed because of very little traffic and no distractions of any kind.

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Tourists heading towards a bend while on the way to the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

As you move towards the Abu Simbel temple (which is built into a small hill, burrowing inside), you need to move a small distance from the parking, and then turn around a hill to actually get to the temple. Lake Nasser is located very close to the temple, and for a time, it would seem that you are actually heading towards the water of the lake, but if you look closely, you can see how the tourists are walking on a defined path that curves so that it will lead away from the water.

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View of path leading from the parking to the Abu Simbel temple

The incredible statue of Abu Simbel is located in the southern half of Egypt, 280 km from the city of Aswan. The temple of Abu Simbel was also very famous because of the movement of the temple to higher ground (through a process whereby all the stones making up the temple were numbered, along with their position, and then moved to a higher ground to make up the same temple).
This photo is that of the path that leads to the actual temple, from the parking (not a very long distance, taking around 10 minutes of walking).

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Jeep on the desert next to the Hatshepsut mortuary temple, near Luxor in Egypt

There is a fine road that leads to the Hatshepsut mortuary temple, near Lexus, but the region surrounding the road still is deserted, pretty much like a desert. In this photo, you can see one of the few vehicles that are useful for traveling on such a terrain, namely a jeep. For people from the Egyptian department maintaining these sites, or people doing excavation or restoration, the jeep is a very useful vehicle.

The equipment located around the Pyramids and the Sphinx, that is used for the Sound and Light show

There is a pretty good Sound and Light show that happens in the evenings, that seek to dramatize the grandeur of The Sphinx and the Pyramids, and in the voice of Omar Sharif. The equipment at the bottom of the photo plays a big role in that.

Heads and figurines of many pharaohs for sale at the Panorama Point near Giza

At the Panorama Point in Giza (near the Great Pyramids), there are a number of vendors selling curios and other such items that tourists love to buy. Tourists know of the pharaohs, and it is pretty good business to sell these figurines of the pharaohs.

A tablet depicting some of the ancient Gods of Egypt, being very famous symbols

The Gods of the ancient Egypt are very famous, and very attractive in terms of forming curios. They are there on papyrus paintings, on the walls of the Egyptian temples, and so on. These are curious made on stone, sold near the Panorama Point in Giza.

Hukkah being sold at the Panorama Point near the Great Pyramids in Egypt

One of the symbols that depict the culture of Egypt in the outside world is the concept of the Hukkah, used for drawing smoke (using tobacco and other intoxicants, including some milder intoxicating drugs); this is a Hukkah being sold at the Panorama Point in Giza, near the Great Pyramids.

View of the full face of the Sphinx, with the structure of the Great Pyramid in the background

The face of The Great Sphinx in Giza, being the largest monolith statue in the world. There is not enough clarity as to why the Sphinx was built, for whom, and such questions resulted in the Sphinx being seen as a riddle which may probably never be solved. It is supposed to be as ancient as the Pyramids.

Images of pharaohs and the obelisk on sale at the Panorama Point in Giza

There are many vendors who sell symbols and other curios at the Panorama Point in Giza. One of the most famous items that can be sold as curios are images of the pharaohs (especially those of Cleopatra) as well as images of the Obelisk.

Stone replicas of sacred beetles being sold at the Panorama Point in Giza

The dung beetle was held as sacred in ancient Egypt, due to various symbolism (it was supposed to be close to the gods in the way that the young of the beetle emerged from their dung burrows, as well as being shown as pushing the setting sun across the sky).

Tourists, seen against the backdrop of the Great Pyramid, at Giza in Egypt

I really like this photo. It shows tourists at the Panorama point in Giza, just a few hundred meters from the Great Pyramids, and with a great view of all 3 Pyramids. In this photo, you can see tourists with the Great Pyramid in the background.

A outpost of the Egyptian tourist police at the Panorama Point near the Great Pyramids

The tourist police can be found at all popular tourist locations in Egypt. Ever since some years back, there were attacks on tourists, there has been a huge push to ensure that tourists are secure and have a feeling of safety. As a result, you have armed police everywhere, and when tourists have to go to remote locations to see some monument, they are escorted by police.

Muslim lady using a camera with a tripod to shoot the Great Pyramid

This is a photo of tourists at the Panorama point in Giza, from where you get a great view of all 3 Pyramids. It is also a great point to shoot photos of the 3 pyramids, and typically you will find somebody who has got a tripod to take some professional type photos of the pyramids.

Security Outpost, and tourists with a tripod at the Great Pyramid in Giza

A security outpost at the Panorama Point in Giza (the place is pretty crowded with tourists who want a Panoramic view of all 3 Pyramids); security is important in Egypt since there were some terrorist attacks on tourists in the past few years.

The head of a camel, at the Panorama Point in Giza

At the Panorama Point in Giza, near the Great Pyramids, there are a number of camels waiting in the desert. This is a photo of the head of a camel, seen in a close up.

Getting a camel to its feet at the Panorama Point in Giza

At the Panorama Point in Giza (near the Great Pyramids), there are a number of camels that wait in the desert, waiting for tourists to come and ride them for a short trip into the desert. In this photo, you can see a camel being brought to its feet in Giza.