Hidden Gems from Our Travels Around the World

On February 6, 2024February 6, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Bulgaria, Egypt, Laos, TurkeyLeave a comment

We have had many memorable moments traveling in various parts of the world and we are always thrilled when we come across something that was completely unexpected or planned. Whenever we travel to a location, we research the top sites to visit as most people do, but we will also look for something interesting that might be located just outside of the city that we are visiting or perhaps something that isn’t on the typical tourist list. These hidden gems are just a few of the places that we have seen during our travels, but each of these should be on your list should you visit that particular city.

Getting a Sense of the Scale of Aphrodisias in Turkey

The Ruins at Aphrodisias near Kusadasi, Turkey – One of the day trips that we took from Kusadasi in western Turkey was to see the Greek ruins at Aphrodisias. Of all of the ruins that we visited, Aphrodisias was actually our favorite even though it is not as excavated as the ones at Ephesus. The cruise ships don’t typically do tours to Aphrodisias, so you will not be surrounded by crowds and will be able to get up close to all of the different sites within the area. The ancient city gets its name from the Temple of Aphrodite that is located at the site, but one of things that makes Aphrodisias so unique is that was the location of the school where artists learned to carve statues, so there is a museum featuring many statues that the students had created.

The Statues of Buddha Park near Vientiane, Laos – Located near Vientiane, Laos is a park that is filled with sculptures representing Buddhist and Hindu images. Built in 1958, the park is a popular tourist attraction for those who travel to Vientiane. Buddha Park is also called Xieng Kuan or Spirit City and has over 200 statues of various sizes. We visited the park with a guide who was able to explain the meaning behind many of the different statues, which made the experience even more interesting.

The Fascinating Rila Monastery near Sofia, Bulgaria – We took a day trip from Sofia to visit the Rila Monastery, which is located about two hours away in the Rila Mountains southwest of the capital of Bulgaria. The monastery was first founded in the 10th century and gets its name, as does the mountainous region, from the hermit Ivan of Rila who founded it. Although the monastery bears some resemblance to the fortified churches that we saw in Romania a few years back, it did not serve the same purpose as the mountains were fortification enough. Even though it takes a couple of hours to reach the monastery from Sofia, it is definitely worthwhile because of its historical significance as well as the beauty of the surrounding mountain range.

The Historic Ottoman House in Old Town Cairo, Egypt – If you are looking for something of a hidden gem while visiting Cairo, then we would suggest putting Bayt Al-Suhaymi, a historic Ottoman house, on your list of places to visit. On our final day in Cairo, we made a last-minute decision to book an “Islamic Cairo” tour through our hotel and we were certainly not disappointed. We saw several ancient mosques, but just as interesting was wandering the narrow streets of the Old City of Cairo. Just wandering the streets is quite exhilarating, but the highlight was taking a tour of an Ottoman era house that was built in 1648 and is in excellent condition as it was refurbished in 1997 as part of restoration project for the entire area. Since it is located near the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, it would certainly be worth adding a visit to the house before or after doing shopping in the market.

Many Items for Sale and a Vendor Ready to Bargain in Khan el-Khalili Bazaar

It is often the case that these special excursions become some of your favorite memories as you share your adventures with friends and family upon you return home. If time allows, it is always a good idea to research locations that can be visited just by driving an hour or two outside of the city. It is often possible to hire a guide to take you so that you don’t have to rent a car, but if you are adventurous or already have a vehicle, then it is certainly worth the effort to visit them on your own.

A Wonderful Itinerary for a Three Day Stay in Cairo, Egypt

On February 23, 2022February 23, 2022 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Egypt7 Comments

Egypt is definitely a fascinating country for many reasons and there are so many incredible sights to see. For most people, a trip to Egypt will start or end in the capital city of Cairo. We often think about our visit to Egypt as a tale of two trips with one being the cruise we took from Luxor to Aswan and the other being our time in Cairo itself. To make the most of your time in Cairo, it is best to spend at least 3 days traveling in and around the city. These are the top things to see during your time in Cairo.

The Giza Pyramid Complex – No visit to Cairo in Egypt would be complete without going to see the Great Pyramids. Although the Pyramid of Khufu is officially known as The Great Pyramid, the entire complex is often referred to as the Great Pyramids of Giza. The Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World and also one of the most intact wonders and stands 481 feet tall (146.5 meters). There are actually six pyramids that make up the pyramid complex as well as the Great Sphinx.

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities – Taking time to tour the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities is certainly a highlight of any trip to Cairo. As with many other sites in Egypt, having an Egyptologist as a guide is extremely helpful if you want to learn as much as possible during your time in the museum. There are so many items on display within the museum that it can be quite overwhelming. In addition to the sarcophaguses, papyrus hieroglyphs, and pieces of art, there are several dramatic statues housed within the museum.

Dahshur – We enjoyed seeing a wonderful variety of pyramids during our time in Cairo, but visiting Dahshur was probably one of our most interesting experiences. First, we were virtually by ourselves as we walked around the pyramids as there were less than a dozen total other visitors there during the time that we spent there. Also, since it is the site of the first smooth sided pyramids, one successful and a couple of others that weren’t successful, it is an interesting look into the learning that occurred by the ancient Egyptians to create what would later become the Great Pyramids. Dahshur is located out in a remote area of the desert, which was purposeful as they wanted the pyramids to be away from any well-traveled area.

Historic Old City Cairo – Wandering the narrow streets of the Old City of Cairo is an amazing experience that is worth making your way through the crowded streets to see. Just wandering the streets is quite exhilarating, but the highlight was taking a tour of an Ottoman era house that was built in 1648 and is in excellent condition as it was refurbished in 1997 as part of restoration project for the entire area. It can also be combined to see several historic mosques, synagogues, and churches.

Step Pyramid in Saqqara – The Pyramid of Djoser, or Step Pyramid, is an ancient pyramid in the Saqqara Necropolis. It is located about an hour outside of Cairo and we toured it as part of trip to the Giza plateau. Although most people associate the pyramids of Egypt with the smooth sided Great Pyramids, step pyramids were the predecessors to such technology. There are other temples and burial grounds to be seen around the Step Pyramid, but as with Dahshur, there are not nearly as many visitors as at the Great Pyramids.

Mosque and Madrassa of the Sultan Hasan – We took a tour of Islamic Cairo that included the Mosque and Madrassa of the Sultan Hasan, which was truly fascinating not so much for what we saw, but more about what we learned from our guide. We wouldn’t recommend visiting without a guide unless you are familiar Sunni Islam, the history of Cairo , and the influences of the surrounding countries. Also, it is not currently a working mosque, so without someone to provide clarity on the features, it might not be as easily understood.

Sailing a Felucca on the Nile River – One of the best ways to escape the hustle and bustle of Cairo is to enjoy a ride on a felucca on the Nile River. These sailboats have been used for transportation for hundreds of years in the region and are still quite popular today, although mainly for tourists. There are plenty of other tour boats that you can take, but if you want a truly relaxing experience, then a felucca is the best choice. It takes skill to navigate the river using these unique sails, especially since they are at the mercy of the wind.

Abu Serga Church – Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, also known as the Abu Serga Church as well as the Cavern Church, is an important historical and religious landmark in Cairo, Egypt. The church is supposed to be built on the spot where Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. The church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus who were soldiers in the 4th century that were killed by the Roman Emperor Maximian and achieved martyrdom and sainthood.

Although we spent almost two weeks in Egypt, it is certainly a place where you could easily spend an entire month making your way around to all of the fascinating locations. With a history that goes back to the cradle of civilization and with so many historic sites preserved or still being excavated, the possibilities almost seem endless. Regardless of how much time you have to spend in Egypt, it is important to make the most of your time in its capital city, Cairo.

The Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt

On January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Egypt3 Comments

There are few images that are more iconic than the Great Sphinx on the Giza Plateau just outside of Cairo, Egypt. It is obviously one of the most popular tourist locations when visiting Cairo and you should certainly expect there to be crowds when you go to see the sphinx. A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion’s body and head of a pharaoh. It is believed to have been sculpted out of limestone in the time of pharaoh Khafre between 2558 and 2532 BC, which makes it the oldest sculpture used as a monument in Egypt. It is sometimes hard to gauge the size of the sphinx in pictures, but it stands 66 feet high (20 meters), 240 feet long (73 meters), and is 62 feet wide (19 meters).

Iconic View of the Great Sphinx and Pyramids

The View from Behind the Sphinx with People to Provide Perspective

The Great Sphinx was carved directly into the bedrock that also served as the quarry from which the pyramids were built. The stone from which the body was carved was softer than that of the head, which has caused the body to deteriorate more quickly than the head. The body has been repaired over time and you will likely see work being done to continue to repair during your visit. There are a number of shafts underneath the enormous statue, but they are believed to be the result of treasure hunters and tomb robbers and nothing to do with the ancient Egyptians who created the Great Sphinx.

Full View of the Front of the Great Sphinx

Seeing the statue from the front with the pyramids in the background is certainly the most common image that people associate with the sphinx. With that said, seeing the Great Sphinx from other angles is certainly quite fascinating and does help with getting a perspective of how large it truly is. In addition to the crowds, there are also a long line of stalls with vendors selling items for tourists and you shouldn’t be surprised if you don’t have children and others coming up to you either begging or trying to sell you items as well. There is no doubt that seeing the Great Sphinx in person is something that you will never forget.