Would you cruise to Egypt?

[Erica@cruisecritic]

Attention would-be Nile River cruise travelers! Starting in May 2010, King Tut's tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings -- the painted walls of which are degenerating with unexplained brown markings -- will be off limits to tourists for a joint conservation effort between Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the Los Angeles-based Getty Conservation Institute.

Plus, at the same time as the Getty restoration project, the SCA is working on a long-term plan with Madrid-based Factum Arte, a company that produces highly sophisticated facsimiles of valuable antiquities, to create replicas of the tombs of Seti I and Nefertari (neither of which is currently open to the general public) and Tutankhamun. An exhibit will be created to display the replicas -- and the real tombs will one day no longer be available to visit.

So our question for you is: Would you still want to visit Egypt if you couldn't see actual tombs? Vote in our poll, and share your comments below.

[Kerry's Girls]

I would not bother to visit a fake site, but there is much more to see, so I would still travel to Egypt.

[cruisemom42]

Most cruises only dock in Alexandria or Port Said, so cruisers rarely get to visit Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. (I realize a few smaller ships dock at a location that makes Luxor possible.)

I wouldn't be particularly interested in seeing a facsimile, but many other tombs besides the ones mentioned are still open. (King Tut's tomb is really unremarkable anyway, not like some of the other elaborately decorated tombs. What was valuable were the contents, which are now in the Egyptian museum.)

[airlink diva]

I have mixed feelings concerning the closure of Tut's tomb. I like many others would want to take a Nile cruise to the valley of the kings want to visit the highlight of seeing the actual tomb of Tut. But the daily exposure of this priceless world wonder is damaging it. I would rather that it was closed until a way for the public to view it without damage is found. But if there's no way for it to remain open, I would prefer if they would just place a rotation of certain items in the main museum than to view a fake. His tomb has survive 3,000 years, let it survive another 3,000.

[sloopsailor]

We visited Egypt for two weeks about 20 years ago and found much more of interest than the Valley of the Kings. In the area around Luxor are many interesting sites, including the fabulous Temple of Karnak

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and the beautiful, almost completely intact, Temple of Queen Hatchepsu.

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We found these much more interesting than the Valley of the Kings. The city of Luxor itself is quite interesting.

[sailingkiwi]

We didn't go into King Tut's tomb when we visited Egypt last year. There are many more tombs in the Valley of the Kings that are in much better condition and are much more remarkable than Tuts. What made King Tut's tomb remarkable was that the treasures inside where still there when it was discovered and these are all in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in any case.

The temples are amazing and like nothing else I have seen and in particular I really enjoyed Abu Simbel.

[tiyana4]

Originally Posted by sloopsailor

We visited Egypt for two weeks about 20 years ago and found much more of interest than the Valley of the Kings. In the area around Luxor are many interesting sites, including the fabulous Temple of Karnak
and the beautiful, almost completely intact, Temple of Queen Hatchepsu.

We found these much more interesting than the Valley of the Kings. The city of Luxor itself is quite interesting.

AMAZING pics! We are planning a cruise that docks in Alexandria next year, but your pics definitely make me want to take a land vacation there.

To the OP - yes I would definitely still visit Egypt, however I would not be interested in replicas. I would be much more interested in other areas offering dynamic historical sites.

[Host Michell]

A visit to Egypt is on my "bucket list" and the unavailability of any particular tomb wouldn't change that. In fact, Egypt remains a possible destination for me next summer if our current Alaska plans fall through.

Apart from its fame for having been found (mostly) intact, I agree with others that Tutankhamen/aten's tomb isn't that significant compared to many others in the Valley of the Kings. I think Seti I's tomb is much more interesting, as tombs go.

[cruisin'tex]

Egypt? Absolutely! Tut tomb or no Tut tomb.

[jane02]

Going next year - can't wait

[sloopsailor]

Originally Posted by tiyana4

AMAZING pics! We are planning a cruise that docks in Alexandria next year, but your pics definitely make me want to take a land vacation there.

To the OP - yes I would definitely still visit Egypt, however I would not be interested in replicas. I would be much more interested in other areas offering dynamic historical sites.

Sailingkiwi mentioned it, and I agree - Abu Simbel near Aswan is, in my opinion, the most spectacular temple in Egypt. The fact that preservationists moved the entire temple to higher land to save it from being submerged by filling the then new Lake Nassar reservoir makes it even more facinating.



There are so many more fantastic sites to visit that missing King Tut's tomb is only a minor letdown. The pyramids of Giza (be sure to go inside and see just how cramped the tombs inside are) and the Sphinx are worth the visit all by themselves!

[Serendipity50]

I have been to Egypt seven times....twice to Cairo and five times to Luxor...three of them being on a Nile Cruise...as you may have guessed I love the place!
As others have said there are so many other fantastic tombs and sites to see in the Luxor area.
But it was going to the Cairo Musuem...and seeing all the wonderful things that came out of King Tuts tomb....that then made my want to see the tomb in Luxor.
I hope they are able to fix the problem...but if it means never seeing it again to preserve it...that would be very sad..but understandable.

Jean

[slidergirl]

I'm with Sloopsailor - visiting Abu Simbel was one of the major reasons I did my Egypt and Jordan trip in October. I remember hearing about the efforts to save the temples back when I was a kid. I even remember donating my pennies to the effort to save them. To see them in person and realize that they were MOVED to where they are, well, it was just fantastic.
As for the tombs, the Valley of the Kings already has a prohibition on cameras, period. You have a chance to visit several tombs. Tut's tomb is an extra charge and is open only at certain times now. The mosaics in the others you can visit are worth not seeing Tut's tomb. Besides, you can see the artifacts from his tomb in the Cairo Museum. Remember, his tomb was hastily built due to his untimely early death, so it's not nearly as ornate as the others.
The Hatshepsut temple - well, first I thought "wow, what a nice museum they built around it." Then, when I realize that this WAS the temple, it was "holy cr*p!!!"
There's far too much to see in Egypt that is totally amazing to rule out a trip sole because Tut's tomb is unavailable.

[cruiser1955]

I too have been to egypt several times. Visiting Tuts tomb is worthwhile, but the real splendor is the treasury in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It is hard to believe that so much could be held in such a small space. In that respect, seeing a copy would also be worthwhile.

Tuts tomb is just one of many wonderful sites in Egypt, and there are many tombs in the Valley of the Kings that are rarely visited. Some of these are far more spectacular than Tuts. I wonder what the interest in Tut would be if his tomb had also been empty?

[Tulsa Cats]

The Valley of the Kings is a great place to see, even if you can't get into Tut's tomb. We visited Luxor and Cairo five years ago and went back again on a Princess cruise in the fall. Loved seeing the pyramids and Sphynx as much this time as the first, and there's always something more to see at the Cairo Museum. We love Egypt. It's affordable, amazing and
awesome. Just don't eat the fruit or drink the water. We want to do a Nile River Cruise one day.

[slidergirl]

You CAN eat the fruit, as long as it is fruit that you peel yourself. I had lots of bananas and kiwifruit on my trip. I even learned that it's actually easier to peel the banana from the tip rather than the stem.
Definitely don't drink the water. It's easier than you might think to start to automatically grab that bottle of water for everything, including brushing your teeth. When I got home, it took me a little while before I remembered that I COULD use my tap water to brush

For the Valley of the Kings, you can visit many tombs, it changes almost daily which ones are open. They are rotated so that they do their best to preserve them while allowing the world to see these wonders.

[Benita]

Your ticket in the Valley of the Kings allows you to visit three tombs, but there are usually a dozen or more open at any one time. Tut's tomb is not included in the fee and costs an extra $25. Very few people were paying to go in there when we were there - in fact, it was just my husband and me gazing at the famous mummy and his resting place for about 15 minutes - surreal. That said, the other tombs that we looked at were in better shape, so there were many other tombs (we paid extra to go in a few others) to enjoy. I would go anyway and look at the replicas as well as the "real" tombs that were still open.

[romrai]

I have been to Egypt twice and will be there again next November on a cruise. There are many more tombs than "Tut's" we could not see Seti I or Neferteri's then either. Tut's was actually disappointing. It is very small. But I did see the relics in the Cairo museum. I have seen pictures of the other two and would have loved to have seen them.....fake or not. There is also so much to see. Hatshesput's tomb (which is a replica) temples of Karnak and Luxor which has been put back together with real and fake bits. Abu simbel and Philae, which were moved from their original position. But it is amazing. I spent 5 nights in Cairo, 9 in luxor and 14 in Sharm el sheik. This trip is 2 days in Alexandria. I will still go back once more, for a nile cruise, a visit to Aswan and Abu Simbel. They told us 4 years ago, that soon (within the next year) you will not be able to enter any tomb or the pyramids.....and only a 3D image will be able to look at.....so if you plan to go, make it soon. The cities may be dirty, but the friendliness of the locals make up for it.....however the hawkers can almost ruin the whole experience.