FOR MANY YEARS, I ASSOCIATED EGYPT WITH THE Great Pyramid of Giza. But as I read more about the country, I got drawn to the saltwater lakes of Siwa, viewing Luxor from a hot-air balloon, and diving with dugongs along the Red Sea coast. And so, my solo trip to Egypt revolved around these experiences. I began with Siwa.
Tucked away in the western end of Egypt, along the border with Libya, Siwa's main draw is its crystal-clear, emerald-green saltwater lakes, where the high salinity (almost 95 per cent) makes it impossible for one to sink.
Siwa came as a promised land, offering a chance to disconnect from the world and reconnect with myself. I stayed at Talist Siwa, a completely off-the-grid property built over a decade by architect Nabila Aziz and her family. Talist is a self-sustaining home with a private natural pool. It's surrounded by the Dakrour mountain range and has incredible views of the Siwa Lake.
Hosts Ihab and Lydia took me to a hot water spring and offered me a hydrotherapy session. They also invited me to a community iftar meal, where I tasted bazin (a bread-like Libyan dish prepared using barley flour) and kishk (a traditional yogurt-based Lebanese soup).
From Siwa, I made my way to Luxor. Home to over 100 tombs and one-third of the world's ancient monuments, Luxor is a portal to a bygone era. I chanced upon Bab Al Samawy, meaning "doorway to heaven," a boutique stay located right next to the takeoff ground for the hot-air balloon.
Denne historien er fra June - July 2024-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
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Denne historien er fra June - July 2024-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Where History Meets Luxury
Murmurs Of The Past Echo Through The Corridors Of These Legendary Stays
LIFE AT THE TOP
WHILE THE GOVERNMENT READIES AMBITIOUS PLANS TO BOOST TOURISM IN THE REGION, SPITI LOCALS ARE GRAPPLING WITH CHALLENGES POSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND SCARCE RESOURCES
NO SCREENS NO PROBLEM
DOES TAKING A BREAK FROM YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTER GIVE YOU ANXIETY OR A RUSH OF JOY? AS MORE AND MORE INDIANS CHOOSE RELAXATION AS THEIR PRIMARY MOTIVATOR TO TRAVEL, HERE'S WHAT A DIGITAL DETOX HOLIDAY IN INDIA LOOKS LIKE
GREEN LIVING
SRINAGAR ATTRACTS HORDES OF tourists for its iconic Dal Lake, tree-lined boulevards and Mughal-era gardens resplendent with chinar trees. Now, both the \"Lake of Flowers\" and chinars are in a fight for survival as pollution from untreated sewage and unsupervised logging threatens their future.
DISCOVERING THE CAUCASIAN PEARL
BATUMI IS A GETAWAY FOR ALL SEASONS, IMPRESSING VISITORS WITH ITS QUAINT VIBE, CLASSIC ARCHITECTURE AND TRADITIONAL CUISINES
WHERE SKY MEETS SEA
ESPERANCE, ALONG THE REMOTE SOUTHERN COAST OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, IS A DESTINATION THAT REWARDS THOSE WILLING TO WANDER OFF THE BEATEN PATH
NEW FINDS IN AN ANCIENT CITY
WHILE THE GREEK ISLANDS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT, THERE'S MUCH TO.UNCOVER IN ATHENS, INCLUDING TOP-NOTCH STAYS AND LESSER-KNOWN STORIES FROM THE PAST
UNTAMED SATPURA
AN ENCHANTING BLEND OF LUXURY AND NATURE, JEHAN NUMA WILDERNESS IN CENTRAL INDIA IS WHERE ROYAL LEGACIES PROVIDE A GATEWAY TO CONSERVATION
THE JEWEL OF THE EAST
LONG BEFORE WES ANDERSON ROMANTICISED THE FICTIONAL GRAND BUDAPEST, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL IN KOLKATA INSPIRED NOVELS, FILMS AND OODLES OF NOSTALGIA
IN SEARCH OF THE BEST STAYS
MARK WONG OF SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD TALKS QUIRKY STAYS, STRANGERS BECOMING FRIENDS, AND CHASING THE MOST UNIQUE EXPERIENCES ON HIS TRAVELS
