Modern Traveler in the Land of the Pharaohs

© LuxuryTravelMagazine.com, Written by Deb Abraham
Everywhere in Egypt excavations are underway. Antiquities are unearthed—layer upon layer peeled back, desert sand swept aside to reveal an ancient civilization that calculated not in centuries, but in millennia. Travelers as far back as the Greek Herodotus (c. 450 B.C.) have journeyed to the banks of the Nile, drawn by its mysteries, fascinated by its concept of eternity. But experiencing the Egypt of the Pharaohs requires another sort of "excavating," one built on careful planning.
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Striking Balance... at the Red Mountain Spa

© LuxuryTravelMagazine.com, Written by Deb Abraham
I head to the Red Mountain Spa outside St. George, Utah in search of energy, adventure, pampering, and time with my daughter. A spa holiday can be so many different experiences. Which would I find the week before Christmas at this desert retreat?
For full article: http://tinyurl.com/d877mb

Away from it all in Belize

© LuxuryTravelMagazine.com, Written by Matthew Graham, Photos by Karen Carra

Our escape to Las Terrazas Resort in Belize began when my wife, Karen and I cruised through customs at the International airport and boarded a twin-engine commuter plane for the final leg of our journey. Our destination was Amberis Caye and it first appeared as a green sliver of land in an azure sea. Even we began our descent, we could see only lush vegetation and discrete signs of habitation. Upon landing, we soon discovered the "airport" is at one side of the town of San Pedro. It's narrow streets are navigated by a fleet of taxis, bicycles and yes, golf carts - - a primary means of transportation. Our plans took us via taxi to a private dock. There we joined four other arriving guests in an open-cockpit boat. The 'Captain' gunned the powerful outboard motor and we skipped over tiny waves at full speed, an occasional fine spray of salt water brushing across our faces.

For complete story: http://tinyurl.com/d8l94d

Finding Family at Mohonk Mountain House
© LuxuryTravelMagazine.com, Written by Deb Abraham Envision a Currier and Ives winter: a horse-drawn carriage ride ending with hot cider by a blazing bonfire. Picture a mountain lake with ice-rimmed shores sculpted by granite cliffs and pine forest. Imagine a sprawling, century-old hotel with massive covered porches and spiraling turrets beside the lake, rising from the stone. This is the Mohonk Mountain House, a family-owned mountaintop resort located in Hudson Valley, New York just 90 miles northwest of Manhattan.
For complete story: http://tinyurl.com/dbglep

DAY 6: ASWAN
12:00 noon -- We embarked on the Oberoi Philae -- the most beautiful cruiser on the Nile and we were incredibly fortunate to have the best suite on the boat (#314). In the afternoon, we sailed in a felucca (sail boat) around Aswan's Elephantine Island, so called for the giant granite boulders off the southern end of the island, which resemble a herd of bathing elephants. Aswan is the most laid-back of Egyptian cities, as well as being tropical and exotic with its palm trees, islands in the Nile, sail boats and Nubian culture. In ancient times, Aswan was the southernmost part of Egypt with Nubia laying beyond.

Arriving in Aswan, there is a noticeable difference in the people, because they are mostly Nubian as opposed to mostly Egyptian people in Cairo. Modern Nubia is roughly thought of as the region along the Nile, south of Aswan up to the Fourth Cataract of the Nile in Sudan. The men all wear the outfit pictured above -- galabia and turban.

DAY 5: ABU SIMBEL

We transferred to Aswan airport for the 25-minute flight to Abu Simbel. The view from the plane is of pure sandy desert as far as the eye can see and of Lake Nasser, the largest man-made lake in the world. We land at Abu Simbel and take a quick 5-minute shuttle by motorcoach to these stunning monuments built by Ramses II just 25 miles from the Sudanese border. These two temples were built into the mountainside between 1274 and 1244 B.C. The original feat is matched only by the skill with which the temples were cut into pieces and reassembled on high ground in the 1960's to save them from the newly dammed rising waters of the Nile.

DAY 4: ASWAN

We took the one hour flight on Egyptair from Cairo to Aswan and checked into the Movenpick Resort on Elephantine Island is Aswan. This is the view from one of the balconies of our corner Room #231 looking at the Nile, the Botanical Gardens and the sunset. We would have stayed at the Sofitel Old Cataract Hotel, but it is closed for renovation. The Movenpick was previously the Oberoi and is a fully renovated 4.5 star hotel with some great features, including a huge infinity pool overlooking the Nile and the city of Aswan and a tower bar overlooking a 360 degree view of the entire city.

DAY 3, CAIRO/GIZA:
This is the incredible view from our verandah of Room 808, a Palace Deluxe room. Today we took a day off from sightseeing and soaked up the atmosphere at the magical Mena House Oberoi. We had delicious lunch at the luxurious Four Seasons at the First Residence and were given a tour of the Royal and Presidential Suites. We are off to Aswan early in the morning and will fill in details of our stay in Cairo in the next couple of days... please stay tuned

DAY 2: GIZA
It wasn’t so easy getting up this morning. We planned for a car and guide at 9:00am, but didn’t leave the hotel until 10:30am. We were able to see the Pyramids have lunch and tour the Egyptian Museum comfortably all in one day. More details to come…

Day 1: Cairo
We arrived in Cairo from the USA at 3:00pm on Lufthansa via Frankfurt. We booked the Mena House Oberoi and emailed a few days ahead of time for a pick up at the airport. This turned out to be a great idea! Mohamed was waiting for us as we exited the plane and we’ve never been whisked through a foreign entry so quickly and with such efficiency. It was like a magic trick. Within minutes of arriving, we cleared customs, changed money, picked up our luggage and were off on a one-hour thrill ride through Cairo to the Mena House Oberoi at the foot of the pyramids in Giza.

The traffic and driving in Cairo is something else!

Insider tip: Mid-afternoon is the best time to arrive because you can see so many of the sights of Cairo on your way to the hotel, but then you don’t have to wait all day to get some sleep.

We arrived at the hotel near sunset with the pyramids looming in the background. In January, the temperature is a very comfortable 68°. The Mena House Oberoi is one of the most unique hotels in the world because of its location just a stone’s throw from the Great Pyramids at Giza, as well as its colorful history. It was here that the “big three” conference took place in 1943 with Churchill, Roosevelt and General Chiang Kai-Shek. It began as a royal hunting lodge in the 1800s and turned into a hotel also in the late 19th century. (While we were there, John Major, former English prime minister was staying in the Churchill Suite.)

You can lounge at the pool and gaze up at one of the Seven Wonders of the World. You can wander the opulent interiors where royalty, presidents, dignitaries and celebrities have walked before. The hotel takes you back to the nostalgic days of travel.

More hotel info: http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/store/pdetails_two10105.php

Insider Tip: Always carry small change for tipping (Egyptian pounds in denominations of one and five) and some tissues or toilet paper when touring around Cairo and Egypt.