Engelberg is a little, historic 12th century town located 1050m above sea level in the Swiss Alps. Its main feature for centuries has been the Benedictine Monastery dating back to 1120 and is still being run by the Benedictine Monks. Engelberg is also the main base to explore nearby Mount Titlis.
Engelberg is very accessible all year around which adds to its popularity especially as a winter travel destination. With the installation during 1927 of the first cableway, this encouraged the start of tourism to the area. During 1959, Engelberg was the first to install parallel cable-cars, and during 1989, a revolving cable-car was installed. The Titlis-Rotair, allows the visitor a five minute ride, in which the gondolas turn 360 degrees and provide an opportunity to admire the panorama of the Engelberg Valley and the Mt Titlis Glacier.
Travelling amongst the Swiss Alps you are going to want to be taking photographs. You might like to take a look at Tony Page, professional photographer and writer and what he has on offer.
Aswan is found on the banks of the Nile River in southern Egypt. It is the last main stopping point before you reach the Sudanese border. Like much of Egypt’s large cities and towns there are numerous archaeological sites to see. The most well-known being the Isle of Philae but it is also the main travelling point to the more southern ‘Abu Simbel’ which was in fact a temple that was moved and reconstructed to make way for the damming of the Nile to form Lake Nasser during the 1960s.
Diary extract – 25 July, 1988 – Abu Simbel to Aswan Taxi Trip.
“…The drive back to Aswan was absolutely unbearable. (I later learnt the temperature was 40C plus) The hot wind that blew off the desert and hit us full-on choking us because we had the windows down due to no air-conditioning, was incredible. All 8 of us in the taxi carried bottled water but it was now ‘hot’ and no longer gave us the cool relief we needed. There was no getting comfortable. Either your back was dripping with sweat, you stuck to the seat or to your neighbour. Beads of sweat trickled and tickled all over and became really annoying. It was the longest 3 hour car trip I’d done and it was truly revolting…”
A short ferry or felucca trip on the Nile takes you to Elephantine Island. Here you’ll find the Museum which displays many Nubian artefacts. Beyond Elephantine Island, is Kitchener’s Island and soley constitutes the local Botanical Gardens, a popular spot for locals and tourists wishing to have some peace and quiet. Continuing across the Nile to the west bank is the Tomb of Agha Khan, a great viewing spot of the traffic on the Nile and Elephantine Island. A great viewing location of the western bank and the Nile River is from the Old Cataract Hotel. It in itself is a landmark of the city.
An essential travel guide to Egypt including Aswan and the other major travel destinations of this historic country.
One great reason to visit Aswan is to sit by the pool at the beautiful Old Cataract Hotel, that majestically overlooks the Nile River that is constantly busy with feluccas.
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