Search Results for “pyramid” – Purple Travel Official Blog

9 things to do in Luxor (besides the pyramids)

Oct 31 2012

The ancient ruins of Luxor are admired the world over (yay, go pyramids!) and visiting them can be a profound and awe inspiring experience. But their not the city’s only attractions, here are nine of our favourite things to do when you’re all templed-out.

Alternative Things to Do in Luxor

Rent a bike

Work off one too many kebabs while seeing the city. Hiring a bike is perhaps the most exhilarating way too see the East Bank, and when you’re done you can catch a ferry over to the West Bank and do it all over again.

Drink tea

Tea is by far the national drink of Egypt and they drink it strong, black and very sweet. There are a number of hotels that offer a full afternoon tea, and even an English tea room on St Joseph’s Street, but the best way to drink tea in Luxor is to wander into a local cafe and ask for glass of ‘duty.’

Visit the animal sanctuary

Away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist trail, ACE animal sanctuary is a charity dedicated to caring for animals. Keep kids entertained for hours with this loveable lot -donkeys, horses, camels, dogs and perhaps even the odd tortoise. Visitors are offered a guided tour and if you time it right, you might even catch a Thursday morning lesson in animal welfare.

Caleche at night

Experience the city at night by horse drawn carriage. Perfectly romantic and also a jolly good way to get around.

Swim at the Maritim Jolie Ville

Take a load off your aching feet and cool off in one of the Jolie Ville’s outdoor pools. Relax in luxury and when you start to wrinkle, there’s a great balcony for taking photos of the stunning bird life that lives in and around the Nile. For a truly unforgettable experience, try the infinity pool at sunset.

Take a balloon ride

See the city from a whole new perspective – get a bird’s eye view of one of the most famous landscapes in the world. Expect tranquility, unbelievable views and stunned silences. For the ultimate wow factor, take an early morning flight and catch the sunrise.

Spend, spend, spend

Luxor is a great place to pick up a bargain. Carvings, Egyptian cotton, gold and silver are just a few of the goods on offer, but don’t forget to haggle.

Cruise the Nile in style

Glide down the river on a felucca, a type of sailboat. Feel the breeze in your face as you pass banana and mango trees, local fisherman and grassing animals. Trips are by the hour or, for even more of an adventure, a three-hour trip will take you to Aswan, the ancient Egyptians ‘gateway to Africa.’

Go Veggie

Unlike many Western countries, fresh seasonal produce is plentiful in Egypt. A great way to take advantage of this is at one of the large fruit and vegetable markets. However, if you don’t fancy cooking, the local restaurants are more than happy to oblige – we have to warn you though, once you’ve tried Egyptian falafels your meat-eating days could be numbered.

All these tips kindly shared with Purple Travel by Liz Cookman. Go visit her lovely blog here or follow her on the twitter machine @lizonomy

10 facts about the ancient pyramids of Egypt

Jun 29 2012

Your culture fix in bites you can swallow

Let’s face it, tour guides can be dull.

No matter how excited you were, you’ll most likely find yourself in one of those persistent gazes, where although you’ve spent a good 5 minutes staring blankly at the same spot, you have no idea what you were looking at or how long you were gone for. Your wife gives you a swift nudge in the rib. You’re back. Embarrassing…

Arm yourself next time you’re in Cairo with these 10 facts about the ancient pyramids of Egypt that even the tour guide won’t know. Brownie points to you.

7 Simple Secrets to make your Holidays to Cancun Rock!

Apr 24 2016

Holidays to Cancun are one of the best things you can do in life and here’s why. Cancun is simply amazing! From the vibrant nightlife, exquisite white sand, warm water and weather to the friendly people and overall experience, this is a holiday that you will hardly ever forget. In order to make it even more memorable however, try to follow our advice and see how it goes!

Travellers choice: the top 5 things to do on your next holidays to Cancun

Apr 15 2016

The decision is taken and we can’t wait! Holidays to Cancun are always something to look forward to. The sun, the beaches, the activities and of course the history and culture make it one of the most unique destinations around the world. However, no list is ever complete enough and bearing in mind the time needed to see everything we have decided to put the top 5 things to do in order to make our life easier when it comes to choosing what to spend our time and money on.

The ultimate guide for holidays to Cancun

Apr 04 2016

Amongst the most well-known long haul holiday destinations, Cancun, never ceases to amaze with its stunning white sand shores, tropical vegetation and vibrant spirit. This all inclusive holiday extravaganza has a lot to offer to anyone opting to spend some days away from home and as such, Cancun manages to be a thrilling overseas proposition regardless of what you might be looking for as a vacationer.

Holidays in Tenerife: 5 sights you shouldn’t miss!

Dec 16 2015

Tenerife is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Spain and the most visited of the Canary Islands. The volcanic backdrops, numerous beaches and scenic towns and villages will certainly keep you entertained throughout the duration of your visit. In this article we compile 5 sights that will make your holidays in Tenerife that much more amazing and provide you with the opportunity to take some wonderful pictures to remember them by. Read More

Purple Tips: 11 Amazing Festivals 2014

Feb 03 2014

Give your holiday a boost this year by combining it with an amazing festival. Whether you want to knock back pints of Guinness on St Patrick’s Day or fancy giving the air guitar world championship a go, you won’t miss out with our guide to some amazing festivals 2014.

Venice Carnival In the days leading up to Ash Wednesday the Venice Carnival is in full swing. Carnevale di Venezia is an elegant throwback to 18^th century opulence. The bright and beautiful of the Italian city’s social scene arrive cloaked and masked for energetic, but pricey parties. Ideal for a luxurious weekend away. Venice Carnival happens between February 14^th and March 4^th 2014.

Venice Carnival via @ Heatherbroster

St Patrick’s Day There is no better place to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than the Irish capital city of Dublin. It’s not limited to drinking pints, (although you can if you want!) the city pulls out all the stops for a wonderful festival with live music, dancing, parades and free events all over the place. It’s a top choice for a very quick city break, Dublin is just a hop, skip and a jump from the UK. St Patrick’s Say is celebrated on March 17^th 2014.

Amazing Days Out: Chichen Itza Cancun

Dec 02 2013

Chichen Itza Cancun is one of Mexico’s biggest and most famous tourist sites. 125 kilometres from Cancun and Cozumel it is a major landmark on the Yucatan Peninsula. Filled with huge temples, ancient carvings and a fairly fatal football pitch, Chichen Itza was a place of trade, culture and history for the Mayan people.

The Temple of Kukulkan, or El Castillo, pictured above was built under specific astronomic specifications. The structure is one of a whole series of temples, pyramids and other structures sacred to the Maya people. There are 365 steps, one for each day of the year. Each side has 91, which with the top makes 365 again, a reference to the year. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, a snake shadow falls on the temple. As the sun sets the snake gradually slithers down the steps.

7 Facts About Venice

Aug 12 2013

The Queen of the Adriatic, La Serenissima, City of Bridges – Venice is a never-ending sea of allure. British poet Arthur Symons once said “A realist, in Venice would become a romantic, by mere faithfulness to what he saw before him.”

Dating back over 1500 years ago, Venice has a long and diverse history. From the hustle and bustle of Rialto Bridge to the weaving and winding Grand Canal, travellers find a true escape in the romantic city break destination. Here we have gathered some interesting facts about Venice:

Images via @ Paulo Bulbol, Dr. Savage

Although Venice appears to be a magical floating city, it is actually a series on wood pilings built upon the 118 submerged islands in the Northern end of the Adriatic Sea. Four hundred foot bridges and 170 boat canals connect the city to make it easily accessible to the local populace.
Many famous people in history were born in Venice including the playwright and famous lover Giacomo Casanova, the explorer Marco Polo, and composer Antonio Vivaldi.
The traditional and symbolic boats in Venice’s canals are known as Gondolas and have been used as transport around the narrow Venetian waterways for more than 10 centuries. Failing to ride one is like going to Egypt and not seeing the pyramids.
Only 3 to 4 Gondolier licenses are issued annually. To qualify, applicants must be able to finish an extensive training after passing a rigorous exam. Today, there are only 400 licensed Gondolas operating in Venice.
The Ca’Dario, a Palazzo with an attractive Venetian Renaissance architecture along Grand Canal, is home to a series of inexplicable deaths. The ‘curse’ started way back when the structure was built in 1847, affecting owners of the building.
Oddly, the last victim of the curse is John Entwistle, famed bass guitarist of The Who. John was leasing Ca’Dario during his untimely death in 2002.
Never ever touch the produce in the Rialto Market, or in the whole of Italy for that matter. Ask the vendor of what you want and they’d be more than happy to give their best products to you, but touching them is considered extremely rude.

The Best Places to Scuba Dive in the World

May 30 2013

Images via @ Genalia Smith and Egypttravel gate

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

A living, breathing seafood soup, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest structure on the planet made entirely by living organisms. Expect a plethora of odd-looking, colourful and often endangered animals swimming at you from all angles. The reef is a UNESCO World Heritage site, containing some 1500 species of fish. It is without rival, the world’s largest coral reef system, even able to be seen from space. Make sure you get certified before you go though – you’re not Kate Bosworth ok.

Barrier Reef, Belize

Charles Darwin once called this reef “the most remarkable in the West Indies.” Its bubbling, warm waters are home to the world’s largest population of West Indian manatee, and manta ray and spotted eagle ray are fairly common sights. Even hammerhead sharks, Caribbean reef sharks and the oceanic white tip sharks can be spotted by luckier divers (or extremely unlucky, as the case may be). Cuddle with the friendly sea cows (not with the sharks), explore the mangrove-covered islands or swim over to the Big Blue Hole – allegedly the largest sinkhole on Earth. Jacques Cousteau named it his favourite diving spot – no surprise considering this 185-mile-long gigantic wall of unspoilt beauty packs more ecodiversity than any other on the planet.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

You’ll be hard-pressed to find water clearer than the Caribbean waves of Grand Cayman. The island is actually the peak of a mountain, and most of the surrounding former peaks are now underwater, offering sheer drops so you don’t have to go far from the coast to get deep. This also provides shelter from perilous conditions, providing calm and unspoilt beauty for divers. Make sure you check out Stingray City, a series of shallow sandbars, where stingrays have been tamed for years feeding on fisherman’s scraps.

Koh Tao, Thailand

Koh Tao is perfect for the low-budget traveller, as it is a relatively inexpensive place to learn to scuba dive. Thailand’s large Andaman coast offers hundreds of islands, many of which are uninhabited and fringed with spectacular coral reefs. Whale sharks inhabit the waters along with a kaleidoscope of brightly-coloured fish. However, the best bit about choosing Koh Tao is that it has as many nightclubs and bars on the island as there are fish in its sea, so if you’re not a serious diver, and you like your liquid as much in a cocktail glass as you like it enveloping your scuba suit, then this is the place for you.

Straits of Gubal, Egypt

Although primarily famous for those big hunks of pyramid-shaped mystery erupting from the sand, Egypt is also famous for its incredible diving spots. If you love history and you love diving, this is your spot. An affordable alternative to beaches in Europe or the Caribbean, Egyptian beaches along the Red Sea offer sun-filled holidays and unparalleled waters. The Straits of Gubal are a particularly interesting choice, having claimed dozens of ships over history; shipwrecks, pirate treasure and dead sailors are as much a part of the Sea as the water is and warm, bubbly, tropical coral reefs make the Red Sea feel like one big bathtub.

You should read: Purple Hearts… Sharm el Sheikh

Cozumel, Mexico

Although you may have to deal with the teenage shrieks of ‘Spring Break whoooooooo!’, Cozumel is not just a paradise for meathead jocks and bottle blonde cheerleaders. The warm, clear waters of this Atlantic superhighway make it a diver’s dream. The Gulf Stream in particular is a prime scuba spot – the experience lending itself to something on the long the lines of being Superman, only with more fish. But with nineteen distinct reefs to choose from and a host of deep dives that go down as far as 3,000 feet, Cozumel is a scuba diver’s playground. For awesome tunnels, caves and caverns, there are few better locations.

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