Exploring Upper Egypt and the Red Sea Coast During the Pandemic

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Visiting Upper Egypt and the Red Sea coast during the pandemic offered a rare and unique travel experience - exploring this ancient land without the usual crowds of Western tourists. In January 2021, we spent over a week in Egypt, slowly making our way back to the UK. Like many destinations in our post-pandemic world, Luxor - Egypt’s ancient capital on the Nile - felt eerily quiet. Despite its unparalleled archaeological treasures, the city was nearly empty. Few tour buses roamed the streets, and world-famous sites like the Karnak Temple Complex, the Valley of the Kings, and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut were remarkably accessible, allowing us to explore, photograph, and reflect on thousands of years of history in solitude.

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Yet, beyond the grandeur of the Nile Valley, our journey to the Red Sea coast revealed another side of Egypt - one that is raw, often underdeveloped, and shaped by the encroaching desert sands.