Egyptian Dreams

marielouise · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 5:43 pm Post subject: It GONE THROUGH THE ROOF

Thought I would update everyone on Luxor I came back from my 5th visit in April I now that every Country is in a financial crisis and I
Don’t know if anyone on the site has visited lately but just a warning the prices for all sites I.E the valley of the kings ect have gone through the roof when I went in Feb. Hatshepsut was free Now you have to go through a entrance rather like in the valley and there is a charge ?

food and drink is now on apar with the UK eg local beer costs 20LE around £2.90, meal around 260LE for 2 I don’t mind paying but the prices have gone up x3 since my visit in Feb Shocked

We have talked to a lot of locals on the east and west bank who have been told to leave their houses the government has given them new properties but a lot of them have told me that they didnt want to move but had no choice there house have now been demolished it was so sad to watch people standing as the house came down Sad

We have also been told that they are trying to make Luxor like an open air museum??? isn’t it that already but with out the entrance fee next you will be charge to enter Luxor how sad

I will go back as I LOVE IT but the changes are happening so fast don’t know what I will find??? next time.
Wink

Osiris II · Vizier Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 1752

Unfortunately, we are seeing the passing of an era in Egypt, particularly in Luxor.
I remember my first visit there, years and years ago. The KV was a lonely, isolted place, that a few tourists would visit--mainly to see the tomb of Tutankhamen. There was no charge to go to the Valley, and most of the tomb-site were free, also. It was possible to go ther early in the morning and spend the entire day wandering through the various tombs. Those were the days!
Luxor itself was a sleepy little town. It was such a delight to go to the local market, and see all the fun places..and people! In the evening, we would take one of the old-fashioned carriages up the Corniche, and go to the light show at Karnak. Impressive!
Now, Luxor has become a large city. The old market has been torn down, to be replaced by a generic "mall". Luxor temple has out-priced itself on entry. Same at Karnak.
I realize that the SCA has to raise money to help defray the expense of maintaning the monuments, but I think the recent efforts are crossing the line, and they may get a back-lash of less tourists because of the cost.

Crook and Flail · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:46 am Post subject:

neseret · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:02 pm Post subject:

Crook and Flail · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:45 pm Post subject:

Have read your post with great interest. Thanks for all that information. You've obviously seen a great many changes - not all of them good - during your visits there. I guess it's the same the world over, tourism tends to destroy the very thing that attracted tourists to a place/culture in the first place. Sad

elakazal · Citizen Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 28

I kind of disagree with the idea that prices have gone out of control (I was last there in January...it may have changed since). Yes, they've gone up, but they really are relatively modest when you consider the monumental task of absorbing that many tourists into that area without overwhelming the infrastructure (I always love hearing tourists complain that places are over-run with tourists, though I do it too), and then moving them through the ruins in such a way that preserves them for future generations (even as it stands, though, the level of care given such things is often well below what historic sites get in the U.S. and Europe). I don't begrudge them a little money. There was nothing I saw in Luxor/Karnak/West Bank that wasn't worth the money I paid to get in, and if that money (or some part of it after everyone gets their baksheesh along the way) can go to preserve that stuff, then even better.

Egypt to me is still a tremendous bargain.

Hekat · Scribe Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 320 Location: Luxor

elakazal prices have not changed since you were there in January and compared to most countries they are still an average very cheap.

I think half the problem is that organised tours charge far more than the ordinary admission prices and people only stay a short time on those tours.

We tend to spend a couple of hours on average when we visit any of the sites. Last time we went to Medinat Habu we were almost 3 hours and we only went round the outside, must go back if it cools down a bit. 46C today!