Egypt

Travel: Luxor experienced from the West Bank

The Boston Globe (Dan Orzech)

The tomb of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun lies on the west bank of the Nile River. So do a host of other awe-inspiring remains of ancient Egypt, sights that help draw as many as 2 million visitors a year to the area.

Most tourists, though, stay on the more developed east side, in Luxor, an area also not without historic interest. It's where one finds the magnificent Luxor Temple, with its avenue of sphinxes, and the enormous complex of obelisks and ruins known as Karnak.

But as more of a tourist haven it's also where one finds McDonald's and the legions of taxi drivers, souvenirs hawkers, and street peddlers who inspired one guidebook to declare Luxor the "hassle capital" of Egypt.

That's why visitors seeking a more authentic experience tend to gravitate toward the west bank where one particularly good option for accommodations can be found in the sleepy village of Al Gezira.

Getting there is simple: Take the ferry, which leaves from the center of Luxor, across from the ruins of Luxor Temple. The ride takes three or four minutes and costs one Egyptian pound, or about half a dollar.

The village, which lies on the road to the Valley of the Kings and other sites, is home to Flats in Luxor, where you can stay in a clean three-bedroom apartment overlooking the green fields of the Nile valley, with the massive temple of Queen Hatshepsut visible in the distance.

Tempting, ooooohhhh so tempting. See the above page for full details.

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Egypt