IT’S not only serious travellers who are inherently interested these days in unearthing treasures of the past.
Archaeologists – and other sorts of treasure hunters – have been doing it for hundreds of years. In various places in and around what we now call the Middle East.
So, let us enlighten you on what you must see and do when planning your trip to Egypt and ancient civilisations which flourished along the River Nile.
For a start, we can’t help drawing on the words and insights of Bettany Hughes, author and presenter of the amazing book and television documentary: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
She told a Brisbane Writers Festival audience at Powerhouse in October all about “her” reported discoveries – two of them in Egypt, two in Greece, two in what we now know as Türkiye, and one in Iraq.
Booked in at the top of the Seven Wonders list is the Great Pyramid of Giza. It’s the only one of the Seven Wonders still standing, so it is definitely on the highly recommended list.
She also identifies the site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders, which might be much harder to find, but you can explore the historic harbour where some of its remains are believed to be buried.
Your big chance to uncover the layers of Egypt’s capital comes on a guided city tour and you can stand before the Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza. This and much more on Travelmarvel’s Treasures of Egypt and the Nile.
Described as “timeless symbols of ancient ingenuity that continue to inspire awe”, you also visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which is home to the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic treasures, where Tutankhamen’s legacy and Egypt’s golden age come vividly to life.
Not to be missed is the cruise on the legendary Nile River aboard Travelmarvel’s new Egypt river ship Sirius.
We also have some wise words of advice from Egyptologist Mena Mehad, who now lives in Redland and gives us what he rates as Egypt’s
Unmissable Five in 2026:
- A Journey Through the Grand Museum,
- Luxor’s Sacred West Bank,
- Aswan’s Island Sanctuary,
- Alexandria’s Cultural Revival
- Eternal Power of Abu Simbel
Mena tells us that exploring Egypt is “like stepping into a story that has never stopped unfolding, as it remains one of the most active archaeological landscapes in the world, where new tombs, workshops and long-hidden spaces are revealed every season”.
“From the first light over Karnak to the colours still alive in the Valley of the Kings,” he tells us, “you see how people lived, built and believed while standing only metres from teams uncovering lives we never knew existed.”
