Seek inspiration for your own Egyptian adventure starting this festive season

Seek inspiration for your own Egyptian adventure and visit the new galleries of Ancient Egypt & Nubia open at the Ashmolean

Book a Christmas and New Year Nile cruises, with 50% saving for second traveller

Britain’s oldest museum, the Ashmolean (www.ashmolean.org) founded in Oxford in 1683, opened its doors a few weeks ago to six newly refurbished galleries housing collections from Ancient Egypt and Nubia (now Sudan).

Visitors are treated to over 40,000 antiquities collected by the museum over 300 years from around 100 archaeological sites in Egypt and Sudan, including many mummies that have never been seen by the public before.

Those interested in Egyptology will be fascinated by the collections that tell some of the most interesting stories of archaeological discovery ever, and if this inspires a visit to Egypt, specialist tour operator, Discover Egypt, is currently offering fantastic deals on Nile cruises – a great option for seeing the best of Egypt’s many ancient sites.

A 7-night cruise on board the wonderful 5* Viking Princess is from GBP 699 per person, with the second person travelling for just GBP 349, on selected departures up until October 2012. The price includes full board cruise, return flights from Gatwick and 10 guided excursions around the amazing sites en route.

For those looking to escape over Christmas or the New Year, there is availability for departures from Gatwick to Luxor on 19 and 26 December 2011 and a 7-night Nile cruise on board the Viking Princess. Prices are currently just £799 and £949 per person with the 2nd traveller going for £399 and £474 respectively, making a Nile cruise - a fantastic value, festive seasonal escape.

This is one of the best times of the year temperature wise to glide down the Nile, when it is a very pleasant 25 degrees with nine hours of sunshine on average – perfect for relaxing and topping up the tan without having to worry about stuffing a turkey and keeping the peace with all the family.

Highlights for holidaymakers include visiting the Valley of the Kings, the burial place of the Pharaohs including that of Tutankhamen, the Valley of the Queens, including the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Temples of Karnak, Colossi Memnon, Esna and Edfu, Aswan and its High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and the Old Granite Quarries.

The Viking Princess is a newly refurbished 5* boat, offering 49 cabins with stylish décor, spacious interiors and traditional wood furnishings, plus large sundeck with bar, lounge bar and plunge pool – perfect for relaxing and enjoying the tranquil sail down the world’s most magnificent river.

For further information contact Discover Egypt on 0844 880 0461 or visit www.discoveregypt.co.uk

Save up to £750 on holidays to Jordan and Egypt

7 nights ‘Classic Jordan’ down to £1,499 per person

NEW low cost flights with Easyjet to Luxor and Amman mean travellers can make big savings on holiday packages to Egypt and Jordan with the announcement that Discover Egypt (www.discoveregypt.co.uk) has reduced prices on many of its packages from September 2011 until October 2012.

The company is now offering its ‘Classic Jordan’ 7 night tour is now from £1,499 per person (previous published price £2,199), saving £750 per person. This is based on two people travelling and is a private tour and not based on minimum numbers.

Highlights include the fascinating capital, Amman, bathing in the salty waters of the Dead Sea, a private escorted tour to the magnificent ruins of Petra and a stay in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba.

Travellers that want to combine Egypt and Jordan in one holiday could opt for the 15 night ‘Spectacular Egypt and Jordan’ that has just been reduced to from £1,999 per person (down from £2,599). Highlights include a 7 night cruise down the legendary Nile, the bustling capital of Egypt and visiting the Pyramids and Sphinx, followed by a tour of the ruins at Petra and some time relaxing at Aqaba.

All prices include return flights from Gatwick, transfers and tour as per itinerary, plus bed and breakfast accommodation in four or five star hotels. Prices based on travel from September 2011 to October 2012.

For information and bookings call Discover Egypt on 0844 880 0461 or visit www.discoveregypt.co.uk

Discounted Nile cruises available 04 July 2011 - October 2012

7-night Nile cruise holiday from £699 for first traveller and £349.50 for the second

A Nile cruise is not just a relaxing sail down the Nile – it offers holidaymakers access to the world’s largest open air museum and some of the most amazing ancient archeological monuments and sites that still stand after 6,000 years.

Discover Egypt www.discoveregypt.co.uk is currently offering a special saving on a range of selected Nile cruises - a seven night Nile cruise for two with the second person paying half the price.

Enjoy a full board seven night cruise on board the five star Viking Princess with ten guided excursions, return flights and transfers in resort from just £699 for the first person and £349.50 for the second.

Packages on board other ships, the Royal Viking, start from £899 with second traveller from £449.50 and Alexander the Great, from £1,399 and £699.50 respectively. Half price single supplement offers are applicable on board the Viking Princess and Royal Viking.

This offer is valid for travel between 04 July 2011 and October 2012 on selected departures from Gatwick. Flights from Birmingham, Heathrow or Manchester are available at a supplement.

These are some of the highlights that holidaymakers will visit along the way:
• Valley of the Kings – one of the most famous archeological sites in the world and a World Heritage site since 1979. The valley is a burial site where tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs for 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC. Its most famous tomb is that of Tutankhamun, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.

• Temple of Hatshepsut – the temple of Queen Hatshepsut is close to the Valley of the Kings and is one of the most significant monuments of ancient Egypt. Considered the closest Egypt came to Classical Architecture and marked a turning point in the architecture of Ancient Egypt. Queen Hatshepsut was a rare female Pharaoh (late 16th century – 1482 BC) and considered by Egyptologists as one of the most successful.

• Valley of the Queens – the burial place for the wives of Pharaoh’s and often their children, located close to the Valley of the Kings. The area is said to hold seventy tombs that are all lavishly decorated, one of the most famous being the tomb for Queen Nefertari carved out of the rock.

• Colossi of Memnon – this is one of the most imposing ancient monuments on the West Bank and features two huge stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that have sat in the Theban necropolis for 3,400 years, just across the Nile from Luxor.

• Temple of Karnak – the Temple complex of Karnak is the largest ancient religious site in the world and is a vast mix of ruined temples, chapels, pylons and other buildings, including the Great Temple of Amun and a massive structure started by Pharaoh Ramses II between 1391-1351 BC).

• Temple of Luxor – another spectacular temple complex in the city of Luxor that was started by Queen Hatshepsut, with later additions added by Amenhotep III and Rameses II.

• Temple of Horus (Edfu) – located near the city of Edfu this is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved. It is dedicated to the falcon god, Horus and was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BC.

• Temple of Sobek (Kom Ombo) – located 40 kms from Aswan in the town of Kom Ombo this temple was built in 180 BC with later additions added in Roman times. The temple stands on what was an important crossroads between the caravan route from Nubia and trails from the gold mines in the eastern desert. On a bend in the Nile, a spot favoured by crocodiles, the temple was dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god.

• Temple of Philae – Philae is an island in the Nile close to Aswan and the previous site of an ancient Egyptian temple complex. The complex was relocated in a major feat of engineering to the nearby Agilka Island after it was nearly lost under water in the 1960s due to the construction of the High Dam. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Isis, the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus.

For reservations call Discover Egypt on 0844 880 0461 or visit them at www.discoveregypt.co.uk