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Kenya Birding Safaris To National Parks & Game Reserves East Africa

Birds

Kenya boast the second-highest hen list in Africa (after Congo), at greater than 1070 species (this compare with not more than 300 for Britain and around six hundred for North America). Nearly eight % of Kenya's birds are thought to breed within the country, with the rest breeding throughout the northern summer season within the palaearctic area (Europe, north Africa and northern Asia) but wintering in tropical Africa. Many of those are acquainted British summer season visitors, similar to swallow, nightingales and whitethroats. In winter, the migrant terns and waders can typically dominate Kenya's shorelines, and the palaerctic swallows and warblers may comprise a big proportion of the birds in bush land habitats.

   Should you're a novice birder, Kenya is a wonderful place to start. No quantity of wildlife documentaries can do justice to the joys of glimpsing your first colourful bee-eaters (twelve species have been recorded in Kenya, three or 4 of which you might anticipate to come across), watching rollers and shrikes swoop from perches to hunt bugs, or seeing teams of vultures wheeling and dipping as they prepare to reach at a kill. The wide range and accessibility of habitats makes bird-watching in Kenya highly rewarding. The keenest impartial chicken-watchers would possibly count on to encounter more than six hundred species in a 4-week interval, whereas some of the organized birding tour groups, residing and respiration birds for a 3-week period might document more than seven lots of species in that time; one tour group holds the African document of 797 species in 25 days. Nonetheless, even for these just dipping into the hobby or with limited time and selection of itineraries, Kenya offers some wonderful surprises. The next brief round –ups cover a number of the extra noticeable species.

Distribution

Distribution only a few species of birds are discovered all through Kenya. Three that can grow to be familiar to sharp-eyed guests are the laughing dove, the African drongo (an all-black crow-like bird with a forked tail) and the gray-headed sparrow. Most different species have properly –defined distributions dependent on habitat type, itself a reflection of altitude and rainfall patterns.

        Part of Kenya's chook range could be explained by the big variety of species reaching the edge of their known ranges inside its borders. These embody birds originating in the Horn of Africa but having their western or southwestern limits in Kenya (for examples, the Somali bee-eater), species widespread in southern Africa which reach their northern limits right here (such because the rufous-bellied heron), coastal species that are confined to the east (for example, the mangrove kingfisher), species from west Africa equatorial forests whose ranges simply overlap the forest patches In west Kenya (for instance, the gray parrot), and species occurring alongside the southern fringe of the Sahel that attain the intense southeast of their vary in Kenya (for example, the Abyssinian roller).

      Many Kenyan birds show two roughly separate populations, one on the coast, and the opposite in the highlands. This is decided by habitat: the coastal areas tend to have less rain than the highlands, and are much hotter, with a more extreme dry season. In some species, such because the widespread speckled mousebird, two distinct races are evolving.

Endemic and near-endemic species

Of greater than a thousand species of hen present in Kenya, there are only six endemic species. Though these species are unlikely to be encountered by the novice and may be troublesome to establish, their existence serves to emphasize Kenya's remarkable birdlife. They comprise two species of cisticola (small, skulking species, present in dense vegetation), a species of lark discovered only within the Marsabit and Isiolo areas, Sharpe's pipit (found in excessive grasslands in western and central Kenya), Clarke's weaver (found only in and around the Arabuko –Sokoke Forest), and Hinde's pied babbler (discovered within the vicinity of Kianyaga near Embu).

    Many hen- watchers are attracted to Kenya by the large number of near-endemic species, confined to northeast Africa, for which Kenya gives a fairly accessible likelihood of a sighting. These include Heuglin's bustard, the Somali bee-eater (a very pale, open-nation bee-eater found in north and often noted at Samburu), Hartlaub's turaco (a inexperienced species of turaco, only present in highland forests in East Africa), and the small Sokoke Scops owl found most easily around the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.

Massive walking birds

 Several species of enormous, terrestrial or partly terrestrial birds are regularly seen on safari. Their size and common type of locomotion (though the secretary hen and marabou stork can each fly perfectly well. And the bottom hornbill just isn't flightless) makes them the species most continuously spotted by non-ornithologists.

   The domestically frequent, distinctive ostrich is found in dry, open plains and semi-desert. The world's biggest chicken, at up to 2.5m high, it's virtually absent from the coastal strip, however can readily be seen in Nairobi Nationwide Park and most other parks.

     The secretary bird is giant, long-tailed, lengthy-legged bird, gray-white in colour with a scraggy crest (the quills of which gave it its identify), black on the wings and with black "stocking". A chook of dry, open bush wooded country, often seen in pairs, it is mostly observed stalking prey gadgets that it has disturbed. Prey contains beetles, grasshoppers, reptiles and rodents, sometimes up to the dimensions of a hare. Secretary birds are scarce in western Kenya and on the coast, however could be seen easily in Nairobi National Park.

    The marabou is a big, ugly stork, up to 1.2m in peak, with a bald head and a dangling, pink throat pouch. Most specimens look as if they're in a sophisticated state of decomposition. The marabou flies with its head and neck retracted (in contrast to other storks) and is usually seen in dry areas, together with cities, the place it feeds on small animals, carrion and refuse. A big population of marabous is often thought of an indication that waste management is a problem within the area.

    One other fairly common strolling chicken is the bottom hornbill. This spectacular bird lives in open nation and is the most important hornbill by far. Black, with crimson face and wattles, it bears a definite resemblance to a turkey. It is not unusual to come across pairs, or typically teams, of ground hornbill, especially within the Mara, trailing by way of the scrub on the lookout for small animals. They best among rocks or in tree stumps.

Flamingos and ibises

Many visitors to Kenya are astounded by their first encounter with flamingoes –a sea of pink on a soda-encrusted lake, accompanied by the salt-wealthy smell of the lake and the stench of the birds' guano. Two species are found in Kenya, the higher flamingo and lesser flamingo. Each are birds of the Rift Valley lakes and adjoining areas, and are colonial nesters.

   A lot the commoner of the 2 is the lesser flamingo, which is smaller, pinker and has a darker bill. The Rift Valley inhabitants of lesser flamingoes, with more than one million birds gathering at one time at lakes Bogoria and Nakuru, is one among solely three most important populations in Africa. This species is nomadic, shifting in relation to fluctuating meals supplies, water ranges and alkalinity, and flocks can leave or arrive at an space in a very quick time frame-an estimated 400,000birds have been recorded leaving Lake Bogoria over a seven-day period. Lesser flamingos feed by filtering suspended aquatic food, primarily blue-inexperienced algae that occurs in huge concentrations on the shallow soda lakes of the Rift.

  Greeter flamingo can happen of their thousands however are considerably fewer in number than the lesser species. They're backside feeders, filtering small invertebrates in addition to algae. Although greeter flamingos are usually less continuously nomadic than their family, they're extra more likely to move away from the Rift Valley lakes to smaller water bodies and even the coast.

   Probably the most broadly distributed ibis species (stork-like birds with down-curved payments) is the sacred ibis, discovered near water and human settlements. It has a white body with black head and neck, and black tricks to the wings. Also incessantly encountered is the Hadada ibis, a brown fowl with a inexperienced-bronze sheen to the wings and noisy name in flight, present in southern in Kenya close to wooded streams and cultivated areas.

Water birds

Most large water bodies, apart from the extremely saline lakes, assist several species of ducks and geese, lots of which breed in Europe, however overwinter in Africa.

    Several species of herons, storks and egrets occur in areas with water, or can be observed overflying on migration. The commonest giant heron is the black-headed heron, which might generally be found far from water. Mainly gray with a black head and legs, the black heron might be seen "umbrella-fishing" along coastal creeks and marsh shores: it cloaks its head with its wings whilst fishing, which is thought to cut down surface reflection fro the water, allowing the fowl to see its prey extra easily.

    The hammerkop is a brown, heron-like chook with a sturdy bill and mane of brown feathers, which gives it a prime- heavy, barely prehistoric look in flight, like a miniature pterodactyl. Hammerkops are widespread close to water, and build giant, conspicuous nests which can be usually taken over by other animals, together with owls, monitor lizards and snakes.

Guineafowl

Four species of those giant, gray game birds are found In Kenya. The vulturine guineafowl is a bird of very arid areas, acknowledged by the long tapered feathers hanging from the bottom of the neck over a royal-blue chest. The nicely- known helmeted guineafowl, a chook of moister areas, has a bony Yellow cranium protrusion (therefore its title). The crested and the Kenya crested guineafowl are each birds of thickets.

Birds of prey

Kenya abounds with birds of prey- kites, vultures, eagles, harriers, hawks and falcons. Altogether, more than seventy five species have been recorded in the nation, a number of of that are tough to miss.

    Six species of vulture range over the plains and bush and are sometimes seen soaring looking for a carcass. All of the species can occur collectively, and birds may travel vast distances to feed. The main differences are in feeding behaviour: the lappet-faces vulture, feeds mainly on inside organs; the hooded vulture mainly picks from bones.

     Two different birds of prey which can be firmly associated with East Africa are the bateleur, an eagle that is readily recognized by its silver wings, black, stumpy physique shape and chestnut-crimson, wedge-shape tail; and the fish eagle, generally found in pairs close to water, usually alongside lake shores.

Cranes and bustards

Uganda's nationwide hen, the topped crane, is found in southern and western Kenya. It's a distinctive, elegant chook, the head topped with an array of golden plumes. Crowned cranes are sometimes seen feeding on cultivated fields or in marshy areas, invariably in similar pairs.

      Some nine species of bustard occur in the plains and grasslands of Kenya. These large, open-country species are long-legged and long-necked and are very nicely camouflaged browns and yellows of their habitat. The heaviest flying fowl in the world, the kori bustard, is commonest within the Rift Valley highlands. Bustards are affected by intensive, small-scale agricultural and human presence, and several species have undergone a decline in Kenya.

Parrots and lovebirds

Eight species of psittacidae have been recorded in Kenya, three of that are introduced. The parrot species that you just're probably to see is the brown parrot, which occurs in wooded areas within the west of the country. Lovebirds are small, inexperienced, gap-nesting parrot- kin and are readily seen in thee acacias around Lake Naivasha, where a feral breeding population of yellow-collared lovebirds has grow to be established. This species has been introduces to Kenya from Tanzania, and hybridizes with the introduced and really comparable Fischer's lovebird.

 Go-away birds and turacos

These distinctive, associated families are discovered only in Africa. Medium-sized and with lengthy tails, most turacos and go-away birds (named after their name) have brief rounded wings. They aren't glorious fliers, however are agile in their actions along branches and through vegetation. Many species are colourful and display a crest. The largest, the magnificent nice blue turaco (blue above, and green and brown under) is found only in the western forests in Kenya- notably at Kakamega, where it is without doubt one of the largest birds within the forest. Different turracos are typically green or violet in colour, and all are confined to thickly wooded area. Open-nation species, such because the extensively distributed and common white-bellied go-away chicken, are white or grey in colour.

Mousebirds

Three species of mousebird are present in Kenya. Their title derives from their rapid scampering via thick tangles of branches using unusually effectively adapted claws. They are often identified by their slight crests and their lengthy tapering tails. Usually grey or brown in color, they're noisy and fed actively in fairly open vegetation. The speckled mousebird is quite common species throughout southern Kenya, often found in small groups at forest margins and in suburban gardens.

Rollers, shrikes and kingfishers

 A family of colourful birds of the African bush, rollers perch on uncovered bushes and phone wires and chase flying insects. They take their title from their impressive courtship flights- a quick dive with a rolling and rocking movement, accompanied by raucous calls. Many have a sky-blue underbody and sandy-coloured back, and lengthy tail streamers are a distinctive function of several Kenyan species. The lilac-breasted roller is a common conspicuous species.

     Shrikes are found throughout Kenya. Fierce hunters with sharply hooked payments, they habitually sit on prominent perches, and eat bugs, reptiles and small birds.

    Kingfishers are some of Kenya's most noticeable birds, with eleven species found here. They vary from the tiny pygmy kingfisher, which feeds on bugs and is generally found near water, to the giant kingfisher, a shy fish-consuming species of wooded streams in western Kenya. A number of species, which eat insects reasonably than fish, can typically be seen perched high in trees or on open posts in the bush where they wait to pounce on passing prey. A standard and widespread insectivorous species is the chestnut-bellied kingfisher.

Hornbills

Named for their lengthy, heavy bills, surmounted by a casque or bony helmet, hornbills generally have black and white plumage and a number of other species are frequent open-nation birds. Their flight consists of a sequence of alternate flaps and glides. When in flight, hornbills could also be heard earlier than they're seen, the beaten wings making a "whooshing" noise as air rushes by way of the slight feathers. Many species have bare areas of skin on the pinnacle, with the invoice and casque usually in brilliant colours that change with the age of the bird. Twelve species have been recorded in Kenya, including the silvery-cheeked hornbill, typically seen in Nairobi. Hornbills have interesting breeding habits: the male usually incarcerates the female in a hole tree, leaving a gap by way of which he feeds her while she incubates the eggs and rears the young.

Sunbirds

Sunbirds are bright, energetic birds, feeding on nectar from flowering plants, and distributed all through Kenya, wherever there are flowers or flowering bushes and bushes. Greater than 35species have been recorded within the country, with many confined to niche habitats, widespread species within the Nairobi space are variable and scarlet-chested sunbirds. Males are brightly colored and usually identifiable, but many of the drabber females require very careful remark to determine them.

Starlings

The glorious orange and blue starlings which can be a common feature of bush land habitats and are often seen feeding on the ground, belong to considered one of three species. The very good starling is essentially the most widespread of those, found every the place from remote national parks to gardens in Nairobi. It may be identified by breasted starling, typically seen in Tsavo Nationwide Park, and Hildebrand's starling (also orange-breasted), which is frequent around Machakos however be encountered all over southern Kenya.

Weavers and whydahs

These small birds are among the commonest and most widespread of all Kenyan birds. Most male weavers have some yellow within the plumage, whereas the females are reasonably boring and sparrow-like. In truth, many species seem tremendous-facially very comparable; distinctions are primarily based on their vary and most well-liked sort of habitat. Weavers nest in colonies and weave their nest into elongated shapes, which can be utilized to assist in the identification of the species. Many nests are located near water or human habitation and generally hold suspended. The golden palm weaver is the species you will generally see on the coast, typically in resort gardens where they form chattering colonies in palm trees.

   Whydahs are also referred to as widow birds. The paradise whydah has extraordinarily ornate tail feathers, with the central pair of tail feathers flattened and twisted into an unmistakeable crest-like tail, male paradise whydahs are primarily black, and carry out an odd bouncing show flight to draw the females.

Reptiles and amphibians

There is only one species of crocodile in Kenya –the big Nile crocodile, which, left to develop, can attain 6cm or more in size and considered a crafty dangerous animal. You'll see them within the Mara River, within the Tana, at Mzima springs in Tsavo West, in great numbers in Lake Turkana and, in case you take the difficulty to look, in many other rivers and huge our bodies of water.

   Kenya has many species of snakes, a few of them quite common, however your possibilities of seeing a wild specimen listed below are extra remote than in Australia or the USA, or even sure parts of Europe. In Kenya, as throughout Africa, snakes are each revered and reviled and, while they frequently have symbolic significance for native people, that's quite often forgotten in the rush to hack them to bits with a panga as quickly as they're discovered. All in all, snakes have a really exhausting time surviving in Kenya.

    Frequent non-toxic species of snakes embody the rock python (a constrictor that may grow as much as 5 metres or more in size), the egg-consuming snake and the sand boa. Frequent poisonous species embody the inexperienced and black mamba(fast, agile, arboreal snakes), the boomslang, the spitting cobra and the dangerous puff adder, which is probably chargeable for more bites than some other, on account of its sluggish disposition- most snakes flee on detecting vibrations of human footsteps.

   Tortoises are fairly often encountered on park roads within the morning or late afternoon. Some, like the leopard tortoise, will be fairly massive, up 50cmin size, whereas the hinged tortoise (which not only retreats inside its shell however shut the door, too) is far smaller-up to 30cm. in rocky areas, look out for the uncommon and weird pancake tortoise, a versatile- shelled species that may put on fairly a turn of speed however, when cornered in its fissure in the rocks, will inflate to wedge itself inextricably. Several species of terrapins or freshwater turtles are commonly found in ponds and sluggish-flowing streams. On the coast, sea turtles breed and it is commonplace to see them from boats throughout snorkeling trips.

    Lizards are innocent, often vibrant and common everywhere. The commonest are rock agamas, the males typically seen in courting "plumage", with a brilliant orange heads and blue our bodies, duckling and bobbling at each other. They reside in loose colonies usually close to human habitation; one lodge could have a whole bunch, its neighbour none. The largest lizards, Nile displays, grow to nearly 2m in size and are sometimes seen close to water. From a distance, as they race off, they appear to be dashing child crocodiles. The other common monitor, the smaller savanna monitor, is less handsomely marked: you can often see them basking on high of termite mounds.

   A big, docile lizard it's possible you'll come across if the plated lizard. Rising to 40cm, this delicate-mannered reptile is commonly found round coastal inns, looking for scraps from the kitchen or pool terrace. Additionally mainly on the coast, at night, the translucent little aliens on the ceiling are house geckos, catching moths and other insects, and value encouraging. By day, their minuscule family, the day geckos (velvet grey and yellow), patrol coastal walls.

   Within the highlands you may come across prehistoric-trying three-horned Jackson's chameleons creeping by the foliage. There are a number of other species of chameleon, residing in most elements of the country, which, owing to their extreme slowness, you might be almost definitely to see squashed flat on the road.

     In the amphibian world, you tend to hear examples lengthy earlier than you see them. Chances are you'll come across to the odd toad, sitting beneath a footpath gentle, waiting for insects to drop to the ground. There are, nevertheless, dozens of species of frogs and tree frogs, ranging from the widespread squeaker to the crimson and black rubber frog.

Environmental stewardship

The expansion of tourism in Kenya has been spectacular, from just some thousand visitors annually at the time of Independence to more than 1,000,000 today. It has been a boon for the economic system, however environmental degradation as a direct consequence of vacationers is evident in parks and reserves from the Maasai Mara to Amboseli, Abadare and Samburu, in addition to on the beaches. You need to do all you possibly can to mitigate your impact. Even in case you're visiting Kenya on an organized tour, you possibly can guarantee your driver sticks to the park guidelines about off-road driving-by far the most damaging side effect of excessive visitor numbers- by requesting that you're not taken nearer to the wildlife than the legal limits.

     Leaving apart the safari business, the rate of clearance of Kenya's remaining areas of indigenous forest is alarming, worsening the problem of soil erosion, and consequently the silting-up of lakes, rivers and estuaries. Unlawful "land grabbing" has been making headlines because the mid -Nineties and there have been countless authorized strikes, demonstrations and protest towards the expropriation of public land for private gain. The federal government responded with the 1999 Atmosphere Conservation Management Act, which protects forest areas that are formally gazette, and permits members of the general public to oppose de-gazet-ting. This did not cease the federal government from announcing, in 2001, the excision of 6700 square kilometers from gazette forest for improvement, leading to widespread protests by environmentalists, and makes an attempt within the High Court docket to halt the move. Some of the land was finally re-gazetted. The area most affected is the Mau Forest on the Mau Escarpment in the western Rift Valley, damage to which has led to disastrous climatic and environmental changes within the surrounding watersheds. Other areas nonetheless threatened by land grabbing and illegal logging embrace a lot of the Kakamega Forest and parts of the Mount Kenya Forest, the coastal mangroves, and the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.

     In the event you're at all concerned about the affect of tourism or environmental issues, or wish to additional your knowledge, get in touch with group listed below.

 

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Why does D-Hall suck now?

Deangelo Hall was a pro bowler with the Falcons and argueably one of the most talented corners maybe since Champ Bailey when coming out of the draft. So why has he fallen so much? I barely even hear about the kid since Eddie Royal wrecked his stuff last year.

Once you get them big bucks football is the last thing you think about

Jordanian Royal Falcons & British Red Arrow Aerobatics Air Show (Amman) Part 2

Following The Footsteps Of The Pharaohs

Egypt is where history first emerged. It is here that we have the first pictographic record of events and persons. Hieroglyphics, the system of writing used by ancient Egyptians can be traced back to about 3200 BC. At about 3180 BC, the nations of Upper and Lower Egypt were brought under the rule of a single king titled Pharaoh. The first Pharaoh is thought to have been Menes, who set his capital at Memphis, 22 km south of Giza in today's Cairo. The Pharaohs established the systems that brought forth the highly successful Egyptian civilization.

The history of Ancient Egypt lasted for about 3,000 years. Ancient Egypt declined, was overrun and thereafter ruled by foreign powers. The Greeks and Romans who ruled after the decline were aware of the great similarity between their own gods and those of the Egyptians. They not only tolerated Egyptian religion, but also expanded existing temples and dedicated new ones to existing cults. Some of the new overlords, Alexander the Great for example, styled themselves as divine priest-kings in imitation of the Pharaohs.

Emperor Theodosius, who reigned after Christianity became the state religion in Rome, extinguished the last remnants of the living culture. The Egyptians worshipped hundreds of gods - a great offense against the monotheistic religions; whose first article of faith is that there is only one God. Theodosius decreed in AD 391that all pagan temples in the Roman Empire be closed. The Arabs, who brought Islam to Egypt in 640 AD, also had no time for deities such as Anubis the jackal, Horus the falcon god or even Amon the king of the gods.

Ancient Egypt was dead for one thousand five hundred years, until the French came across the Rosetta Stone in the nineteenth century invasion of Egypt by Napoleon. This priceless discovery was inscribed in both Greek and Egyptian, and it was the key that allowed the deciphering of Hieroglyphics by Jean-Francois Champollion in 1822. The voluminous literature produced by Ancient Egyptians was now accessible to curious scholars. This rekindled great interest in Ancient Egypt in the West that remains undiminished to this day.

Religion is the common theme running through the attractions of ancient Egypt. The diversity of gods found worthy of worship is astounding. There were over 2,000 of them of either sex and they supposedly manifested themselves to earthlings as animals. There were overlaps and the same gods could be known with different names in various parts of the country. There was hardly any part of the life experience that was not assigned a deity- digestion, mummification, sexuality, feasting, childbirth, writing - you name it. Some gods came and went out of fashion, but those connected with basic aspects of life were enduring. Such deities had cults and temples dedicated to them.

The afterlife was taken very seriously, and a lot of the monuments relate to preparation for that glorious time. Mortuary and burial preparation was so elaborate as to ensure a painless and enjoyable afterlife. The custom of mummification, for example, was seen as necessary for the soul needed a physical body to occupy in the other world. There was however great inequality in preparation for eternal life. The Pharaohs and other royals, nobles and key officials were mummified and accompanied by grave goods and great treasure. The common folk who could not afford the full treatment had to do with statuettes of mummies.

The main draw to Egypt is the legacy of the Pharaohs and the Greeks and Romans who ruled after them. Basically this legacy is associated with temples, tombs and burial places. People in Egypt from the earliest times to present have always lived along the River Nile and this is where you find the richest harvest of ancient monuments. As many travelers will testify, the best way to experience classical Egypt is by taking a Nile cruise. The cruise is a very pleasant and relaxing way to get close to the attractions of antiquity, most of which are not far off from the banks of the river. You also get a glimpse of rural Egypt where many eke out a living just as their forbearers did thousands of years ago.

The typical Nile cruiser is really a floating hotel. Amenities on board will include lounges, restaurants, bars, swimming pool, discotheque and shops. The rooms are rather smaller than those of a land based hotels but will have air conditioning, TV and enough room for twin beds, private shower, nightstand and dresser. The quality of cruisers varies and they are graded with stars just like hotels. Top end cruisers have spacious suites and amenities almost equal to those of ocean cruisers. Generally, the quality and romance of Nile cruisers surpasses other riverboats anywhere else in the world.

Nile cruises normally take three, four or seven nights. You will be able to see the most important and interesting monuments on the shorter and more popular cruises that ply between Luxor and Aswan. The longer sail takes you up to Dendera. The boats sail both downstream and upstream and on the shorter cruises, you can embark at either Aswan or Luxor. The more adventurous travelers or those on a tight budget avoid the luxury cruisers in favour of fellucas- the traditional Nile sailboats. Though amenities onboard fellucas are very basic, those who can survive them, visit all the attractions along the Nile at a fraction of the cost of the cruisers.

At Aswan, the Nile is deep, calm and is at its most glorious. It is a good place to embark on your Nile cruise. Aswan was for long Egypt's southern frontier city and its gateway to Africa. This was the region known as Upper Egypt, being upstream of the Nile. After Aswan, the Nile passes through a section of hard rock, resulting in rapids or cataracts. Thus by nature did Aswan attain its strategic position and it has served as a garrison town for those who have ruled Egypt over the centuries. And for this reason, there are monuments here associated with the Pharaohs, Greeks, Romans, Christian Copts and Islam.

At Aswan, make sure to visit the Philae Temple. Ptolemy II started the temple when the Greeks ruled, and the Romans completed it. It was dedicated to the goddess Isis, an important figure in Egyptian mythology that was worshipped across the Roman Empire. Even after Emperor Theodosius ordered all pagan temples to cease operations, Isis was still being glorified at Philae, until about AD 550 when Emperor Justinian finally shut down the temple. The early Christians converted the temple's hypostyle hall into a chapel. For good measure, they defaced some of the pagan reliefs adorning its walls.

The temple forms an excellent backdrop for the nightly sound-and-light show. The temple was nearly lost after the Aswan High Dam was commissioned in the 1960's. It took UNESCO and the Egyptian government ten years to move it, one stone at a time, to higher ground on Agilka Island. Most people also visit Elephantine Island, which has temples and a museum. The Island has been inhabited since about 3000 BC and was an important trading and cultural centre.

Aswan is home of the Nubians, a dark skinned people, related to the people of the north of the Sudan. You can see some Nubian villages at Elephantine Island. The Nubian museum celebrates Nubian culture right from prehistoric times. Aswan was once an important centre for Christian Copts. You can see the ruins of the once majestic Monastery of St Simeon, which was destroyed by the conqueror Saladin (Salah ad-Din) in 1173 AD.

Aswan was the source of the granite stone that the Pharaohs favoured for building temples and other monuments. The Northern Quarries are the site of the giant Unfinished Obelisk. Had the obelisk been successfully completed, it would be the single heaviest piece of monolithic stonework -reaching about 42 m and weiging over 1168 tonnes. It must have broken the hearts of the builders, who supposedly abandoned it, after coming across defects in the rock formation.

The next stop on the cruise is Kom Ombo, 48 km to the north of Aswan. The main attraction here is the Graeco-Roman temple. Work on the temple was started by Ptolemy VII in early second century BC and continued by some of his successors. The Romans Emperor Augustus built part of the temple at around 30 BC. The Temple of Kom Ombo actually consists of two separate temples, each with its own entrance, colonnades, hypostyle hall and sanctuary. The southern temple is dedicated to Sobek -the crocodile god, while the northern one honours Horus -the falcon god.

Though the two gods shared the same grounds, in mythology, Sobek was associated with the god Seth, an enemy of Horus. At Kom Ombo, the gods took the liberty to bring along family - Sobek sneaked in his consort Hathor and son Khonsu, while Horus had his wife Tesentnefert and son, Panebtawy. If you have not seen mummies before, be sure to see the mummified crocodiles in the Sobek part of the temple.

At Edfu, you disembark to see the Temple of Horus. Edfu was the cult centre of Horus the falcon god. It is perhaps the best preserved of ancient temples of Egypt. The temple standing today was started by Ptolemy III at about 237 BC on the site of an earlier Pharaonic structure. Work continued under some of the Ptolemies that followed. Appropriately, the entrance adorned by two majestic granite falcons. The walls bear reliefs depicting Horus. One scene would please any tyrant -it shows Ptolemy XII dealing mercilessly with his enemies.

You next stop and highlight of the cruise is Luxor. The range, magnificence and diversity of the monuments in the Luxor area is unsurpassed in all of Egypt. Known to the Greeks as Thebes, Luxor became the capital of Egypt at around 2040 BC. The city survived the sacking by the Assyrians in the 7th century BC, but steadily declined, and was finally destroyed by the Romans in the first century BC. Among the celebrated monuments dating from Luxor's heydays are the necropolis complexes at the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Tombs of the Nobles. You will also come across some outstanding temples scattered in the region.

The Egyptians buried their dead in the direction of the setting sun and the west bank at Luxor was the final resting place of royalty and high officials. The Valley of Kings is where the rulers of the period historians refer to as the New Kingdom period (BC 1550-1070) awaited the afterlife. The Pharaoh normally picked the spot for his tomb and had it built in his lifetime. Tomb building for royalty and high officials was very serious business and it supported a battery of architects and craftsmen, who had a settlement in the valley. The valley contains over 60 tombs that have so far been excavated.

The tombs have suffered in recent years due to increased number of visitors, pollution and the rising ground water that has come with the Aswan High Dam. For this reason, not all of them are open to the public at any one time. Unless you are a scholar, visiting three or four tombs should be sufficient. Among the best tombs are those of Ramses I, Tuthmosis III and Ramses VI. Tutankhamun's is today the most famous - though he is not considered a significant Pharaoh and he died at only nineteen.

Treasure hunters had over the years looted most tombs in the valley. But Howard Carter, the British archeologist, discovered Tutankhamun's tomb almost intact in 1922. The treasure that was found here is truly amazing- statues, chests, chariots, beds, weapons, and many items he needed for the afterlife. The main item today at Tutankhamun's tomb is his mummy. About 1700 items recovered at the tomb are now at display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The most outstanding of the collection is the 11 kg solid gold death mask. Imagine then, what the looters carried off from the bigger tombs of the more illustrious Pharaohs!

On the other side of the Valley of Kings is the Temple of Deir el-Bahri, built by Queen Hatshepsut. Hatseput. The temple is very impressive from a distance and is a great place to take photos. The name Valley of the Queens is misleading, as both male and female royals and some high officials were interred here. About 80 tombs have been identified, of which the most famous is that of Queen Nefertari. Take more photos at the Colossi of Memnon -two huge statues that are the sole legacy of the temple of Amenhotep III.

Amenhotep III also built the Temple of Luxor on the east bank. The temple was dedicated to the god Amon, though inside you also find a shrine dedicated to Alexander the Great. The temple's entrance is lined with Sphinxes, and inside you find colonnades, courts, obelisks and wall murals. The mosque of Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj was built on top of part of the temple. You can also visit the Luxor Museum, which has interesting exhibits from the area.

The incredibly impressive Temple of Karnak is a huge complex that was dedicated to the god Amon. In the New Kingdom period, this was the most important temple is Egypt. It is probably the largest religious building ever and it can carry no less than 10 average Christian cathedrals. Some of the interesting structures within the complex are the gigantic hypostyle hall, the Kiosk of Tarhaka, statue of Ramses II, temple of Ramses III and the sacred lake.

The best time to take a Nile cruise is over the cooler months of November - March. These are also the peak months and to avoid crowds, always start out early each day. October, at the end the hot season is tolerable, especially when you factor in that it falls with off-season period: it is cheaper ad less crowded. When visiting the monuments, you are advised to hire a guide who will explain the historical context at each site. If you are on a Nile Cruise package, the services of a guide will usually be included.

You do a lot of walking, and you need to bring along suitable shoes. Other items you ware encouraged to pack are: sunglasses and sun screen lotion. Remember also to carry bottled water and photographic film, which you can buy at the cruiser or at a bazaar. Light clothing is generally recommended though you may need a sweater and jacket for winter evenings.

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