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Two stone colossi carved into the cliff face, under a blue sky.

Aswan · Abu Simbel

The Abu Simbel sound and light show

The colossi of Ramesses II lit beside Lake Nasser, once the coaches have left.

€€ Mid-range

The site is visited en masse in the morning and empties in the afternoon: the evening show is the only time the temples are seen in peace. The projection dresses the façades, but it is the silence of the lake behind that stays with you.

The extra bit

Sleep in Abu Simbel rather than driving back to Aswan: the only way to see the show without a three-hour night drive.

Know before you go

The village is tiny and accommodation limited: book ahead.

Directions

Abu Simbel temples, Lake Nasser

Directions

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