Feel dwarfed by the gargantuan statues at Abu Simbel

Close to the Sudanese border 300km south of Aswan, the temples at Abu Simbel were designed to strike fear into invading forces.

These gargantuan temples carved directly into the rocky hills are awe-inspiring feats of engineering. Gazing up at the colossal figures, some of which soar over 20 metres high, is a diminishing experience.

Built by Ramses II as a monument to himself and his favourite wife Nefertari, the two temples are aligned so that on February 22 and October 22 every year (the February date marking the anniversary of the coronation of Ramses II), the sun shines directly through the larger temple to illuminate the ghostly statues in the innermost chamber.

Almost as impressive as the monuments themselves is the story of how the site was saved from rising water levels in Lake Nasser. Some 50 countries contributed to the massive salvage operation, in which the temples were cut into more than a thousand pieces and reassembled on higher ground nearby.

Although off the beaten track, a side trip to Abu Simbel is worth the effort. Frequent flights make it an easy day trip from either Aswan or Luxor.