Matt & Erica Chua: Bigger than Imagined — The Pyramids of Giza

In the whole, wide, world I most wanted to visit the Pyramids of Giza.  In fact, it was one of three things I wanted to see on this entire trip, yet it took two years to make it happen. The pyramids are worth the wait.  They stand up to the hype.

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During the heat of the desert day exploring the area can be a tiring experience, but as the sun began setting the true beauty was revealed.  At their least impressive, during the heat of the day, the Pyramids are a well-organized arrangement of rocks.  Yes, they are enormous, but they are pretty plain.  As the colors of the sunset start to hit them, the ancient tombs come alive with vibrant yellows and oranges.

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The Sphinx watching over the Pyramids as it has for over 4500 years, making it the world’s oldest monumental sculpture.  A little worse for wear over the milleniums, it’s still an amazing and huge work of art.

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Sure, there are other pyramids, such as those we saw in Cambodia and China, but nothing compares to the Pyramids of Giza, even the other Pyramids of Giza pale in comparison to the Great Pyramid below.  Imagine this: the Great Pyramid consists of 2,300,000 blocks weighing 2-80 tons each.  These blocks were quarried up to 500 miles away, brought here and perfectly lined up.  Egyptologists believe it was constructed in 20 years, meaning they placed 315 blocks per day, everyday, for 20 years.  Think about that, even with modern lifts and cranes that would be an unrealistic pace.  Quarrying, transporting, lifting and placing between 630,000 to 50,400,000 lbs of rock each day, by hand, seems preposterous.  It is because of the scale and the fact they have existed seemingly since the “beginning” of modern time has left us all to wonder just how they came to be.  No matter how, they are one of man’s greatest works of history.

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Standing as the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years is an astonishing claim in itself for the Great Pyramid of Giza.  Outlasting all the ancient wonders of the world to stand today is impressive enough.  Being the world’s most recognizable building justifies it’s place on people’s bucket lists.  The reality of standing in front of them yourself exceeds all the accolades and superlatives, it is a must for anyone who likes to say “wow”.

WHEN YOU GO:

Take the public bus. Not only is it the cheapest way to get there, but it’s a cultural experience in itself.  Egyptians are rightly proud of the Pyramids and those on the Giza bus, probably residents of Giza will be thrilled to see and talk to you.  Leaving from in front of the Hilton a minibus will take you to central Giza from where you can take a taxi or bus another 10 minutes to the entrance to the park.

Bring water and drinks. It’s hot in the desert and water/drinks cost substantially more inside than they do at the supermarkets in Giza or Cairo.  Bring at least a liter a person.

Ignore the touts. Don’t give your ticket to anyone but the official at the main gate, avoid touts trying to become your tour guide, and be prepared to be hassled by vendors, camel and horse owners.  That’s just part of the experience…

Interested in seeing the Pyramids yourself?  Check out or Egypt Travel Guide to get prices and start planning your trip!