Alexandria: A Visit to Egypt’s Historic Mediterranean Port City

April 2, 2024May 17, 2024 Koen 0 Comments

This travel guide details my visit to Alexandria, Egypt’s historic port city on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

A visit to Alexandria

After an epic journey by train and a Nile river cruise ship, I had arrived in the city of Alexandria, which would be the final stop on my grand tour of Egypt.

I was looking forward to my stay in Alexandria, which is not only Egypt’s biggest port but also the largest city on the Mediterranean Sea, surpassing such famous cities as Barcelona, Beirut, and Tel Aviv in size.

After all the intensive sightseeing along the most famous sights of Ancient Egypt, I could certainly do with a sea breeze.

I had arrived in the city by taking the Cairo-Alexandria train.

From lovely Alexandria Misr station, I walked to the Paradise Inn Le Metropole Hotel, which boasts a stunning Art Nouveau design and a fantastic rooftop terrace, and would be my home for the next two nights.

alexandria misr station vip express russian train cairo — *Alexandria Misr railway station, the end point of my train travels through Egypt. ©Paliparan*

alexandria misr train station egypt — *The beautiful façade of Alexandria Misr Station. ©Paliparan*

Paradise Inn - Le Metropole Hotel — *The Metropole Hotel was my home away from home during my visit to Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

paradise inn le metropole hotel review alexandria — *Art Nouveau hotel lobby of the Metropole Hotel. ©Paliparan*

paradise inn le metropole hotel lift — *Historic lift and immaculately dressed lift attendant at the Metropole Hotel. ©Paliparan*

Alexandria corniche

After putting my luggage away in the room, I immediately set out to explore Alexandria.

As the balcony of my hotel room was overlooking Saad Zaghloul Park and the corniche, these were the first two places I headed to.

The Alexandria corniche, a boulevard and pedestrian promenade along the Mediterranean coastline, makes for a great place to take a stroll and enjoy the seaside.

It’s a beloved spot among locals and tourists alike, with many people sitting down on the wall or on the beach to admire the views over the Alexandria skyline and the Mediterranean Sea.

alexandria egypt travel guide visit — *View over Alexandria from the balcony of my hotel room. ©Paliparan*

alexandria egypt — *Horse-drawn carriage on the streets of Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

alexandria corniche — *The Alexandria corniche. ©Paliparan*

alexandria egypt corniche — *Walking up and down the Alexandria corniche is a favourite pastime of locals and tourists alike. ©Paliparan*

Alexandria history

At the corniche, I bought an ice cream, found a spot to sit, and took some time to contemplate what I should see and do during my stay in Alexandria.

Alexandria is named after Alexander the Great, who founded the city in 331 BC after conquering Egypt.

After the death of Alexander the Great, Egypt came under the rule of one of his generals, Ptolemy I Soter, who established the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Alexandria quickly developed under the Hellenic rule of the Ptolemies, and the grain and cotton trade to all corners of the ancient world brought great wealth.

Eventually, Alexandria became the capital of Egypt, replacing the city of Ancient Memphis.

Alexandria remained the capital of Egypt when the country was conquered by Octavian and absorbed in the Roman Empire, and also remained the country’s most important city under Byzantine rule.

Following the Arab conquest of Egypt in 641 AD, a new capital was established at Fustat near what would later become Islamic Cairo.

Although Alexandria clearly had its heyday during the classical period, sadly little remains nowadays of its historic splendour.

ice cream alexandria — *Enjoying some ice cream on the Alexandria corniche. ©Paliparan*

Lighthouse and library

Alexandria is perhaps best known for its old lighthouse (called the Pharos of Alexandria), which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Also the Great Library of Alexandria – which was the largest and most important library of the ancient world – is globally renowned.

Sadly, neither the Lighthouse of Alexandria, nor the Great Library of Alexandria, exist anymore.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria collapsed after it was weakened by multiple earthquakes, while the Great Library was destroyed in a fire.

While the modern-day library called the Bibliotheca Alexandrina attracts many tourists visiting Alexandria, touring a modern glass building isn’t exactly my idea of doing justice to ancient history.

I therefore skipped this Alexandria sight and decided to explore some other parts of the city during my travels instead.

However, some friends told me they liked their visit to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and its exhibits and modern architecture, so opinions about it do vary.

lighthouse pharos — *Painting of the Lighthouse of Alexandria by Philip Galle, 1572. ©Public domain*

Exploring Alexandria

Although there are some ancient sights to explore in Alexandria, I decided to skip them as I thought they would pale compared to the places I had already seen during my travels around Egypt.

The most interesting ancient sights of Alexandria – the Serapeum of Alexandria, Pompey’s Pillar, and the old catacombs – were too far out of the city centre for me to actually bother with, as I felt mentally exhausted after all the intensive sightseeing of the last few weeks.

Closer to the city centre, just a stone’s throw away from Misr railway station, you can visit the archaeological site of Kom El Deka, which is home to a Roman theatre.

However, when I passed by this site on my way from the station to my hotel, it didn’t appear impressive enough for me to prioritise it during my visit, and in the end I decided to skip it altogether.

What did impress me from the start was the faded charm of Alexandria’s Belle Époque architecture.

During my visit to Alexandria, I decided to mostly focus on his aspect of the city.

Belle Époque architecture Alexandria — *The faded grandeur of the Belle Époque architecture of Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

alexandria old building decay — *One of the many old, highly decayed buildings in the centre of Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

A walk along the corniche

The best of Alexandria’s Belle Époque architecture can be seen by walking along the corniche, as a lot of beautiful apartment blocks dating back to this era were built along the waterfront.

Alexandria is nicknamed the “Bride of the Mediterranean” and its not that hard to get a sense of its beauty.

At the turn of the century, Alexandria underwent some sort of a revival after centuries of decline, with its port again growing in importance, and intellectuals from all over Europe and the Arab world flocking to the city.

Alexandria remained a highly cosmopolitan city until the Suez Crisis in 1956 and the rise of Arab nationalism under President Nasser, which resulted in most Europeans leaving the city, leaving behind only a small ethnic Greek community, of whom many have lived in the city since centuries.

This again caused a downturn in Alexandria’s fortunes, although it seems the city has now again reversed this trend and is experiencing a slight resurgence, partly thank to modern commerce, industry, and trade.

Still, you can’t help but feel all the past glory when you walk along the Alexandria corniche.

alexandria corniche Belle Époque — *The faded grandeur of the Belle Époque apartment blocks along the Alexandria corniche. ©Paliparan*

old apartment blocks — *Old apartment blocks. ©Paliparan*

egyptian flag alexandria corniche — *Egyptian flag flying above the corniche. ©Paliparan*

horse-drawn carriage alexandria corniche — *Horse-drawn carriage riding along the corniche. ©Paliparan*

Sights along the corniche

Along the Alexandria corniche you can find a couple of sights and landmarks that are worth a visit.

One of these sights is the Alexandria Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial.

The monument was originally built by the Italian community of Alexandria to honour Ismail the Magnificent, who reigned the country as the Khedive of Egypt between 1863 and 1879.

Together with his grandfather Muhammed Ali Pasha, Ismail the Magnificent is credited as the person who rapidly modernised Egypt.

Under President Nasser, the statue of Ismail the Magnificent was removed and the monument was repurposed to honour the Egyptian sailors and soldiers who lost their lives at sea, such as those of the ill-fated Ottoman-Egyptian expedition who were soundly defeated at the Battle of Navarino in 1827 during the Greek War of Independence.

Alexandria Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial — *Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial. ©Paliparan*

alexandria courthouse — *Alexandria Courthouse. ©Paliparan*

Beach

As you stroll along the Alexandria corniche, you’ll undoubtedly notice the sandy beach along part of its stretch.

Although the beach is a favourite spot among locals for drinking tea, having a picnic, or simply enjoying the views over the Alexandria waterfront, it’s not really used for swimming.

Indeed, as a foreign tourist, especially if you’re a woman, it’s not in line with local norms to swim at such a public city beach, and it’s advisable to respect this custom.

West of Alexandria, there is a long stretch of Mediterranean coastline full of beach resorts, so if you are after a swim in the sea, it’s a much better idea to travel to those places.

I simply decided to supress my urge to swim and continued to walk west along the corniche.

alexandria egypt beach — *Beach in Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

corniche traffic alexandria — *Traffic on the corniche. ©Paliparan*

street egypt — *One of the side streets leading away from the waterfront. ©Paliparan*

El Anfoushi Children's Hospital — *El Anfoushi Children’s Hospital, one of the many notable buildings along the corniche. ©Paliparan*

beach boat remnants — *Remnants of a boat on the beach. ©Paliparan*

Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque

A stone’s throw inland from the corniche you can find the beautiful Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, which was actually designed by a Catholic Italian architect named Mario Rossi.

The mosque is named after Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi, a 13th century Sufi mystic who is buried inside the complex.

Between 1929 and 1941, Rossi was the chief architect of Egypt’s Ministry of Awqaf, which oversees the Islamic endowments in the country.

In his position, Rossi designed a great number of mosques and other religious buildings in Egypt, primarily in Alexandria.

Besides the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, Rossi also designed the Al-Qaed Ibrahim Mosque, another Alexandria landmark.

*Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

Urban charm

The area around the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque is a fantastic place to soak up some of the urban charm of Alexandria.

Next to Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, you’ll find the smaller Sahib Al Burda Mosque.

The mosque stands alongside a rundown park, its appearance somewhat elevated by the towering palm trees.

This park – which doubles as a busy traffic square – was however a good place to spot some of the iconic trams that traverse the streets of Alexandria.

The architecture in this part of Alexandria was also quite special, with beautiful Belle Époque buildings, recently built flats, and the occasional modern structure like the Banque Misr office building, which contrasted sharply with the nearby Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque.

park alexandria — *The Sahib Al Burda Mosque stands alongside a rundown park. ©Paliparan*

rundown park — *Rundown park next to the mosque. ©Paliparan*

street alexandria — *Streets around the Sahib Al Burda Mosque. ©Paliparan*

alexandria taxi — *One of Alexandria’s emblematic black-and-yellow taxis. ©Paliparan*

alexandria tram — *Alexandria tram. ©Paliparan*

alexandria streetscape egypt tram — *Alexandria streetscape. ©Paliparan*

architecture alexandria — *Old and modern architecture in Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

old apartment block belle epoque alexandria egypt — *Beautiful old apartment block. ©Paliparan*

banque misr building — *Banque Misr building. ©Paliparan*

misr banque bank building alexandria modern architecture — *The intriguing architecture of the Misr bank building bore a resemblance to brutalism. ©Paliparan*

alexandria streetscape — *Market stalls below the Misr bank building. ©Paliparan*

Towards Qaitbay Citadel

The next sight I wanted to visit in Alexandria was the Qaitbay Citadel, so I turned back to the corniche and continued my walk along the seaboard toward this fort.

It was a highly colourful walk as I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the local life along the corniche.

I particularly enjoyed admiring the colourful wooden fishing boats scattered along the corniche and the beach, with hundreds more anchored in the bay.

It was also enjoyable to observe the makeshift cafés being set up on the beach by entrepreneurial locals.

These rudimentary cafés were essentially comprised of just a few plastic tables and chairs, where tea was prepared over small wood or coal fires right on the beach.

I even spotted one of these cafés nestled between the dolosse on the breakwater.

alexandria street — *Walking back towards the corniche. ©Paliparan*

egyptian ginger cat — *Egyptian ginger cat resting in the shadow underneath a car. ©Paliparan*

*Locals making some pictures on the beach. ©Paliparan*

seaside beach alexandria — *Locals relaxing at the seaside. ©Paliparan*

alexandria beach egypt — *Alexandria beach life. ©Paliparan*

corniche boats alexandria — *Boats on the corniche. ©Paliparan*

corniche alexandria fishing boats — *Fishing boats on the corniche. ©Paliparan*

wooden fishing boats — *Wooden fishing boats. ©Paliparan*

alexandria corniche egypt — *Walking along the corniche towards Qaitbay Citadel. ©Paliparan*

historic building alexandria belle epoque — *Historic building on the corniche. ©Paliparan*

sun sea alexandria corniche — *Locals enjoying the sun and sea on the corniche. ©Paliparan*

sea wall beach — *People sitting on the sea wall. ©Paliparan*

fishing boats anchor bay — *Fishing boats anchored in the bay. ©Paliparan*

fishing boats egypt — *Colourful fishing boats on the beach. ©Paliparan*

fishing boat sea — *Men standing around a fishing boat. ©Paliparan*

dolosse breakwater — *Informal café between some dolosse on the breakwater. ©Paliparan*

Qaitbay Citadel

The Citadel of Qaitbay, constructed in the 15th century during the reign of Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay, is one of the most interesting sights to visit in Alexandria.

Before you can enter Qaitbay Citadel, you have to buy an entrance ticket, which costs 150 EGP (€3).

Guarding one of city’s natural harbours, Qaitbay Citadel was built on the foundations of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

With its double layer of fortifications and massive stone walls, the Citadel of Qaitbay was a formidable stronghold.

However, Napoleon and his French expeditionary force managed to capture it with relative ease in 1798.

A British fleet under Horatio Nelson, tasked with intercepting the French expeditionary force at sea, missed Napoleon on two occasions.

The first time, they sailed within miles of Napoleon’s ships on the open seas but failed to spot the French naval force due to thick fog.

Nelson, who had advance warning of Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt, returned to Alexandria where he waited for 24 hours for the French to show up, before setting sail once more in search of the French expeditionary force.

Just a few hours after Nelson’s departure, the first ships of Napoleon arrived, and the French general promptly ordered his troops to disembark and attack Alexandria at night, quickly overcoming the weak local garrison.

Although Napoleon also managed to conquer Cairo, Nelson eventually caught sight of the French fleet at nearby Aboukir Bay and obliterated it during a large naval battle, effectively stranding Napoleon’s forces in Egypt and dooming his expedition.

citadel of qaitbay alexandria — *Entering the Citadel of Qaitbay. ©Paliparan*

citadel qaitbay — *Inside the citadel. ©Paliparan*

Exploring the citadel

Most of what you see of the Citadel of Qaitbay reflects its appearance during the Mamluk rule over Egypt in the 15th century.

The citadel used to feature a minaret as well, though it was blown off when British ironclads bombarded the fortress in 1882.

During this British bombardment of Alexandria, the opening salvo of the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882, the northern and western walls of the fortress, as well as fort’s main entrance on the western side, were almost completely destroyed as well.

Following the bombardment of Alexandria, the British swiftly occupied the city and subsequently took control of the entire country of Egypt within a few months, leading to 70 years of British occupation.

In the 20th century, King Farouk of Egypt ordered the construction of a new entrance to the citadel, along with the renovation of the entire structure.

When King Farouk was eventually ousted in 1952 during the Egyptian Revolution, the British occupation of Egypt effectively came to an end.

However, the last British troops didn’t leave the country until June 1956, only to return a few months later during the Suez Crisis.

Part of the reason why I’m explaining all of this Alexandria history is that you wouldn’t learn about it by actually visiting the Citadel of Qaitbay.

Officially, the Citadel of Qaitbay is home to a maritime museum, but apart from a maquette showing how the fortress used to look, there weren’t any exhibitions whatsoever.

I still enjoyed my visit of the Qaitbay Citadel though, as the fortifications are spectacular and there are some sweeping views over Alexandria from the ramparts.

maquette citadel qaitbay — *Maquette of the Citadel of Qaitbay. ©Paliparan*

arrowslit fort — *View over Alexandria through one of he arrowslits of the fort. ©Paliparan*

mirhab citadel qaitbay — *Mihrab inside the fortress mosque indicating the direction of Mecca. ©Paliparan*

qaitbay citadel — *Qaitbay Citadel. ©Paliparan*

citadel ramparts — *Walking across the ramparts of the citadel. ©Paliparan*

citadel of qaitbay fortifications alexandria — *Citadel fortifications. ©Paliparan*

stone walls citadel — *Walking between the stone walls of the citadel. ©Paliparan*

pharos alexandria qaitbay fortress — *Qaitbay Citadel was built on the foundations of the Pharos of Alexandria, the city’s ancient lighthouse. ©Paliparan*

alexandria bay — *View from the citadel over the bay and Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

Tea time

After my visit to the Citadel of Qaitbay, I turned back to the city centre of Alexandria, once again walking along the long corniche.

This time, I settled down at one of the basic tea stalls on the beach, where my tea was brewed over a woodfire pit in the sand and served in a paper cup.

It may not exactly be a luxurious experience, and there are of course many better cafés in Alexandria to have a drink, but to me, travel is all about moments like these.

street — *Walking back from the Citadel of Qaitbay to the city centre. ©Paliparan*

fishing port alexandria — *Boats in the fishing port of Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

alexandria egypt book reader corniche — *Man reading a book on the corniche wall. ©Paliparan*

tea stall beach — *Basic tea stall on the beach. ©Paliparan*

cup of tea view sea — *Cup of tea with a view. ©Paliparan*

koen alexandria — *Yours truly enjoying a cup of tea on the beach in Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

Alexandria souqs

Back in the city centre of Alexandria, I made my way inland to Ahmed Oraby Square, a large rectangular plaza nestled amidst some bustling streets.

Ahmed Oraby Square is the heart of the commercial centre of Alexandria, and in the surrounding streets you will find an open air market (souq) with hundreds of market stalls, shops, and cafés.

Although the souqs in Alexandria’s city centre are no match for Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili Bazaar when it comes down to cheer character and historic charm, it’s still a fun area to walk around.

I particularly enjoyed the informal atmosphere of the souq, especially in certain streets where it seems like there are more salesmen displaying their goods on the streets than there are actual shops within the buildings.

street market alexandria

market stalls alexandria — *Market stalls in the city centre. ©Paliparan*

alexandria souq — *Alexandria souq. ©Paliparan*

city centre square — *Ahmed Oraby Square. ©Paliparan*

alexandria shops city centre — *Shops in the city centre. ©Paliparan*

alexandria city centre — *People walking across one of the shopping streets in the city centre. ©Paliparan*

shopping alexandria — *Shopping in the city centre of Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

food market stalls — *Food market stalls. ©Paliparan*

Churches

On my way back from the city centre to my hotel, I passed by several historic churches in Alexandria, including St. Mark’s Anglican Church and the Swiss Church, a Protestant church where masses in French are held.

Located on Tahrir Square, the St Mark’s Anglican Church is actually one of the few buildings in the city centre of Alexandria that survived the British naval bombardment of 1882.

Other churches in Alexandria that are well worth to visit are the Roman Catholic Saint Catherine Cathedral, as well as the Coptic Cathedral of St. Mark’s (not to be confused with the Anglican church bearing the same name).

As is sadly necessary in Egypt due to a long history of bombings and shootings targeting Christians, expect to undergo a security screening and bag search if you want to enter one of these churches.

alexandria muhammed ali pasha statue — *Statue of Muhammed Ali Pasha on Tahrir Square. ©Paliparan*

St Mark's Anglican Church Alexandria — *St Mark’s Anglican Church. ©Paliparan*

Swiss Church Alexandria — *Swiss Church in Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

Art Deco café

Before heading back to my room at the Metropole Hotel for a little rest, I stopped by Trianon Café, which is located in the same block as the Metropole.

Trianon is an Alexandria institution, renowned for its delicious sweets and desserts, as well as for its magnificent Art Deco interior.

In the café, I enjoyed some Turkish coffee and Umm Ali (also spelled as Om Ali), a traditional Egyptian dessert whose name literally means “Ali’s mother.”

Umm Ali is a type of bread pudding, and it was absolutely delicious.

Café Trianon Alexandria — *Café Trianon is a historic café in Alexandria and well-known across the city. ©Paliparan*

cafe trianon alexandria art deco — *The Art Deco interior of Café Trianon. ©Paliparan*

*Café Trianon doubles as a patisserie. ©Paliparan*

Café Trianon Alexandria Art Deco — *The beautiful Art Deco surroundings of Café Trianon. ©Paliparan*

umm ali egypt — *I enjoyed some coffee and a dessert called Umm Ali at Café Trianon. ©Paliparan*

Alexandria sunset

Back in my hotel room, I enjoyed a fabulous sunset over Alexandria and the Mediterranean Sea while sipping a glass of Egyptian wine.

After a long day of walking and sightseeing across Alexandria, it was the perfect way to relax.

paradise inn le metropole hotel alexandra balcony view — *A chair, some wine, and a great view over Alexandria: You don’t need much more to have a pleasant afternoon! ©Paliparan*

alexandria corniche sunset egypt — *Sunset over the Alexandria corniche. ©Paliparan*

alexandria sunset — *Alexandria sunset. ©Paliparan*

Kebab

Although I had enjoyed some great food so far during my travels across Egypt, I hadn’t yet gotten the chance to eat some simple kebab – so I set off into the city centre of Alexandria in an attempt to find a kebab shop.

It was already late in the evening, but I was still surprised by how lively the street markets were.

Fortunately, I easily succeeded in my search, and for a few Egyptian pounds I bought a good quality kebab.

Although the kebab was delicious, I ended up sharing half of it with a sweet ginger cat and some kittens.

city centre street — *Heading out in the city centre to find a kebab place. ©Paliparan*

alexandria street markets — *Alexandria street markets at night. ©Paliparan*

people streets night — *Even late in the evening, there were still plenty of people roaming the streets. ©Paliparan*

kebab egypt — *Ordering some kebab at a local fast food restaurant. ©Paliparan*

alexandria kebab — *Preparing my kebab. ©Paliparan*

kebab alexandria — *Enjoying my kebab on the streets of Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

*I shared some of my kebab with these sweet ginger cats. ©Paliparan*

Last day in Alexandria

My second and last day in Alexandria also happened to be the last day of my Egypt trip.

Feeling exhausted from my travels and the intensive sightseeing during the last couple of days, I decided to take it easy and simply relax in my room and on the rooftop terrace of the Metropole Hotel.

This choice was made even easier by the fact that my flight back home was leaving in the wee hours of morning the following day, which forced me to go to bed early in order to get enough sleep.

Although it was a pity that I couldn’t visit more sights in and around Alexandria, I did end up having a fabulous last day in Egypt, enjoying some great food and drinks while reflecting on everything I had seen during my travels.

outdoor terrace paradise inn le metropole hotel alexandria — *The Sky View Restaurant on the rooftop of the Paradise Inn Le Metropole Hotel. ©Paliparan*

alexandria rooftop view — *Rooftop view over Alexandria. ©Paliparan*

meister beer alexandria egypt — *Beer with a view. ©Paliparan*

sky view restaurant metropole hotel alexandria dinner mussels — *Enjoying some mussels and a glass of white wine for dinner at the hotel restaurant. ©Paliparan*

alexandria sunset twilight — *On the last evening of my grand tour of Egypt, I enjoyed watching the sunset over Alexandria from the rooftop terrace of my hotel. ©Paliparan*

salmon pasta — *Salmon pasta with a glass of rosé wine at the rooftop restaurant. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

With my visit to Alexandria, the largest city on the Mediterranean Sea, my travels across Egypt came to an end.

The name Alexandria alone evokes all kinds of emotions, as this historic port city founded by Alexander the Great has been firmly on the travel map since Antiquity, partially thanks to famous structures such as the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria and the city’s Great Library.

Sadly, these ancient sights no longer exist, but that doesn’t mean you should forego a visit to Alexandria.

Although Alexandria has a couple of interesting sights to see such as the Citadel of Qaitbay, most of its allure lies in its crumbling Belle Époque architecture and faded grandeur, which lends a particular charm to the city.

Alexandria is also an excellent destination to get some Mediterranean Sea breeze and to indulge in some good food and drinks.

Even though Alexandria is just as chaotic as every other Egyptian metropolis, life does seem to be much more relaxed in this seaside city, making it the perfect place to start or end your Egyptian travels.