Photo Friday: Horse Riding at Abusir Pyramids

Horse riding in the desert beyond the Pyramids in Giza is wicked fun. Although the area immediately outside the Pyramids enclosure can get pretty crowded, especially towards sunset, you can escape the crowds by heading deeper into the desert. The chaos of Cairo left far behind, nothing but a smoky memory, it’s pretty mindblowing when you realise the inhospitable – though starkly beautiful – landscape you are riding through is what most of Egypt is really like.

Loads of stables near the Sphinx offer horse (and camel) rides, but standards vary greatly. FB stables (disclosure, they are owned by friends of mine) are one of the better ones, professionally run and with well looked after horses.

This photo was taken on a ride my mum and I did from the Pyramids of Giza to the Pyramids of Abusir. The handsome, broody looking Egyptian guy is Karim, who co-owns the stables. The gorgeous woman in the comedy sun hat is my mother. The piles of rock in the background are the ruins of Abusir. You can’t see me: I’m out of shot, probably doing a handstand or something on my horse (or maybe taking the photo).