Going Places With People: Meet Indranil Roy, A Cyclist Who Rode Across Egypt In A Month

Indranil Roy is an avid slow traveller. Cycling, according to him, allows for a deeper connection with the places he visits, allowing him to immerse himself in the local culture and explore hidden gems that are often overlooked by conventional tourists. On a recent trip to Egypt, Roy — and his trusty bicycle — traversed the desert landscapes, explored ancient ruins, and met fascinating people along the way. In a conversation with Travel + Leisure India & South Asia, the traveller recounts his adventures, encounters, hurdles, and more. 

Excerpts from the interview with Indranil Roy:

T+L India: What inspired you to start your cycling journey in Egypt?

Indranil Roy: Interestingly Egypt happened to me by chance. Initially, I was planning to go to Turkey in winter,  but few cautioned me about snowfall. Snice it was December and January, I decided Egypt would be a wise option. Earlier, I planned to cover the length of Egypt in 20 to 25 days, post which I intended on going to Jordan and riding a good few hundred kilometres. But I stuck to Egypt, and it was a wise choice! 

T+L India: What was your cycling route and how did you narrow it down on the same? 

Indranil Roy: My goal was to ride the entire length of the country from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sahara Desert. I mapped my route following the Nile River.

I started from the Mediterranean sea in Alexandria, where I spent some beautiful days, post which I continued my cycling expedition through Tanta, Cairo, Saqqarah, Beni Suef, Asyut, Sohag, Naga Hammadi, Qena, Luxor, Edfu, Aswan, and Abu Simbel.

T+L India: You spent over a month slow travelling in Egypt. What did a typical day look like for you?

Indranil Roy: Honestly, it’s been many years since I have been travelling, and over time the style has completely changed. I do things as if I am in my own home and city — from making breakfast to looking at emails, making reports and getting into conference calls.

Having said that there’s a lot of sightseeing involved. I do not like to rush. I have seen many people covering Cairo in two days, whereas I spent one whole day only seeing the pyramids and then getting back home — often to a couch surfing host — to spend the rest of the day with fellow travellers.

On days I was cycling, my day generally started very early in the morning. I would ride a distance anywhere between 70 to 120 kilometres. Sometimes that could take an entire day due to dilapidated village mud roads and trails between the fields along the vast Nile valley.

T+L India: Your favourite memory of travelling in Egypt?

Indranil Roy: Egypt is a part of the Sahara desert — that thought itself sends shivers down my spine. The fact that I completed the journey without any hindrance still feels quite unbelievable to me! 

But it would be injustice to choose only one. [One special evening was the] wonderful Christmas party at my couchsurfing host’s place in Egypt where I cooked up a storm in the kitchen and presented delicious Indian delicacies for more than 30 guests! In Alexandria, a met a female dentist who took a day off from work just to take me around the city.

T+L India: What were the challenges you faced when cycling in Egypt? 

Indranil Roy: Dealing with the Egyptian police! Egypt, as beautiful and welcoming as it is, has some unsaid and annoying restrictions for cyclists. The Egyptian police does not let you go around the country on your own and will constantly tail you. They posed several hurdles during the course of my journey. But, I was resilient and successfully managed to ride from Alexandria to the end of the country via the great Sahara Desert — part of which lies in upper Egypt. 

In a place called Edfu, the police instructed the hotel manager to not let me out in the morning before the police arrives. When I tried getting out of the building, the night manager got aggressive and pushed me. While I managed to gather myself, he banged the door on my face. My left hand, too, got caught between the frames but he didn’t budge. The incident left me with bleeding fingers, one of which had broken. For the next 200 kilometres, I could hardly use my left hand for brakes. 

T+L India: Which was your favorite place in Egypt and why?

Indranil Roy: Alexandria has great vibes. It’s by the Mediterranean sea and offers great food, nightlife, and some of the warmest people I have met. 

My second pick is the Temple of Dendera, near Qena in Upper Egypt. Egypt is known for the great pyramids of Giza but this temple deserve greater mention. The temple is preserved well. It is an astounding architectural and artistic marvel. 

T+L India: What has been the biggest takeaway from your slow travels in Egypt?

Indranil Roy: This is the first time I stayed in a foreign country for such a long time. My takeaway is to never rush. Take one day at a time and be open to the diverse experiences the journey has to offer. Leave your comfort zone, embrace people and things around you, and you’ll derive the greatest joy.

T+L India: What were some interesting dishes you tried during your time there?

Indranil Roy: Before landing in Egypt, I did not know much about the food in the country. Later, however, I fell in love with the many options it has to offer! Kebda, for instance, are light sandwiches made of grilled beef liver, raw onion, and a generous squeeze of lemon. The breakfast platter consists of Ful (boiled kidney beans with spices), falafel, a variety of Egyptian cheese, Aish (Egyptian bread), Tahini, and eggplant in salsa sauce. Interestingly breakfast all over Egypt is predominantly vegetarian! There are food joints that only serve a day-long menu of the above-mentioned dishes. Om Ali is a delicious dessert made with flat pasta, coconut, cream, milk, and dried fruits. There is even Asa Lisui (black molasses mixed with Tahini) with Feteer meshaltet (layered bread, similar to laccha paratha). 

T+L India: With #GoingPlacesWithPeople, we believe that people make the places. Were there any interesting interactions you had with the locals during your travels?

Indranil Roy: Egypt has restrictions on cyclists’ movements around the country. While I was travelling through upper Egypt, I was whisked off the streets for a stretch of 200 kilometres by the police. They transported me to Sohag under strict police escort. Upon arriving, I had a chance meeting with a mother-daughter duo who apologised for the police’s behavior. They made me feel at home instantly. They further invited me to their home which I happily accepted. The following day, I visited for dinner. This was a very humbling experience for me. I will never forget their hospitality and kindness towards a complete stranger. 

Another time, while I was moving towards Luxor and traversing through the small villages by the majestic Nile river, I was stopped by two young men in an auto rickshaw. They aggressively asked me to come with them for boat rides over the Nile. Situations like these can be very confusing, especially due to the language barrier. I got very suspicious about their intentions. But after a while, I found myself at their cousin’s riverside café where almost the entire village had joined to greet me! I quite enjoyed the boat ride with the duo, too. We chatted for a long time using Google Translate.

T+L India: What are your must-haves while cycling? 

Indranil Roy: During long-distance cycling, my must-haves are a sleeping bag, a mattress, spare anti-puncture tubes, enough water, and locally-sourced high-carbohydrate dry food. There’s also my GoPro and a Fujifilm still camera. For my next journey, I’ll also be getting a rearview mirror. 

T+L India: As a solo traveller, it can get mentally, physically, and emotionally tiring. How do you cope with these low days?

Indranil Roy: There are certainly many such days where I feel exhausted emotionally — if not physically. During my low times, I have always found somebody or the other to cheer me up unintentionally. Even the smallest of gestures can bring a huge smile to a traveller’s face.

T+L India: What’s the next destination on your list?

Indranil Roy: My immediate next destination is Europe where I am planning to ride through six countries addressing mental health awareness, especially of the LGBTQIA+ community around the world.

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