Simon Roberts travelled to Egypt to photograph a story about a country in flux for the June Issue of Travel + Leisure. The trip took him to one of the oldest civilisations on earth. His images that accompany the feature are dense with things humans have built there: pyramids, mosques, burial chambers; a luxury cruise ship passing villages; a sneak peak inside the forthcoming Grand Egyptian Museum, still under construction in Giza.

INTERVIEW WITH TRAVEL + LEISURE

T+L: Had you ever been to Egypt before? What was your overall impression of the place and the subject matter?

Simon Roberts: “It was my first visit, and I was apprehensive about traveling to one of the most photographed places in the world! However, the experience was quite profound and did not disappoint. In fact, it’s hard to describe the experience of witnessing, first hand, some of civilisation’s earliest achievements.”

What was it like shooting from a hot air balloon? Any particular distractions or unique opportunities? 

“I’d photographed from a hot air balloon before — but never one that contained an additional 35 people! The biggest challenge was getting into a position where I could photograph in the direction facing the Valley of the Kings as the sun came up behind me, which required some skilled flying by the balloon pilot and careful diplomacy with my fellow passengers so as not to spoil their experience.

Initially, when I was taking the photographs, I was frustrated that the view was obscured by other hot-air balloons – but in the end, I like how the balloons appear suspended in the sky and also give a sense of scale to the scene.”