Into every vacation must fall a little Tourist Stuff, and the Sound and LIght shows at some of the major sites definitely fits the bill. The Pyramids at Giza, The Temple at Karnak, The Temple of Isis at Philae, and Abu Simbel all have a sound and light show every evening (some better than others, of course.)
I shouldn’t complain much — despite the sometimes cheesy narration, the sound and light shows offer a spectacularly spot-lit tour of the ruins, and a short and pthy history lesson. Karnak is awe-inspiring at night, lit with carefully placed spotlights and flood lights. Walking through the Temple at Phliae at night is an experience not to be missed.
Probably the cheesiest of the bunch is the original — the Giza pyramids. The laser show is interesting and shows some of the interior structure of the pyramid, and the dramatic lighting of the Sphinx and the temple are pretty…but the show is a textbook example of “ham”. It was fun, though. The best of the Sound and Light shows is (in my opinion, at least) at Abu Simbel and well worth the overnight trip to be able to see the show and then trek back to the temple for sunrise. The quality of the laser show and projected images is much better here than any place else.
They can be a bit expensive for people on a budget, with the ticket fee and transportation to the site, but it’s worth seeing one or two of them — if only for the beautiful view of the ruins at night. The narration is presented in a number of different languages (sometimes a single one per show, other shows have complex radio headsets to allow you to choose the language). Try listening in Arabic, if you just want to see the show and not listen to the story. For those of us who dont’ speak Arabic, it adds an almost musical soundtrack to the show.