Traveler50

Thanks for the nice comments on the video.

 

If you have trouble walking you might want to try catching the Hop on, Hop off bus across the street from the port. The stop is in front of the Musee de la Civilization (see the picture below)! Enjoy your visit to this beautiful city. You will be able to see all of the sights from the bus. Make sure you get a seat on the top level if available.

Can you buy the tickets on the bus or do you have to buy them at the ticket office?

A two hour show "The Lost Pyramid" about a fourth pyramid at Giza, is being shown again today. Very interesting.

 

On the History Channel, if you get it, today at 1pm Pacific and 4pm Pacific, or as they say, check your local listings.

 

I've already recorded it and watched most of it twice. :D

We saw that too and it was very interesting....enjoyed the "you tube" link to the pyramid clips too.

We are "outta here" in the morning to fly to London and then transfer to Southampton for the 12 day British Isles tour on Grand Princess...hope it's cooler there!...~Kay

Just so you know how similarly "great minds" work...

That's right...."great minds" indeed!

 

By the way, nice ones Traveler50. :D

 

I just found this today and had to share it with you...

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/VideoGallery?nl=MU&ff=17020347&geo=294205

 

A picture is worth a thousand words... :rolleyes:

Thanks for the link....that was great and gave me some good ideas...in fact I started to use that same music for my slideshow but it just didn't fit the mood of my show....but it was perfect for what they did!

We are in countdown mode for our British Isles cruise which is July 1 -12 out of Southampton, England. I am going back and forth between cultures since I am still soaking in the Egypt memories!

Maybe I should start a thread of foolish travel photos -- for those brave enough to post them. ;)

 

Anyone else need a laugh?? :p

 

Your pictures did make me laugh so I decided to post one too.

A boy about 10 years old posed me for these photos at Giza and of course he wanted a tip! I had no idea how the pictures were going to turn out but I look pretty goofy! He is in one of the pictures waving.

Has anyone else read this news item today?

 

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-science/20080605/Egypt.Missing.Pyramid/

 

Newly discovered remnants of a pyramid at Sakkara -- as if there wasn't enough to explore there already! :D

 

I swear, Zawi Hawass must have 100 new tombs and treasures up his sleeve, which he unveils one at a time, to keep us going back to Egypt again and again! :rolleyes:

Yes, I heard about this but had not seen this particular article. I love to watch Zahi Hawass on TV because he is so passionate about discovering new things. I think you are right that he loves to unveil things one at a time and make it mysterious to keep everyone interested in going back to Egypt. I wonder how far this is from the Step Pyramid in Sakkara?

You might also check with GCT - Grand Circle Tours, since they do a similarly priced trip to Egypt, and their cruise ships seem to be nicer from what I've heard.

I would put in a plug for GCT because I just got back from a trip to Egypt with them. The hotel in Cairo for 5 nights (also one night at the end of the trip) is a very, very nice Marriott that was a former palace and it was a wonderful place to stay. The price from JFK was a little more (but not much) but I think more is included in the base price with GCT and it is for 15 days and does incude all flights. They do not do the Red Sea part of the trip but do offer a day trip to Alexandria on the train from Cairo (that one is optional and was $110). Abu Simbel was a little cheaper with GCT but that one is well worth it I think. We went 4/12 - 4/26 and Cairo was pleasant but it was pretty hot the day we were in the Valley of the Kings. They said it was unseasonablly hot that day but I think late March or earlier in April might be a better choice as far as being comfortable. The price is a little higher in Jan., Feb, March for that reason AND less expensive in the summer months.

I thought April would be a nice in between choice. Also, I was very pleased with the GCT ship even on the main floor...the price goes up about $200 for each deck higher. The rooms are all the same size on each deck and I liked the main deck because you only have to go down one flight of stairs to the dining area. If you want to go back to your room after breakfast before a tour it is very convenient. Our cabin was towards the front of the main deck so I don't know if that made a difference or not. I didn't hear anyone complaining about their rooms and the food was wonderful. This was my 4th trip with GCT and I have always been pleased with them.

Also you can do a pre-extension trip to Israel and a post-extension to Jordan for only $795 and that includes the flight.

Oh, and I can get you a $100 discount if you give my name and this is your first trip! Otherwise I have no connection to them except just being pleased with the mission of their tour company...and that is to provide a reasonably priced trip that is also a learning experience for the traveler.

I agree with seafun....not matter which company you choose...I would definitely urge you to go!....~K

We booked all of the optional excursions (except for the hot air balloon) and did not regret it. I started not to book Spritual Cairo and it ended up being good so I was glad I didn't miss it. I think if I had it to do over I would do the hot air balloon because the people on our tour that did that said it was a wonderful experience. BUT I heard of other tours where they had bad landings and people got broken arms....that's when I backed out!

Some people in our group didn't book any optional tours and they were also happy with the trip because a lot of tours ARE included in the basic price. If I had to leave one optional tour out it would have been to the Temple of Dendera. I am glad I did it and I enjoyed it but by the time we got there we had already seen several temples and still had a few more to go. BUT it was different than the others and is in better condition. It still has a roof over it and some of the others don't. We even walked up to the top. Also it has vivid hieroglyphics and Cleopatra on the back wall...and that was interesting.

I think GCT does a great job at a reasonable price and if you give them my name you can get a discount if it is your first trip with them!

Sorry, but I did not find the "magic answer"... that almost everyone is seeking

This may not be the "magic answer" you are looking for but one suggestion!

If you book your trip to Egypt with GCT (Grand Circle Tours) they offer an extension to Petra & Amman, Jordan which is 6 days and I think it is $795. That also includes your flight there, accommodations, meals, and most tours.

If you need more information just let me know!

I asked on another blog, what extras should we pack. People on that blog had said that they were glad they brought toilet paper, snacks, and some prescription meds such as anitbiotics. I inquired about misquito spray, and whether we needed sweaters or would a long sleeve shirt be enough in September. Also, how crowded was the Egyptair flight? Do they alllow you to take the empty seats to sleep on? What about tips for the guides?

Was the trip to Alexandria worth the cost? Did you go to the bazar in Cairo? How safe did you feel? Where were the rooms for the GCT people in the Marriott?

Hi, I just now saw this post. For sure take some toilet tissue and expect to pay everytime you use facilities anywhere! We upgraded on Egypt Air to business class and so we were elgible for the First Class area in Cairo and guess what?....they even charged there...that was sort of a surprise. Business class on Egypt Air is about like coach on some airlines so I don't think it was worth the extra money. We had terrible service on the way over and some of the seats were broken so not much extra room. The plane on the way back was in better condition and the attendants were much better also....so it was more pleasant for that flight but it was not worth $1600 extra over coach. The EgyptAir flights were full.

We didn't really ever see any mosquitos but there were some tiny flies or gnats at some of the temples that were annoying so the spray might have helped for that...they didn't really bite me but some people said they did get bites. I would for sure take a long sleeve shirt or light sweater. It was cooler in Cairo and Alexandria and for the early moring flights it is a little cooler then. Layering is the way to go on those mornings. It was 112 degrees when we visited the Valley of the Kings and they said that was unseasonably warm. The final day when we got back to Cairo to spend one night it was unseasonably cool I think and it was very nice to return to that. Of course on the ship it is very comfortable and each cabin has it's on temperature control.

We loved staying at the Marriott and the rooms were scattered for the GCT groups. The first 5 nights we were in the Z Tower (overlooking some gardens) and on the return one night stay we were in the G Tower (overlooking a parking lot!). Some people were in the garden rooms both times. All the rooms were very nice with an individual balcony. The public rooms are beautifully decorated and there is an outdoor restaurant that is very pleasant

We were glad we took the excursion to Alexandria because we had not been there and it is a prettier and cleaner than Cairo. If you are with GCT you ride the train there and then you take the bus back so it is a long day but we enjoyed it.

We felt very safe while we were there. Most of the time we had an armed guard on our bus and they have tourist police everywhere sometimes they even escort the buses. They are very protective of their tourist. The Egyptian people are very friendly even though the vendors are relentless and can be annoying at times trying to get you to bargain with them...but sometimes they are fun too....and you can get some good deals!

And yes I always take some snacks when I go on a trip because it's handly to have something to munch on when you are so tired after your flight. You don't really need munchies if you take a Nile Cruise because there are 3 meals a day and you never get a chance to get hungry!

Hi, I just returned from the very same trip with GCT so if you have any questions please feel free to ask! I made some comments about the trip yesterday on the posting titled "River Cruise Review....Long". It was a great trip and this was my 4th GCT trip and I have always been pleased with their tours. This one has several very early morning flights to catch so it is a little more grueling but at least there is time on the ship to rest some and take afternoon naps if you'll take advantage of it. Also February should be cooler. We had one day at the Valley of the Kings that the temperature was 112 degrees....they said it was unseasonably warm. We picked April thinking that it would be mild and it was nice when we were in Cairo & Alexandria but warmer on the Nile Cruise. Again, feel free to ask any questions about the trip or ship!

Seafun,

Thank you for the info. I incorrectly assumed that the ships would be 110. I am glad that Traveler50 asked the question. We always take multiple adapters and an extension cord. It sounds from your description, that I will be able to use the Great Britain adapters I previously used. I will check it out this weekend.

What tour company is your upcoming Egypt trip with? We will be going with Grand Circle on 4/12 - 4/26.

Thanks to all for the information about the outlets!

I'm glad you found my adventures of interest! Now that it's done, I feel like a weight (say, about the size of a pyramid stone?) has been removed from me! :D

 

 

Thanks so much for your wonderful review!

We will be on a 15 day tour of Egypt with GCT beginning April 12. The first five days will be at the Marriott in Cairo and then we'll fly to Aswan for a 7-day cruise. I have a question about what type of outlets were on your ship for recharging camera batteries, etc. and also in your hotel in Cairo?

Since the balloon ride was such a big, anticipated event, I think it’s an appropriate place to end this chapter – (especially since I’ve written it twice from scratch, since the computer ate the first attempt).

You really had me going there and it seemed so real that I thought you actually went on the ballon ride!

All very interesting because I am really anticipating the hot air balloon ride on our tour in April. It is offered by GCT but it's closer to $155 to do it through them. My husband has done a hot air ballon before so he isn't as interested in the optional tour. Since we read about terrible accidents recently even in the USA...he is discouraging me from doing it also. BUT I guess I am willing to take the risk...even though this makes me think a little more about it. I guess I'll just have to wait until we get there and see how I feel then.

Thanks for sharing your experience about this particular activity....since that was the next question I was going to ask you!

Also, you can pay in U.S. dollars almost everywhere, so I never panicked when I was running low on Egyptian pounds.

Thanks for the information. It's amazing that you can use USD all over the world. Even in the remote villages of Peru they are happy to get dollars. My husband likes to give take $2 bills on trips and they really loved those in Peru because they think they are good luck! I found that the $2 bills have negotiating power sometimes too.

I agree that you should have a talent for writing and should consider writing a book!

I hope you're happy! :rolleyes: I have slaved away over a hot keyboard for hours and hours -- just so you'll have something fresh to read!

 

I'm sure glad you're enjoying it. :)

 

 

My husband and I will be traveling to Egypt with GCT on April 12 for 15 days. Six days in Cairo and a 7-day Nile cruise. Your review has given me so much information for the trip so I really appreciate that you took the time to share your experiences.

 

I do have one question about the currency exchange. Did you wait until you got there or did you exchange before you left the USA? You may have already addressed this...I'll go back and read the whole reveiw again if you did.

 

If you think of anything else to help us prepare for the trip please keep posting....Thanks!