Recommendations needed for trip to Egypt

[cruiserchuck]

We are planning a trip to Egypt, including a Nile cruise. We have looked at many companies, including Grand Circle, Overseas Adventure, Uniworld, Amadeus, Globus, Insight, and Trafalgar. We would appreciate advice as to which company people think is the best. We are most interested in the quality of the tour guides and the food. We noticed that some companies advertise that the tours are lead by Egyptologists, while others do not. Does anybody know if this makes a big difference?

[harrodsfan]

WE just came back from an A & K tour to Egypt...An Egyptologist is some who studies and has to pass a test of Egyptology. Highly recomment you pick a tour with an Egyptologist.That being said..suggest you do your own homework...it really helps..

Some hints for picking a tour....

Check out the details...we had a 1:30 AM wake up call for a 3:30 am flight to Abu Simbal from cAiro. Also a 6:30 am flight to Cairo from Luxor.

We only had one day in Luxor which resulted in a very very long and tiring day. suggest two days in Luxor...one for Valley of Kings etc. and one for Karnak and Temple of luxor.

The smaller the group the better....many many tourists everywhere and it is hard to hear some places..

Highlights...the Pyramids...and cairo Museum, Citidal....

Aswam..Temple of Philae...Feluca Ride.

Edfu....esna...

Luxor...Valley of the Kings (Highlight for me...)and Temple of Karnak.

Egypt is very interesting...plan on spending two weeks...Unless you are just going to cAiro...

[Joyfredsblondecruiser]

Harrodsfan: Thank you for sharing your information with all of us. I always enjoy reading what you have to say. I am also a fan of Harrods! I enjoyed your review of all of the places to have High Tea in London. Happy Sailing, Joy

[harrodsfan]

Wow...thanks for your thanks again...I do love tea in London...:)

How gracious your comments are...

Happy traveling...

[Joyfredsblondecruiser]

Harrodsfan: I would appreciate knowing if you went to any of the Hotels for High Tea in Egypt? Thank you in advance. Happy Sailing, Joy

[manitoba girl]

My friend and her Dh are going on the Nile river cruise in late March. She has never been on a cruise before and I can't be of much help ( I have only been on the major cruiselines like RCCL and Carnival)

She has a few questions that maybe you can help with.

Is there any formal nights?

Is the water drinkable or is it all bottled?

Will she need an adaptor for her blowdrier and curling iron?

What is the dress code( I know from being in Iraq for desert storm that there is certain things that women are and aren't aloud to wear) what should she be covering up, besides the obvious.

Is there a pool on the ship?

Is there a spa to get her hair done?

Any other information that you could give I will pass on to her

Thanks in advance

Karen

[normarn]

we are goin on 15 day egypt with 7 day nile cruise. wondering what dress code for dinner is on ramses king of the nile. appreciate any help.

[MVPinBoynton]

We did an Amadeus Nile River cruise last year. You can check out our review with lots of photos on our website www.thepreismans.com. With Amadeus leaving the Egypt market last year, that is one less cruise line to consider. Egypt is an awesome experience and the best way to see it it on a Nile River cruise. I wasn't particularly thrilled with our ship, but it was nicer than a lot of them we saw. Hopefully you can get some good recommendations. If you go to the Egypt board, you will get a lot more info that is tailored to what you are looking for.

[paul929207]

We took Grand Circles trip to Egypt 3 years ago and loved it.

 

As to an Egyptologist, it gives you a comfort level that the guide has completed training.

[ldimmock]

We have just come back from a nile cruise on Oberoi's Zahra. One work sums it up - Superb.

 

It was a 7 day cruise, tours were limited to groups of 6 people maximum with an experienced guide. The pace was excellent, not too many visits during the day, time to enjoy the weather and extra time if we wanted to linger at a site.

 

Crew were extremely attentive, nothing was too much trouble and any extra required was delivered immediately.

 

The ship was light and airy with large windows.

 

I have been recommending this cruise to everyone since I returned and would love to do it again as there was so much to see and take in!

[newlondon]

Having been to Egypt with Bob Brier (a well known egyptologist and lecturer) I can't imagine going without one. Many people feel that seeing the sights below Aswan is best done on a land tour. The cruise on Lake Nasser on the Princess Eugenie--you approach Abu Simbel from the water--is not to be missed.

[new salt]

We have been back for a month now and other pressures have stopped me reporting to date. We used a British company Egypt-uncovered whose agents on the ground were Lady Egypt. We took a tailor made tour and had dedicated Egyptologists and drivers throughout for just the two of us -marvelous. Everything worked like clockwork. I will make a fuller report idc but our itinerary was

Arrival 2 nights Oberoi Mena House hotel excellent all round.

Visit to Sakarra stepped pyramid, high priest's tomb and then to the pyramids.

Evening light show at the Pyramids - good fun with lovely cheesey commentary.

Egyptian museum - a must but seriously underfunded - new museum being built near the pyramids and due to open in 2011 (cue flying pigs)

 

Visit to Coptic Cairo but cried off the Khan al Khali market visit on the grounds that we hate crowds and can get all the chinese rubbish we need here in Spain. A good call because the 'Nutters for Allah' brigade blew up a tourist party about the time we would have been there, murdering a French lass and a guide and injuring a good many more.

 

Flew to Luxor, all the sites, hot air balloon ride, Karnak light show, Luxor temple - all absolutely fantastic. Nile cruise on MS Tuya, followed by Lake Nasser cruise on Eugenie- superb. Then to Sharm el Sheikh for a week R & R on the Red Sea. Matters are settling down so I will get my report done shortly but for now, I believe that if you can afford to go to Egypt and have the faintest interest in its history (or mankind's for that matter) and do not go then it is something you will end up regreting when it is too late. i don't care how many books you have read, how many films you have seen, nothing prepares you for the sheer scale and magnificance of the land.

 

Please go, it is simply too magnificent for words (or pictures) to convey.