Review-Nile Blue Tours and Cruise-Feb 14-25

[WeBeGone]

Egypt Tour / Nile River Cruise – February 14-25, 2008

Pre tour -Feb 14/15th

Left home in Key West at 7AM on Valentines Day. Took the cat for boarding and drove to Ft. Lauderdale airport. Parked the car and completed a surprisingly quick check in. One piece of luggage was checked through to Cairo.

US Airways plane left Fort Lauderdale at 2:10 PM. Arrived in Philadelphia at 4:55 PM. Had to walk nearly a mile to get to the international departures gate and only had 45 minutes. Thank goodness for moving sidewalks!

Left for Rome at 6:10 PM . Sitting 4 across, I was the lucky one whose seat wouldn't recline and who had a 1 year old child kicking the back of my seat for hours. Horrible "meal" in a box that was supposed to be "pasta" but was dubious at best. 7 1/2 hours flying time to Rome.

Arrived in Rome February 15, 8:35 AM local time. Needed to find the "transient check in counter" to avoid clearing Italian immigration. They were very helpful and we got new boarding passes for EgyptAir flight. We had 6 hours to kill. Tried to nap but the airport was very cold and seats were metal hard. Paid almost $20 for a water and slice of pizza in the airport cafe.

Left Rome at 2:40 PM on EgyptAir. I sat next to a delightful woman who is the catering manager at one of Cairo's most famous floating restaurants, "Le Pachna". It is moored on the Nile next to our hotel. It has 10 restaurants from 10 different countries. We arranged to meet her the next day. EgyptAir served a wonderful hot meal.

We arrived in Cairo, February 15, 6:50 PM, Egyptian time.

 

We were met at by Hazem, an Egyptologist and the owner of Nile Blue Tours.(*****) He had obtained our Egyptian visas for $15 pp and we were quickly cleared through the airport. Luggage in hand, we were whisked into a waiting van and driven to the 5-star Cairo Marriott Hotel (www.Marriott.com/hotels/travel/caieg-Cairo-Marriott) with it's Omar Khayyam Casino. The hotel is built around an 1869 palace and it is truly wonderful with 14 restaurants, gardens, pools, and shops. It is the largest hotel in Cairo and hosts many conventions and embassy receptions. The TV had 70 channels broadcasting in English, Arabic, French, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Farsi. The hotel is like a small UN with peoples of all nations passing through the lobby. The reception clerks spoke many languages and the clocks showed all time zones around the world.. It was 8:00 before we were checked in and into our beautiful room on the 9th floor overlooking the Nile. The traffic was as congested as ever but it was magical to be back in Cairo. It's amazing how, even though there are 2 lanes painted on the road, the Egyptians manage to make 3 or 4 lanes. With one hand on the steering wheel and one hand for the horn, with no headlights except blinking bright beams to say get out of the way, with one foot on the brake and one foot on the gas, we safely endured the hair raising ride through Cairo's fender to fender traffic. SCARY. We were exhausted after 27 hours of travel. Egypt is a long way from home!

 

A fun site is http://www.virtual-egypt.com/. There you can view information/photos/virtual tours.

Day 1 Cairo (Saturday, Feb. 16)

After we slept like the dead for 11 hours, we had a great breakfast buffet in the hotel coffee shop. Breakfast was included each day of our trip and it was great not to have to search for morning coffee. The food was a wide range of choices to suit all the cultures that visit Cairo. Of course, being an Islamic country, there's no pork. Instead there's turkey bacon, beef sausage, and turkey omelet's. It was a little weird to see olives, 3 varieties of beans, spinach, soups, rice, couscous, and cold cuts on a breakfast buffet. There was cold cereal but we had been warned not to drink the milk. We tried fresh made falafel which was good until it got cold. The coffee was good and the fresh mango and orange juice was great. We had been cautioned not to drink any water except bottled water, and eat nothing that wasn't be peeled or cooked. The honey was actually a real honeycomb and you used your knife to scrape out what you wanted - kinda cool. We walked along the Nile in the sunshine and admired the many floating restaurants, each with their metal detectors at the entrances. We walked to "Le Pancha" where we met our new friend from the plane for a late lunch. We had Egyptian and Pakistani foods and enjoyed it very much. We spent the rest of the day people watching while enjoying the beer of Egypt, Sakkara. We also checked out the Omar Khayyam Casino in the hotel where we left a small donation and enjoyed watching the high rollers at the roulette tables

The rest of our group from Rome arrived around 7pm. We were a total of 9 plus 3 guides. After they checked in, we went to the "American Diner" in the hotel for a late supper. The Rome folks were loving the American food. It was after 11 when were finished but 4 of us went to the Egyptian Garden at the Marriott to try our first sheesha. Smoking sheesha is the national pastime of Egypt, very fashionable. A small amount of apple flavored tobacco is placed atop a 3 foot tall water pipe. Hot coals are then put on top of that and the apple smoke is then sucked through the water pipe. There's no inhaling, just the flavor of the smoke. It was fun and the photos are really funny.

Day 2 Cairo Sightseeing (Sunday, Feb. 17)

We began our Cairo sightseeing with an hour's drive to Sakkara to view the Step Pyramid of Djoser I, which is the oldest pyramid in the world and the prototype of all other pyramids. In preparation for the trip we had purchased and read the Eyewitness Travel book "EGYPT", and we had rented and watched every DVD we could find on Egypt. We went into the pyramid tomb of Teti, a pyramid that looks more like a pile of rocks than a pyramid. Hunched over to clear the small space, we inched down a long walkway and we were in a beautiful burial chamber with a large basalt sarcophagus. The ceiling paintings of blue with golden stars were amazing clear and a whole wall of funerary writings was remarkable. We also went inside the tomb of Mereruka with it's still intact wall paintings and it's life sized statue. The wall carvings depict such an accurate and clear view of daily life of the time. All the birds, fish, and game could easily be recognized, even after 5000 years. On our way back to Cairo we stopped for a visit at a rug school where children learn the art of rug weaving and knotting. We bought 2 small hand knotted rugs for the wall but were disturbed that instead of being in school, these children are already being paid pennies to work. Part of me wanted to scream child exploitation but on another level, they are being taught a skill from which their very livelihood will depend. We went to lunch at a restaurant in Giza and then, finally, we were at the Great Pyramids. We drove to the lookout above Giza where you get a commanding view of Cairo as it has grown right up to the base of the plateau. We all chose to ride camels back down and for $20 a person it was great fun if not a little scary, especially when the camels stand and sit. We were able to climb about 40 feet up the great pyramid but that's all the farther you're allowed to go. We walked as close to the Sphinx as we could and got great photos of his poor missing face. It's smaller than you think but still awe inspiring.

 

Four of us wanted to go the Khan al-Khalili, the bazaar in Cairo. Built in 1382, it is one of the biggest bazaars in the Middle East. The dark narrow streets were intriguing but we were there to eat, not to shop. "Naguib Mahfouz", named after the first Arabic author to win the Nobel prize in literature, is a legendary restuarant. He used to eat there often while he was alive, so that's why the restaurant changed its name to honor him. The restaurant is currently run by Oberoi Hotels. We had a wonderfully exotic meal and except for being so terribly sleepy, we enjoyed it very much.

Day 3 Luxor (Monday, Feb. 18)

We were up at 2 AM, left the hotel at 3 for a 6 AM domestic flight to Luxor. The airport was a madhouse and we were so glad to have our 3 tour guides with us, Hazem, his wife Gada, and cousin Islam. It was a short 1 hour flight. Upon arrival, our luggage was piled high on top of the waiting van and we were driven to the Valley of the Kings - final resting place of at least 68 tombs of many of Egypt's ancient rulers. We were able to go inside 3 of the Pharaohs' tombs, Seti II, Rames IV and Siptah. Hazem says that these are the 3 most beautiful tombs and he was right. It's amazing that the colors are still so vibrant after 5000 years. The tombs are started as soon as the pharaoh is crowned so the longer the pharaoh lived, the more ornate the tomb was. King Tut's tomb is there also but is not decorated at all since he died very young. All the contents of his tomb are in the Egyptian Museum although his mummy is in the tomb. There is still much excavation underway in the valley and it was incredible to be in a place I'd wanted to see my whole life.

We checked in to our Nile River cruiser, the M/S Nile Dolphin (www.NileDolphin.com). There are around 700 Nile River cruisers shuttling passengers up and down the Nile between Luxor and Aswan. It's quite a business. There are 3 levels of Nile cruise ships, 5 star, Deluxe 5 star , and 5 star Super Deluxe. The MS Nile Dolphin is a one year old, 130 passenger, 4 deck, floating hotel with beautifully appointed cabins each with a sliding glass door. There was a bar, massage, small gym and a sun deck with a small pool. After a wonderful buffet lunch, we piled into the van again and crossed to the West Bank of the Nile to see the 2 Colossi of Memnon, encased in scaffolding for restoration, and to visit the reconstructed Temple of Hatshepsut. We had watched movies about Hatshepsut and how her mummy had been discovered just last year. Being the only woman pharaoh ever, her story is as unique as is her temple.

After that, we visited the enormous Temple complex of Karnak. Among its many splendors is the Hypostyle Hall, with its 134 colossal columns 70 feet high. This temple complex is so large you could spend the whole day there. It was very crowded but Hazem managed to tell us all about the temple and it's various meanings. There was a Nilometer there and I got a great photo of my foot at the Nile. Nilometers can be found in many places along the Nile. The ancient Egyptians built them so that the depth of the Nile, it's flooding level, and the resulting crop predictions could be made. As the sun was setting, we visited the Temple of Luxor. Again, more time was needed and we were all tired so it got the short shift I'm afraid.

After an exhausting day, we returned to the ship for the 8:00 buffet dinner. At 10 there was a belly dancer and whirling dervish show in the bar lounge. We just barely managed to stay awake.

Day 4 Cruising the Nile (Tuesday, Feb. 19)

After a leisurely buffet breakfast, we enjoyed watching the scenery of Egypt flow by as we sailed up the Nile. Wherever there is irrigation, there are crops, but the desert is always ready to reclaim whatever land is not watered. Fields of mango, bananas, and sugar cane dotted the river banks. Cows and donkeys grazed along the shore and fishermen plied their nets. Tall reeds along the shore made it easy to imagine Moses in the bulrushes. As we approached Esna for our turn through the locks, our ship was suddenly surrounded by about 50 small boats. Each boat was rowed by one man with another man hawking his wears to the people on the boat. He would throw up blankets, dresses, etc and the natural instinct was to catch whatever was thrown. It was hilarious! We ended up buying 3 cotton throws for $10 each. Later on land we saw them for as little as $6 but it was worth the money just to have such an experience. Hazem calls these floating vendors "crocodiles" as they appear from nowhere. Sure enough, as soon as another ship came into view, they left us and went to harass and amuse others. We sat up on the sun deck and watched the "feluccas" with there beautiful white sails catching the wind. We could so imagine Cleopatra on her barge. Time has stood still in this part of the world and it was just wonderful to enjoy the sun and the views.

We cleared the locks at Esna and continued up the Nile. I took advantage of the on board masseuse and for $35 had an incredible hour for my tired muscles.

We docked after dinner in Edfu. All 9 or us decided to walk this little town and Hazem, Gada, and Islam came with us. They were so great. They never let us "go it alone" so we were always safe and had a translator. The vendors were out in force as usual but they were polite. I found an internet cafe and managed to dash off an email to let family know that we were fine. The keyboard was in Arabic !!! Thank goodness for spell check. The food vendors were cooking wonderful smelling things but again, we had been warned not to eat "street food" so had to decline. The vendors were so friendly wanting me to know what they were cooking. They seemed slightly offended when I declined their invitation to eat but what could I do? Didn't want to get "Pharaoh's Revenge" !

Day 5 Edfu and Kom Ombo (Wednesday, Feb. 20)

After breakfast we visited the beautifully preserved Temple of Horus, the Falcon God, in Edfu. Buried in sand for nearly 2000 years, the carvings and paintings are stunning. We also visited Kom Ombo in the afternoon before continuing on to Aswan for the night on board. Tonight the ship had "Egyptian" night. There was a large group of Italians and Germans on board and they had all purchased Egyptian garb. It was funny to see everyone dressed up. Looked like Halloween. I had come down with a cold so I skipped dinner and the party and went to bed.

Day 6 Aswan Sightseeing (Thursday, Feb. 21)

We began our Aswan sightseeing with a visit to the modern High Dam. The security was very tight. Terrorism is always on everyone's mind and we had gotten used to armed police everywhere. The Dam, built by the British from 1898 to 1902 to regulate the annual flooding of the Nile, created Lake Nasser, the largest man made lake in the world. The security is so tight because if the dam was breached, Lake Nasser's waters would wipe out Egypt in about 8 hours. Then we went to see the unfinished obelisk in the granite quarries. Had the obelisk been finished it would have been the largest in the world however a crack was discovered and the project was abandoned. Back at the ship we decided to take advantage of the horse drawn carriage rides. We thought the ride was just up and back beside the docks but it ended up being quite a ride. Islam came with us as our interpreter and we were able to go to the Thursday market where all manner of produce, animals, and goods were being sold. Live chickens and pigeons were sold and de feathered before our eyes. Fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, household goods - everything. We had brought suckers with us and nearly created a riot when we started handing them out to the children. Suddenly there were scores of kids appearing from nowhere. I got great photos. It was such a great ride that upon returning we convinced others to go and we went for a second carriage ride. Seeing how the people live and getting off the tourist tract was wonderful.

Then we took a boat ride up into the small cataracts of the Nile. On the banks of the, high on a cliff, was the mausoleum of the Aga Khan. In 1957 this spiritual leader of India's Muslims died. He was buried near where he and his wife had wintered every year. The mausoleum was built of pink limestone and modeled after a mosque in Cairo. The inside is said to be white marble and a fresh red rose is placed on his tomb every day. It was lovely and quiet on the river as we were all lost in thought. We had our eyes pealed for crocodiles but didn't see any.

We went to bed early in preparation for our early day.

Day 7 Aswan with optional Abu Simbel (Friday, Feb. 22)

Today was officially "at our leisure" but we opted for an optional excursion by van to the magnificent Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel. Rames II is considered to be the pharaoh of the Exodus story and this particular temple is one of the 4 greatest in Egypt. Normally this excursion leaves about 8 am but just two times a year, at the solstices, the rising sun illuminates the inner temple, and Feb 22 was one of those days. Being able to be there for this special event meant that we were up at midnight (although some just didn't bother going to bed), in our van, and on the road by 1 am. We joined the required caravan (for security reasons) of about 300 busses, vans, and private cars for the 3 hour ride to Abu Simbel, which is southwest of Aswan. Our driver was really fast so by passing the busses, we were among the first to arrive which gave us first dibs on the bathrooms. We then made our way in the dark to stand in the growing line as we all waited for the sun to rise.

The temple of Abu Simbel was moved about 64 meters from 1963 to 1968 when the Aswan Dam was built and Lake Nasser was created. The temple had been cut into sections are then reassembled in exactly the right place so that on Feb 22, 1969, the miracle of the sun was repeated exactly as it had for the last 4,000 years! It was just amazing to look at the 108 ft tall Rames statues. Rames had built this magnificent structure on the border of Egypt and Nubia (now Sudan) as a peace offering to the Nubians. He even took a Nubian wife, Nofretari, whose temple is nearby.

So slowly the sun rose and the temple door was opened. The line slowly snaked it's way through the temple and finally it was our turn. The inner courtyard was flooded with light showing the carvings in all their glory. The sun shone for just 24 minutes on the statues of Amon, Hamarkhis, and Rames. The fourth statue, Ptah is placed so that the sun never shines on it as Ptah is the god of darkness. How the ancient Egyptians built this astrological wonder is mind boggling. All too soon it was over, people were dancing and TV reporters were reporting. We read the next day that 7000 people had been there. We then loaded up the van for the long ride back. The road is absolutely straight and the mirages in the desert were amazing. For 3 hours there was no sign of life whatsoever and an unending landscape of sand was both boring and magical.

After arriving back to the ship, we settled our accounts and checked out. We then boarded a small boat that took us to an island in the middle of the Nile and checked into the beautiful Isis Island Resort and Spa (www.pyramisaegypt.com) in Aswan. What a gorgeous place ! I wish we could have had more time to enjoy the pool and the grounds but there were things to see. After lunch on the beautiful patio, we took a boat up river to a Nubian village, one of 800 villages that had to be moved when the dam was built. The indigenous Nubian people are black skinned as opposed to the cafe au lait Egyptian skin and they struggle to keep their identify. Even today, Nubians are not allowed to marry outside their race unless they wish to be exiled from the village. We visited a school where classrooms consisted of hard straight backed benches and a blackboard on sand floors. A teacher from the school taught us the count in Nubian and Arabic, then taught us to write our names. It was very interesting as school is mandatory from ages 6-18. We also had a chance to go inside one of the brightly colored green, blue and yellow houses. They are so picturesque on the outside but the inside is so sparse as to be barren. Sand covers the floors and the roof is a thatched reeds. No real roof is needed as it never rains - that's right, never rains! Several of us got henna tattoos for $2 and some bought hand made trinkets. We were served tea as we listened to Hazem explain about the Nubian life.

At 6:30 we went to the Sound and Light Show at the Temple of Philae. This temple was also one that was moved due to the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Boats took us to the island where the magnificent Temple of Isis stands. The show was well done and the temple itself is stunning.

Five of us then decided to go into Aswan and shop in the souq. The Aswan market was the most clean, well lit bazaar we had been to. Hazem and Gada went with us. I bought a few small things but was very tired so we headed back to the hotel. This was a very long and tiring day but to be at Abu Simbel and witness the amazing sight of the sun on the gods was an experience we'll never forget. Besides, we can sleep at home!

 

Day 8 Cairo Sightseeing (Saturday, Feb. 23)

We took an early morning domestic flight to Cairo. From the airport we drove to the citadel of Salah El Din. The citadel, founded in 1176, was built to keep out the crusaders and the Mohammed Ali mosque was fashioned after the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The views of Cairo from the terraces were spectacular although a bit shrouded in fog/smog. Hazem gave us a wonderful talk on the 5 pillars of the Islam faith to which he and his family are very devoted. Hazem and Gada were very open to answer any sort of question and I believe they are true ambassadors for their faith as well as their people. We next stopped at a papyrus museum and shop. We saw how papyrus is made and bought a painting. Then we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and the mandatory tee shirt shop. Just as on the ship and in the hotels, we had to pass through a security check to get inside the Hard Rock. Then we went to the Egyptian Museum which exhibits artifacts from all periods of Egyptian history. Most of King Tut's items are there. We also chose to go into the Royal Mummy section where the mummies of Ramses, Hatshepsut, and others are displayed. That was creepy but interesting at the same time.

Finally we checked back into the Marriott but immediately left for a Nile dinner cruise. The entertainment was great with singers and dancers. The food wasn't great but maybe that was just because we were so tired. We went out to the Egyptian Garden once again and we talked religion, world politics, and lifestyle until they kicked us out at 2 AM. We wouldn't see the Rome group in the morning and we had shared such wonderful experiences I don't think any of us wanted the night to end.

Day 9 Return Flight (Sunday, Feb 24/25th)

The official tour came to an end after breakfast on Sunday. We didn't get up until 11 and by then the Rome folks were almost home. We spent the day resting, sleeping, and just enjoying the magnificent Cairo Marriott Hotel. We had a great sushi dinner before going to bed early as we had to meet Hazem at 1AM. He and wife Gada took us to the airport and with much sadness at leaving Egypt, at saying goodbye to Hazem and Gada, we started the long trek home, back into the modern world, back to "civilization". Egypt's rich history, friendly people, beautiful land and water, and mystical aura will always bring a smile to our faces.

 

Our Alitalia flight left at 4AM. The Cairo airport is such a zoo but our flight left on time for Milan. We changed planes to US Airways but had to sit on the tarmac for 3 hours while an engine was repaired. There were only 31 people on the whole plane so everyone got a row to themselves. We stretched out and slept most of the 9 hours to Philly. The first thing we did back in the USA was eat a big salad as for 11 days we had not been able to eat any salad. What a treat!

 

We went to immigration where we discovered that our luggage was still in Italy! Took the flight to Ft. Lauderdale where we got in at 11PM, made our lost baggage claim, retrieved our car, and checked in to a hotel for some sleep.

 

Drove home on the 26th and were actually really home at 1:30PM. 37 hours of travel !!

 

Finally got our luggage on Wed afternoon although the TSA locks had been ripped off and the bags damaged. Oh well, time for new ones anyway.

 

The tour/cruise included:

10 buffet breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners or buffets

5 Night Deluxe 5-star Nile cruise

Marriott Hotel in Cairo, Isis Island Resort in Aswan with service charges, taxes & porterage

Scheduled air travel from Cairo to Luxor and from Aswan to Cairo.

Sightseeing by 16-seat air-conditioned van

All entrance tickets

Professional Egyptologist/Tour Director

Services of a Nile Blue Tours staff member in Cairo

Airport arrival & departure transfers

 

The tour excluded:

Entry visa for Egypt (handled at airport)

Meals not included above

Beverages

Tips for Guides, Drivers, etc.

Optional tours

Personal expenses

.

 

Expenses for our 10 nights:

Nile Blue Tours including Hotel and Cruise $3,266.31

Egyptian visas $30

Extra meals, beverages, laundry, massage $362

Personal spending $500

Optional Tours $440

Tips $270

Airfare r/t Ft. Lauderdale $2,195.77

Cat boarding $180

Parking $75

 

Total trip cost: $7319.08 or $3659.54 per person

Memories - Priceless

[whale-watcher]

sounds like quite an adventure...makes me wish I had more than two days in Egypt!

[cruisemom42]

Wow, great review. I was there almost exactly the same time as you and almost the same itinerary. We probably passed each other at some point!

 

I took a small group tour (7 people) with TraveLearn, and the only thing I can add is that our guide made sure that we also saw how people really live....not a very comfortable feeling when you see how little some of the people have. Agriculture is still largely small family-owned plots with little or no mechanization (only saw one, very old tractor). Houses are made primarily of mud brick (outside Cairo, that is), and the open roofs are used for livestock (goats, chickens), or set up with a kiln for brickmaking, or just extra living space. Whole stretches of the Nile look just like it would have been 2,000 years ago or more.

 

We stayed at the Shepheard Hotel in Cairo which has seen better days but was still interesting as my parents stayed there over 30 years ago on their trip to Egypt. It was also conveniently close to the museum so that I could walk back and spend another half day there at the end of the trip.

 

Through a private arrangement with Casual Cairo Detours, I was also able to drive through the City of the Dead on the last morning -- this is where the poor of Cairo have taken over some of the ancient mausoleums and now live among the dead. We saw a beautiful and very old mosque there as well as a man who blows glass in the same way as was done in Pharaonic times. Apparently you can only enter in a car because tourists are generally discouraged -- perhaps because Egyptian officials don't want you to see how these poorest residents of Cairo live. It was very safe, however, as people are very friendly here and throughout Egypt. I never felt unsafe at all.

[smeyer418]

Nice review thanks I enjoyed it. The Aswan High Dam was built by the Russians and opened in 1970 ,,,,its the Low Dam that was built by the Brits at the turn of the 1900's.

[soccerref]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write and post such an interesting and detailed review. My DH and I are doing a Nile cruise in 3 weeks time so I have printed your information so that I can study it at leisure. Your review has made us even more excited about our trip. Thank you.

[NAS-KARR]

WOW ! I'm out of breath simply reading your re-cap.

 

What a trip ! :D

[WeBeGone]

Nas-Karr, I don't think there's any "guided" trip to Egypt that isn't just exhausting! There's just so much to see in 7, 10, or 15 days. We did chat with one couple from England that were independant travelers and had allowed a month to explore Egypt. I was so jealous of their time however I'm glad that we had a guide/translator with us.

[MVPinBoynton]

WeBeGone,

I have enjoyed reading your review and marked down some tips for our upcoming adventure. Thanks so much.

[seafun]

Your excellent review reminds me of all the things I forgot to put in mine! But thank you for the nice succint review --I wish I knew how to do that. :)

[Smiles3usa]

What a wonderful review! Thanks for sharing!