Part One
This past April we enjoyed the great experience of a 10 day tour of Egypt and my trip report follows.
Air Travel – we flew Egypt direct from JFK to Kennedy. We arrived at JFK 3 hours prior to departure and Egypt Air was just opening up. Check in was fast and smooth. The extra time waiting in the lounge area was worth the easy check in. It appears that Egypt Air is not as diligent about bag restrictions n that I saw some of the largest luggage and most # of pieces of luggage per person than I have ever seen in any check in line.
At the gate I asked about an upgrade out of curiosity and learned that it would be $500. We decided that for the night flight over it would be worth the cost. In retrospect I am not sure that it was worth it. Yes, the seats are bigger and yes they do have leg rests. But Egypt Air’s planes reminded me of TWA 747 service to Europe in the early 1980’s. This is not Lufthansa long haul business class. The seats were dirty, I wiped mine down with a sanitary wipe but the dark dirt spots would not come off the leather. The meal was Ok, not great and the video was one of those in arm pull out things that came into service over 10 years ago.
Arrival in Cairo was surprisingly simple. You must get a visa, so be sure to go to one of the kiosks that look like small banks and get yours before getting into the line with your passport. We had US dollars ready and it took only a few minutes. Our Guide met us and we got ou luggage.
Luggage handling was our first opportunity to encounter the culture if tipping (Baksheesh). I had brought $100 single dollar bills with me and they came in handy all the time. One dollar per bag was the norm, those who gave less saw their bags dropped or put on the bottom of the cart.
Cairo – we stayed at the Safir Hotel Dokki which actually exceeded my expectations for a tour group hotel. It was rated as 5 stars, I was expecting 2 and would say we got 3.5, maybe even 4 by US standards. The room was large comfortable and very clean. In fact the interior of the hotel was the cleanest thing we saw in Cairo. Having no rain for over six years has left the city very dirty. The leaves on the trees are covered in a thick layer of dirt. I saw video of the city cleaning up the route on which President Obama was to travel recently and though “no kidding”. The sad part is that the city seems to have given up trying to look clean and pretty. It is filled with history and well everything is covered in dirt. The culture perhaps. We ate both in the hotel and around in the neighborhood. No real disappointments. The hotel breakfast buffet is huge and a great way to start the day….. anyone staying there – be sure to go around the corner to the hot food line …. It’s sort of hidden.
The Egyptian Museum – It’s just like you see it on TV, dark, kind of hap hazard and as such full of charm …. Not to mention the most incredible treasures of the ancient Egyptian world. This is a must do and allow yourself at least a couple of hours. Post cards here and at most tourist sites aren’t very good quality. You can not take your camera inside, so leave it on your bus. But, if your guide allows take the camera into the courtyard for some photos at the end.
Giza – as I had read, the city truly encroaches to the very edge of the plateau at Giza, it’s sad, I some ways, but also speaks to the incredible growth and population of Cairo. The Egyptians have established vantage points from which you can take photos that are the perfect Kodak Spot like quality. Camel rides are here at Giza and it is a fraught with corruption and begging for tips. If you are with a guide rely on their guidance. Give no more. Shun the attempts to sell you things at high prices!!! This is not easy. Be firm. I actually had a Tourist Police guard ask me for a tip because he “allowed” me to take a picture that did not include the chain around the base of the pyramid. I gave him 1 USD and said the picture was worth 5. So I too the 1 out from his hand and said ”I guess you don’t want my money” He then took it smiled and waived good bye when we left later on.
Memphis – So OK, I had this vision of a lush beautiful village and well, I don’t know happy Egyptians???? It was far from it. The step Pyramid is worth seeing but the village could have been on the US Mexican border – not in a positive way either. From the Step Pyramid you can see the Red and Bent Pyramids in the distance at Dashur. So, if your tour does not include Dashur, you can see them from the distance.
Sakkara – much like Memphis, the area was a disappointment and the statuses, to include the marble sphinx felt like they were in someone’s back yard. But they are there and should be seen on your trip!
Word of advice – I wish I brought a small pair of binoculars….
Khan el Khalli Bazaar – OK this is a major tourist trap, but you sort of have to do it ….. if your tour includes and armed guard, stay close to him and ask him to show you the way to walk around away from the main bazaar. The mosque and minarets are grand and be sure that your guide points out the cemeteries.
Nile Cruise – We flew to Luxor and our boat was the M/S Tulip – she is advertised as 5 star but as with most all ships I saw on the Nile, the glory days have passed. She is a bit faded. She is clean, the staff is excellent and the food was pretty good. I have no issues with the boat. The wood paneled hallways were really nice. We did get a roomy upper deck stateroom which allowed for better views of the Nile. Egypt is a Muslim country and getting an alcoholic drink other than beer on the boat was a challenge. For example, the menu had Bloody Mary’s listed. Four attempts. And the first three waiters did not know what it was and the fourth said they had no tomato juice.
Word of advice – plan a visit to duty free in JFK and stock up on what drinks you might want for the trip. Egypt air is accommodating if you would like to make your own in flight drink and they allowed us to pack bags with bottles in the cargo hold and n the carry on (don’t think about it to much)
April was a good month to travel – cool evenings and hot but bearable days.
Part 2 tomorrow
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Egypt 10 day Trip Report - Cairo, the Nile, Luxor and Aswan via Egypt Air
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I would love to join this forum. Nice to meet you here
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Correction – we were on the m/S Jasmin – a last minute switch (no harm done, both boats are about the same)
Our tour included a guide, an Egyptologist and whenever we were in public or on a bus and armed guard. I assume this is somewhat standard. Be sure to book a tour that includes an Egyptologist!
The trip down the Nile was exactly what I expected and I was not at all disappointed. There are a large number of similar boats on the Nile and at point of docking it was not uncommon to pass through the lobby of boats that were parked side by side. Alert staff watched us as we passed through boats but it certainly is a good reminder to keep your cabin door shut and locked.
Evening entertainment was provide on the boat each night. It was always somewhat basic and fairly short, and as such made for an after dinner amusement. (and a good time to bring out the duty free). The galabea (sort of traditional Egyptian tunics) party was fun and the bartering process with the vendors that come along in row boats to sell galabeaswhile at the Esna Locks was actually fun as well.
Luxor – Be sure to stop and see both the temple of Karnak and Luxor – Once you leave Cairo, you leave the pyramids and are now going to see only temples. These are both very manageable and provide insight into the culture of the Pharos. Our guide used this as the starting point for what became a mind boggling lesson in Egyptian history. While in Cairo he focused more on the Architecture of the temples and faith, we now began to learn of the lneage of the Pharos
Hint: Try to learn a little about the lineage of the Pharos and Egyptian history before you go to Egypt. It can be quite overwhelming. . I found a book on CD called Mountains of the Pharos by Zahi Hawass at our public library and am very glad I listened to it – everything made much more sense to me than it did to others. I found myself able to explain and repeat things the guide had shared during the day to our group later in the evening. We also watched Agatha Christie’s death on the Nile and while not an intellectual movie it was the perfect thing to have done the day before we left the US.
The Colossi of Memnon – Ok – I guess we were there so going here was the right thing to do – but really – no big deal!
The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahari – the “she” king is very in vogue these days, and I must say I enjoyed the temple a great deal. The long walk up the ramp took us back in time and as we looked around I truly felt like I cold transport myself to the time of the Paros for just one moment.
The Valley of Kings – Wow – do not miss this opportunity – the valley appears at first to be nothing, just mountains of rubble. The treasure it held in the tombs was like the Fort Knox of Egypt. Your pass will allow you to enter just 3 of the tombs. Choose wisely. Your guide will help. We skipped the tomb of Tut having already seen it’s contents in Cairo. These tombs are all empty so ask about those which have the best murals.
Hint – you can not take picture in the tombs. The guards watch carefully and if you even touch your camera they will approach you ……. but there is sort of a way around it … for 1USD buy a pack of post cards and take photos of the cards that have images of the tomb murals. It’s almost the same thing. The people selling cards have at least 3 different packs. Be sure to buy one that has the tombs you visit. My guide was stunned when I showed him my “pictures” – I then explained – I suspect he will tell others.
Edfu and the Temple of Kom-Ombo – this would have been a really cool visit if it were not for what were the most annoying vendors along the boat docks that we encountered the whole time we were in Egypt. Their persistence was obnoxious and I found myself yelling and having to push them away several times. This did not make me happy.
Felucca ride – Ok – you have to do this, it’s like you have to ride a camel. The boat ride around the Elaphantine Island at Aswan is actually very pleasant and being low in the Nile offered a perspective that differs from that of the cruise ship. Try to get a ride later in the day, when it is cooler and the sun is going down. As always, wear bug repellent!
Aswan Dam – The High dam is an engineering marvel. What is more interesting to me were two facts I learned. If the Dam broke it would flood 87% of the Egyptian population within 24 hors – primarily Cairo … hence very tight security. Second item – when the dam was built, on the up river side was Nubia. Effectively all of Nubia was flooded and Egypt resolved the “Nubian Problem”. More interesting was that within the flooded area were numerous temples. UNESCO and several countries moved the temples to bring them up above the water level. As such Abu Simbel and the temple of Philae are not in their original locations. Additionally the US was gifted the Temple of Dendur, now at the Metropolitan in NYC. I always wondered how/why we had that temple.
The Unfinished Obelisk – OK – so you are there g see it, be prepared to be under whelmed.
Abu Simbel – fabulous and for us a great end to our tour. The flight down was easy and I suspect the flight back was as well. I, unfortunately while at the temple, 2 bus rides and 2 plane rides from our Cairo hotel managed to become gravely ill with what felt like a 104 F degree temp – hard to tell it was 111 outside!. In fact I was the sickest I have ever been in my life. I christened pretty much every private spot between Abs Simbel and Cairo. The highlights were 3. The attendants in the Aswan Airport bathroom praying to Allah for me, the ice cold tonic the flight attendant insisted I drink (which helped the upper end of my problem) and the medical evacuation transport that met our plane on the tarmac in Cairo and whisked me away – not telling anyone were I was going (which while I was somewhat delirious at the time it seemed amusing to me). Good news is I took cipro the moment I felt I was getting sick and by 6 AM the next morning the prospect of boarding the plane home was reasonable. Egypt Air provided wheel chair transport at the airport entrance. (we were amongst to enjoy the new international terminal – which is very nice and very well air conditioned!
The suspected culprit – the evening before the boat had beautiful chilled artichokes at dinner. They were most likely steamed/boiled and then rinsed in cold water – and the water stayed within the artichoke and I ate it. Net result 6 weeks of intestinal problems, 3 rounds of cipro and I’m pretty sure the parasite I acquired is now gone and my insides are recovering via probiotics.
Hint – carry your cipro and any other meds with you at all times – you just never know. Andy carry bug repellent wipes too!
The trip home was a non-event. We flew coach and the seats were recently replaced and clean. Still recovering I slept most of the trip.
Last hint – Egypt Air is part of the Star Alliance. If you are a US Air frequent flyer use your number. You will have to provide it for each flight when you check in. Our guide picked up the boarding passes so for all but the first flight EA did not have my number. I sent them to US Air, and it took 3 letters explaining, I was on a tour, I did not have an official itinerary with the fare paid nor did I have auditors coupons etc. US air finally called Egypt Air got what they needed and credited the miles. Persistence pays off.
That's it - a great "once in a life time trip!"
I really hate it when I discover spelling and grammer areas in my posts after I post them! One point of clarity - I gave the gaurd 1USD and HE asked for 5USD.
Thank you very much seafox
I really enjoyed your report ,as I did the same sights a few years ago.
I can sympathize with your being sick.
At the end of my trip I went to Alexandria and got very sick with the Flu... I do not know how I made the long flight home....Cairo to London..to North America.
It was good that you could sleep on your flight back home.
You did not mention the Island of Philae ( in Aswan) but I assume you went there.
Once again Thank You for the report.
Percy - thanks for the reminder - Philae was one of the best temple visits of the trip! A very relaxing day!
I like your tip about taking pictures of the postcards!!
I took pictures of Police on a horse at the Pyramids but they did not ask for a tip .... guess I was lucky.
Did you by chance visit the Perfume factory store near the Valley of Kings.
I agree the Island of Philae was a lovely place..this temple was also moved to higher ground
Once again Thanks for the good report... I read it again. It reminded me of my trip report.
You explained your likes and dislikes very well.
Hi seafox - thanks for posting such an interesting report. I was in Egypt in January and loved it there. As Percy said it's so much fun to relive your experiences.
thanks for nice report but you talk more about tipping in egypt
you mentioned to that many times
i think you are right many pepole asking for tipping in egypt but if you neglect them nothing will be happened
they just expect it when they do anything
Thanks for the great trip report, seafox.
Fun to relive my trip - and makes me want to go back soon!
Sorry you got so sick. I also got sick and had to be visited by a dr - I think it was something I ate on the ship we were on. Seems like from other posts mentioning getting sick the ship's food is often suspected. Next time I go I am bringing boxes of power bars and subsisting solely on them on the Nile!
The only thing you missed in Tut's tomb is Tut himself. I thought paying to go in his tomb was worth it to actually see him after 30 years of reading about him and his treasures. Quite a buck-toothed mummy - I wonder if that's the way the jaw settled or if he really looked that way in life.
Did you go with a group tour or book separately?
it was a group of friends one of whom is an agent and created the package with a tour company
Thank you for your report.
Is there anything you would suggest packing... were you really glad you had something, or wish you had taken something? I noticed you said binoculars would be a good thing to take, thank you for that idea.
Thanks for posting.
Is there anything you would suggest packing...
Wet wipes. Toilet seat covers. Toilet paper.
yes - we had packets of sterile hand wipes(purell), packets of insect repelent cloths (deep woods OFF). the small packets of facial tissue (kleenex) and always be sure to have cipro within reach. I also had the pants that have the zip off legs - got them at REI. They were great and in the end all I needed. Make sure you bring a hat with a wide brim! We also brought packets of water flavorings. One thing I did not have but a friend did and I would suggest it is hydrating salts. When I got sick, the risk of dehydration was high, but the salts added to water helped a great deal.
Thanks again for all your helpful information, Seafox.
Did you take cipro with you from the States, or buy it in Egypt? If bought in Egypt, was it easy to obtain?
In Egypt you can get something called Antinal (sp?) cheap and supposedly more effective than Cipro. All over-the-counter medications in Egypt are cheap (ex. Afrin - 60 cents, cough medicine - $1.00) and readily available.
Get your Cipro here in the States. It's pretty cheap and once your doc. finds out you are going to Egypt they are generally fine with writing the rx (they may try to tell you that you need to go to a travel doctor. if you have your shots already, tell them you can't afford an extra doctor visit - push back). Antinal is for diarhea, but is not an anti-biotic (from what i understand)
Thanks for the suggestions.
I usually have kleenex and wet wipes in my day pack, but I hadn't thought of hydrating salts (or similar) incase of dehydration.
I'm preparing my trip to Egipt and, after reviewing a lot of web sites I've made a list of useful things to carry that can be helpful. Of course not all of them are needed and I don't plan to carry them all; but It may give ideas to someone.
Excuse my English in case you don't understand something. I am Spanish. The list is as follows:
•A little lantern: Tombs tend to be dark….
•High factor sun block .
•Ear plugs: Just in case your cruise room is just over the engine…or the disco.
•Insect repellent.
•Wet wipes
•Toilet seat covers
•Toilet paper
•Colour pencils and pins: They make nice gifts for kids.
•Hidrating tablets.
•A small umbrella: Not for rain, but for sun…
•A hat with a wide brim (better if made of straw; it’s more fresh)
•A small Isothermal bag to keep fresh your water bottles
•A water spray to refresh your skin
•Sun Glasses
•Small electric fan
•Binoculars: very useful when cruising the nile or to have a close view of the piramids or that particular hierogliphic.
•A security Tip : Scan your passport and air plane tickets and send them to a mail address you can reach from the web. In case you lose them you can recover them that way.
•Sandals for the swimming pool
•A thermometer that measures maximums and minimums. It can be funny to see how hot is the day
•An extra empty bag for souvenirs.