Many here us Lady Egypt, located in Cairo.

Another, Debbie of Casual Cairo Detours.

Do a search on this board, for the many Egypt threads, contacts and details.

The beaten track is pretty well worn! If you want a Nile cruise, you will at least touch base in Luxor -- but no need to linger if you don't want to. (The cruises are generally one way, so you get Luxor at one end or the other -- although I've seen some RT cruises...but they usually start in Luxor.) A dahabiya cruise could mean smaller (island) overnight locations, not the large ship raft-ups in Aswan and Luxor. A Lake Nasser cruise between Abu Simbel aand Aswan (generally 3 nights) would be less popoulated?

The only real "off the beaten track" site that comes to mind is desert camping in the west? But most first (or second? third?) timers don't head there.

I've just returned from 5 days on this:
http://www.nourelnil.com/

your budget may not stretch to this - but it's the only way I've found to do it - otherwise you're in a convoy of motor-boats, all following one another, docking next to each other, arriving at the sites simultaneously... you get the picture. I've done it three times - never again.

The cheaper option is to rent your own felucca - but that's only if you can get a recommendation for someone good.

Actually, in tourist Egypt, 'off-the-beaten-track' simply means walking one street to the side of the main tourist beats. If you stay on the beat - you're cactus.

Everything is package tourism in Egypt. Oh, and think verrry carefully about hiring an 'Egyptologist' guide... unless you want a long lecture about stuff you'll instantly forget... and that's before they'll allow you into the sites.

When I say long - I mean about 30 minutes, standing outside the site. Zzzzzzzzzz. And nothing will stop the mouth. Nothing. Just walk away.

affordabletours.com

Is running a GREAT Globua/Avalon Promo

Save up to $600 on 2012 Egypt River Cruises!

Mention Promo Code: PR453
Save up to $600 on 2012 Egypt River Cruises!
Book a 2012 air-inclusive Egypt river cruise and save $300 per person ($600 per couple) off the air price or book the cruise/land only portion and receive $150 off per person ($300 per couple) plus as always receive additional savings from AffordableTours.com. Booking must be made and under deposit before November 29, 201

Good personal experience with Globus for me in the past,

Lady Egypt and Casual Cairo Detours good locals

Shop for price... also tucantravel.com good budget group

tours #1 for me in the past...

Value World and other cheaper cruises also from $1K for 8 days

So shop around based on budget check reviews carefully.

Travel.state.gov for safety info insuremytrip.com wise

Things pretty unstable there currently so stay flexible

Group Travel best... ALWAYS pay with CC never wire money

MANY online scemmers/touts on the boards.

Caveat Emptor and Happy Cruising!

www.seat61.com/Egypt

best for self guiding everything cheaper boots on the ground.

Have done this in the past independently probably but would

just go with travel buds or a group till things settle down.

Quo - for any half-intelligent tourist to Egypt, things HAVE settled down.

Do you get paid when people click on these links? You repeatedly mention the same organizations... is this a kind of Google business from home thing?

dogster -
Have to agree that the posts by qwo do get tiring. Same ole, same ole! Maybe good intensions, but...............

dogster,
You made me LOL!!!!

Maybe that is why he doesn't make a link to my site - no gratuity? LOL

Check http://www.eatc.travel - we went on a Dahabeya nile cruise with this tour operator last year and had a fantastic time. Heard they also offer nile cruises starting in Cairo now!

Off the beaten track on a budget is tough; either it is expensive or not interesting or just less popular for one reason or another. However, some places of above average interest would be the Siwa and Kharga Oases, Al Alamein, Dendera, El Qusier, Marsa Alam, Damietta, others.

Off the beaten path could also include things such as home stays (remote from cities, like in the center of the Delta) or other special interest tours such as cooking and crafts. If you scuba dive off Thomas Reef in the Strait of Tiran you could find fantastic extreme deep structure and strong current (but you must be extremely experienced).

theresa86 said: "Heard they also offer nile cruises starting in Cairo now!"

I just called the office to see if this could be true as it would be very unusual, and they confirmed it is not true.

To the best of my knowledge there are NO cruises of any nature that begin in Cairo being offered.

Just wanted to get to the bottom of that, as it is difficult when people read something like that on the Internet and are hoping to find it available. For some reason they believe the Internet to be the "be all-end all" of THE TRUTH. LOL!

Check out that web site though if you are looking for a Dahabayia - they look nice.

"Quo: Do you get paid when people click on these links? You repeatedly mention the same organizations... is this a kind of Google business from home thing?

I have always wondered about this guy. He posts IMMEDIATELY to every question with lots and lots of links....much of his information is inaccurate and obviously just Googled. Couldn't figure out the scheme. Why would anyone just camp on this site to Google answers to other people's quesitons? Now I get it. I think Google does pay for this sort of touting. Editors?

I had a 17 days in Egypt this month with 1400 $ per person at 5 star hotel included breakfast, transportation, guides, entrance fees, Cairo tours, Cruise tours 4 nights in Cairo, 4 nights Nile cruise,2 nights in Luxor and 7 nights in Hurghada

Traveline, I would be very interested in more detail on your trip -- what 5 star hotels? This is not a price that I am seeing. We are asking for 5 star luxury -- Mena House (3), Winter Palace (2), Nour el Nil dahabiyya cruise (5), Old Cataract Hotel (2). Prices running about $5000 per person from Lady Egypt with guide, entrance fees and internal air (Cairo-Luxor-Abu Simbel-Cairo). They haven't changed since I started inquiring in January of 2011.

Who did you use?

When I was searching for a tour operator to help me book my family's Nile Cruise I found this thread and tracked down Lady Egypt. I just wanted to report that I used them and they were fantastic. Their service exceeded my even high expectations. Our trip to Egypt was phenomenal - even more so because there are relatively few tourists going these days. We felt very safe, extremely well looked after and welcomed everywhere we went. This is a great time to make the trip of a lifetime if you don't like crowds.