Ahmed Hamed Yousif - Excellent private tour guide
 

We have had a similar experience with Ahmed Hamed Yousif as wmrichter and godin. Our trip planning to Egypt began last summer when we researched through books, magazines and the web. After reading trip reports on Frommer's site, we thought about going through a personal guide. We contacted Ahmed Hamed Yousif by email to inquire about his services. His email address is: [email protected]


We really gathered much information from Beth Smith at AZEBS and Elizabeths2 on Frommer's and Fodor's forums. Also, refer to a trip report by cozysdad who also used Ahmed's services. All of the trip reports give good advice.



We contacted Ahmed and told him that we wanted to spend about 3 weeks in both Egypt and Jordan in March of 2009. We listed the sites we wanted to see and he sent us a complete itinerary by email and the expected costs involved. There were emails back and forth a few times to fine tune the trip with all the air travel involved to get from place to place. Ahmed arranged for the hotels, the Nile cruise, the domestic flights and all of the transfers from hotel to airports. We knew what sites we wanted to visit and he was very receptive to any changes we wanted to make. We agreed on a price and we wired the deposit to him through Lady Egypt tours. We were concerned originally about the large deposit (one- half) but were relieved to know it was going through a tour agency. This same agency provided the comfortable vans with excellent drivers, who took us from place to place and Ahmed's representatives also were part of the agency. We could pay the balance of the trip either in cash or by credit card ( with an added 3% charge for credit card) upon arrival.

We were pleased with everything that Ahmed planned for us. We were greeted at the airport by a Lady Egypt representative and driver, who took us to the Marriott Hotel in Zamelek. Ahmed toured with us for four days to see the sites in Cairo. He acquired a phone and sim card for us to use while on the trip. He called us almost daily or texted us to see that things were going smoothly. That was an added measure of security that we appreciated.

Ahmed brought us to sites when it was less crowded. He would give us all the history and then we would have time to look around, take photos, all in a relaxed manner. We saw the usual sites in Cairo:the Egyptian Museum, the pyramids in Giza, the pyramids at Saqqara and Dashur, the old Coptic area and Islamic area of Cairo, including a stop at the Khan al Khalili market. We also went to the Al Azhar Park near the Citadel. We saw the light and sound show at Giza, and the only thing we couldn't do was take a felucca ride on the Nile in Cairo because there was no wind. He brought us to shops to see the papyrus, jewelry, and carpets but we never had pressure to buy. When we did purchase, he helped us negotiate a good price.
He arranged for all of our domestic flights including one to Aswan, from Aswan to Abu Simbel for a day, one to Sharm El Shiekh and back and forth to Amman. The representatives from Lady Egypt were prompt and helpful as were the guides we had in each area.
When we first arrived in Aswan, we got to see the High Dam and the Temple of Philae. Our guide, Hazim, was quite a good Egyptologist as well. We enjoyed the outings in Aswan, where we spent a whole day on and off a motor boat and a felucca to see the lovely botanical gardens on Kitchener's Island, and the Tombs of the Nobles with a hike up the sand mountain which was well worth the climb. Next, we had lunch at a restaurant on one of the small islands in the Nile and then visited a Nubian village. Viewing the sunset on the Nile from the boat was the culmination of a great day.
We then had an early morning flight to see Abu Simbel with Hazim, and later in the day after our return to Aswan he took us to see the Nubian Museum. We also enjoyed our stay at the Basma Hotel. The view of Aswan and the Nile was great.

Before going to our Nile cruise ship we explored the old market place in Aswan. We cruised on the lovely ship, the Sonesta St. George for three nights. This ship did not dock along side other ships, which we appreriated. Our guide, Hazim, met us on the ship at each stop, Kom Ombo and Edfu, and also accompanied us through all the temples and tombs in Luxor. The Temple of Amun at Karnak and the Luxor Temple were fantastic and we attended the light show at Karnak as well. Seeing the tombs at the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon, and then the temple of Hatshepsut and other tombs was very impressive. We made a journey to see the Cenotaph Temple of Seti I at Abydos and the remarkably intact temple of Dendara. These temples were very unusual and the day long excursion was well worth the ride. We learned so much from Hazim because he was a great guide. Ahmed uses the service of a number of guides but they all would be good ones, I'm sure.

We flew from Luxor to Sharm El-Sheikh, where representatives met us once again and brought us to the Marriott Renaisance Hotel, which was wonderful with the condo accomodations overlooking the Red Sea. What a great way to relax before our next tour. It was two days of total relaxation.

When we flew to Amman another guide met us and drove us to Petra. Abdallah really made us feel welcomed in Jordan. He had a lively personality and we enjoyed his company, especially on the long drives to Petra and back to Amman. He arranged a guide to give us the history of the Nabataeans and take us through the site at Petra. Instead of walking through the Siq, we hiked a longer but more interesting way. The hike that we chose with him gave us views that were spectacular. We climbed to a mountain opposite the Pharoah' treasury and took photos of the the site looking down at it . It was amazing! Of course, then we had to hike down so it was a bit tiring. Then we continued on to see Ed-Deir (the Monastery), up part way on donkey and walking back down. The view at the top was fabulous. The walk back was long so it was about a 10 mile hike for us that day. We really loved seeing Petra and I would recommend anyone to add it to your itinerary when visiting Egypt.
The next day we drove back to Amman to see Jerash, the very large Roman ruin. This is another 'must see' for anyone who loves Roman history and archeology. We had another guide that Abdallah acquired. We learned all the history of the area as we walked all around this ancient city with the local guide.
In both Petra and Amman we stayed at Marriott hotels which were quite nice.

After returning to Sharm El-Sheikh, we were met by the van which drove from Cairo with two drivers and another guide. We wanted to go to St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai so we drove with them and a guard who was on our van as well. Safety first!
Ahmed called us while we were in the van to be sure we were having a good time. Our guide, Salam, took us up Mt. Sinai by camel to see the sunset and we walked arm in arm down the mountain in the dark(with our handy flashlights). We always felt safe with these knowledgeable guides. After seeing St. Catherine's monastery, we had a six to seven hour drive back to Cairo but it was worth the drive to see the Sinai area.

The end of our trip was drawing near and after spending 23 days of touring Egypt and Jordan, we came home feeling that we had one of the best trips of our lives. All the plans went smoothly and we have Ahmed to thank. He acquired the best people at every site we toured and we enjoyed learning so much from all of them.

For a great independent guide who can help with all the planning of an Egyptian trip, contact

AHMED HAMED YOUSIF
His email is: [email protected]

Is it just me - or is anyone else getting really tired of the "All Hail, Ahmed - the Greatest Guide in All History" posts?

There are currently FOUR in the top 25 posts.... and interestingly TWO of them are from brand new posters.

At some point, this is going to start equating to "advertising" - if it hasn't already.

I've certainly been wondering whether these posts are "real", and even if they are the titles are odd. But I'm not a regular on this board, so I haven't clicked the "complaint triangle" yet.

YES.. these reports are real.. I am sad to see that some of you are putting douts in peoples' mind about our reports. Believe me, It has been almost 20 years now that my boyfriend, has been trying to convince me to go to Egypt. IT is with these great post that I finally reasured me to this trip. Some people like me need more reasurance. this really helped me. I am not totally new either, I have been on Fodor in the Italy forum asking questions in planning a trip with 7 people in 2008. I never posted my report for Italy because Italy for me is a no brainer..Egypt on the other hand,for me was another world. I want to make sure people don't wait 20 years like I did. Egypt is a beautifull country, Now nothing will ever make me hesitate to take a trip anywhere in the world because of our great experience.

godin - I am sure your post is real as you have been on Fodor's a while and have made many posts. But there are two others who are brand new "Fodor-ites" with NO other posts.

Just the nature of the message board world - but "first time" posts that are overly positive or overly negative are just automatically questioned.

I am sure that Ahmed is a good guide, but he is not the ONLY guide around and the over-the-top praise is really a bit off-putting and frankly - annoying. While it may be meant in all seriously - it comes across as suspicious.

You don't have to convince me about the wonders of Egypt. I lived there for 4 years. It's a great place, and I hope to get back for a visit sometime soon.

Well, I'm glad to hear that they're real, but it's so odd to title a trip report with the name of the guide. It's like he was more important than your experiences and the place.

I was contacted by these posters when they were first considering Ahmed and they are indeed real.

There have been quite a few reports lately, due mainly to most of these posters having recently returned from their trips.

Popular guides in other countries (i.e. Tong in Bangkok, Ponheary in Cambodia, David Choque in Peru) have plenty of enthusiastic posters (regulars and first timers) and occasionally this type of questioning pops up on the other boards in reaction to multiple, positive posts - I think the simplest thing to do is not to open the post if you know you're not interested in the subject.

Ahmed has many, many happy customers who quite appropriately post trip reports here - I found his name here 2 years ago and was able to put together a wonderful, independent trip with him. Many of his clients would have otherwise taken package tours but by reading the trip reports here learned they could travel with privacy and flexibility. That is the great thing about the Fodor's boards - the rich information and experience...............thanks Grcxx3 for sharing all your firsthand experience in Egypt - I found it very helpful when I was researching our trip.

<<but it's so odd to title a trip report with the name of the guide. It's like he was more important than your experiences and the place.>>

I think this is what is really bugging me (that and the effusive, nonstop praise). My word - these folks have just come back from one of the most fascinating countries in the world - and the only thing they can think of for a title is to use the guide's name?????

Let's just look -
"Ahmed Hamed Yousif - Excellent private tour guide"
" Egypt trip report: Private tour expertly arranged by Ahmed Hamed Yousif"
"Perfect Guides in Egypt"
"Ahmed Hamed Yousif: King of Travel Agents/Tour Guides"

So, 3 out of 4 of the posts (in just the top 25 today!!!!) MENTION Ahmed's name in the title and the other "hints" at it. And all the posts end with a plug for him. It is right on the border of (and possibly crossing) advertising.

A simple mention that Ahmed helped with all the arrangements and that everything worked out well would suffice since his name is now very well known on this board.

To me - and this is just my opinion - it's almost as if Ahmed (politely - because Egyptians are always polite!) asks his clients to write up a good report and post it on Fodors (and probably other places). The posts by brand new posters especially make me feel this way.

Personally - I would never use him and I would never recommend him to anyone just because this type of posting. It just leaves me with a very negative impression.

This is a true report and it was delayed because of personal reasons. This is my first experience doing a trip report on any travel sites and I told Ahmed I would recommend his services if we were pleased with his tour. I am disheartened to think that some think that my report is not real. We had a very good trip and I hope others will use his services, especially if they want a private tour and not a large bus tour. Tourists are looking for travel guides who are trustworthy and they would like to have a wonderful trip. That is why I expressed my opinion in favor of Ahmed. Our trip was great!

"I told Ahmed I would recommend his services if we were pleased with his tour" - so was it your idea or his idea for you to post on fodors?

gms09 - okay - you're trip to Egypt was real and I'm certainly glad you enjoyed it. Egypt is a fascinating and wonderful place and I loved my years there.

Just saying that trip reports that talk a lot about what the guides did and list all the typical sights seen and not much about personal experiences, feelings, surprises, disappointments, etc just seem like an ad for the agent/tour guide - not a really a description of your time in Egypt and your feelings about what you saw and experienced.

Guess I'm just being grumpy but this just don't sit well with me.

<<Guess I'm just being grumpy but this just don't sit well with me.>>

should have proofread -

...this just DOESN'T sit well with me.

Our trip to Egypt was real and it was fantastic!! We took a chance by booking with Ahmed and believe me I had my concerns. The biggest concern was wiring a large sum of money to a tour company in Egypt!! If this would have been a scam, I would have felt like such an idiot. The truth is that it wasn't a scam and it ended up being a trip of a lifetime. So why not give some reassurance to prospective clients of Ahmed? He's a genuine and knowledgable person. He's completely trustworthy. He helped my husband plan a wonderful 50th Birthday celebration, and a most of all a safe trip. Ahmed deserves the praise.

<<Ahmed deserves the praise>>

And he sure is getting it.

You are right, you are GRUMPY!!! Or is it NEGATIVE?

Just can't put my finger on it....but there is something in the history of the posts (going back a ways) praising this guide's services that just sits wrong with me. I'm sure he's a nice guy and I'm sure he does a good job, and if it resulted in a good experience for people - fine.

As I have said, I lived in Egypt for several years and love the place and love the people. Would LOVE for DH to take another job there. Meanwhile - I'm looking forward to my next trip back (probably next summer when my DS#1 can visit his friends who will be graduating), but......WHY - after visiting one of the world's most unique and fascinating places - do so many posts (and the post titles) just seem to go on and on, bragging about the services of the guide?

The effusive, over-the-top praise is just strange to me. Maybe because we have done most of our traveling independently, seldom using guides or tour operators - I just don't get the "adoration" that seems to come thru on these posts.

If you travel independently, and seldom use guides or tour operators, what are you doing on Fodors reading about trip reviews to Egypt? Do you have a problem with someone else's success?

"If you travel independently, and seldom use guides or tour operators, what are you doing on Fodors reading about trip reviews to Egypt?" - funny, the Fodor's Europe and Asia boards are all about independent travel. Is there something about travel to Egypt that you think disallows independent travel? (Admittedly when I went I was on a mini-tour, but I spent a couple of days on my own in Cairo, and can't see any reason why I couldn't go alone if I went back.)

wmrichter - please chill! :)

I have been posting on Fodor's for many years. I have asked lots of questions, gotten lots of great advice, and, I hope - because I lived overseas for many years (including Egypt) and have traveled a good bit - also given lots of good advice.

I have used guides/travel agents at times - when I thought it prudent - but I have never felt a need to go into massive detail about the services provided. I guess I feel that's a "given" when you hire a guide (assuming you have done your research beforehand). Altho - I suppose I would have the inclination to write more if someone did an exceptionally POOR job. But I haven't had that happen.

I admit - I have only taken the time to write one trip report (Italy), but I have summarized lots of bits and pieces of our travel experiences when they were relevant to someone's post. I have at times commented on or mentioned the name of a particular guide or tour company, but only to make a general comment, not nominate them for sainthood.

Bottom line, this guy is in business to help people with their trips to Egypt. This is what he does. It's his job to make sure everything goes well. I am glad that he seems to be doing that.

Maybe it's me - but I like to hear about people's thoughts and impressions and experiences. That's what makes a post about a trip interesting to me.

<<what are you doing on Fodors reading about trip reviews to Egypt?>>

Just to add - I enjoy reading about people's trips to Egypt because I enjoyed living there so much. It brings back good memories.