Ahmed Hamed Yousif - Excellent private tour guide
May 27th, 2009, 08:54 PM
#21
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Grcxx3, please don't feel that you have to justify your opinion. As you know, I traveled with my family to Egypt last summer, on a private tour (meaning just the six of us in a van with a driver and guide) arranged by LadyEgypt. I read all the "reviews" about Ahmed, and actually sent him an email to which he never did respond. No complaint, we had a great trip that was arranged by Mohammed Kamel at LadyEgypt. The entire time I was planning the trip, I wondered what "added value" there would be to using Ahmed plan a trip that he would then use LadyEgypt to book, rather than booking it through LadyEgypt itself. This isn't to cast aspersions on Ahmed as either a tour planner or a tour guide -- I just never did understand the point of hiring Ahmed to plan the trip, and the guide we had through LadyEgypt (who was with us in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan) was outstanding (I can't compare to any of the other guides, because I never used any other guides, but Mahmoud was great!)
Anyway, I really just wanted to write and tell you you're not crazy, and you're not alone.
Anyway, I really just wanted to write and tell you you're not crazy, and you're not alone.
May 28th, 2009, 03:41 AM
#23
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<<If you travel independently, and seldom use guides or tour operators, what are you doing on Fodors>>
wmrichter - since you seem to be new to Fodors, you may not realize it, but as thursdaysd said - a LARGE majority of Fodorites are independent travelers, especially on the Europe and US boards (can't speak to the others as I don't frequent them as much). And there is a huge amount of information here for all travelers.
The A&ME board seems to be an exception to this- probably because traveling to Africa is out of most people's comfort zone and probably because of issues related to transportation & general logistics. As a result, you find more people on this part of Fodor's asking/talking about tour groups and guides. There are still independent travelers here, but not quite as many.
wmrichter - since you seem to be new to Fodors, you may not realize it, but as thursdaysd said - a LARGE majority of Fodorites are independent travelers, especially on the Europe and US boards (can't speak to the others as I don't frequent them as much). And there is a huge amount of information here for all travelers.
The A&ME board seems to be an exception to this- probably because traveling to Africa is out of most people's comfort zone and probably because of issues related to transportation & general logistics. As a result, you find more people on this part of Fodor's asking/talking about tour groups and guides. There are still independent travelers here, but not quite as many.
May 29th, 2009, 03:23 AM
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I don't understand very well the point on that discussion.
I think that one of the objectives of this forum is to help each other to find the best information available to prepare a trip.
And when you travel to a place like Egypt one of the most important informations you can get is WHO will organise the trip well and with guarantees.
Personally, if I want to do a regular tour I go to a travel agent and buy a tavel-package. But if I want something special and personal, I prefer to hire the experience and knowledge of a private guide, organiser or whatever you prefer to call him.
The information I received from Elizabeth_S , Azebs and many others about Ahmed services decided me (and as I can see, others) to contact, interchange mails and ideas, arrange and personalise an itinerary and finally book the trip with Ahmed.
So for me, all the information I have got here about him and other guides or companies has been very important and useful to organise my next trip to Egypt and to decide how to do it.Thank you to all you who share your experience.I'll do the same when I return.
And I think that is the GREATEST value of a forum like this. Sharing good and bad experiences and telling others what you think they should see and do, what not to see and do and ,of course ,WHO can do things as you like them to be done.
If you think someone has been professional and helpful; It's a favour to others in the Forum to give his name; so they can benefit from your experience. Don't you recommend the good stores you go to?. And if that helps that person or company to have more clients,It's great. If they have done things well, they deserve to be mentioned, and a lot of people is here, reading the forum, to find just that kind of information.
I think that one of the objectives of this forum is to help each other to find the best information available to prepare a trip.
And when you travel to a place like Egypt one of the most important informations you can get is WHO will organise the trip well and with guarantees.
Personally, if I want to do a regular tour I go to a travel agent and buy a tavel-package. But if I want something special and personal, I prefer to hire the experience and knowledge of a private guide, organiser or whatever you prefer to call him.
The information I received from Elizabeth_S , Azebs and many others about Ahmed services decided me (and as I can see, others) to contact, interchange mails and ideas, arrange and personalise an itinerary and finally book the trip with Ahmed.
So for me, all the information I have got here about him and other guides or companies has been very important and useful to organise my next trip to Egypt and to decide how to do it.Thank you to all you who share your experience.I'll do the same when I return.
And I think that is the GREATEST value of a forum like this. Sharing good and bad experiences and telling others what you think they should see and do, what not to see and do and ,of course ,WHO can do things as you like them to be done.
If you think someone has been professional and helpful; It's a favour to others in the Forum to give his name; so they can benefit from your experience. Don't you recommend the good stores you go to?. And if that helps that person or company to have more clients,It's great. If they have done things well, they deserve to be mentioned, and a lot of people is here, reading the forum, to find just that kind of information.
May 29th, 2009, 03:55 AM
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adonis - of course places like this are for sharing information of all kinds - hotels, sights, guides, etc. My "issue" with all the posts that go on and on and on about Ahmed is two-fold.
First, reports like the OP are primarily about Ahmed and his services, a simple listing of the sights seen, but very little about the "experience." Did the OP go into any of the pyramids? How was Abu Simbel - was the extra trip worth the hassle? Many people ask about that. Which sound and light show was better? What souvenirs did you buy? Why did you decide to climb Mt. Sinai for the sunset? Most of the people I know wanted to be there for sunrise. Did you do any diving or snokling in Sharm or did you fly there just to get to Mt. Sinai? I understand, however, that this is gms90's first travel report - so maybe that has something to do with it.
Second, why the need to mention Ahmed's name in the title? Three threads did this recently. I would have thought something simple like "23 days touring Egypt and Jordan" would be more informative for people looking for information about traveling to Egypt and Jordan. If Ahmed were writing the reports, it would be advertising and the posts would be deleted. While this is not the case, to me it is borderline.
The more posts I read about the services of Ahmed, the more turned off I am. Obviously, this is a personal gripe. But that, too, is what these forums are for - to express our opinions and thoughts.
First, reports like the OP are primarily about Ahmed and his services, a simple listing of the sights seen, but very little about the "experience." Did the OP go into any of the pyramids? How was Abu Simbel - was the extra trip worth the hassle? Many people ask about that. Which sound and light show was better? What souvenirs did you buy? Why did you decide to climb Mt. Sinai for the sunset? Most of the people I know wanted to be there for sunrise. Did you do any diving or snokling in Sharm or did you fly there just to get to Mt. Sinai? I understand, however, that this is gms90's first travel report - so maybe that has something to do with it.
Second, why the need to mention Ahmed's name in the title? Three threads did this recently. I would have thought something simple like "23 days touring Egypt and Jordan" would be more informative for people looking for information about traveling to Egypt and Jordan. If Ahmed were writing the reports, it would be advertising and the posts would be deleted. While this is not the case, to me it is borderline.
The more posts I read about the services of Ahmed, the more turned off I am. Obviously, this is a personal gripe. But that, too, is what these forums are for - to express our opinions and thoughts.
May 29th, 2009, 04:43 AM
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<<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.
>>
gms09 - this comment just hit me..... did you drive back to Cairo after coming down from Mt. Sinai or did you stay overnight at the monastery? In other words - did you drive the Sinai road back to Cairo at night or during the day?
>>
gms09 - this comment just hit me..... did you drive back to Cairo after coming down from Mt. Sinai or did you stay overnight at the monastery? In other words - did you drive the Sinai road back to Cairo at night or during the day?
May 30th, 2009, 07:03 AM
#27
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I could have written a twenty page report about every detail of our trip, but I didn't think that was necessary. Out trip was wonderful and I thought I conveyed that.
You have your opinion but it belittles me and I take offense to that. My purpose in reporting was to give people like adonius info about using a private guide. Since your discussion is making me feel uncomfortable, this will be my last post. I don't feel the need to justify my report any more!
To answer your question about Sinai. We went up the mountain by camel and walking and then after viewing the beautiful sunset, we walked back down and stayed at St. Catherine's hotel. The next day we visited the monastery in the morning and then drove back to Cairo during the day.
Finished!
You have your opinion but it belittles me and I take offense to that. My purpose in reporting was to give people like adonius info about using a private guide. Since your discussion is making me feel uncomfortable, this will be my last post. I don't feel the need to justify my report any more!
To answer your question about Sinai. We went up the mountain by camel and walking and then after viewing the beautiful sunset, we walked back down and stayed at St. Catherine's hotel. The next day we visited the monastery in the morning and then drove back to Cairo during the day.
Finished!
May 30th, 2009, 07:37 AM
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gms09 - I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable and I certainly did not mean to belittle you. That was not my intent. You are not the only one who has used Ahmed's name in the title, it's just the post that this discussion started on. There is another post where someone else is basically asking the same questions I did.
As for the Sinai questions - I was curious about your sunset trip to Mt. Sinai because I had not known anyone to do that. And - I was concerned about when you drove back to Cairo because driving that road (well, any road in Egypt) is very dangerous at night.
Some of us LIKE hearing about all the details of a trip. That is what we look forward to. I am truly glad you enjoyed your trip to Egypt.
As for the Sinai questions - I was curious about your sunset trip to Mt. Sinai because I had not known anyone to do that. And - I was concerned about when you drove back to Cairo because driving that road (well, any road in Egypt) is very dangerous at night.
Some of us LIKE hearing about all the details of a trip. That is what we look forward to. I am truly glad you enjoyed your trip to Egypt.
May 30th, 2009, 05:54 PM
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When I started researching my Egypt trip just as I do all my other trips I go to Fodors for all sorts of help-restaurants,guides,sights etc. From all I read about Ahmed I was impressed. I contacted Elizabeth when I did not hear back from Ahmed-she assured me he would-it was a busy time and he did get back to me.(|I am planning a year & a half in advance)
If you go to the Thailand site you see Tong all over. When we went to Thailand we used her and were delighted. When recomondations over the years work out-do it!!! I love this site and and have benifited so much from it. I occasionally pop over to places I've been in the past & if some one asks for help-knowing first hand I can give it just as I have received.
I am pleased to know I have chosen a guide that is so well likes and I know I will enjoy just as much. When I go Sept/October 2010 and can give first hand info-I will .
Thank you everyone for all your help-Chris
If you go to the Thailand site you see Tong all over. When we went to Thailand we used her and were delighted. When recomondations over the years work out-do it!!! I love this site and and have benifited so much from it. I occasionally pop over to places I've been in the past & if some one asks for help-knowing first hand I can give it just as I have received.
I am pleased to know I have chosen a guide that is so well likes and I know I will enjoy just as much. When I go Sept/October 2010 and can give first hand info-I will .
Thank you everyone for all your help-Chris
May 30th, 2009, 08:46 PM
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BenicaiaChris- I agree that if someone finds a guide that is good, it is only natural to mention it. I did a search on Tong for Bangkok and while I did find many people who mentioned Tong her, I did not see the same sort of posts and I certainly did not see numerous people mentioning her in the title of the posts as had happened here.
As someone else said (perhaps on another post, I can't remember) - by mentioning the name in the title, it makes it seem that the guide is more important than the location. And when you're talking about Egypt - I have a hard time with that. I went to many places without a guide (and later with a guide) and I have to say that the "wonder" of the place hit me whether the guide was there or not. I had done enough research to know what I was looking at, and the guide's information was just supplementary.
If Ahmed has made these people feel comfortable and safe and happy about their trips to Egypt (thereby encouraging others) - I am happy for that. But the extreme adoration that people feel for this person just baffles me.
As someone else said (perhaps on another post, I can't remember) - by mentioning the name in the title, it makes it seem that the guide is more important than the location. And when you're talking about Egypt - I have a hard time with that. I went to many places without a guide (and later with a guide) and I have to say that the "wonder" of the place hit me whether the guide was there or not. I had done enough research to know what I was looking at, and the guide's information was just supplementary.
If Ahmed has made these people feel comfortable and safe and happy about their trips to Egypt (thereby encouraging others) - I am happy for that. But the extreme adoration that people feel for this person just baffles me.
Jun 2nd, 2009, 09:10 AM
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Haven't checked this thread for some time but am amazed. I posted my report on Tripadvisor, Fodors and LP as I said I would do this to support Ahmed's services if I was satisfied...and I was very satisfied as were the folks I talked to in prep for our trip. I mainly used Tripadvisor for planning, as per my reference to those who helped me thru that site in my report. What's the beef with posting a report on a positive experience on other sites for travelers to read?
There is no malintent in any of the reports on Ahmed's services and if anyone's credibility is in question in all of this it is Grcxx3's who seems to be implicating that some conspiracy plot to advertise Ahmed's services exists amongst travelers who simply want to tell others about good work. Move on!!
Unfortunately there are some people who will argue forever using email as they don't actually have to deal with anyone face-to-face. The only effective way to deal with such an annoyance is to ignore it, as it will then splutter out and avoids you getting caught up in having to explain your actions to someone who ain't interested in your views.
I wanted to say my piece as one of the "advertisers" of Ahmed's excellent services but my approach to anything further from Grcxx3 will be exactly this approach...ignoring it.
There is no malintent in any of the reports on Ahmed's services and if anyone's credibility is in question in all of this it is Grcxx3's who seems to be implicating that some conspiracy plot to advertise Ahmed's services exists amongst travelers who simply want to tell others about good work. Move on!!
Unfortunately there are some people who will argue forever using email as they don't actually have to deal with anyone face-to-face. The only effective way to deal with such an annoyance is to ignore it, as it will then splutter out and avoids you getting caught up in having to explain your actions to someone who ain't interested in your views.
I wanted to say my piece as one of the "advertisers" of Ahmed's excellent services but my approach to anything further from Grcxx3 will be exactly this approach...ignoring it.
Jun 2nd, 2009, 10:03 AM
#34
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jbw - I am not the only one who has questioned praise-filled/complaint-filled posts by first-time posters - I just happened to be the "vocal" one on this post, but I have also acknowledged/apologized when shown to be wrong/mistaken.
I must have missed your post originally, but as I just read it - I liked it. You commented on how much Ahmed helped you but you didn't go overboard. While you didn't go into tons of details abot the things you saw, I got a good feel for the experience you had.
You also gave some great advice and made come valuable comments - like avoiding the Israeli stamp in your passport and avoiding getting sick, talking about the varying standards in accomodations, the "culture shock", the importantance of tipping the folks who help you, the difficulties of independent travel, the value of getting a a feel for the culture, and how safe you felt. The insanity of driving in Eypgt could be a whole post itself.
In short - it was a very well written, informative, and helpful report.
I am sorry that you feel my comments are worth "ignoring." While there are many people who have visited Egypt, there aren't that many on this board who have lived there. I guess that just gives us a slightly different perspective on things. I stated an opinion about something that irked me. Okay -I stated it rather strongly, but I guess that's because it "irked" me a lot!
I'm over it now......
I must have missed your post originally, but as I just read it - I liked it. You commented on how much Ahmed helped you but you didn't go overboard. While you didn't go into tons of details abot the things you saw, I got a good feel for the experience you had.
You also gave some great advice and made come valuable comments - like avoiding the Israeli stamp in your passport and avoiding getting sick, talking about the varying standards in accomodations, the "culture shock", the importantance of tipping the folks who help you, the difficulties of independent travel, the value of getting a a feel for the culture, and how safe you felt. The insanity of driving in Eypgt could be a whole post itself.
In short - it was a very well written, informative, and helpful report.
I am sorry that you feel my comments are worth "ignoring." While there are many people who have visited Egypt, there aren't that many on this board who have lived there. I guess that just gives us a slightly different perspective on things. I stated an opinion about something that irked me. Okay -I stated it rather strongly, but I guess that's because it "irked" me a lot!
I'm over it now......
Jun 2nd, 2009, 11:04 AM
#35
I am one of the others who was taken aback by the number of posts with Ahmed's name in the title. I agree that if you have a good guide it's natural to mention it, but when the same name shows up in the title of so many threads in such a short time, it does look questionable. I spend most of my time on the Europe and Asia boards, and we periodically have problems on the Asia board with guides self-advertising, seems that the situation may be a little different here.
Jun 3rd, 2009, 06:04 AM
#38
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Actually it is NOT UNUSUAL! I researched our upcoming safari on the internet and found many helpful trip reports here on Fodor’s. Many highlight the tour operator or guide in the subject line, for example search for Micato reports by LyndaS and others, trips by Selwyn, Good Earth and trips done by clients of travel agents who post here. I agree there are double standards and some trip reports are over the top but we should not fault anyone who is taking the time to write a detailed account of a trip. As others have said just ignore the posts you don’t like.
Thank you GMS09 for your report and guide recommendation! We want to visit Egypt but not on a guided tour and using a private guide is a good idea.
Thank you GMS09 for your report and guide recommendation! We want to visit Egypt but not on a guided tour and using a private guide is a good idea.
Jun 3rd, 2009, 06:51 AM
#39
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I think some regulars have questioned the validity of some of the topics because it seems like there are suddenly many trip reports with Ahmed's name in the title. It's not common on this forum for tour guides to be included in the subject line of trip reports. Some members might show concern or question the reports because of a desire to ensure that these forums remain advertising free so that they can continue to be a space for members to share their experiences and recommendations with other travelers.
We certainly appreciate everyone for sharing their experiences and writing a report. I know they take time (having written some myself) but I do think they go a long way in helping other travelers determine the kind of trip they'd like to take (maybe the kind you just took). I guess I'm just trying to explain where I think some members might be coming from.
We certainly appreciate everyone for sharing their experiences and writing a report. I know they take time (having written some myself) but I do think they go a long way in helping other travelers determine the kind of trip they'd like to take (maybe the kind you just took). I guess I'm just trying to explain where I think some members might be coming from.
