Greetings,
Got some good advice from previous questions.
Hope we can continue. See previous message board please.
Anyone used "eastmar travel"?
Or
Stayed at the four* Helnan Sheperd Hotel? How about M/S 5* RA II @ $45. per person per night?
Lastly, Is $280. per person out of line for round trip flights Cairo-Luxor-cairo?
This once in a lifetime trip is getting interesting.
Thanks for your thoughts.
georgeok

$280 seems very high. They do have two prices, Egyptian and non-Egyptian, but that still sounds high. An Egyptian would pay maybe$100

I just checked my ticket stubs (they're in my photo album) and we paid for Cairo/Aswan/Luxor/Cairo $290; and Aswan/AbuSimbel/Aswan $85. So I guess $280 Cairo/Luxor/Cairo is in line.

Granted our trip was in '99, but it seems the intra-Egypt prices haven't changed at all.

Dear sandi and missscarlett,
Kindest regards and sincere thanks for your responses.
We still expect to arrive Cairo mid Sept. Any other thoughts for this 70 yr. old couple and our grand adventure will be most welcome.
georgeo

Georgeok, be prepared to walk, walk, walk! It is a fabulous place. I went with A & K Jan 2004 and it was my trip of a lifetime! We were constantly on the go and we didn't miss a thing. We even got to see the tomb of Merruket, a place very few tourists go. You will learn a lot if you are on a guided tour with a guide that loves his work. Ours did. Have fun!

Georgeok - Traveling in September it'll still be hot even in Cairo, definitely when you travel to Luxor, along the Nile, Aswan and Abu Simbel if you go here. Wear comfortable walking shoes as there is lots of uneven ground, but walkable.

Mid-day you probably won't be touring -it's just too hot, so take advantage to sleep, sit around the pool, stay as cool as possible. Do drink plenty of water which is available everywhere and relatively inexpensive. You can get bottled water on the boat, but often before boarding, there are young men selling at a less expensive price - buy from them. Try to get some small bottles which are easier to carry; the big bottles can be kept chilled in refrig in your cabin. Turn the temperature as low as it will go. Then refill the small bottles from the big every time you leave hotel, boat or wherever.

Do wear a hat, use sunscreen on exposed skin. If you are traveling independently with this tour operator (just the two of you) and want a rest, just tell your guide as they will be agreeable. If with a group, don't hesitate to mention maybe wanting a rest, if indeed you need one; realize that with a group it might not be as easy, but you can usually find a place to rest in the shade.

It will be very hot in the Valley of K&Q and surrounding sites in Luxor and it'll be an early wake-up to be on your way there by 6am, then back to boat to cool off, not out again until later in the afternoon, that's the basic schedule throughout the trip. You will have a wonderful time.

Why not take the overnight train to Luxor? US$50 each way per person, including dinner and breakfast. And by doing that, you save a night of hotel each way! Best thing is that you save time. I took it in 1995 and enjoyed it.

Granted, if I remember correctly, you sleep on bunkbeds, but unless both of you have trouble climbing up to your bed, I think the train is the best way to go from Cairo to Luxor. [Or you can buy two single-cabin tickets, for $20 more each, so that you can have two lower berths. I believe they can open up a door to link two cabins together.]

http://www.sleepingtrains.com/