SandraJoy

Will arrive in Safaga on cruise ship and would like a guide to meet my husband and I at the ship, take us to Luxor, where we will stay overnight and see the sights, and then get us back to the ship the next day when we sail at 6PM.. We have Starwood points and would like to use them at the Sheraton in Luxor.

We'd like an English speaking guide with an air conditioned vehicle, someone with knowledge of the history of VOTK and the temples. We may have one or two couples join us, if a van is available.

We will also need similar service in Jordan to go to Petra from the ship...but not an overnight.

Thanks in advance for any help, names of tour companies or guides to contact, etc.

MissGreen

I have just returned from a fabulous trip to Egypt and Luxor. Our guide in Luxor, Aswan and on the Nile Cruise was Aamer Ibrahim. He can be contacted on [email protected]. Aamer lives in Luxor. I cannot speak highly enough of Aamer. He looked after us superbly during our many days with him and my husband. We are Australian and we found Aamer's English to be fabulous and easy to understand.

Aamer was very knowledgeable about the sites that he took us to. He was so passionate about ancient Egypt and the history. He was so proud to share all of the details of his fabulous country. He arranged many activities for us in advance and also on the spur of the moment. He did not rush us through our sightseeing.. he took his time to make sure we thoroughly enjoyed and understood everything we were seeing. Not only was he a fabulous guide, but he was a wonderful host and looked after us so well and was respectful. He had a great sense of humour, was very easy to talk to. Nothing was too much trouble. He will be able to arrange a van or anything you want. If I had asked him to walk for 2 hours to get me something from a store that I really wanted, he would of done that. One evening at 1 am, there was a noisy room above us so I called reception to ask them to have the people above quieten down. I told Aamer the next day about what I did and he told me that I should of called him and he would of dealt with it. I said I didnt want to wake him at that late hour and he said he did not care for he was there to make sure I had a fabulous time.

If I went back to Egypt (and I so want to go tomorrow), I would pay 5 times the price of what I paid the first time in Luxor just to have Aamer back. I was that happy.

SandraJoy

Thanks, Miss Green,I will contact your guide. Perhaps he has
ideas about transportation from the port in Safaga to Luxor and back so that we can use his services in Luxor. He sounds
incredible.

SandraJoy

Thanks, I'll do that. Did you also stop in Sharm for Cairo?
We, too, are on Nautica and the trip into Cairo sounds like a
lot of bus travel and not much time in Cairo. Did you use a
private tour for that also?

sf7307

Docking in Sharm El Sheikh in order to tour Cairo would be like docking in Santa Barbara to tour San Francisco, or docking in Norfolk, VA to tour Manhattan. It just makes no sense at all.

scotsgirl

Agree with you sf7307 even I dont know the distance between those US cities but it sounds like a long way!!

I do know though that Sharm to Cairo is not an easy journey if you are not flying. So take the advice from sf7307 sandrajoy and dont even attempt it unless you are flying.

I think in one of your other posts Casual Cairo has been recommended to you to try for these off boat tours, you should let her help you to work it all out.

Scotsgirl

sf7307

<<<Agree with you sf7307 even I dont know the distance between those US cities but it sounds like a long way!!>>>

How about Edinburgh to Leicester? Cardiff to Newcastle Upon Tyne? For that matter, Amsterdam to London is only a few miles more than Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo

scotsgirl

Now that IS A LONG WAY!!

Thanks Sf7307 for translating that into UK Distances

Scotsgirl

scotsgirl

Now that IS A LONG WAY!!

Thanks Sf7307 for translating that into UK Distances

Scotsgirl

SandraJoy

Oops! We do stop in Sharm but that's not the port for Cairo...the ship doubles back and 5 days after Safaga,
docks at Port Said. We're there for 1 day, and then head to Alexandria. I'll look for a guide/driver to take us to Cairo,
where we'll stay overnight, and then return to Alexandria the
next late afternoon. Checked with Casual Cairo already and
they have no services in Luxor or Port Said. Any other suggestions??

Axel2DP

Have you check with Lady Egypt?

BeniciaChris

In Petra I can reccomend Bashar Herzalla [email protected]
Used by other Fodorites & a wonderful guide.Have fun-Chris

TravellerB

Check with Le Caire Travel, was great

Egypt_advisor

Hi Sandra,
about taking a bus or fly from sharm to Cairo ....this is not good at all ,as the time to get to Cairo is 5 hours by bus,1 hour flying ....so it's better to take it form portsaid and do overnight tour and next day go to Alexandria to your ship...but you need to be there 2 hours before your leaving..
check with ...Dola..([email protected])...if he is not booked ,may be he can help