justshootme

Just wondering if fodorites who have used LE for their Egypt trip have been taken to overpriced tourists shops by the guides who earn commission on your purchases. How much of a problem is this with LE?

Which are the best cities to buy souvenirs, in terms of price and selection. I will have some free time in Cairo, Luxor and Abu Simbel. The other places that I visit are Aswan and I travel on a Nile Cruise, however, I don't have any free time in Aswan and what little free time I may have on the Nile Cruise I think I'll need to recuperate from the hectic sightseeing schedule.

sf7307

We were also on a private tour with LE, and were taken to one papyrus shop, and they may have gotten a commission (I don't know, but I assume so), but we wanted to go there (I framed it, it looks great, and it's a wonderful reminder of our trip). We chose to skip all other shopping trips (alabaster in Luxor etc.) other than the markets in each city (Cairo, Luxor and Aswan), where we were on our own.

tinydancer

Most tours will take you to shops, and yes, they will get a commission. But no one pressures you to buy. We were glad they took us around. Sometimes we shopped, sometimes not. It's all part of the trip. The market at Abu Simbel had some nice things that I never saw anywhere else. Also, on the cruise there were all these little boats that came up to us and threw things onto the deck for us to look at and buy. When I heard about this I thought it sounded tacky, but it really was fun and some of us got really great bargains. If you see something you like, buy it, because you may not get a second chance. I wouldn't call this a 'problem'. It's hard to blame them for wanting to spread the wealth around and earn a bit extra. When you see how poor they are there, just try to be a little bit understanding and take it as it comes. When walking through a market, the shopkeepers will really 'hassle' you to come inside their shops. Once you get inside one, they get more gracious and businesslike. I think that until they get you inside, they are competing with each other for your time.

Grcxx3

<<Also, on the cruise there were all these little boats that came up to us and threw things onto the deck for us to look at and buy. When I heard about this I thought it sounded tacky, but it really was fun and some of us got really great bargains.>>

That was one of the funnest (a word???) times on the cruise! Since I was a "local" - I helped the other passengers with bargaining and my sons (the only kids on the cruise) helped with throwing the unwanted objects back to the boats. Their aim was much better than anyone else's!

P_M

OMG, that is one thing I really hate about tours. But Lady Egypt was MUCH better than most. We went to the Papyrus factory but I don't remember having any more shopping stops aside from that.

Casual_Cairo

No comment. If you want to know what I think of this practice, write to me off line.

sandi

We too found that stop right near Esna waiting our turn to go thru the locks, yes the "funnest" experience.

Our guide did make one stop somewhere, but we weren't interested and never urged to shop. All other shopping we did on our own, as we allowed ourselves time in Cairo to do so. Shoped while on Nile cruise, at our own pace, which almost had our boat departing without us... the captain came looking and he wasn't smiling. So do listen to announcement (or ask) when you have to be back on the boat whether just touring or getting sidetracked shopping.