Need Help with Tour Companies, Please?
Jul 31st, 2007, 03:45 PM
#1
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Need Help with Tour Companies, Please?
Hello All,
I am a 40+ female solo traveller planning my first trip to Egypt and Jordan. While there, my intent is to visit/do:
Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, a Nile Cruise, Abu Simbel, a climb up Mt. Sinai, the Dead Sea and Petra and Amman.
(In other words, the hot spots...)
I also plan to be gone for no more than 17-18 nights.
While adventurous, my thinking is to be a part of a tour group this time around, instead of going the totally independent route (which is what I normally do). I would also prefer the tour group size to be smaller (max of 15-20) and really would prefer to be with those who are around my age (I know I don't have control over that, though). Accomodations do not have to be super luxurious, but I am not a "Motel 6" type of person, either.
I've been reading all the threads regarding tour operators and wonder if anyone has had recent experiences with tour companies that have provided excellent customer service to these two locations? Also, has anyone heard or travelled with Imaginative Traveller, A-Z Egypt, Sunnyland Tours or Suneast Tours?
Any help given would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
I am a 40+ female solo traveller planning my first trip to Egypt and Jordan. While there, my intent is to visit/do:
Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, a Nile Cruise, Abu Simbel, a climb up Mt. Sinai, the Dead Sea and Petra and Amman.
(In other words, the hot spots...)
I also plan to be gone for no more than 17-18 nights.
While adventurous, my thinking is to be a part of a tour group this time around, instead of going the totally independent route (which is what I normally do). I would also prefer the tour group size to be smaller (max of 15-20) and really would prefer to be with those who are around my age (I know I don't have control over that, though). Accomodations do not have to be super luxurious, but I am not a "Motel 6" type of person, either.
I've been reading all the threads regarding tour operators and wonder if anyone has had recent experiences with tour companies that have provided excellent customer service to these two locations? Also, has anyone heard or travelled with Imaginative Traveller, A-Z Egypt, Sunnyland Tours or Suneast Tours?
Any help given would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Jul 31st, 2007, 05:13 PM
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Overseas Adventure Travel would cover all of those locations, except the Mt. Sinai/Dead Sea portion. I did their Egypt trip in March 2002 and enjoyed it.
oattravel dot com
If you really wanted to do the Mt. Sinai portion, perhaps you could do you own "pre trip" extension to that location. I'm sure someone here on the Board would have recommendations.
oattravel dot com
If you really wanted to do the Mt. Sinai portion, perhaps you could do you own "pre trip" extension to that location. I'm sure someone here on the Board would have recommendations.
Jul 31st, 2007, 10:55 PM
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Try intrepid travel www.intrepidtravel.co.uk
I, like you have travelled independently but have found in some destinations like Egypt group travel works. They do diffeent style of travel, this time to Egypt I on their Basix package which is all the hassle with arranging travel between point taken care off as well as the accomodation (not luxury), but you organise the itinerary whilst there. You then move on to the next point.
Groups are from 2-12 max
I, like you have travelled independently but have found in some destinations like Egypt group travel works. They do diffeent style of travel, this time to Egypt I on their Basix package which is all the hassle with arranging travel between point taken care off as well as the accomodation (not luxury), but you organise the itinerary whilst there. You then move on to the next point.
Groups are from 2-12 max
Aug 3rd, 2007, 10:42 AM
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I went on the OAT tour of Egypt in Feb/March, and did the pretrip to Jordan.
I really enjoyed the tour, and made some great new friends. I'd highly recommend it.
They won't let you do your own "pre-trip"--they have some weird rules. But you could request a solo extension at the end and travel on your own. I'd recommend that anyway--by then you'll be used to Egypt and feel more comfortable getting around by yourself.
The OAT tours do a pre- or post- trip to Jordan depending on which way you are cruising on the Nile. The web site kind of explains it, but call them for more help figuring it out.
I really enjoyed the tour, and made some great new friends. I'd highly recommend it.
They won't let you do your own "pre-trip"--they have some weird rules. But you could request a solo extension at the end and travel on your own. I'd recommend that anyway--by then you'll be used to Egypt and feel more comfortable getting around by yourself.
The OAT tours do a pre- or post- trip to Jordan depending on which way you are cruising on the Nile. The web site kind of explains it, but call them for more help figuring it out.
Aug 3rd, 2007, 11:25 AM
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We did our own "breakaway" at the end of our OAT Tanzania trip, going to Zanzibar. I think they charged us $50 pp to do that, which was reasonable. If you can go to Jordan as a pre-trip extension, then you should be able to do your own "breakaway", perhaps finding a short tour to Mt. Sinai, etc.
