Itinerary Help! Revised- hit post too quickly!

Old Feb 14th, 2007, 07:21 AM
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Itinerary Help! Revised- hit post too quickly!

Hello- my husband and i are planning a trip to egypt. We are 33, from NYC, and i recently had surgery for kidney cancer and I'm happy to say i'm cancer free. When i was thinking about one of the places i wanted to go before i die- egypt was on the top of the list. I have done some research- but there's not a whole lot out there- so i'm hoping someone can help me a bit. Our most recent trips have been spain, costa rica, st. lucia. We are active and love the outdoors. A big concern of mine is pharaohtigue- i always try to do too much... and we like some beach time as well. We are very independent travelers- but want to be safe and understand we will likely need tours.

First, is it safe- my husband is a bit concerned- especially about going to sinai.

I especially had problems finding any info on intercountry flights- i can't find anything- if anyone has any sites - it would be greatly appreciated.

We are planning travel for May/June- this is the tenative itinerary

Day 1- arrive Sat at 11:45 plan to walk Islamic Cairo go to one or two of the mosques- felucca ride- Dinner Abu Al Said (i realize we'll probably have to pass on the egyptian museum for lack of time)

Questions- How late is the market open- which would you go to of Mosque of Ibn Tulin- Al Azhar Mosque-Alabaster Mosque (a.k.a. Mosque of Mohammed Ali). Do we need to hire a car?

Day 2- Pyramids- Dashur- Saqqara- Giza

Questions- Are we better off on a tour or hiring a driver? Can we do that when we get there- are there problems getting tickets at Giza? Should we switch hotels to stay in Giza

Day 3- Flight to Abu Simbel- High Dam- Obsilique- in afternoon and at night go to Philae Temple-

What is the best way to do it- is there a day tour that i can get from abu simbel- that will take me to aswan or am i better off (timingwise) flying in between and just getting a driver to take us to aswan and stop in these places. Is this reasonable for a day

Day 4- Fly to Luxor- East Bank

Day 5- West Bank

**I thought about doing a 3 night cruise- but i didn't see any that leave on Mondays

Day 6- 10 or 11- Sharm el Sheikh- snorkeling at Ras Mohammed, hiking relaxing

What is the easiest/fastest way- can I get there- possibly at night of day 5

We want to hike Mt sinai- possibly sunrise, see the monastery
Does it make sense to go to do this first before hitting the resort area- Na'ama Bay- is this area safe- hotel recommendations.

Also- i thought about doing a half day desert safari- possibly coloured canyon- has anyone done this- should i do this before heading to sharm while by mt sinai.

Other Questions:
1. Flight/travel times- will this be realistic
2. Should I switch hotels in cairo- one in town- one giza- if i'm leaving early in the morning
3. What can I do on my own/what to do on tour (it seems luxor can be done on your own? cairo- can i just get taxis between sites)
4. Restaurant recommendations in Luxor
5. Any recommended day tours- i haven't found much on that- will it be much more expensive to travel on my own
6. Snorkeling trip in Ras Mohammed recommendation for tours and for desert safari 1/2 day tour

Thanks for any help,
Julie
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Old Feb 14th, 2007, 07:52 AM
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Unless you're looking for a real budget trip, a la backpackers, the Thorntree site may provide better information for you.

If if the mid-range pricewise, there is a wealth of information on this broad about tour operator in the US or in Cairo who can assist you in planning an independent tour. Independent, in that while in Cairo they'll provide a guide and driver to get to the sites here. Arrange you flight tickets to/from Luxor or Aswan, find a Nile cruise boat that departs when you wish. Finally, get your to Sharm and arrange activities there. Except for your time on a Nile Cruise, which would be a shame to miss as there are many interesting stops along the way... the only place you may have your tours with other English speaking guests. On a small board, the group that goes ashore maybe 15 to 25/people. And it's good to have a guide who can explain this very interesting history. Having your nose in a guidebook isn't the best way to see these amazing temples.

A US-based operation that is good is Isram (located in NYC on 3rd Ave/41st St.) or Gate 1 (located in PA). Check their sites, specifically the tours, then the independent mini-packs that you can put together based on your wishes...contact them and see what they can do for you.
 
Old Feb 14th, 2007, 08:05 AM
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Its very easy to travel in Egypt. I have visited three times, never on a tour, and have had excellent success with hire taxis. While not always the nicest cars, the drives are reliable and the price is reasonable. You can certainly hire a taxi for a day trip to Giza, Memphis and Saqqara (perhaps best visited in reverse order).

I have also hired taxis to visit Luxor, and the rate was very fair to hire the taxi for the entire day.

I haven't been to Sinai, but its on my list.

Michael
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Old Feb 16th, 2007, 04:10 PM
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Hi! I'm a novice, too, but going in March. This site has been very helpful--Sunshine, are you there to respond to this lady?--and from this site I learned about Marian at GAT tours, gattours.com, who can help out a lot. From the little I know: intercountry air is Air Sinai, and I've read somewhere that it's difficult to arrange when you're there (no, there are no websites; it's a subsidairy of EgyptAir, but I spent ages trying to find a website and gave up). I'm flying to all places, including Abu Simbel rt from Aswan (it's a 4 hr. ride each way by van). I've heard that the Alabaster Mosque is fantastic,and I too plan to eat at Abu El Said on my first night. I also wonder whether or not a taxi/tour from a guide on the street is as good (I'm sure it will be cheaper) as arranging everything in advance, but unless someone responds quickly to this post (leaving Mr. 3), I'll basically be sticking with tour guides set up by Marian. About your kidney cancer, keep the faith! My husband had stage 4 in April '99 and is still going strong. Unfortunately, he put on so much weight (sort of as a "defense" against the disease--he lost a tremendous amount before he knew he had cancer) that he's really not fit for walking, so I'll be going alone. Have a great trip!
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Old Feb 18th, 2007, 08:21 PM
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Thanks for the replies. Glad to hear your husband is doing well mileagemaven. I'm making a final decision this week as to whether i'm doing a drug study - if not- then i'm booking my trip!

I did get a few replies from gattours- marian, and ladyegypt and eptours- some are giving me pckg prices some are breaking it down- i did see some of the intercountry flights on expedia- but that's about it.

The one that broke it down- some things seemed very expensive- any advice as to whether these are normal:
Pyramid tour w/guide for 6 hours and entrance fees- giza, sakkara, dashur $180; light show - $100 entrance fee and transportation at giza,
Nile cruise 3 nights $800 Travcotel or 5* Either M/S Royal Ruby, M/S Domina One, M/S Crowne Emperor or M/S Crowne Empress- they say this is 5*- not one i had heard of.

Also- is the high dam even still open- i had read somewhere it was now closed to tourists for security reasons.

Other main question- should i try to go to mt sinai before heading to na'ama bay or doing it at the end of the trip. Which makes more sense. Thanks for any input.
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Old Feb 20th, 2007, 05:59 PM
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It's funny how difficult it is to get prices broken down! I do remember Giza night show being quoted at $30 (p/p), and Marian found the Princess Sara for me, an independent 5 star, for a 3 night cruise, but I forget what it cost (definitely cheaper than others; I've heard there's a big discrepancy in quality between 5 stars as well, and I told Marian I definitely didn't want something ratty). Anyway, I fill you in when I get back. If you want the contact for my husband's immunotherapy program, just let me know!
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Old Aug 15th, 2007, 06:43 AM
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Hi mileagemave - I just read you used GAT when you went to Egypt in March. I have been corresponding with Ahmed of GAT to set up a 2 week trip Cairo-Abu Simbel-Aswan-Nile Cruise-Jordan next February. How do you rate their service and do they deliver what they promise? Because this is an Egyptian company, they require us to wire over the deposit. I want to make sure they are a reliable company. I am traveling with a group of friends and since I am arranging this trip, I want everything to go smoothly. Thanks.
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