AZEBS

We had a wonderful trip, expertly arranged by Ahmed Hamed Yousif (email: [email protected]). Since we found him recommended on this website, and have had questions about the initial brief post about our trip, I wanted to lay out our itinerary with comments.

First, a confession -

My husband and I have been to Africa on safari 10 times; we went to India just a month after 9/11, AND I had been at the World Trade Center on 9/11 – so we’re not sissies. We’ve traveled all over the world, but we had been a little nervous and concerned about going to Egypt. When I unexpectedly found out in February that I had to be in London in late April, I called our good friends and said “Let’s take a private trip to Egypt and let’s do it now, because you never know what the future holds.” We’re not group tour people, because our one and only group tour proved that just one person can negatively impact the experience for everyone. We also don’t like the fast pace that so many groups take.

So the four of us (two couples) jumped into the travel forums, websites, and books and tried to sort out our options. The Internet is truly a blessing and a curse. We also looked at suggested tour itineraries and read as many magazine articles and guide books as we could.

Our friends researched Egypt (they even watched The Teaching Company’s entire 24 hour lesson series on ancient Egypt, taught by Bob Brier of Long Island University – a renowned Egyptian scholar) to make sure we covered all the important sites and could evaluate the recommendations we were seeking. We checked out security alert websites about safety issues. We vetted several top U.S. tour companies who specialize in Egypt, and we ultimately found Ahmed’s name, often referenced and highly regarded by his customers on this and other travel websites.

I contacted 2 of the bloggers directly and got a wealth of information on him and their trips. See especially the Egypt/Jordan travel blog and photos by ElizabethS from Toronto. She has done a spectacular job of not just describing her trip, but also illustrating it with her husband’s wonderful photos. http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/l...iro/index.html

After weighing all the options and proposals, even though we really respected the top ranked U.S. companies who specialize in Egypt, and even though we started out thinking it might be better to engage a U.S. based firm, we decided to choose Ahmed for these 4 reasons:

1) He made very cogent recommendations, different than the US based companies and thereby demonstrated his “edge” based on his knowledge of Egypt as a local.
2) He would be there on the ground in Egypt if we had any problems. We wouldn’t be trying to call someone half a world and 6-8 time zones away.
3) His reputation as a flexible guide, Egyptologist, a delightful companion and concerned travel planner who would not only plan, but actually guide us for part of the trip, was very appealing.
4) His focus on our safety pleased us since this was in the back of our minds.
5) And not least of all was the fact that his price was 20-30% less than the other companies for the same trip. It was quite a significant amount for 19 nights (15 in Egypt and 4 in Jordan) with 5 Star accommodations.

We appreciated the value he offered – luxury at a fair price coupled with a respected local Egyptologist advising us and making our arrangements – so after much deliberation Ahmed trumped the other companies and we booked with him.

We now feel very foolish that we waited so long to visit Egypt. Never once did we feel threatened or unwanted as Americans, which truly surprised us. And we’re very glad we booked with Ahmed. The trip exceeded our expectations and he delivered more than he promised, surprising us with extras and flexibility along the way.

If you’d like to see our pictures that only scratch the surface of our trip, click here:
http://gallery.mac.com/beth.smith - 100014

Now about the trip . . .

We flew from the U.S. and stayed in London a few days on business, before departing for Cairo. While we were in London we headed to the British Museum to get a head start by seeing the Rosetta Stone in their Egyptian exhibition. We also saw a Ramses II statue from Abu Simbel, Cleopatra’s mummy (not the famous Cleopatra of Caesar and Mark Anthony fame). Our friends later flew to London and overnighted with us at Heathrow so we could all fly in together.

Our foursome ranges in age from late 50’s to a very young 70, and we all appreciated the ability to ease into Egypt. It also allowed us to take the British Midland Airways flight from London that gets into Cairo mid-afternoon instead of the British Airways flight that gets in at midnight.

We spent longer in Cairo than necessary, because I had to be in London first and could not leave for Cairo until a Wednesday. Since we wanted to cruise from Aswan to Luxor on the Sonesta Star Goddess, we had to work around their Friday-only departure schedule. We didn’t want to fly straight to Aswan, so we spent the extra time leisurely exploring Cairo. Cairo could be done in 3 or 4 nights, but we don’t like to burn out on a destination by trying to cram too much into each day. Slow travel with multiple nights in a location suits us after many years of trying out faster options. We don’t like to spend our entire vacation packing and unpacking.

Day 1 Arrival. We were met at Cairo International Airport by Ahmed Hamed Yousif and another representative who very quickly got our baggage and entry visas to Egypt. They accept US dollars here and everwhere, and it’s $15 for the visa. No long lines for us, no waiting behind tour groups. Ahmed has this down pat.

We were driven in a new air-conditioned minivan to the Mena House Oberoi Hotel where we had renovated rooms overlooking the Pyramids and the gardens for 3 nights. We had originally requested Ahmed to book us at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza for the entire stay. He told us that he thought we would enjoy the ambience of the Mena House and waking up to the pyramids while we eased into our Egypt trip. So we decided to split the stay, 3 nights at the Four Seasons and 3 nights at the Mena House. I’m so glad he pushed, because the Mena House with our pyramid view rooms was our favorite hotel in all of Egypt.

While we sat in the lounge relaxing with drinks, Ahmed and his representative got us our rooms as promised. So many people post that they book their own rooms, but we saw situations in several nice hotels where the hotel had “mysteriously lost” the reservation and were fully booked. That’s where someone like Ahmed really earns his keep – getting the best rooms and guaranteeing you’ll be accommodated. We spent the balance of the afternoon getting settled in, walking the gardens at the Mena House and looking at the Pyramids from our room and the hotel grounds. We ate dinner in their Indian Restaurant - the Moghul Room, and the food was great. Be sure to make a reservation as this restaurant is always filled. We ate there 2 times in 3 days.

Day 2. We took the morning and early afternoon off. The Mena House Oberoi has a lovely pool area with landscaping and birds. They are renovating a wing of the hotel so there were periods of noise throughout the day. This wing under renovation borders a very busy street with no views on the street side, so be sure to specify Pyramid and/or Garden View. We could have walked across the street to the Pyramids, but the touts are extremely aggressive there, so we decided to wait and tour the area with Ahmed the next day. In the late afternoon we drove into Cairo and Ahmed arranged a lovely felucca excursion on the Nile from the marina next to the Hyatt and across the street from the Four Seasons Nile Plaza. We then drove to Al Azhar Park to see where Egyptians go as families for a stroll in the park. The views are stunning with all of Cairo laid out below you. We had a nice dinner at the Citadel View Restaurant in the park. We were very lucky that the skies were clear and there was practically no smog. It’s not always the case since Cairo is the largest city in Africa with 17 million residents.

Day 3. We had a morning guided tour of The Egyptian Museum in Cairo. If you’re used to the Metropolitan Museum in NY or the British Museum in London, get ready for a shock. It’s got amazing treasures in a non-air conditioned old building. There are plans to replace it eventually with a modern facility near the Giza pyramids.

Ahmed arranged our schedule to minimize traffic delays from the Mena House into Cairo – at best a 20-minute ride. Since Friday is the Islamic “Sunday”, traffic was light. He expertly guided us to the most important treasures and then allowed us time to explore on our own. We then drove back to Giza and had lunch at an Egyptian restaurant near the Pyramids. Then we had a guided tour of the Giza Pyramids, The Sphinx, and the Solar Boat, etc. We chose not to go down into the Pyramid here, since Ahmed recommended that we wait until the next day to enter the Red Pyramid, because it would be much less crowded.

If you choose to do the Giza pyramids by yourself, beware of jumping on a camel with a friendly tout without first negotiating the price. They have been known to take you to the back of the pyramids away from other tourists and then turn exceedingly less friendly. Ahmed protected us a lot from the constant badgering of the touts. We learned that it’s best to just ignore them and not to respond or say “no thanks”. The minute you talk to them, they stick like glue, and they often use children to get through your defenses. Trust me – just ignore them and don’t get angry.

We asked Ahmed to take us to look at papyrus paintings and for cartouche necklaces with our names in hieroglyphs for ourselves and for gifts. The place he took us did a wonderful job at a very inexpensive price. Ahmed picked these up for us when they were ready and brought them to our hotel when he picked us up for touring. They also made a scarab ring for my husband overnight and delivered it separately to our hotel. The price was very low, and I bought silver, silver with gold hieroglyphs, and 18kt. gold cartouches as gifts. The price ranged from $10 - $200. We also bought a couple of papyrus paintings, with the aged papyrus look. -- a nice permanent memory of the trip. Just be sure you get papyrus, and not banana leaves. Papyrus is flexible and doesn’t break when it is folded. And don’t forget to negotiate the price.

Be clear with your guide in advance what interest you have (or don’t have) in shopping and sightseeing. We saw hundreds of tour buses stopping at every papyrus, hieroglyph, carving, inlay, and you-name-it “museum” (read “shop”) in sight for their commissions. We met travelers who complained their guides “force marched” them through many shops and skimped on the sights. It’s a great reason to have your own private trip, as “forced” shopping is a waste of your valuable time in this incredible country filled with treasures.

Day 4. We checked out of the Mena House in the morning and took a trip to the countryside to visit The Step Pyramid of Sakkara and Memphis. It’s a very interesting drive and was our first chance to see people in small towns and at work in the rural areas. It’s also amazing to see the Sahara draw its “line of death” to the green fields and date palms. We had lunch at a countryside Egyptian restaurant followed by visit to the Dahshur Pyramids: The Bent Pyramid, The Red Pyramid and had a distant view of The Pyramid of Amenemhet III and The Collapsed Pyramid. In contrast to the pyramids at Giza, these pyramids have very few visitors and you can go down into two of them (the Red pyramid and the Titi pyramid) without all the crowds. The Red Pyramid is just slightly smaller than the pyramid of Khufu at Giza (it was built by Khufu’s father), and is the first successful attempt at building a true smooth sided pyramid – the model used at Giza. Before the Egyptians mastered the art of pyramids, they had some failures – so if you can, it’s worthwhile to see the Collapsed Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. One warning, your thighs will pay you back for the next two days if you go down into the Red Pyramid. The descent is quite steep and narrow with wooden braces (don’t wear a skirt, this is a pants kind of place). It’s great to see the corbelled (step), ceiling which has a height of about 40 feet.

We checked into the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel in the late afternoon for 3 nights and had dinner at Bella, their Italian restaurant. It was a nice change from the diet of Indian food and Egyptian food we had been having. Bella is a lovely restaurant with excellent service and is moderately priced (by Four Seasons standards). It also has a lovely view of the Nile.

As a side note, the Egyptian meals we had consisted of a complimentary first course of “salads” – hummus, tahini, baba ghanous (pureed roasted eggplant – one of our favorites), and other grilled vegetables and salad dishes. This was always our favorite course. Then you order chicken, beef, or fish (sometimes) – usually it’s simply grilled with potatoes or rice and served with hot pita bread. We stuck with the theory of “peel it, cook it, or forget it.” We like to think we are adventurous eaters, but when we travel, we don’t want “mummy tummy” which is common even in 5* locations in Egypt. Only one of our party of 4 got it, and we think it was because he ate lots of the lightly grilled tomatoes at the Mena House breakfast buffet. It’s the only thing the rest of us pretty much avoided.

Ahmed had warned us about not drinking the water and the potential food issues (use bottled water for tooth brushing and drinking, use no ice in drinks, and avoid uncooked vegetables and unpeeled fruit). We decided to buy the Antinal he recommended as soon as we arrived to have in case of an emergency (it’s a pill that is described on the package as an anti-bacterial and one website describes it as an antibiotic – it’s not just a super form of Immodium). It was a good decision and it works. It’s not available in the U.S. Ahmed took us to a local pharmacy to buy it for $1 over the counter without a prescription. Take it on the first indication of problems (dizziness, nausea, fatigue). Check it out online before you go to be sure you have no problems with the ingredients, in case you need do need it. It can save a chunk of your vacation.

Day 5. Tour of Old Islamic Cairo: We visited The Citadel, The Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali, Ibn Tulun Mosque & the Gayer Anderson Museum. All were interesting. Then we walked through the Khan El Khalily Market. Just be aware that most of the souvenirs there are made in China or India. Buy it if you like it, and for what it’s worth to you. Negotiate by offering 30 – 50% less. If they let you walk away, you know your price is too low.

In the market I bought a CD there by Oum Kolthoum (spelled in various ways) whom Maria Callas called “The Incomparable Voice”. (I’m listening to her as I’m writing this -- she’s an icon in Egypt, but Egyptian music is an acquired taste from my sampling). The market has vendors who sell spices, t-shirts, shoes, trinkets, scarves, and a ton of touristy things. We took the late afternoon off. Our trip was in May and it was hot in the afternoon (as high as 90F in Cairo, and well over 100 in Abu Simbel, Aswan and Luxor), so we often went out in the mornings until lunch, and then again in the late afternoon. We had a dust storm blow through Cairo this afternoon. It was truly amazing to see the sky turn dark as sand swirled by our 27th floor aerie at the Four Seasons.

Day 6. Morning tour of Coptic Cairo: Coptic Museum, The Hanging Church, The Serguis Church where Jesus, Mary & Joseph may have been sheltered when fleeing King Herod. We also visited the Synagogue of Ben Ezra, which marks the place where the Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses in the reeds.

We took the afternoon off. We used the Four Seasons fitness club and enjoyed the pool area in the late afternoon. It’s a gorgeous hotel. We strolled along the Nile and did some people watching. In the evening we walked across the street and had a casual dinner at the Hyatt Hotel’s Italian restaurant, which was just days after the newly imposed “no alcohol” rule by the Saudi sheik who owns it. We do understand the Hard Rock Café next door is under separate management and does still sell alcohol. We just had pizza and simple pasta, and the food was good. Funny how you miss a glass of wine or a beer when you know you can’t have it. Forbidden pleasure, I guess.

Continued below . . .

AZEBS

Continued from above . . .

Day 7. We had an early morning check out of the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel and took Egypt Air to Abu Simbel. Again we were immediately met by local representatives who got our bags and drove us and our guide to the Seti Abu Simbel Hotel and our lake view rooms. It’s a basic hotel, but the best option in Abu Simbel. It’s clean, with decent food and colorful flame trees overlooking the lake (they were in full bloom in May). Most people don’t overnight here. Egypt Air sells the flights as a concession (like a tour) and has fixed departure and return packages. Because we had read that the flights were sometimes delayed and people had to rush through this important temple complex, we decided to overnight to guarantee we saw it well. Ahmed was able to get us seats on the left side of the plane, and as we were landing we got our first glimpse through the window.

Since I was 12 years old and read National Geographic about efforts to move the temple to save it from Lake Nasser, as it was being filled by the New Aswan Dam, I had wanted to see it. It was well worth the overnight and I thought it was the most impressive temple we saw (but maybe I’m showing favoritism). It was very hot (over 100 degrees) so we waited until late afternoon when it was cooler and shaded to have a tour of the two temples, King Ramses II and Queen Nefertari. Most photos focus only on the Ramses Temple, but in the Nefertai Temple we saw the “profession of love” wall painting. It was the image that we had bought on papyrus in Cairo. Ramses lived long and had many wives, but he loved Nefertari above all others, and you see him handing her a lotus flower in this painting – you’ll hear a lot about the importance of the lotus in ancient Egyptian culture.

We stayed for the Sound & Light Show at 8pm. It’s done by a French company similarly to the ones at the chateaux in the Loire Valley. The public address language is French, but they provide headphones for a variety of languages including English. It was very nice, but you end the day at 9pm and then head back to your hotel for a late dinner. It was a long day starting with an early flight, but worth it. Get a nap mid-day if you decide to stay over.

Day 8. Early Flight to Aswan. I wish we could have had a later flight option, but we booked our trip late and all the later flights were sold out. Forget about shoulder season comments, it doesn’t appear to exist any more. Since it is difficult for people from Arab countries to get a visa to the U.S. and UK, they are now going to Egypt for R&R. So in addition to the French, Russian, Japanese, German and American tourists, there are plenty of wealthy Arabs in Egypt. If it had been possible, I would have gone for an early visit to Abu Simbel to enjoy it in the morning light (for photographers, the light is on the temple complex in the morning, at least it is in May). Next time we’ll start booking well in advance.

We arrived in Aswan mid-morning and with our guide and driver again were effortlessly whisked through the airport and to the Basma Hotel where we had a suite with large terrace. We visited the Nubian Museum in the late morning. It’s a very modern and well laid out museum. There were lots of interesting artifacts and dioramas in this museum, and it’s air-conditioned. We had lunch at the Basma hotel on the lovely restaurant terrace overlooking the Nile, the hills across the river, and the Aga Khan’s tomb.

A side note on hotels in Aswan and Luxor – these two cities especially are desperate for more hotels. Several were undergoing restoration (including Aswan’s Old Cataract Hotel of Agatha Christie fame) and some are just poorly managed. So plan early to get a good option. The Basma is nice, the rooms are clean and it’s well managed. It was nice to have the extra space of the small living area and large terrace. There’s a large pool for cooling off in the afternoons. You see Arab fathers with children, but only western women at the pool. Remember to be respectful of their culture, and they will return the favor. Namely – be discreet in your dress when you are out side of the hotels. Leave the tube tops at home. People will treat you with respect if you respect this conservative culture.

We also enjoyed watching the birds in the small Basma Hotel garden in the early morning – hoopoes raising young in a crack in the wall and sunbirds feeding on the hibiscus around the restaurant’s terrace. The Basma is perched high on a hill, so the views are very good.

We really liked Aswan. It’s a manageable size, it’s prosperous and there is plenty to do. We stayed at the Basma for 2 nights and stayed in Aswan for 3 total (3rd night was our first night on the cruise ship which stays in port for the first night). The islands at the Aswan (1st) Cataract make a lovely addition to the scenery.

Day 9. We had great fun taking the camel excursion to St. Simeon’s Monastery across the Nile from our hotel. It’s not that the monastery is so fabulous; it’s more about the camel trekking to it. It’s great fun and a great photo op time. The caretaker walked us through the ruins and explained the function of different areas, with our guide translating and the caretaker doing an elaborate pantomime of cooking, bathing, praying, etc. The caretaker was a hoot and really earned a good tip. Do it early morning in the hot months. In the late afternoon we did a felucca sailing excursion around the islands in the Nile including Elephantine Island for an hour or so to enjoy the cool of the river, and then we had dinner at a local restaurant on one of the islands. The local restaurants are simple and inexpensive. We spent the middle of the day in the Basma Hotel pool and lunching in the terrace area. In the late afternoon we walked through the Aswan market, which is much less frantic than the Khan El Khalily Market in Cairo.

Day 10. We checked out of the Basma Hotel, and then during the morning we toured the Aswan High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, and the Philae Temple (highly recommended – reached by boat). The temple is another amazing story of UNESCO helping Egypt save it from the inundation caused by the Aswan Dam. It really is very impressive. We boarded the Sonesta Star Goddess for our 3-night cruise and had a late lunch and dinner on board. The cruise ship was very well managed and our suites were very nice.

Tips on cruising the Nile:

-There are hundreds of ships that traverse the Nile, but only about 10 of them are luxury ships.
-If you start in Luxor, you are going upstream as the Nile flows south to north and it takes 4 nights minimum. You don't see any more sights than on the 3 night cruise.
-In May (and maybe other months as well) the schedule required us to wait until a Friday for the departure. They don't depart daily.
-The first night was spent in Aswan in dock and the last night was spent in Luxor in dock. There is only 1 full day of cruising.
-Since there are so many boats, they link up to each other, so if you are on a lower priced cruise, you may end up the first at the dock, with your window looking at the dock or at another ship that is linked to you. We were the outside boat in a link of 4, so we enjoyed a Nile view the entire time at dock.
-Not all ships have a balcony for each room. We really enjoyed being able to step out on our private balcony when we weren't up on the top deck.
-The only 2 stops on the route were Kom Ombo and Edfu, as the other stops were in dock at Aswan and at Luxor.
-It was a great relaxing break with excellent food and service on the all-suite ship we took.

Day 11. We cruised first to Kom Ombo to visit Temple of Two Gods. We enjoyed seeing the countryside en route with fishermen and farmers hard at work. The ship moves quickly in its downstream (south to north) direction. Kom Ombo is very beautiful and just steps from where the ship docks. Again there were touts galore at the dock. I broke down and bought a shawl. We then cruised on to Edfu and had a Caleche (horse & carriage) ride to tour the Temple of Horus at Edfu. It’s hard not to feel bad for the horses working so hard in this hot climate. Don’t let them race your horse through the streets, because you’ll get an interesting look at the café society of the locals (men) sitting and having coffee while smoking shisha (flavored tobacco in a water pipe). The ship departed late afternoon, and we cruised throughout the night, moving through the locks late into the evening.

Day 12. We cruised into Luxor this morning. Our ship did not dock in “downtown” Luxor. We were out of town and would have needed a taxi to get to Luxor if we hadn’t had our guide and car. We had a private guide with us throughout the cruise and were very glad we did. Normally the cruise ships provide a guide for each language/nationality on board. There was only one other English-speaking group, which was a huge extended family of 16 with 3 loud babies. We would have had to share the ship’s guide with them. Take your own guide on the ship. You’ll be glad you did.

We first toured the West bank. In ancient Egypt, the tombs were all built on the west side because the day “died” in the west, swallowed by the goddess Nutt. People lived on the East Bank where the sun was reborn each morning. In the Valley of the Kings you never know what tombs are open until you get there. They can change daily as they do repairs. So go prepared with a list of your favorites and be flexible. Almost everyone chooses to go see King Tut’s tomb, but all the major Tut treasures are in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo or touring the U.S. and Europe. Even though we know a lot about King Tut because his tomb was discovered intact, he was a very insignificant Pharaoh, who only ruled for 7 years, so his tomb was built hastily and is not impressive. It’s very interesting to see the tombs, and brings all we’ve read about to life, but it’s a sardine packed experience with chest to back tourists. We were told that eventually they will close all the tombs and take people through a “recreated” exhibition, since the breath of the tourists, subterranean water damage, and the climate are wreaking damage on the paintings on the walls.

We also toured Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple in the Valley of the Queens on the way out of the Valley of the Kings, and stopped for a quick photo at the Colossi of Memnon.

The last night on the ship is a top-deck barbeque and combination djellabah party (a good excuse to get tourists to buy these garishly decorated garments that no respectable Egyptian would be caught dead in). We decided against dressing up, but many others on board did and seemed to have a very good time with it.

Day 13. We departed the Sonesta Star Goddess in the morning after breakfast and moved to the Al Moudira Hotel on Luxor’s West Bank for 3 nights. Before going to the hotel, we visited the Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak. They are both very impressive sights and rank among our favorites. It’s hard to imagine that the temples once were linked to each other. What an awesome sight it must have been! Allow some time to enjoy them. We took the late afternoon off since we were going to do an early and all-day trip the next day.

Some comments about Al Moudira. It was recommended by both of the U.S. travel companies we had vetted. But Ahmed warned us that many of his clients who had stayed there were disappointed. We should have listened to him. First, it’s a long way out of Luxor – 30-45 minutes because they control the speed in and out of the Valley of the Kings and around Luxor. It is very isolated and there is nothing to do except to sit by the pool. There is nothing to do at night other than have dinner. The TV did not receive any English channels. Internet access is limited to a single computer in an unairconditioned room that is on a very slow dial up connection that times out regularly. It’s in the middle of a farm community and there are quite a lot of mosquitoes and flies. The room air conditioning could barely keep up with the heat in the daytime. It’s built on one level with cobblestone walkways and the sun is relentless. We felt baked. We would definitely stay in Luxor next time. Over the 3 days, we wasted almost 2 hours a day transiting back and forth. For the good points: our breakfasts and dinners were good (with the exception of the unbelievably lousy picnic lunch we took on our day trip), the staff in the restaurant is very nice, and it has an atmospheric (if rustic) ambience/décor. It has a lovely pool café/terrace area. I read many posts and a review from a travel writer who sang its praises as an “oasis”. But it was definitely our least favorite hotel.

Day 14. We took a full day trip to the temples of Abydos & Dendera in an air-conditioned minibus with a lunch box from the hotel. We had to be in Luxor early for an 8am departure that included all manners of tour buses and vehicles with a police convoy. Along the route a large number of vehicles split off to go to the Red Sea. We drove for 2-3 hours and first arrived at Abydos where we saw the King’s list with Seti I showing his son (the future Pharaoh Rames II) the list of all but 2 of the Pharoahs in history (but you’ll hear about who was left off the list when you get there). We ate our picnic lunches in a tented area where we bought cold drinks. You spend about 5 hours in a vehicle on this day trip. Both temples are interesting, but it’s a long long day. I will say it’s fascinating to see country life as you’re driving along. Cameras were clicking constantly, but the convoy never stops except at the temples and back in Luxor, so all your pictures en route will be through the windows of your vehicle.

Day 15. We took the day off to relax, recharge from the heat, clean our cameras and get ready for our early departure to Jordan the next day.

Day 16. Remember the comments about the distance the Al Moudira is from Luxor? Well it meant we had to depart the hotel about 3:30am for a 6am flight to Cairo, in order to allow a safe margin of connect time to catch our Royal Jordanian Airlines flight from Cairo to Amman. We arrived at Queen Alia International Airport Amman around noon. We were again met at the airport by a representative who assisted us with getting entry visas to Jordan. We then drove with our guide on the Desert Road to Petra (~3 hours). We stayed in the Petra Movenpick Hotel for 2 nights, which is right at the entry gates to Petra. It’s a good hotel, convenient to Petra. But it has indifferent and very slow restaurant service. While we were there, they were obviously overbooked. A Spanish party of 4 was turned away and told they would be accommodated at the Crowne Plaza nearby. They refused to be relocated and told the manager that they would camp in the lobby until they found them a room. The hotel obviously relented and found them a room by bumping someone else. We were glad we had our guides at every step and Ahmed had made sure we got the rooms we had been promised. The Movenpick is a very decent hotel, but jam-packed with people, since it has the most convenient location for entering Petra.

We did the Petra At Night candlelight walk after dinner. They don’t do it every night. They had live music and served tea at the area in front of the Treasury (more about that in a minute). We were tired, and it’s about a 2-3 mile walk over uneven road and you don’t see a lot because it is dark, so if you’re tired, you can miss it and not feel bad. Others I have spoken to thought it was “magical”. I think we were tired, and there was quite a crowd, but it did whet our appetite for the next morning.

AZEBS

Continued from above . . .

Day 17. We did a full day of sightseeing in Petra including lunch at the Crowne Plaza’s Basin Restaurant right in Petra. Kind of a shock to see this generator operated terrace restaurant with a nice buffet in the area at the base of the steps leading to the Monastery. Petra did not disappoint us. In fact we were quite surprised at the size and scope. We had mainly seen the tourism photos (and glimpses of Petra in the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie) of the Treasury (Al-Khazneh which was not a Treasury at all, but you’ll hear about that when you get there). We climbed the 1,000 plus steps to the monastery Al-Deir with views into Palestine and Israel. You can take a donkey if you don’t need the exercise. We started at gate opening at about 8 and didn’t leave until 5:30, and still didn’t get to see it all. It was well worth the visit.

Day 18. We checked out of the Movenpick early to drive to Amman on the King’s Road via Kerak Crusader Castle, the Mosaic city and church of Madaba and Mt. Nebo, the supposed burial site of Moses, and then we continued on to Amman for 2 nights at the Four Seasons. If you do go to Madaba, be sure to eat at Haret Jdoudna – a Lebanese restaurant and the best local food we had on the trip. In retrospect, I would have either opted for an additional half day visit to Petra or have driven straight to Jerash to see Hadrian’s Arch and the Roman ruins, because none of us are religious pilgrims. The Kerak Crusader Castle impressed us the most of this day, but it’s mainly its location on a very high and steep plateau that struck us. If you’re not interested in standing on a hill where Moses might (or might not) be buried, and where he might (or might not) have seen the Holy Land, you can pass on this part and go on to the Dead Sea or Kerash. We didn’t do the Dead Sea, so I can’t comment on that. By the way if you do Madaba, there is the obligatory stop at the mosaic shop where they employ orphans and the disabled to do the mosaics. Forget everything you learned about bargaining in Egypt. Doesn’t seem to fly in Jordan.

We saw many American religious pilgrims in Jordan. There were large tour groups praying in Madaba, Mt. Nebo, and in Jerash. Holy Land tours are very popular. Be clear with your tour company if you are not a religious pilgrim and want an historical/cultural guide instead.

Day 19. We took a morning city tour of Amman, walking through the local produce and clothes markets and driving through sections of the city. Then we left for an afternoon excursion to the Roman ruins of Jerash, one hour north of Amman. The ruins are impressive and we were told that they are more extensive than the ruins at Ephesus (which we have not seen). We made sure to get a picture in front of Hadrian’s Arch. We returned to Amman in the late afternoon.

Day 20 & 21. We left Amman at about 9am and flew to London where we overnighted again at Heathrow. The flight was about 5 hours. We flew home to the U.S. the next morning.

Summary and extra tips:

We saw everything we wanted to see. We enjoyed it all and also enjoyed the leisurely pace of the trip. There was never a glitch or failure of expectation from the arrangements Ahmed made. Our brains went “on vacation” after the first day.

You’ll notice more security around than we’re used to in the US. They take the position in Egypt and Jordan that a good offense is the best defense. Every hotel has screening devices for your luggage and bags. Some are more professionally staffed than others. Every tourist site has a number of armed Tourist Police and X-ray machines for your backpacks and camera bags. But you don’t feel oppressed. It’s a business as usual approach. You may be asked to unpack your camera bag to demonstrate that the separate lens is not something sinister.

We knew our cell phones would not work in Egypt and Jordan, so we researched our options and ended up buying a phone on the web from Mobal.com. It was $49 as a one-time fee. Each minute was about $1 and there is no additional monthly fee or minimum usage requirement. We only took it in case of emergency. It worked in the UK (in fact the SIM card was UK based), but it does not work inside the U.S. It was a good solution for us. A number for family to reach us in case of emergency, a way for us to get in touch with Ahmed if we needed to (we didn’t ever need to call him, but we did get text messages from him checking up on us), and an emergency call option if we had needed it.

Last point -- We took U.S. dollars ($20s, $10s, $5s) because we generously tipped our guides who did such a wonderful job. You’ll also want some smaller amounts for tipping (baksheesh) restroom attendants, luggage, etc. We stopped at ATMs to get local currency when we needed it in Egypt, but everyone everywhere takes U.S. dollars and most prefer our currency we found.

If you’re planning to use your credit card, be aware that most credit cards tack on an additional 1-3% conversion fee, in addition to the exchange rate. Here is an article I found when researching the issue of currency conversion fees your bank and/or credit card will charge you for using these cards internationally: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20050624b1.asp
We decided to wire transfer half the payment for our trip in advance. Our friends took the balance with them in cash. We decided to pay our balance by credit card, as our card doesn’t charge a conversion fee.

It was a great trip and we had a great and reliable tour planner and guide in Ahmed.

Our trip was planned and booked by Egyptologist Ahmed Hamed Yousif
Email : [email protected]

teacherCanada

AZEBS

What a well-written review of a wonderful trip. The four of you did have great opportunities to see and do so much. Thank you for sharing.

I will be chaperoning a group of 40 high school students to Egypt in March 2009. Our itinerary is similar to yours (without Jordan) and we will stay for 3 or 4 days in Hurghada on the Red Sea.

I escpecially enjoyed your personal advice about specific sites which you have sprinkled through your trip report. Thanks again for sharing your time away in Egypt.

italybound01

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this detailed trip report! I have booked Ahmed in November and am really looking forward to my trip to Egypt!

tripgirl

thank you too for posting this.

We off to Egypt ( plus Jordan, Israel and Turkey next june) and we have already booked with Ahmed.

Glad to know he designed an upscale trip as that is how we travel.

I will re-review your report as to make sure we do the things you did.

thanks again!

Femi

Great report Azebs.

lorib1

AZEBS -

Thank you for a wonderful trip report. We too are booked with Ahmed this September and can't wait!

DaveJJ

Absolutely wonderful report. It brought back vivid memories of my tour of Egypt. I will be forwarding this to some friends who are planning their trip for later this year.

Elizabeth_S

Beth - thanks for posting such a detailed trip report - we had a great time as well with Ahmed.

AZEBS

Liz, thanks for posting your detailed travel journal online. It was so complete that it helped greatly in planning our trip and in finding Ahmed.

Travel_Bug_Cin

"We asked Ahmed to take us to look at papyrus paintings and for cartouche necklaces with our names in hieroglyphs for ourselves and for gifts."

Where was this place and what is the name? Great trip report - my husband and I leave in less than 2 weeks...

AZEBS

The name of both the jewelry shop and the papyrus shop was the Golden Eagle Bazaar, but they were not in the same building. They are in Giza, but we all remarked that there was practically no signage on the building. There are probably hundreds of places in Cairo that sell both papyrus and cartouches. I'm traveling now, and I've called my husband to see if he can track down the actual address from our receipts. As a frame of reference, look at the cartouche jewelry on Nilestone.com. It comes from Cairo and is lovely (I ordered some extra pieces from them). It will give you a frame of reference for the prices you could get in the states. I'll post the address in the next day or two if he can find it.

Grcxx3

Silver cartouche necklaces are available all over Cairo. Almost any silver shop will do them for you. And my son had one made someone near the pyramids.

They are great gifts.

AZEBS

Here is the address of the shop we used for the cartouches. Make sure they are stamped as silver (if you buy silver). It's the Golden Eagle Bazaar, Sakkara Road-Before Ring Road, Pyramids-Giza-Egypt. Most guides have a relationship with a store and get commissions. We only paid $10 each for silver with the black background. I bought silver chains after I got home.

ekscrunchy

Thank you for a wonderful report!

AZEBS

You might be interested in the information below that was provided with our cartouches. I bought silver with a black background, silver with gold hieroglyphs, and 18kt gold. The names varied from 5 letters to 7 letters (you need a larger cartouche if you have a long name). It's handy to look at the Nilestone website before you go to have some knowledge (bargaining is required to get the best price). Prices are better, the more you buy.

Here's the description:
This Cartouche was handmade in Cairo-Egypt especially for you and the figures on the face are the Egyptian hieroglyph symbol for each letter of your first name.

Originally, the Cartouche was worn only by the pharaohs or kings and queens of Egypt and the Egyptian gods. The oval border in which the pharaoh's first name was written represents a rope folded and tied together at the end. The oval of the Cartouche was intended to protect the pharaoh from evil spirits and to remind everyone that the king's rule held over everything the sun encircled.

The word Cartouche (pronounced "car" "toosh&quot actually came from the French word for cartridge because its shape reminded Napoleon's soldiers (who conquered Egypt in the 1800's) of their gun cartridges. The Ancient Egyptians did not use the word cartouche, their word for the enclosure was "shenu" and it means "to encircle." The oval shape of the "shenu" reminded everyone that the power of the king's rule held over everything the sun encircled.

godin

Hi AZEBS

Great trip report. I am just starting to plan a trip to Egypt for May-June 2009.It will probably be for about 15 days. I am curious to hear about how much a private tour with Ahmed cost? If you don't mind, can you tel me approx. how much it was with him for the Egypt portion of the trip? I am currently debating between a tour company or going with a private guide like Ahmed.If it is not more expensive than a company, I may see about Ahmed.
Thanks.
godin

Elizabeth_S

Hi godin - I think AZEBS is traveling now - I used Ahmed earlier this year (it's our blog that AZEBS has linked to).......email me at [email protected] and we can chat about costs......

AZEBS

Hi Godin,

Sorry for the delay. I was traveling and didn't have access to the internet. If you are looking at a luxury trip and wanted to do it on a private basis, we found that our trip was not substantially more than a group luxury trip would be. And booking it directly with Ahmed was definitely a savings over the private trip quotes we received from U.S. companies.