Traveler's Comments

• April 2018

I thought I would take the opportunity of dropping you a short note to say a sincere thank you for the recent Egypt trip we have returned from.

 

Everything went very well and we really enjoyed ourselves. My family and I were greatly appreciative of the efficiency and high level of organisation we experienced. In particular Manal was fantastic - she was a fountain of knowledge, and was a professional throughout. I think she may have spoiled us, as George in Luxor paled in comparison!

 

The Iberotel hotel in Luxor was fine, with a great location, but a little tired. The Marriott hotel by the Red Sea was fantastic. The train journey was very smooth, the carriages were clean and the food was good! Thank you for that recommendation, as it was a real unexpected highlight. The pickups and transits were on time and the drivers careful.

 

All in all, it was a great holiday. I would have no reservation in recommending your company to others, and will be doing so.

 

Thank you once again,

 

Regards,

FF

 

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• March 2018

All guides were excellent. Sihan, we eventually told her it was only the two of us so she could save her voice for which she was grateful. She worked very hard and was great company. Nagla, airport greeter and taker is an ANGEL and we both wanted to take her home with us just to have such a sweet person around the house. George, Luxor and such, was really good at grasping how to deal with us ( My sister listens to every word, remembers much and treats guides like they are family which they sorta became). He cleverly sequenced things to max benefit and offered two fine options which we took.
Manal on top of things the whole way. All events and pick ups on time.
All guides determined that we saw it ALL according to plan.
All hotel and boat food was very good and, of course, plentiful. Seasoning aimed at 'tourist' meaning always mild but variety good.
Be prepared for crowds at popular sites, but your people avoided them quite well, especially at entrance check points. Some days get to be longish and those not in decent shape will suffer. We were taken to airports far ahead of time needed which I get due to traffic and other worries but much time awaiting a go. Public toilet minders, mostly old crones, can be MEAN until tipped. Your tips sheet good idea since ALL expect it.
We never felt in any "danger" anywhere. Military and guards all over.

 

MG

 

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• February 2018

The demands of our multigenerational family group created some logistical situations that your staff were quick to solve so I just want to shout out a great big thank you for how you hand held my family to make this a great trip!

 

DS

 

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• January 2018

Thanks very much for arranging a wonderful tour. Everything went very smoothly and operated on time. I especially enjoyed the Nile cruise on the M/S St. George. Crew were attentive and helpful, food very good. Our guide provided a warm and friendly professor educating us on the history.

 

HH

 

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• December 2017

We had a wonderful time during our 8 days in Egypt, and we credit Travel Egypt for an unforgettable experience. Our guide Manal and the Cairo staff we met were incredibly helpful. Manal was superb and provided great advice.

 

ML

 

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• November 2017

The trip of a lifetime
As experienced travelers who normally plan their own trip this was a departure from the norm. We located Nile Cruising by doing an internet search with a view to having only the cruise portion of our trip supplied. We had costed our entire Egypt trip so it was no big deal to have Nile Cruising give us a quote. The price for everything was about the same as we had costed. Anyway to cut a long story short, we accepted the quote and paid up front over the phone. It was a bit funny talking to Terry in Atlanta, Georgia, USA about an Egypt trip. My wife and l joked that until we saw our name being held up by someone at the Cairo Airport we wouldn't be really sure if the trip was going to happen. We got off the plane at Cairo and there was the Travel Egypt representative, Naglaa holding up our name. What staggered us was that she was standing on the airside of customs/immigration. We were through the airport in minutes, she produced pre paid visa stamps and we were off.

 

From that point on everything they had promised on the itinerary happened. The hotel accommodation was five star, Le Meridien, Steigenberger, Sonesta St. George, Hilton etc. The Nile Cruise was on The Sonesta St. George. Probably the best boat cruising the Nile and certainly one of the highlights of our trip. To give you an example of attention to detail by Nile Cruising/Travel Egypt, we had an issue with a room of a hotel l have not mentioned. One call to our agent Manal and it was sorted.

 

Our guides and drivers were first class. Seham Gabr introduced us to the pyramids and the Museum. She reads hieroglyphics like l read a book. Our next guide who stayed with us for the duration of the cruise was a Luxor resident Tamer Tatoo. He is quiet guy who explains everything to you and then gives you free time to wander. I think it took him a day or so to get used to the Aussie sense of humour. He has a great smile and is a really nice guy. And then it was off to Alexandria where we met Ayman. He had been a resident in the US for about twenty years till about 2003. This man is passionate about Alexandria and it shows. The tour of the world famous library was the highlight. He was also very serious about not crossing Egyptian roads as a pedestrian.

 

Then finally back to Cairo where we met our go to lady Manal. She guided us on our last day and was outstanding. Her request of us was simple, tell everyone that Egypt was safe. We were in Egypt when the attack in the Sinai occurred. We did not for one moment feel threatened.

 

Finally a big thanks to Terry, Manal and ours drivers, especially Hassan. They made this trip one we will never forget and their efforts on this trip will be the catalyst for us returning to Egypt.

 

RG

 

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• October 2017

Just a short note to say THANK YOU!
We had a wonderful trip.
Everything was stress free.
The people made us feel welcome, the hotel choices were great (all rooms had excellent views) and the staff from drivers to guides were all accommodating, friendly and knowledgeable.

 

MK

 

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• September 2017

Thanks so much Terry for putting such a wonderful trip together for us. Arrangements were efficient from start to finish making our trip through Egypt go smoothly. The places we visited were fabulous and we felt that the itinerary you put together gave us a really good overview of Egypt, and also provided interesting extras. The hotels were great and we really appreciated that we had such good views from our rooms. The Mena House was especially outstanding with its beautiful rooms and gardens, and close proximity to the pyramids. Also, the views of the Red Sea from the Stella de Mare in Sharma El Sheikh which was also an outstanding hotel.

I can't say enough about our guides, they were so good, especially Manal, who went out of her way to make our visit enjoyable and memorable, keeping track of us the whole time. I feel like I learnt so much from her. Our other guides were also helpful and informative, and we especially enjoyed the time spent with George in Luxor and on the Nile. The Amarco staff on the Nile cruise were particularly accommodating, going out of their way to prepare delicious vegetarian food for us. Such a lovely view from our fabulous room as we drifted along the Nile.

 

We found the Egyptian people hospitable and friendly and more than willing to go the extra distance. For example, if it wasn't for the help of the Bedouins I would never have seen the sun rise over Mt Sinai. They encouraged me to keep going even when I was ready to quit. And it was the most wonderful and memorable experience.

 

We found that it was worth paying extra to go in some of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings such as Seti I which was absolutely stunning.

 

I must say that our trip to Egypt was one of the most enjoyable I've been on. The country itself is incredible – I had no idea. We couldn't understand why tourism is down so much as it seemed quite safe to us. We felt very relaxed and didn't feel threatened at all. In fact, they seem to go out of their way to make tourists feel secure.

 

Again, thanks for putting such a memorable trip together for us.

 

All the best,
Christine

 

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Best Travel Agent Ever

 

I would like to thank Travel Egypt in Cairo and Terry from the U.S.A. for another stunning and well planned holiday.
The staff were never late, were picked up on time and always ready to help with any situation.
This was my 4th trip arranged by Travel Egypt and I would never use anyone else.
Thanks a million. Hope to see you again soon.

 

JL

 

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• Summer 2017

I enjoyed the tours very much. Manal was a terrific tour guide, very knowledgeable and personable and with a nice sense of humor. She was very helpful with recommendations for dining and shopping and had good suggestions on other Cairo attractions. She was also helpful in fending off unwanted vendors and with tips on how to deal with them.
Hassan was also an outstanding driver, I always felt safe and confident with him behind the wheel.

 

Thanks,

RR

 

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• May 2017

Israel & Jordan:
It was a great trip with an overwhelming amount of information and I love trips like this. We learned a lot about history politics, art, archaeology and culture.

 

JM

 

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• April 2017

The cruise was great. Good food, beautiful suite and great people!, one of them wishes us "bon appetit" in Romanian every time we are having a meal...He says that is the only word he knows in my language, but it is nice to hear. The guide has been wonderful and we learned a lot about the history and monuments from him. Thank you so much again for this wonderful journey! We made beautiful memories and we will recommend you to our friends that will visit your wonderful country.

 

AH

 

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• March 2017

"Fantastic Trip to Egypt Including Lake Nasser and Nile Cruises"

 

My wife and I recently returned from a trip through Egypt that we booked with Travel Egypt. We enjoyed our trip immensely primarily because of the excellent travel arrangements provided by Travel Egypt. In booking the trip I dealt with Terry and found him to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful in planning our trip. Our trip was a customized version of the "Ramses Nile" itinerary offered by Travel Egypt. The total cost was considerably less for the same thing than I was quoted by other travel agents, and Terry was far more knowledgeable, helpful, easy to deal with, personable, and always available in planning the trip.

 

Our cruise of Lake Nasser was aboard the Omar El Khayam while the Nile portion of the cruise was aboard the Oberoi Zahra. All of the arrangements and cost of the two cruises were included in the travel package provided by Travel Egypt. We were very pleased with every aspect of our cruises aboard these two ships.

 

Travel Egypt provided numerous connections and transfers at a number of locations on our trip, all of which were conducted courteously, efficiently and flawlessly. My wife has MS so that she has mobility difficulties. We use a collapsible wheelchair when we travel. Travel Egypt was able to accommodate the wheelchair and assist my wife throughout the trip.

 

Travel Egypt provided us with a private guide, Emile, in Aswan and Luxor who gave us excellent tours at those tourist locations that were not included with the ships itineraries. Emile speaks excellent English and is thoroughly knowledgeable concerning the history and tourist sites at those locations. When we returned to Cairo from Luxor, Menal, Travel Egypt's private guide for the Cairo area, also gave us excellent tours of all of the sites at Giza on our first day of touring with her. The following day she gave us an excellent tour of the Egyptian Museum. The pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Egyptian Museum are all very crowded with tourists. Menal was very adept at getting us through those sites so that we were able to be dropped off as close as possible to the actual sites and avoid the crowds as much as possible while seeing everything we wanted to see. Menal is extremely knowledgeable concerning the outstanding tourist sites in Egypt, speaks excellent English, and is very personable and accommodating.

 

At each airport and cruise ship embarkation and debarkation point Travel Egypt provided a representative who came with us to ensure that we made all of our flight connections, ship embarkations and debarkations. A representative also aided us in checking in and checking out of hotels upon arrival and departure, and before, after and between cruise segments.

 

My wife and I were extremely pleased with every aspect of the Egypt trip that was so perfectly planned and conducted by Travel Egypt. I highly recommend this travel agency to anyone who is interested in touring the magnificent sites of interest that Egypt has to offer. Neither my wife nor I ever felt endangered during our trip to Egypt.

 

Charles T.

 

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• February 2017

AMAZING!!!!!!

 

WOW, I'll just begin with that, WOW!I wish that I could think of something to say that would have everyone immediately booking tours in Egypt. It's amazing & a must see destination . . . but moving on. TravelEgypt, you rock!! Our dream vacation and you pulled it off without flaw. Beginning with our first toe into exploring agencies, all the way through to our midnight transfer for our flight home . . . not one single micro hiccup.

 

Terry (in USA office) was great. He was first responder to my tentative inquires, with exactly the answers to questions I didn't even know I had. He was so helpful in honing our perfect tour, & I do need to know a lot up front to feel comfortable. Anyway, we had decided to fly in a day early to acclimate, fail. Missed our flight connection due to mechanical, so spent a day in Frankfurt. No problem, Travel Egypt (Manal, Mohamed, Hassan) was there to greet us the next day and everything fell to schedule.

 

TravelEgypt (TE) has a maximum of 8 for their tours, which sounded perfect. Well, turns out it was just the two of us for the entire trip (except on cruise portion). I have to admit I would have preferred travel mates, but kinda petty to complain about personalized attention, right ;) If asked I would say we covered every inch of the Nile Valley, not true, but it sure felt like it. Our guides, Manal & then Emile, ran us ragged . . . in a good way, so we were able to experience everything on our dream list. Manal with her warmth, and then Emile with his catch phrase, "I have a plan" with that grin of his. Ohhhhh, guess it was us that ran them ragged.

 

We are avid photographers & amateur birders, so we picked the Birding Tour, why not? Pyramids & Oasis, win-win. Partly due to low tourism, partly due to strategic planning by our guides we managed to photograph sites with nary a soul to sully the shot. Not that you can even begin to capture the grandeur of Egypt in photos, but still, we were happy as clams trying . I guess I'll slip in here props to our specially acquired bird guide in Fayoum, Ahmed. He was so knowledgeable, and such a delight. He had Manal, & even our driver Hassan, excited about spotting birds. Plus, there was Mostafa in Abu Simbel, great. Like I said, we had personal attention the whole way!! The lodging facilities TE uses are awesome. Okay, poor Farouks Lodge (Auberge) in Fayoum certainly needs some tender loving care, but it's not really on tourism radar even when things are going well. Wish I could afford to purchase it and bring it back to its original beauty, since the location & basic bones are amazing. The staff at every place were helpful, friendly, sweet . . . over and above with customer service.

 

Tour outline:
Cairo
Giza
Fayoum
Aswan (fly to fro Abu Simbel)
Cruise (Everything about the Amarco 1 was awesome)
Luxor
Cairo
Exhausted :)

 

So, all that said, maybe if people didn't think of Egypt as the dreaded Middle East, but as the Mediterranean (which it is), or Northern Africa (which it is) tourism would pick up. The country is amazing, the people friendly, they so need tourism. And, addressing safety . . . I felt safer every second there than I do walking to my own mailbox. Bottom line, go to Egypt and book that trip of a lifetime with TRAVELEGYPT. . . any questions??

 

C. & T.

 

 

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• January 2017

Manal,
Thank you for making our trip to Egypt so amazing. Your depth of knowledge is only exceeded by your passion.
Once again THANK YOU.

Jon

 

 

 

 

 

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• December 2016

Hello Manal !!!
We loved our trip to Egypt! It was the best trip we have made! And thanks to you who made our trip even better! I have told all my friends here about Travel Egypt!
I am sending a picture we took together in the market for you to never forget us!

 

F.C.

 

 

 

 

 

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• November 2016

Thank you for making a "bucket list" trip and reality a dream-come-true! You helped make my Egyptian adventure more than I could have imagined and I really thought I had a long list. You did an amazing job.

Best wishes,

S.

 

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• October 2016

We had an incredible week in Egypt and never felt safer. Every day was managed start to finish for my husband and myself celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. From riding camels at the Giza Plateau, to taking a balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, and flying up to Abu Simbel, everything was spectacular. We also took the Nile cruise with Sonesta Moon Goddess and enjoyed the day and night trips. Our guides - Ahmed Elansary for the cruise portion, and Manal Sayed in Cairo were exemplary. Our trip was wonderful and I hope other people will consider visiting this wonderful place as well. We were well looked after and felt very safe.

 

J & C, Florida

 

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• September 2016

We had a great week in Egypt from start to finish - met at the airport, step by step for all travel arrangements and guides for just 3 of us to see Cairo, Abu Simbel and Luxor to Aswan via a nile cruise with Sonesta Moon Goddess - we particularly liked our guides - Ahmed Elansary for the cruise portion, and Manal Sayed in Cairo. I highly recommend it and wonder why so many Americans are so hesitant to travel now - though there were political events in the past, it seems quite stable and secure now - and we were very well looked after. Go, Travel to Egypt.

 

J & J

 

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• Summer 2016

I must let you know how amazing and wonderful our trip was!! You truly have the best in the field showing us around. Both Manal and Achmed were the top tour guides! Their knowledge and friendliness was so appreciated! I had the opportunity to hear other guides and they did not even compare to Manil and Achmed.

Thank you again for putting everything together for a true trip of a lifetime. I feel confident that I will return to Egypt and of course it will be through your company.

 

Dan

 

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Our trip to Egypt was magical. I cannot say enough about the entire team in Egypt. The experience was better than we could have imagined. I have no reservations recommending Travel Egypt to anyone who asks. Thank you for arranging a vacation my family and I will remember for the rest of our lives.

 

Warmest Regards,
BD

 

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Very HOT! but our family had a great time.
Our guides were great about getting us to outdoor locations in the morning and spending the afternoons in air conditioned museums.
The trip planner suggested we take powered gatorade, we did, and it was an excellent suggestion. The cruise was wonderful but the sundeck was simply too hot during the day. It became a great place in the evening and we really enjoyed the moonlit river views.

 

Susan S.

 

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• May 2016

We enjoyed the Hilton Zamalak hotel. Room was large with a Nile view, food fantastic.

 

Kings Island Luxor: Always a stunning resort, however the Nile view was really far away but had a lovely view of the swimming pool. Room stunning and had such fun at the Italian restaurant.

 

Sonesta St George: Will always be an awesome cruise liner, however they do need to do some renovations to the stairway to the deck and the furniture on the top deck is in serious need of change. Food, staff excellent.

 

Ein Sokna: A very beautiful resort. I would not recommend sending elderly people to this resort. The children are out of control. No parental guidance. They scoot around on these little black push bikes outside your room until all hours of the night.
Room stunning, a distant sea view, but still wonderful.
Meals were buffet with plenty to choose from.

 

El Concorde hotel: Stunning hotel, nice food and friendly staff.

 

Your people were once again awesome, on time, professional, well dressed and presentable.

 

Jess

 

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Your tour is great. We booked the Nile treasures tour and we never expected that we could actually get a private tour for 2 of us all the way. All the guides are excellent and friendly. The tour is quite flexible and you can add any activity you are interested in. They can always arrange that for you. Egypt is really a incredible place. I love the gentle breeze from the Nile when lying on the sun deck while the cruise was sailing at night. And when you look up, you can always see the starry sky.

 

Tian (China)

 

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Dubai Office:

Lisa.

Hello and greetings from Dubai. The hotel is a winner, top notch being enjoyed by all. Afifi top notch, airport transfers and assistance during our stay fantastic. He even organized a group tour of the city today that he personally led.

Kris

 

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• April 2016

Comment from the group leader of a private tour group of 18 travelers:

 

Just want to let you know what a great time we had. Everything was laid out perfectly! You all did an incredible job! Everyone was super happy. Manal was the "best". It was so impressive that we could have such an knowledgeable leader for such a reasonable price. Managing us was like herding cats and she did it so well. We all felt very safe the entire trip. Everyone should see Egypt! Sondra & I would like to go back one day. We never dreamed it was so cool.

 

Steve

 

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We had such a wonderful time and so enjoyed the entire trip and everything you had planned for us. I cannot think of anything that needed to be changed or done differently. Fantastic tour guides, quite knowledgeable and a joy to be around. I am sure any future trips no matter where I go will not be up to the same level that you deliver. This was the trip of a lifetime with many lasting memories.

 

A.R.

 

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• March 2016

From our arrival until our departure everything went smoothly. Our guides were great, the drivers kept us safe and the experience of watching the sunrise over the pyramids was awesome. The only thing I would change would be the time. Not enough on a one week tour to see everything. Next time I will allow at least two weeks. Thanks again for a wonderful experience.

Dawn

 

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• February 2016

 

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As our time comes to an end in Egypt we find ourselves sad to leave. Our trip has not only been fun and an enjoyable experience but a truly cultural and educational one.

 

Egypt is a beautiful country with lovely people.

 

We want to thank you and your team for making our trip so delightful. Manal, we want to thank you for all the hard work you did in making sure that every aspect of our trip was perfect. You were in constant contact with our guides throughout the trip.
Thank you for upgrading our cruise at no extra cost to us. As a guide you are superb.
All the guides on our trip were highly knowledgeable and very thorough. Mohammed did a great job meeting us and taking care of us and Hassin is an excellent driver.

 

Without reservation we would recommend Travel Egypt to all our friends and family.

 

Sincerely,

Bob and Robin

 

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• January 2016

Just writing to say that Karen and I had a wonderful time in Egypt. Every day was great. We loved all of our tour guides, whose names I will try here, Namal in Cairo, Emile from Aswan to Luxor and Iman in Alexandria. Karen and I had wet eyes whenever we parted with a guide. I bought a book on the sights of Egypt from a tout just outside the pyramids at Giza. We saw almost every site pictured in the book, and more. I have created an iphoto book of my own, culled from the over 2,500 photos I took in Egypt. Fortunately, iPhoto limits such books to 100 pages. Everyone who has seen my book is overwhelmed by how beautiful Egypt looks. They are also moved by my commentary about how hard it is for the tourist industry there. Anyway, I'm trying to spread the word that Egypt is safe, beautiful, friendly, historical and exotic. Please extend our thanks to each of our guides...and we thank you, as well, for organizing a very memorable trip.

 

Jim

 

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• December 2015

CAIRO WAS FABULOUS – We started off with two days in Cairo as it's the main entry into Egypt anyhow, and had two fabulous days touring the various pyramids, including the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, both literally across the street from our hotel. We can't say enough good things about our tour guide, Manal Sayed of Travel Egypt, who was knowledgeable, well-organized, had a great sense of humor, and was simply a joy to be with. The only drawback to all of this, and nothing Manal can control, was that there are pesky, aggressive, vendor/hawkers everywhere and especially at the tourist sites, and they are constantly harassing you with trinkets. Definitely detracts from the experience. That being said, it was still way cool seeing all of this and many people fulfilled their dream of riding a camel at the Pyramids.

 

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• October 2015

Hi Manal,

I am finally sitting down to email you after being back in Alaska for a week. I have thought of you often during the week especially when I share my stories about my visit to Egypt. Thank you for making Cairo a special place for Duane and me.

 

As promised to my Pisces sister, the photos of us in the mosque. We look great together. Let me know if you want me to send any other photos.

 

Ma a as Salamah, Nancy

 

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• September 2015

We just arrived at the Cairo airport hotel for our overnight stay prior to our departure to the U.S. tomorrow.

 

Pat and I (and our son) want to thank you for putting together the land portions of our trip. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was above our expectations. All of the people (guides, drivers, greeters, etc) assisting us were very friendly and made us feel warm and comfortable. The two tour guides that we had (I am sorry I can't remember their names - the names are hard to pronounce and harder to spell so they just don't stick in my brain) the woman in Cairo and the man who accompanied us from Luxor to Aswan took us on great tours. They were very knowledgable and we learned a lot. And the tours were entirely private. Just us. We were pleasantly surprised that the male guide we had in Luxor boarded the cruise ship and accompanied us down the Nile and was our private concierge and guide for each stop. We did not expect that at all. We gave both of the guides gratuities way above what your sheet recommended because of the great service they performed. Both my Son and Pat developed some (there is no way to say it delicately) travelers diarrhea issues while on the Nile cruise and the guide went out of his way to contact a doctor friend to recommend medication and then he went out and got it for us. He took such great care of my family and I really appreciate it (I had my stomach issues in Cairo but not nearly as bad as Pat and Michael got it later).

 

Mohammed (that name I can remember!) greeted us each time we hit the Cairo airport and assisted us in transfers. He helped Michael when we separated from him for him to head home and us to go to the dive tour. Knowing that Michael was in the care of Mohamed lowered our anxiety (and Michael's) over going our separate ways.

 

The transportation service was also top notch and personal.

 

We did not realize how personalized all the services were going to be. We were very pleasantly surprised. Thanks again for helping to make this trip a wonderful family memory for us.

 

Gary & Pat

 

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• August 2015

We have just returned from our trip to Egypt and want to thank Travel Egypt for all their guides in making this a wonderful memories. Michael in Luxor touring the temples, valley of the kings and queens was excellent. In Cairo, Manal was superb her conversations were very enlightening on all subjects. The tour of the pyramids were amazing. Most of all we felt very well care for and safe. I would highly recommend this company.

 

Please let Manal know I love my rug she helped us purchase. It has a very special place in our home with fond memories of our time in Egypt.

 

Thank you,
Carlinda and Luis

 

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• July 2015

Both of our guides were fantastic! Everyone in our group was very pleased with them. They were extremely knowledgeable about all of the sites we visited and their enthusiam for the subject matter made all the difference. Plus they were very helpful with figuring out local customs, tipping, how to deal with vendors.

 

We would highly recommend them and all of the tours we have done to friends. Hotels and cruise were very good.

 

BP Group

 

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• June 2015

My trip to Egypt was beyond incredible. I have always wanted to see Egypt since I was five when King Tut was in New York. I am always watching the discovery channel on Egypt's history. Words cannot even describe what it is like being there.

 

It was nonstop sightseeing from the Pyramids, Temples, Catacombs, Valley of the Kings, Camel rides in the desert, cruising up the Nile for a few days stopping in Edfu, Luxor along the way and the many marriage proposals from 1000 to 200,000 camels. At all the sights we had an Egyptologist with us to explain the history of Egypt. We only had two other people on our tour which gave us time to explore and really learn about everything.

 

We started our traveling documentary in Alexandria staying at a hotel right on the Mediterranean Sea, seeing the museums, largest library, Pompey's Pillar which is the tallest ancient column made of red granite and Roman Forum. Alexandria has a lot of Italian (Pompey came from Italy) and Greek (Alexander the Great who this city is named after) influences in their architecture and throughout Egypt. I enjoyed from my experience seeing that as I lived in Italy and was just in Greece last year.

 

We then flew south to Aswan to see Philae Temple, boarded our cruise ship for three days sailing up the Nile stopping to see Edfu Temple, Temple of Karnak and Luxor.

 

We ended in Cairo with the amazing Pyramids – camel ride around all the Pyramids, went 200 feet down into the pyramid of Dashur, Cairo Museum with all of King Tut's Treasure and royal Mummy room with Ramses II.

 

Did I mention the weather, one day is was 130 degrees and 109 at 10 pm at night, sooooooooo hot, but worth every minute to see all that history.

 

Ciao for now,
Cat

 

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• May 2015

I just wanted to tell you about the wonderful time that we had on our trip! Wow!

 

The arrival and transition to the hotel and the tourist action was flawless. Mohammed and Manal knew their stuff, and made it effortless. The hotel was perfect, and the tours were great and flowed perfectly.

 

Thanks again, and I hope to see you soon!
Joe

 

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• April 2015

We have had a wonderful trip, exceptional guides (photo attached is of Emil, our Coptic Christian Luxor-Aswan guide helping us pack up my chess set and some other stuff) and stunning scenery. ...we felt totally safe, protected and there are just no tourists at the incredible antiquities. It is a very good time to travel here.

 

Wendy

 

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• March 2015

Thanks so much for helping to make our trip so wonderful. We could never have done or seen so much, nor understood some of fabulous Egypt's history without the great job of Manal, George, Mohammad and Mohammad Ali!

 

Take care,
Cathy

 

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• February 2015

Transfers smooth, driver excellent.
Guide was an excellent tour advisor, careful no one cheated us,
Excellent knowledge, Good care for the children, Extra effort for bargain price and shopping. Great experience.

 

H.A. family (Mumbai)

 

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• January 2015

We had a very limited time in Egypt and this trip really helped with putting a lot of the attractions together for us. From the start Emile was known to us as the "God of Good Luck" as we managed to get to many of the attractions early enough to avoid crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

 

YY

 

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Manal was very informative, knowledgeable and an excellent host to our group. Lots of information to absorb, she kept us on schedule and aware of procedures. She was quick to point out the unique aspects of each site in a way that was easy to understand and comprehend. Had a wonderful time.

 

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• December 2014

Just to thank you and let you know that we had a great time. Mohammed was very efficient and very helpful and both Emile and Manal were superb guides - really enjoyed being with them and getting all of their insights. We hope to be back and I will definitely recommend you (and Egypt) to friends.

 

MB

 

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Excellent guidance from Egyptologists in Luxor and Cairo.
Luxor Museum, Dendara and the Cairo museum were highlights.
Excellent drivers, flawless meet & greet service and transfers.
Frequently unable to get change for gratuities.

 

KW

 

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NOTE: In our trip planner we say take $100 in U$1's. That gives you money for tips. Also when you arrive have your guide change some US$ or Euros to Egyptian pounds. The guides can get the small denominations whereas the banks simply will not give them to tourists as they know these are for tips.

 

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• November 2014

Perfect! Everything was great. Loved the historic hotels (Mena House in Cairo, Winter Palace in Luxor and Old Cataract in Aswan). Our guide was super. Staff all very nice and friendly. Drivers deserve a medal for safely navigating the Cairo traffic! Great trip.

 

BH

 

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• October 2014

Our 11 day tour included several days in Cairo with visits to the Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo, the pyramids and other sites; several days in Luxor with visits to Luxor and Karnak temples, tombs in the Valley of Kings, and other West Bank sites; a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan; a flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel; visits in Aswan to Elephantine Island, Kitchener's Island, and a Nubian village; a flight back to Cairo; and finally our return flight home.

 

All of our arrivals and departures were managed flawlessly by your tour leaders in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. We never had to deal personally with customs, travel arrangements, or other problems. The tour guides at every stage were knowledgable Egyptologists who provided more information than we could digest. Overall, we were well served by all of the guides.

 

MH

 

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• September 2014

We were very impressed with Travel Egypt. Their people do a very good job and seem to be very anxious to deliver everything they promise. I think they are most reliable. We had one guide for Cairo and another for our cruise. They were both great, nice people and knowledgeable, both about the antiquities and about information on Egypt in general. And there was a man who kept popping up at check-outs from hotels and transfers to the airports, handling all the luggage and documents. He was always on time and always helpful. So we were indeed well taken care of. In general there is abundant security in Egypt. They are determined that nothing happens to tourists.

 

PF

 

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• August 2014

Egypt was a part of my extensive journey through North Africa, the Middle East and Western Asia. I wish I had of had more time for Egypt but I hope to return one day to really see it all. I should have allowed more time for Luxor and for Cairo. Thanks for all your help and please let your people in Cairo know they did a wonderful job.

 

C L

 

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• July 2014

Hot! Egypt was very hot but we knew it would be in July. We are thankful that the A/C worked well everywhere. Guides knew how to find us shade and how to take advantage of being outdoors in the mornings (temples, etc) and indoors in the afternoons (museums). Loved the country and the people. We hope that the tourism business will recover. We certainly felt safe everywhere we went.

 

DK

 

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• June 2014

Wow! Impressive! Unbelievable! Words can hardly express the feeling you get from actually standing there in front of the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx. Guides were great, everything went smoothly and we had a wonderful experience. Thanks Again!! We will be back.

 

P.F.

 

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• May 2014

The trip was really great. We both loved all the temples and tombs in Egypt. Our guide, Emile, was wonderful. The Nile cruise was also lovely. It's unfortunate for Egypt that there are so few tourists but as a tourist it was great to have all the sites to ourselves. On the cruise there were only about 40 people and the boat holds about 120. The service, food and accommodations were very nice. We were the only Americans. There were some British and Canadians as well as Spaniards etc. We had a very good guide on the cruise by the name of Elia. There were 9 in our group and fortunately all got along very well. By the last day of the cruise we had requested a large dining table so we could all have meals together.

The only issues in Egypt are the heat and the vendors. They are so persistent to the point of being aggressive. All of the people in the temples and tombs are looking for tips so you need to advise any other clients to bring plenty of small bills. We exchanged American dollars for Egyptian 10's and went through quite a lot of them.

 

We absolutely loved Jordan. The Four Seasons was the best! And again the guide was terrific. Really enjoyed Alladin and he was extremely knowledgeable. He provided a wonderful tour of Amman and we stopped several times on the way to Petra. Petra was amazing and again not very crowded with tourists which made it nice for us. The afternoon and evening at the Dead Sea was very enjoyable. The hotel there was lovely.

 

The atmosphere in Egypt seemed very calm. Never felt the least bit uneasy. We were a bit sorry that we didn't plan a day or two to see Giza. Folks on the cruise told us that it was fine there as well.

 

There is lots of security and police presence in Jordan. There did not appear to be any problems there at all.

 

Thanks for arranging everything so well.
BR

 

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• April 2014

Hi Terry,

I want to thank you again,my experience on my tour was beyond great.I was treated like a queen, everybody was so friendly,welcoming, sweet. I would definitely come back.

 

Thank You so much,
Isabel

 

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• March 2014

After a long period of intense work I was ready for a vacation. My trip to Egypt provided exactly the combination of fun and relaxation I needed. Thanks for the wonderful upgrade on the cruise. The cabin was great with excellent views, the staff friendly and I loved the little animals the housekeepers made from the towels. Food was good, not fine dining but still very good. Got a little tired of buffets.

 

E.L.

 

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• February 2014

Thank you Travel Egypt for a wonderful tour of Egypt. From arrival till departure we were whisked around by excellent drivers and staff. Can't say enough about the guides. In Cairo and Luxor they were well versed and impressed us with their ability to cover every question we posed. We are already planning on going again next year and this time taking our family for an extended tour of Kenya, Tanzania and Egypt.

 

CM

 

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• January 2014

We were very impressed with Travel Egypt. Their people do a very good job and seem to be very anxious to deliver everything they promise. I think they are most reliable. We had one guide throughout our trip. He was both nice and knowledgeable, both about the antiquities and about information on Egypt in general. He was a Coptic Christian, which was nice...Then there was a man who kept popping up at check-outs from hotels and transfers to the airports, handling all the luggage and documents. He was always on time and always had answers to any questions we had. So we were indeed well taken care of. In general there is abundant security in Egypt. They are determined that nothing happens to tourists. There are tourist police and soldiers everywhere.

 

Chipper

 

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• December 2013

It was hard to imagine a better holiday tour. Great fun, no crowds at antiquity sites and beautiful weather. Our guide was super. Well educated, spoke great English and had a charming personality. She is a great asset to your company.

 

John and Linda

 

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• November 2013

Hi Terry,

 

We are back from our trip to Europe via Egypt and I just wanted to let you know that the Nile Cruise was excellent. We were upgraded from the Ramadis I to the Sonesta Moon Goddess. Even having combined several boats, there were still only about 30 passengers on board (6 Aussies, 4 elderly Egyptian ladies and about 20 South Americans). We had a wonderful tour guide Robert. Everything was perfect. Thanks for helping make the trip happen!

 

Best regards,
Kay

 

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• October 2013

What an incredible country! Everyone was so nice and all arrangements went well.

While our friends were concerned that we were going to Egypt we found the people friendly and never felt threatened in any way. Your drivers were excellent at moving us around in the crazy Cairo traffic. We can only hope that the political situation improves and tourists return. It was sad to see so few fellow travelers in the hotels and on the cruise.

 

Best of Luck,
Tom & Jean

 

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• September 2013

We had an awesome time. The accommodation and the cruise the staff were excellent. The guides picking us up were always on time and the tour guides were fantastic.

 

I can only say thank you so much. This was our best visit to Egypt, although a worrying time to get the arrangements together with the problems at the time. Also still a little disappointed that we could not do the long cruise, but we had a wonderful time. There were 2 other couples in the same boat as us, who had their Lake Nasser trip cancelled and the other couple had to go by road to Abu Simbel as flights had been cancelled. So we did not feel too bad. We were not the only ones with a changed itinerary. The transport and drivers were great, although a little (hair raising at times). We never once felt threatened at any time and never saw anything that could be called a protest.

 

I sincerely want to thank you as this trip was faultless, from the pick up at the airports, the hotels and the boat was amazing. Was not too thrilled with the Nile Sheraton, but I think we were so spoilt with the St. George that is was just a little disappointing. I will definitely tell people about your company / services as we were very very impressed. Once again thanks for all that was organized and we really felt special on our holiday. If we ever decide to go anywhere else in the world, we will definitely contact you.

 

Kind Regards,
Jess and Pete

 

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• June 2013

The tour was fantastic and Reymon our guide was terrific.
The boat itself was absolutely relaxing and the service 5 star. We totally enjoyed our time aboard.
As a critique of the whole process, the only thing we were unprepared for was that "free" didnt always include the customary tipping, and that no one was able to break big denomination notes to offer reasonable tips. We did have a few embarresing situations where we were kinda put on the spot to pay monies we didn't have.
Again, this is not really your department but we felt there should be some forewarning of these "customary" practices, as it caught us unawares.
On a whole though we enjoyed it thoroughly and will definately look towards doing it again, possibly even taking family with. It was all we hoped for.
The biggest test of the service was that only after we left Luxor did we discover the civil turmoil afoot, as the tour service kept us well insulated from that side of things.

 

DS

 

NOTE: In our trip planners we specifically tell people to take 100 U$1 bills for tipping and small purchases. Put U$10 in your pocket every day when you go out. Also when you arrive you can ask your guide to change money to Egyptian. They can get the small bills while banks will not give them to tourists. We also include a suggested tipping guideline with your travel documents (and its on our website too).

 

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• May 2013

We had a fantastic time on the cruise. It was such a wonderful way of travelling and seeing quite a lot in a short timeframe. The staff on board and our guide, Mustafa, were all extremely helpful, knowledgeable and friendly.
We will definitely recommend this to any friends travelling to Egypt.
Thank you for your help in organising this.

 

RM

 

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• April 2013

We are back! What an experience. I am actually sending you this from my laptop while waiting to board a plane home from JFK. Our entire family was overwhelmed. The children thought the guide was wonderful (and so did we, the parents). They were entertained and I think they learned a lot. I liked the idea of not rushing them. It was the perfect mix of tour time and play time. The hotels were wonderful, very family oriented. Your entire staff went out of their way to keep us happy. Thanks again for a wonderful vacation!!

 

LQ

 

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• March 2013

Time! That is what we wish we had more of. A week is just not long enough to see everything in Egypt. Our mistake was trying to do three destinations in two weeks. We should have spent the whole holiday in Egypt. Everything went great and we will be back.

 

ML

 

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• February 2013

Our tour to Egypt and Jordan was first class. Very detail from our arrival to Cairo until our departure from Amman was well thought out and enjoyable. The guides were incredible, the drivers safe even in the terrible traffic of Cairo. I thought Rome was bad but it's not when compared to Cairo! The hotels and the cruise were beautiful. Sitting on our balcony at the Mena House watching the sunset, overlooking the pyramids while enjoying a glass of wine was a once in a lifetime experience. That was just one of many, many memorable experiences.

 

AC

 

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• January 2013

Accommodations excellent in every respect.
The reps. Were prompt and helpful
The guides were prompt and very knowledgeable made our visits to the sites enjoyable, informative experience.
The boat was very comfortable and all the staff were excellent.
Overall a wonderful way to visit Egypt. I will certainly recommend the tour to others.

 

KH

 

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Hi,

I just wanted to say that our recent Nile Cruise was fabulous and I'm already thinking of booking another trip.

 

ML

 

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• December 2012

Cruise ship M/S Amarco was very nice. Enjoyed the food and service was great. Our tour guide was great, extremely knowledgeable and engaged with our group.

 

RH

 

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I greatly enjoyed myself and everywhere I went, thank you very much.

 

DF

 

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This has been a wonderful trip, and it completely exceeded my expectations. Our guide Manal couldn`t have been any better! She met all of our needs and wants and was a fountain of knowledge and information.

 

SR

 

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We had a great time in Egypt and want to thank you and your colleagues for their help. In particular we want to thank Mohammed who met us at the Airport in Cairo twice and brought us back. When we first arrived he helped me find an ATM and when the ATM "ate" my card he immediately and efficiently sought out the right person to get the card back. He literally saved the trip! The 2 guides, Manal in Cairo and Mostafa on the boat were also fantastic. Both were knowledgeable and very helpful. We will gladly recommend others visit Egypt and use your services again.

 

MM

 

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• November 2012

The trip of a lifetime. Everything was well organized and all of your staff were both friendly and knowledgeable, especially our guides. Of all the places we visited we loved Aswan the best. Not so much because of the sites we saw but because of the people. We will be back. Thanks again for a great trip.

 

JK

 

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• October 2012

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the most memorable experience of my life! I had my own private tours with Manal and Mohammed Sadi and both were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful-but most of all very kind and considerate. I was able to see all the places I wanted to and every stop was a new adventure for me. Most importantly, I want everyone to know how safe and secure I felt the entire time I was there. This is a very peaceful existence over there and the people are so hospitable. The boat Amarco was good and the food was good as well. Every moment I was there was well planned and completely taken care of for me so all I had to do was enjoy my time and learn from the experience. Thanks again for everything!

 

DS

 

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• September 2012

Our Nile cruise was the highlight of our trip. The entire family had a wonderful time. The boat was clean, the food was good and the staff were really nice.

 

ES

 

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• August 2012

Hot!! While it was really hot we still had a great time. Our guides were very smart, taking us to outdoor places in the early morning and then in the afternoon visiting indoor places with A/C. We will be back, in the winter, when it's cool.

 

AS

 

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The Child's Egypt tour was fantastic. The guide took great care of the children and they had great fun together. We toured in the mornings then spent the afternoons relaxing at the hotel, enjoying the pool. We would recommend this tour to any family.

 

CM

 

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• July 2012

Our trip to Cairo and the rest of Egypt was fantastic! We had an amazing trip with unforgettable memories!

 

MA

 

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• June 2012

Our family really enjoyed our short trip to Cairo. Everything was right on time. The staff was excellent. Our guides were very informative and the drivers were great.

 

SK

 

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• May 2012

From the moment my husband and I first arrived in Cairo we were met with a smiling face and a gracious attitude. This same level of service and professionalism was given to us by all the tour personel. Our expectations were met and exceeded everyday of our trip. We felt safe and grateful. I can't say enough about Mohammed, Manal, Ahmed, Mohammed. Our trip was made special by having been able to meet the above personnel. At every turn they answered every question did so kindly. They went above and beyond to make sure our stay was exceptional, and it was. During our trip our hotels were clean, modern and had staff that cared about their guests.

The cruise ship we took, M/S Amarco, was fantastic. My husband has special dietary needs and Mr. Fikry, the maitre d on the boat, went out of his way to make sure every single one of my husband's meals were made accurately.

Last but not least every driver we encountered was very professional. Especially the driver we had in Cairo. All in all we had the best vacation we have ever had. Thanks to everyone who participated in our tour. Thank you for caring enough to make our trip special.

 

KV

 

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• April 2012

The guides and reps all did a great job. I was never stranded and they made sure I was where I was supposed to be when I was supposed to be there. With all the proper tickets and documents. The drivers were skillful. The cruise was nice and I enjoyed sitting on deck watching the scenery. I have never been on a cruise before. The different places I visited were wonderful, I was amazed and enchanted. Thanks to the guides, I learned a lot. I love Egypt, I will tell people they should visit.

 

JE

 

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• March 2012

We enjoyed our trip a lot, the arrangements made by Travel Egypt were excellent . The tour organizers and travel guide were very hospitable, polite.
All the tour guides had an in-depth knowledge and were able to convey that to us in a nice way. The hotels were also very well chosen which made it easy for us to cover a lot of places in a short time.
Our representative Mohammed was with us all the time & saw to our comfort. He made sure our trip was safe, smooth & enjoyable.

 

DK

 

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Very organized & comfortable trip. All our guides & representatives were excellent. Our representative Mohammed in Cairo was most helpful, we could not have had a good time without his guidance.

 

S.K.

 

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We had a great time during our stay here in Egypt. The places that we visited Luxor, Abu Simbel, Aswan, and Cairo…. It was really memorable …. The drivers were good and drove us safely, and all guides at their respective location (1)Mohammed (2) Manal @Cairo were all knowledgeable and very impressive in their execution …Cruise was very memorable for the whole family and even the kids enjoyed it very well.
Had a very good time…. Keep up the good work and hope you maintain the level of excellence

 

M.S.

 

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• February 2012

I felt that I had to write you and tell you how much we enjoyed our time in Egypt. My wife and I agree that it was by far the best trip we have ever taken. From the welcome on arrival with Hambib we were treated like friends. We enjoyed all the staff we dealt with but especially Hesham. The group wants to adopt him. He was professional, thoughtful, and very knowledgeable. He went out of his way to make sure we all had a very special time. Hang on to him. He is truly someone special. You could tell he really loves his country and its history.
If you have any prospective customers who can't make up their minds about going to Egypt, please give them our Email and we will try to put their minds at ease. Thanks again for a special 2 weeks.

 

Buddy and Susan

 

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Dear Terry,

 

As you know, we were part of a group of seven friends who did a somewhat modified/extended version of the Ramses Nile tour and the Footsteps of Moses extension. We were very impressed with the care we received all along the way, beginning with our arrival in Cairo. Mohammed had already purchased the visas so we could go right from the plane to the waiting van. The attention to detail was always reassuring and things always went like clockwork. Our guide, Hesham, who stayed with us in Cairo and on the cruise to Aswan and rejoined us in Sharm El Sheikh, was knowledgeable and always willing to make every effort to be sure that we saw everything without any wasted time. He was always accompanied by Mohammed Ali, a gentleman driver, who was unflappable in Cairo and on the long treks through the Sinai. In remote areas, we were often accompanied by guards from the tourist police, and we felt that every effort was made to assure that security would not be a concern.

 

The hotels were all excellent, the food was superb and we thought that we received terrific value. Both cruises were memorable, but we have to say that the cruise on Lake Nasser on the MS Eugenie was perhaps the highlight of the tour. Because tourist numbers are still way down after the 2011 government change, we were moved from the Ibrahim, which is a larger and newer ship, to the Eugenie. The atmosphere of the Eugenie was beyond description – right out of Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile – and so relaxing. Our guide to the archeological sites, Mustafa, was professional, and the chef, Nemary, would be a superstar anywhere. Approaching Abu Simbel standing on the prow of the ship was a once in a lifetime experience.

 

The Sinai/Jordan extension was also outstanding. Our guide in Jordan, Omar, was exceedingly interesting and we ended our trip on a wonderful note by his inviting us all to his home for a delicious dinner cooked by his delightful wife. Our trip was educational and enjoyable in so many ways that it is difficult to summarize it. We would like to thank you, Terry, for making it all possible. We will highly recommend Travel Egypt to anyone who has an interest in travel. We hope that tourists will soon realize that it is OK to travel to Egypt again and, with crowds reduced, now may be the best time.

 

Best regards,
Lotti and John

 

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• December 2011

Hi Terry,

 

Just wanted to let you know how much all three of us enjoyed our trip to Egypt. All arrangements worked very well and we were most impressed with our guides/leaders/drivers, etc. Great workers who took very good care of us.
Three were outstanding: Hamid, the tour leader in Cairo; Hesham, our Cairo guide; and Aymon, who met us at the airport in Luxor (and took us back.)

We will try to promote Egypt as much as possible and already have plans to do two slide shows/talks in two towns (Columbus and Red Lodge.)

 

Thanks for your advice, help and work!
KR

 

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• September 2011

What a wonderful trip. Fantastic hotels and staff…quite impressed and I am, by nature, a very fussy person. We 3 all enjoyed it although I stayed away from some of the tours because my arthritis acted up in my foot. The train was not to pleasant on the way back due to the AC in the compartments not working and the toilets were not that clean but we brought anti-bacterial toweletts so we were OK. Ahmed, in upper Egypt, was a kind and very sweet tour guide and Manal, in Cairo, was great, both had nice personalities and were willing to go out of their way to please us. I have to say that I will have to book another tour with you within the next two years and I would like to send my son (who is Egyptian) and his future wife on a honeymoon there. He was born in Cairo but has never been to Upper Egypt. I thought this was a great deal for the money but I do have only one complaint: The water –tea-coffee and soft drinks. Would like to pay more up front to avoid signing every time I want a drink. We sometimes forgot to sign and then had to wait for the waiter to come by and it was a pain at times, but altogether it was GREAT and my friends enjoyed themselves. Your people were there on time everytime and one day I wanted to visit a friend and I was willing to walk to her home from the museum and they insisted on driving me and they picked me up as well at the exact time and you know how the traffic is there now. They were never late. Take care Terry and thanks again for a memorable vacation that could not have been more perfect.I will recommend you to all Americans wanting to visit Egypt. THE AMARCO WAS A BEAUTIFUL BOAT AND I FELT LIKE THE NILE QUEEN WHILE ON BOARD!

Karen

 

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• June 2011

Amazing experience!! Overall, everything was great. All of us felt incredibly well taken care of. While all of the Travel Egypt people were good, the Cairo team of Manal, Rami and Mohamed were exceptional. We are calling them "the dream team" !!. We have traveled all over the world, but have never had such a incredible group taking care of every detail. We can not recommend Travel Egypt highly enough. Thank you.

Robert and family

 

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• April 2011

Child's Egypt tour

 

Egypt was great.
Perfect time to go as there were very few tourists, no lines to get into tombs.
And my 7 year old daughter did great, even when we saw 9 tombs and 2 temples in one day in Luxor!

 

RM

 

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Childs Egypt Tour comment:
The team in Cairo is terrific, First Rate!
Manal is an exceptional guide, she is superb.
Rami is an excellent tour leader. He went out of his way to help us in several things, he provided additional cell phone service, local foods and thought up a variety of games to entertain my grandson. He is a great tour leader. Mohamed Ali is an excellent driver! Very accomodating and pleasant. Abbul, our guide in Aswan and Luxor is a bright intelligent guide who knows facts and how to present them in an entertaining as well as educational way.

 

Ted, Maryalice and Graham

 

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• March 2011

All the arrangements made by Travel Egypt worked out very well. Especially the representative Rami in Cairo and the guide Mrs. Manal deserve mentioning for their genuine friendship and hospitality. Rami was like a mother hen concerned with every aspect of our wellbeing and Mrs Manal is an expert egyptologist who taught us so much about ancient and contemporary Egypt. The driver Mohammed Ali, an older gentleman navigated the Cairo traffic with such calm and patience as to approach sainthood!.

 

The St. George was also a wonderful experience. The staff making our comfort and happiness their focal point! We truly felt like two queens sailing on the Nile on their royal barge.

 

Egypt was an amazing experience and because of the close contact we had with several Egyptians I feel very close to the country and the people and wish only the very best for all of them. Should you ever want me to be a reference for potential customers, feel free to do so. I have only positive things to say about my experience with you.

 

Best Regards,
Monika

 

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We had an incredible vacation in Egypt. Everything went according to the schedule and we were impressed by the sites that we visited. All the staff in Egypt did a great job taking care of us. I will recommend your agency to all my friends. I hope I can visit Egypt again in the future.

 

Thanks,
Matt

 

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We had an incredible time in Egypt and it is all thanks to our tour team - everyone was amazing! Our driver got us every place safety and timely. Manal was awesome! Her knowledge of everything is incredible. We are amazed at how much she knows. Her passion for her country is also very refreshing. Hamid is also very flexible in making and changing arrangements. One day he made arrangements for us to eat dinner at a restaurant down the street. The food was delicious but what made the meal was the conversation with Hamid. We do only have one complaint and that is the wait staff at the hotel for the most part the service was very slow and lacking. We do both work in restaurant in the US so we would expect the same service that we would give if we were working. Besides the poor restaurant service in the hotel, the hotel was beautiful and clean and we never had any issues with any other staff. We have both fell in love with Egypt and its people. We both hope to return to Egypt and explore more of the country someday. When we do will definitely do it with this company, and hopefully deal with the same people.

David and Tammy T.

 

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• February 2011

(Karen McCormick is a Mount Pleasant resident who recently returned from Egypt).

 

Our trip to Egypt was not the nightmare other tourists have described.
When rumors of "riots in Egypt" began to hit the news a few days before a scheduled vacation there, I was far more worried about snow in NYC. Heavy snow was predicted for several days before our trip, and the airlines were offering free flight changes, never a good sign. We decided to show up as scheduled and hope for the best.

 

The news about the demonstrations in Cairo seemed to be getting worse. A friend called us at the airport to suggest we not go, and said she was surprised there wasn't a travel advisory. It wasn't until we were about to board that we first heard that the State Department may have advised postponing Egypt travel plans unless they were absolutely necessary.

 

A little over 10 hours later, we landed in Cairo and were greeted by a sign with our names on it, always a welcome sight when travelling to a country in which English is not the main language. Our liaison helped us through customs and escorted us to our waiting van. Once in the van, he introduced us to the owner of the tour company, who asked us why we had decided to come. His presence and that question helped to prepare us for a trip far different than what we had planned.

 

We were supposed to spend the first three days in Cairo. We were whisked around the city to Giza, a nearby suburb where we would see the pyramids instead. Tanks and Egyptian military personnel surrounded the hotel. We could see the pyramids in the distance. Unfortunately, because of the looting a few days before in the Cairo Museum, the pyramids and Sphinx were closed to tourists. There was also a 4 p.m. curfew in Cairo, which unfortunately extended to Giza.

 

The news over the next few days indicated pandemonium at Cairo airport. The American Embassy in Cairo appeared to be closed. A call to the embassy in the U.S. produced a recording directing callers to check a website to make flight arrangements. This advice was rather useless, since internet service was now nonexistent in all of Egypt.

 

The next morning he and our liaison met us at breakfast and had a plan. He would see if he could get us on a plane to Luxor.

Luxor had a completely different feel. There was no curfew, and aside from the fact that the streets weren't as crowded with tourists as one would expect, you would never know anything was going on in Cairo. We were able to see temple after temple, but all the museums were closed. While driving, we were occasionally stopped by locals carrying sticks or whatever weapons they could improvise. Our guide explained that they were just making sure no one entered their neighborhoods with intent to do harm.

 

We never knew what would be next on our itinerary until it happened, but we were able to just go with the flow. We stayed on a cruise ship in Luxor, and after a few days left for Aswan, cruising south on the Nile. The ship was supposed to stop in Edfu on the way, but apparently all the sites there were closed. The first few days, there were maybe 40 guests on the ship, with a staff of around 75. When a large group left, there were only the two of us and a French group of maybe 16. My guess is that the ship is probably completely empty by now.

Aswan was as quiet as Luxor had been. We practically had the temples to ourselves. Each day we felt more alone. The Egyptians we met were friendly and helpful. They knew the tourist business was hurting. All along, we were following the news in Cairo. The violence was so overplayed that folks back home thought we were in a war zone and were worried sick. Don't get me wrong, what was happening in Cairo was bad. The banks and post office had been closed for a week. Internet and cell phone access was cut. Food and other basic necessities were becoming scarce. But the violence was limited to a tiny square in the city, and even there the demonstrations were mostly peaceful. From what I can gather, there were some problems the second day of the protests when the police were still involved, and then again one night about a week later when the "pro-Mubarak"" or "pro-stability" faction caused some problems. Aside from those short periods of time, the anti-Mubarek demonstrators, in larger or smaller numbers and including families with children, protested peacefully in the square. The military, well trusted by the citizens, took over for the police and to my knowledge there were no problems between them and the protesters.

 

What was not played up on the news is the effect this is having on the citizens. Cairo is paralyzed. The rest of the country will be paralyzed soon as the reality of the economic calamity hits. The media is finally reporting that this is costing Egypt some $300 million a day. What we saw were the individuals who will be paying this cost.

 

Our tour company alone (TravelEgypt) spent a small fortune changing our itinerary around trying to balance keeping us safe with allowing us to see as much as we could of their fascinating country. All the rest of their bookings for February have canceled.

 

We never felt afraid or unsafe during our travels in Egypt. Everyone we encountered in Egypt was friendly and helpful. We were to travel toward the Red Sea and Mt. Sinai, but unfortunately by that time over a million tourists had left and there were no services available.

We were able to get a flight out on EgyptAir, and they didn't even charge us to change our tickets. The U.S., however, was a different story. While EgyptAir was willing to change our flight without even charging us a change fee, USAir used the circumstances to gouge us over $500 in addition to the price we had paid for the original flight. I write this to give a different perspective from what has been portrayed on the news in the U.S.

 

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• January 2011

As Kathy wrote in her review to Terry at Travel Egypt, this was a smoothly-run tour with no major hitches. It was an experience that our group of six will remember for a lifetime. We are most grateful to your very professional staff and guides for all that they did to make this an unforgettable experience. Hamed made sure that everything was organized and on time and accompanied us as we sampled a variety of delicious local dishes in several very nice restaurants. He is an exceptional host and representative and a great asset for Travel Egypt.

 

Menal not only is an expert Egyptologist, but also is an extremely effective communicator. Her energy, flexibility, and sense of humor made our time with her a highlight of our trip. She also helped enormously with our being able to enjoy the market in Cairo which probably would have been impossible for us to negotiate on our own. She helped a lot with our bargaining for items at the market. Our almost impromptu koshary lunch was fabulous and was another highlight of our trip. She is a remarkable personality and deserves her "sunshine" nickname.

 

In Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel, we were very fortunate to have Moses as our guide, mentor, scheduler, bargainer, protector, and friend. His energy is contagious and his knowledge of ancient Egypt - like that of his colleague Menal - seems endless. Even with our small group of six, he was very patient and accommodating and made sure that we had a tremendous experience. His help and suggestions for shopping and bargaining with local vendors made our short shopping forays a lot more fun - and more economical than if we had been on our own. Moses, Menal, and Hamed make a wonderful team!!!

 

I must say that our group was probably overwhelmed by the number and variety of antiquities we saw and the information we heard while we traveled up the Nile. Upon reflection, I think it's slowly starting to sink in that we were treated to the trip of a lifetime that we will appreciate even more as time goes by. Several of us are still replaying the scenes of all that we saw and heard and experienced over and over in our minds - so we're continuing to enjoy our Egyptian experience well after it has ended. I think that will be true for years to come.

 

Thank you very much for a marvelous experience.
Richard & Pat