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Upon arrival I was greeted by Fooad, the manager of Egypt Magic, at the airport. I was driven to my hotel (The Zoser. I thought it was a very nice hotel, maybe a 3 star by European standards. It was clean, comfortable, and had a nice buffet that was available all day/ While Fooad explained about Egypt and it's culture. The first day at the hotel I just fell asleep, since I had been traveling extensively.
Day 2 I was met in the lobby by the driver I had yesterday from the airport. He took me to the Cairo museum where I met my guide, Maha. She is the best guide I had on my trip! (I had been traveling for 3 months). She was very nice, spoke perfect English, and would answer any questions that I had. Next time I go to Egypt (because I will be using this company again, I was very pleased) I will be contacting Maha and hopefully she can be my guide again.
After the Cairo museum we went to a few shops in the city (like a papyrus museum (they have BEAUTIFUL work there), a perfume store and an Egyptian Cotton museum). My favorite store was probably the Topaz Bazzar, lots of really neat things there :) And you're not hassled on the street to buy souvenirs. We of course made the stop at the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Maha took some awesome pictures of me there, I can't thank her enough!
Day three I was again met by my driver and we picked up Fooad on the way to the airport. As a single female traveler I felt very safe, even though Cairo was pretty much empty of tourists after the Revolution. I was never left alone except at the hotel. I highly recommend visiting Egypt, no lines lol!
Everyone is really friendly and they just want people to come back to visit their beautiful country. I really had no problems there, and this company will make sure that you have the time of your life there.
The organisation was generally good and the cost for what I received was satisfactory.
But the hotel which was supposedly 4 star wasn't 4 star by western standards. The Nile Cruise also wasn't 5 stars as it purported to be and was more like 3 star. The tour operator could maybe make this clear so that customers who are willing to pay more for better accommodation are aware of the differences.
The 'tipping' to those in customer service in Egypt is an expectation and customers need to make allowance for that in their costing for the trip. Tipping the tour leader who doesn't need to be there etc was an issue at times. Often it's enough, depending on the 'site' to have just a driver. For example, at the airport the tour leader was there to see me off.I dont need him there for that but I'm still obliged to 'tip'.
Tour Operators Reply:
Thanks for your feedback and comments. Sorry you were a little disappointed.
HOTEL STANDARDS: The star rating program in Egypt cannot be compared to Western Standards – Western Hotels are inspected regularly, but in Egypt they may be issued a star rating on opening new and 20 years later still have the same rating although no upgrades may have been done during that period. Therefore a new 4 star could be a better standard than an old 5 star. Some 5 star Hotels have totally unacceptable standards. As a result this often causes confusion among our clients trying to determine the level of Hotel they require.
We do not use the low end Hotels below 4 star as these are often run down and dirty. We attempt to utilize Hotels that are clean and of a good standard, both in quality and service. However, as with any country in the world, the levels of amenities, standards of furnishing, services etc. vary in comparison to the price paid.
* I think the hotel and Nile cruise, which was booked was very good, and The is the first time received a complaint of this hotel or Nile cruise. The hotel is Grand pyramids Hotel and the Nile cruise is Presidential Nile Cruises
TIPPING - BAKSHEESH - GRATUITIES: In Egypt tipping (or Baksheesh) is a general practice everywhere (even among the Egyptians themselves), and ensures extra services at monuments, museums etc. It can be a hassle and become irritating, but it is part of the lifestyle in Egypt.
I think there is no member of staff request or impose them on you to give your tip .
We used this operator for Amman, Petra, Cairo, and Luxor. Overall we were pleased with the service,and the flexibility.
The driver in Jordan was excellent, and answered all our questions.He took us to a nice restaurant in Petra. The Grand View hotel had a grand view but with no hot water and no bar open, it was not our favourite hotel after walking all day around Petra.
On arrival in Cairo, our pickup man suggested we needed to pay more to fill in the day in Cairo. We feel this would have been better to bring up before we left home. Even after paying more to include the citadel in the tour, we still had a few hours to kill after the pyramids before we took the sleeper train. Our guide located a nice café which was appreciated.
The guide in Luxor was excellent although we had difficulty getting into our room at the Iberotel at 2pm. Doing the Valley of the Kings and Karnak and Luxor temples after the train ride was too much in the heat for one day.
The balloon ride on the second day was a highlight. We had prepaid for lunch and decided to relax in the excellent hotel grounds. The food was good but the service very slow. In the evening we did the Karnak sound and light.
Considering we did a lot in 4 days, we believe Ms Lamia did a fine job in coordinating everything.
We had a wonderful time in Egypt, thanks to Lamia and her professional crew.
We had several different guides and drivers throughout our 12-day excursion, and at every step we were pleased with their helpfulness and attention to detail. The guides, with their vast knowledge of history, were simply amazing. My wife and I had chosen them because we wanted a more personal approach to exploring the country, and we were not disappointed. No large buses packed with tourists; even our largest group was quite small, and most of the time it was just us, a guide, and a driver. Exactly what we'd hoped for.
We felt we got a taste of the "real" Egypt, with some behind-the-scenes experiences that were certainly one of a kind. I'd be happy to recommend this company to anyone looking for a truly amazing experience in Egypt.
They are reliable and punctual in their pick-ups and transfers. The staff was cooperative and willing to alter prog itenerary as per our requirements. The guides were well informed. The Boat cruise they arranged with Presidential Cruise Company was a pleasant expereince. The Cruise chef also catered to our special meal requirements.
It was excellent on the part of the operator. They were very helpful, always there, open to our requests for small changes in the plans, extremely friendly and provided us with very knowledgeable, interesting and fun guides. We had no problems at all, except for a pretty rough train ride from Cairo to Aswan ( a very old 1st class sleeper wagon with no heating, only air conditioning which could not be turned off, and broken lights ).
The cruise on the “Monte Carlo” was perfect, transport from Luxor to the Red Sea was by private minivan ( just us 4 ). In fact, we were either on our own for the tours, or with max 4 other tourists, so never in large crowds for visits and explanations.
The hotel ( Desert Rose ) in Hurghada was superb, but English is not the second language there, Russian is…. We had some difficulty in making ourselves understood… Otherwise, the resort is great.
An rep was always there at every point of our trip. We never had to wait for anyone, and were always taken care of. Even in Hurghada, where we had no excursions planned, the rep met us in the hotel at 9:00 PM the first night, organized a safari in the desert for us, called us again to make sure everything was OK, and then took us to the bus station on departure day, bought the tickets and stayed with us until we boarded the bus. Great service, and no tip requested….
That’s it! I’d happily recommend the operator to any one, and have told this the Lamia, the “boss”, by e-mail and phone.
We have completed an special holiday for 5 great days in Egypt.It was wonderful. 12 November was our 25th wedding annevarsary. I have planned this tour as a surprise for my wife.
Services proved by the operaotr was more than satisfactory.
They have collected us from airport,in Cairo and they have guided us for 3 days.We have stayed Hotel Zoserwhich was an acceptable 4 star.Wednesday night ,12 november just the date they have organized a cruise dinner.But more than my expactation they have provided roses for my wife and a cake,which we have cut on the stage.
Then they took us to Alexanderia Renaissance Hotel for a night.Up to noon time they have arranged a tour for some historical places.Next day they have taken us to Port Said,HotelHennan.Last they they took us back to cairo Airport.on the way back also we have passed through Peace Bridge and come back.
I took the tour from Aug 30, 2008 to Sept 6, 2008 I found it over the internet and read many reviews about it. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, except with one big caveat: there were many add-on fees.
I contacted Lamia, tour owner, via e-mail. Lamia answered my questions and e-mailed me the "cost" of the trip ($1270) and the itinerary. The cost seemed reasonable and the itinerary was comprehensive. I placed a 25% deposit prior to the trip.
The tour leader, Fouad Hassan, picked me up at the airport. He was very courteous and professional. My plane was four hours late. We drove to the Zoser Hotel on Pyramids Road in Giza. I gave him the rest of the "cost" of the trip. Soon, I learned that there would more "add on" fees for various sites. Overall, add-on fees totaled $500 for the entire trip (paid in cash).
The tour guide in Cairo, Rasha Fathy, was excellent. The driver, Iman, was excellent and very personable. I saw the pyramids, sphinx, and Cairo Museum.
At night, I took a sleeper train to Aswan (12 hours). It was a unique experience. I was me at the train station by Mr. Ahmed Saadoon. He was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. He took me to see many interesting sites in Aswan, Luxor, Edfu, and Abu Simbel.
I took the "Crocodile" Nile cruise. It was outstanding. The boat was beautiful and well-maintained. The food was excellent. The service was very good. It was an enjoyable experience travelling down the Nile in that boat with that crew.
I returned to Cairo via sleeper train. I visited Saqqara pyramids and Old Cairo.
My only complaint is that there were too many add-on fees: $150 to Abu Simbel, $20 for Aswan city tour, $60 for Karnak and Luxor temples, etc.... I wish that they would have e-mailed me a list of all "add on" fees.
Overall, they are a reliable and legitimate tour and provides outstanding service. However, be prepared for the extra fees!!!
Tour Operators Reply:
I am sorry the client had a complaint about the extra fees.
However, I would like to clarify that , the client decided to add an extra tours to the program agreed. The tour itinerary was provided and priced for the items included in the specified itinerary and therefore it was his responsibility to pay for the additional tours he decided to add on.
I would like to know if any one of my group made a pressure upon the client to convince him to take up the extra tours
The private attention we got from our guide, tour manager and driver was refreshing in an age when many tours are so "large group" impersonal.
They really made us feel like guests not just tourists.
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Itinerary
I T I N E R A R Y
day 01: Arrive Cairo airport meet and assist by our representative he will meet you inside airport with sign of your name and he will assist you throw passport control formalities, luggage identification & portage then transfer by air-conditioned coach to your hotel, check in & overnight in Cairo
day 02: Breakfast at hotel, meet with tour guide to visit Egyptian Museum, then visit the Pyramids , Sphinx one of the seven wonders of the ancient World still existed, Lunch , back to your hotel Overnight in cairo .
day 03 : Breakfast at the hotel , free time in cairo ( optinal tour to citadel and old cairo ) overnight in cairo.
day 04 : Breakfast at the hotel transfer to fly to LuxorArrival Luxor, meet you, transfer to your hotel. Introduction to your guide.Cross to the West Bank Visit the Necropolis of Thebes, Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon , Lunch , back to your hotel and overnight.
day 05 : Breakfast at hotel , visit the temple of Karnak and the temple of Luxor , overnight in Luxor.
day 06 : Breakfast at the hotel , Transfer to take the nile cruise to Qena at 0630 to visit Temple of dandara . This Temple was dedicated to one of the oldest deities, Hathore it was rebuilt by the Patolemaice befor the Christain began. So it is on of the perfect examples of Ptolemaic temples. Lunch on the cruise , back to luxor at 1900 . Transfer to take airport to fly to cairo arrival cairo and overnight.
Tour price includes: * 4 nights in Cairo at 4 stars hotel bed and breakfast * 2 nights in luxor at 4 stars hotel bed and breakfast * Sightseeing in Cairo, Luxor / cruise ( include car, guide, entrance fees ) * All Transfers in the program * Sightseeing in Cairo /Luxor / Cruise with English speaking guide * Domestic flights cairo/ Luxor/cairo
