Ode to History: An In-depth Egypt and Lebanon Tour

Our travel agency did a fabulous job with our trip to Egypt and Jordan. When we stepped off the plane in Cairo, our agent was at the gate with our visas. We whisked through customs in no time. It was a great start to a memorable trip.

Our first hotel was disappointing. Its website suggests a hotel from a by-gone era. In reality, it is a new Marriott. It was clean, safe, well kept, and literally across the street from the pyramids. The staff was wonderful, but it was not what we hoped it would be. Food was mediocre.

We had a great guide who accompanied us throughout our stay in Egypt. He was knowledgeable, personable, and just plain nice. He was a great ambassador for Egypt who was a pleasure to spend a week with. He was punctual, and patient. He provided great knowledge about ancient Egypt with a passion for his country’s heritage. He did an excellent job.

The hotel in Aswan was splendid. It exceeded our expectations. The location was beautiful. The food was very good. The restaurant was a bit stuffy especially when nearly denying admission because I wore hiking shoes. The food was very good, not great, but the room was great.

Next stop was the hotel in Luxor. It was well located, and had a great staff, but it was not quite as good as Aswan. Nonetheless, there is no question that we would stay there again. Luxor is an unbelievable place. The Valley of the Kings was awesome, but there is no better site than the tomb of Queen Nefertari. The murals defy description.

Alexandria was next up on the journey. The accommodation was a great hotel. The citadel and library were worth a day trip. The city itself had an edge, an impression that no doubt resulted from the 2 fist fights we saw during our afternoon there. We, however, never felt threatened there or anywhere in Egypt. Americans need to ignore that suggestion that the wonderful country is unsafe. It is safe, welcoming, and hospitable. Go to Egypt. You won’t be disappointed.

We next traveled to Jordan for 4 four days. What a place. We stopped at Mt. Nebo on the way to Petra, which defies description. You need to be in shape to enjoy all that Petra offers unless you decide to ride a donkey to the monastery. We hiked it-13.9 miles and 138 flights of stairs. There is a lot to see, and the view from the cliffs overlooking the Treasury is stunning, and quite steep. Petra by night was a dud. We spent 2 nights at the Movenpick on the recommendation of friends. it is a great choice at it is immediately adjacent to the entrance to the Petra. 

Wadi Rhum was next on the agenda. We spent a few hours with our guide whose Bedouin family was wonderful. The area is beautiful. It is no easy to understand by T.E. Lawrence loved the country after touring here. Next time we will stay at least at night here.

We then traveled back to Amman where we stayed at the resort which was great. I realized that I forgot my coat at Petra, but our driver and city guide, made a call to a fellow guide who brought it back to Amman with him; just one of those little things that distinguish a really good tour company. He took us on a great trip through downtown Amman at night. Once again, not a worry about security. We sat outside waiting in line at Habibahto sample kanafehwhen a couple of middle aged guys struck up a conversation with us, another example of how people throughout our trip were genuinely friendly. Our last day in Jordan was highlighted by a day trip to Jerash. Do not miss it. Our guide was great, and took extra time to be sure that we saw everything.

The owner of the Maryland based tour company, put together a comprehensive, insightful, and undeniably memorable trip. His attention to detail was exceptionable. His integrity was evident when he deferred involvement in our last stop, Istanbul. He candidly acknowledged that he did not have a network established there. That he encouraged us to book this part of our trip with someone else speaks volumes for him.

Our agent's involvement did not end when we left Amman. Shortly after we arrived home we received shipment of a table that we purchased while in Jordan. It was not what we purchased, and not what we wanted. When he was informed of this problem, he immediately had his people in Jordan intervene. He was responsible for a full refund of the purchase price. He did not have to do that, but he felt it was his duty to do so. Trust us, as travelers who arrived in Kathmandu around 9:00 am. on April 25, 2015, we know the importance of a tour operator, and this agent is a really good one. 

Go to the Egypt and Jordan, and book with this travel company; you will not be disappointed. Go to Egypt and Jordan because they are safe, welcoming, and incredibly interesting. Don’t listen to naysayers who exaggerate dangers that are ubiquitous. It is a journey that will not disappoint.

    Ahmed of this travel company was wonderful. He spent a great deal of time setting up a very customized tour of Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel. The sightseeing and the coordination of the activities was well conceived and well executed. I have mobility difficulties, and the wheelchair assistant made a huge difference in being able see and navigate the various tombs and monuments. I was able to experience many things that may not have been possible without such planning and teamwork.  Ahmed was very flexible and helpful in creating the itinerary that best suited my interests and my mobility limitations. The hotels were good and the hotel in Luxor was particularly special.    I did have difficulty with the guide in Aswan and Luxor. He gave information about the tombs, and even helped with photos and the wheelchair, but he gave very little information on the cities we we’re visiting. He seemed to try to cut out items in the itinerary.Several examples:   I specifically requested shopping in Aswan Nubian art. He said that I would not be able to tolerate the shopping area in Aswan because of my wheelchair. I said if that is true, what about a crafts center or store? He said that there was none in Aswan, the place to go for that was Luxor. When we got to Luxor, he wanted to take me Alabaster store. I told him I was not interested in that. I said I wanted to see Nubian and other Egyptian crafts, and he said that is not available in Luxor. I said I wanted to go to a Crafts center, and he said that they are all the same, and that I refused the one he wanted to take me to. Needless to say I never got to see any Crafts centers in Luxor.  When I was in Aswan, and the guide advised against the shopping area, I said I wanted to replace it some other activity. He said how about “downtown Aswan”? I said fine. Five minutes later, he announced that there was nothing to see downtown. He said we will drive near the Nile. We drive north of Aswan for 5 minutes, and then returned to the hotel. It was extremely frustrating!  My last example,….. Edfu was on my itinerary. When we were nearing Edfu, the guide announced that Edfu was not very interesting. I had wished that he gave me some warning so I could possibly do some research on what else we could have substituted if we did not visit Edfu. I said that I definitely wanted to replace another site with Edfu if we not stop there. He did eventually offer to substitute a visit to Habu the next day. (Which was a nice stop). It seemed like the guide wanted to shorten my itinerary, and usually with no advance warning. 

We saw everything we wanted to see and more. Our agent was excellent and our guide was very good. The hotel in Cairo was very good. The hotel in Aswan was excellent — the best of the trip. The hotel on Luxor was a major disappointment LOUD constrction 9AM to 7PM and the room eas very dirty. The two restaurants were mediocre. This travel company took very good care of us in the airports we were glad they were there to help us. I did not like their US representative. He was pushy rude and petulant.

If there was a 6-star review this Egypt Tour Company would surely get it. Our travel planner and his people on the ground in Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada made this trip seamless. Even with the speed bumps that Covid-19 laid in front of us our trip was super easy. We started planning this adventure a year ago. I can't imagine doing it without the expertise that our travel planner brought to the table. We felt 100% safe the entire journey. We visited 20+ world-class archeological sites, many were World Heritage Sites. The tickets, private transportation and a trained Egyptologist were provided by our travel company the entire trip. The hotels were fantastic. The experience was incredible.

Our travel planner customized our trip so we could scuba dive a few days in the Red Sea at the end of the tour. His man in Hurghada took care of getting us the necessary documents for our Covid test required to get back into the US. Our departure flight left Cairo at 2AM and his man on the ground was with us to make sure we breezed through customs and everything was in order. You just can't appreciate that kind of service until you see it in action. Special thanks to our guides in Cairo and in Luxor & Aswan. And our guide who met us at the beginning of our adventure and was there at the end (2AM) in the Cairo airport. You made this trip absolutely incredible. Thank you!