Name: Jordan Discovery
Brand: Intrepid Travel
SKU: N/A
Price: 1631 USD
Availability: LimitedAvailability
Rating: 4.8 (5 reviews)

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I've always been interested in Egyptian history and when friends suggested 
joining this holiday I booked straight away. And it didn't disappoint. Seeing 
&amp; being able to touch stones &amp; hieroglyphics that were put there thousands of 
years old was magical. Watching the scenery change as we cruised south on the 
Nile was also really good.
Overall the tour was seamlessly organised and managed by our excellent guide, 
Sayed Mansour, who always made sure everyone was clear on timings and 
locations. He has an encycolopedic knowledge of both the country's history 
and also its modern day affairs.
On the negative side, this trip is described as 'leisurely' which our group 
would dispute: we had 3 ultra-early wake up calls (2am &amp; 3am twice) to catch 
planes and for the 300km coach drive to Abu Simbel. And there were early 
starts all other mornings too to beat the heat. This &amp; the temps made it very 
sapping. The temps were much hotter (in mid to high 40sC) than usual as Egypt 
was having a heatwave, so drinking lots &amp; loose clothing were musts. Thank 
goodness for air con on the coach &amp; in our rooms!
Riding an Arabian stallion round the Pyramids with hardly anyone about. This 
was something I arranged privately because on Day 1 I opted out of the tour 
to visit an equine charity I support which helps the working horses in Giza


See above. Sayed Mansour was an excellent guide


Take £ notes as you can pay for the entry visa &amp; all the extra trips with 
these (or dollars or local notes) &amp; just change a small amount of Egyptian 
pounds
A hat or scarf is a must. And don't wear hot pants-type shorts as your legs 
will burn &amp; it offends the locals.
Be prepared for the traders to hassle you endlessly, which can be 
intimidating

Nile Cruise

Sorry, I meant to add that Exodus should perhaps delete the reference to the 
"library" on the cruise from the Trip Notes.  The library consisted of 16 
dog-eared books left behind by previous travellers.  Only one was in English.

This was a wonderful trip - I enjoyed it enormously.
Visit to the temples at Karnak &amp; Luxor


Khaled Lotfy was an excellent &amp; inspirational group leader. He shepherded us 
around keeping a close eye on all our needs. His knowledge of the history &amp; 
archaeology of Egypt was impressive. I feel enriched having spent a week in 
Egypt in his company.


Be prepared for lots of early mornings!


I thought the evening's entertainment on the boat was questionable. Whirling 
dervish as circus act?!

I do not have a very long 'bucket list', in fact Egypt is the only 
destination on it and this holiday did not disappoint. From the flight to 
Cairo to the flight home everything went without a hitch. The hotels and Nile 
Cruiser were very good and Sayed our Tour Leader was excellent. Thank you 
Exodus.
The Nile Cruise was so relaxing. Being able to take time to look at the 
scenery and enjoy the life on the river banks as we gently moved up the Nile 
was magical.

Abu Simbel cannot be described in words as there are none that will do it 
justice, truly awe inspiring.

The Valley of The Kings was a surprise as it was much more compact than I had 
thought it would be and therefore much more impressive as there were so many 
tombs so close together.


Sayed Mansour our group leader was excellent. He calmly and quietly organised 
the week so that we had no worries and were able to concentrate on the trips. 
His knowledge, stamina, humour and versatility were outstanding. He was 
friendly but not overly so and always made sure that individual needs were 
catered for.


Our trip was in the Egyptian winter and we did need a warm jacket and 
waterproof - yes it did rain in Aswan.
You do not need a great deal of sending money as buying things is very 
reasonable.
Once outside Cairo finding an ATM became a bit more difficult, mainly because 
of the itinerary. Change some of your money at the airport.
Getting the visa at the airport was trouble free but there were queues.
Lots of bottled water is provided by Exodus.


Our group was not very happy with the captive crocodiles in the Nubian 
Village. We could have missed out visiting the house where they were kept for 
tourists and spent more time in the village itself.

This was a wonderful trip.  It was very exciting to get our first glimpse of 
the Pyramids which were only a short ride from the airport.  There was a few 
early morning starts which you should be prepared for and lots of optional 
tours so make sure you have budgeted extra for these.  As you have to pay at 
the local toilets it would be handy to have some small change with you (which 
isn't easy to get) otherwise you will have some very expensive pees :-)  I 
felt very secure the whole time we were there.  There is security at all the 
hotels and museums.
Seeing the pyramids for the first time was amazing.  It was a good time to go 
as tourism is only just getting busy again and when we went to the pyramids 
we were able to get photos without hundreds of people being in the 
background.


Our guide Randa was wonderful.  She was very passionate about everything and 
made the time to answer all questions.


Take/obtain small change.  You can use US dollars.  Be prepared for early 
morning starts.  Be nice to the traders.  You do not have to buy from them 
but be polite.


Even though this is a cruise clothing is very casual.  When visiting the 
mosque on the second day make sure you have long trousers and a scarf to 
cover you head, otherwise there are no clothes restrictions but dress 
sensibly.

I have always dreamt of visiting Egypt and seeing for my self the many 
ancient wonders going back to the dawn of history. This trip was a dream come 
true. Having been back a few days I find it hard to believe I have seen and 
learnt much about so many awe-inspiring ancient monuments, the life of the 
Pharoahs, and experienced this wonderful diverse country with its friendly 
welcoming population.
Yes there were many traders selling their wares at most places we visited, 
but this did not detract from the beauty and the history. Most were very 
polite and, bearing in mind the average salary is only 7000 Egyptian pounds 
per month (a little under £300 at the current exchange rate of 23.6) who can 
blame them for trying to extract the tourist dollar the economy depends so 
much on. They have some wonderful souvenirs at mainly very cheap prices too.
This trip packed in so much - it is not for the infirm or feint hearted - 
although there is plenty of opportunity to opt out and rest if required. 
Personally I felt obliged to make the most of the trip and see and learn as 
much as possible. The Cruise upon our boat Mirage I was sublime with stunning 
sunsets and amazing views as we chugged up the great Nile to Aswan. The crew 
were friendly and helpful and a good variety of delicious freshly cooked food 
- and plenty of it.
Overall a dream come true and an amazing experience shared with a great bunch 
of people on this trip!
The highlight of the trip was the recently reopened Seti I tomb in the valley 
of the kings - the brightly painted burial chamber being simply breath taking 
- WELL worth paying the extra 1000 Egyptian pounds for entry. In fact I did 
not regret any of the optional extras I paid for on this trip.


The other highlight was our SUPERB ever-smiling tour leader Ronda who worked 
tirelessly to keep us to schedule, sort out everyone's problems (including 
arranging for clothes and medication to be provided when my bag failed to 
reach the Cairo on the way out), and endless information on all that we saw - 
putting it into context and showing her very great knowledge and passion for 
her country and her former profession as an archaeologist. I cannot thank her 
enough for being such a fantastic guide!


My advice to others taking this trip would be to:
Make the most of every opportunity to see the wonderful sights!
Ensure you have essentials and spare clothes in your hand luggage just in 
case you bag takes a different route!
Try early on to get small bill Egyptian dollars for things like toilet tips 
water etc - a small tip can make a big difference to lives of people there. 
Cash points are never far away and easy to use but will give big denomination 
bills unless ask for creative amounts (180 will get you a 100, 50, 20, 10 or 
3 x 10)
Drink plenty of water - it is easy to forget and be carried away with the 
sights and get dehydrated.
Get at least a litre or two on board every day!
Sun screen and hats to avoid getting burnt and sunstroke.
Take spare camera batteries or if using a phone for pictures charging sticks 
- dont let lack of juice stop you capturing those memories!


Thank you Exodus for a great experience and for all your back up when things 
went wrong with baggage - airline fail not the tour company. Couldnt have 
been more helpful to try and find the bag and assist with getting esentials. 
(bag finally found on on way back as I write.