Looking for Special Alexandria tour....

[cruisemom42]

I will be in port for one day at Alexandria in late September. I am looking for a private tour but have some special requirements. I need a guide that has much more than average historical knowledge and who will be willing to take me to some sites that are not necessarily on the "beaten path" for casual tourists.

I'm very into history, particularly the history regarding Alexander the Great, as well as the later Ptolemies in Alexandria. I would like to visit as many sites as possible that relate to this period (including the possible place where Alexander "might" have been buried.....)

I don't want to hear all the "Egypt 101" history, as I am well versed already. I'm a little leery of contacting the usual agencies on offer (e.g., Ramses, Nile Blue) for fear they'll tell me they have a suitable guide, only to find out on the day that I've gotten the basic tour.....

Can anyone offer any names of guides that would be able to fill these requirements?

Help, please!

[Marie-Claude]

Cynthia,

Did you try http://www.cairotravel.com ??
Their website is very detailed, and you might be lucky in getting a more personalised tour with them.

Good luck in finding what you are looking for - it's always a challenge to find the right 'fit' when booking and now knowing... !!

MC

[CRUISERTN]

I was going to suggest trying Cairo Travel as well. They have a very detailed website and might be able to fit your needs. Would be worth checking them out and getting in contact with them to see what they can offer.

[cruisemom42]

Thanks; I will definitely investigate Cairo Travel.

Any other suggestions also welcomed!

[aea6574]

Howdy Cynthia:

I hope you are doing great today.

I thought I would comment that you might want to contact Ramses-

M.yousef for H.George
Senior International Sales Executive
Ramses Travel Group of Egypt.
Main office : 120 Taalat Harb,
Alexandria.
Egypt.
Direct Phone : 002/0106808857
Cell n : 002/0105759364
Email:info@ramsestours.com
www.ramsestours.com


I just finished arranging a tour with them and George was great. We had many, many emails going back and forth as I wanted this a particular way and George was able to work everythign to our satisfaction.

I think you should call or email him as I am sure he can help with your specific needs.

Best regards, tony

[Kerry's Girls]

I can highly recommend Moutsafa Egypt Tours. Moustafa has an amazing resume and education and I'm sure can provide a specific guide to create the best day for you. He was very responsive to my many questions and requests and came through on each one and created an even better tour than I'd hoped for. Send him an email and see what he can provide: moustafa@moustafaegypttours.com .

Best,
Mia

[cruisemom42]

I've emailed Ramses and Moustafa as well with my requests -- I will wait to see what they can propose.

[souto]

Just returned from a mediterranean cruise with one day in Egypt and Ushama, Ramses guide made this day special, he is a fabulous egyptologist and now a friend.

[cruisemom42]

I certainly appreciate everyone's suggestions, but lest this thread turn into a free-for-all with everyone touting their favorite tour operator, I just want to re-emphasize that I'm looking for that "something extra" -- a guide who is above and beyond and who can take me to spots that aren't necessarily on the agenda of a first-time visitor to Egypt, as this is my THIRD visit.

I am not interested in revisiting Cairo on this trip.

I can quote chapter and verse on ancient Egyptian history from Narmer (1st Dynasty) through Cleopatra, last of the Ptolemies. I know about the ancient Egyptian gods, from Amun to Thoth. I spent 5 hours in the Egyptian museum on my last visit on my own with a guidebook that described every significant object in the museum -- and viewed almost all of them. I don't need someone who can give me that basic info -- I have it already.

But if you have experience with a guide who is truly knowledgeable about history and/or a company that can propose or arrange things out of the norm, please do post and let me know.

[Our Passport Stamps]

CruiseMom42...

2 things for you

Have you thought about contacting corporate offices of National Geographic or Archeology Magazines...

I know that seems kind of random, but they might be able to point you into the direction you want...

and

Not sure where you live, but Zahi Hawass is speaking in San Francisco March 8th and it's only $15.00pp. He will have book signing
and if you were there you could ask him what he suggests!!!

K.

[cruisemom42]

CruiseMom42...

2 things for you

Have you thought about contacting corporate offices of National Geographic or Archeology Magazines...

I know that seems kind of random, but they might be able to point you into the direction you want...

and

Not sure where you live, but Zahi Hawass is speaking in San Francisco March 8th and it's only $15.00pp. He will have book signing
and if you were there you could ask him what he suggests!!!

K.


LOL, a funny story.....I actually had a chance to speak in depth to one of Dr. Hawass's chief assistants last year in Atlanta at the opening of the King Tut exhibit. My alma mater and sponsor of the exhibit (Emory University) is especially beloved by Dr. Hawass because we actually identified and sent back to Egypt one of their royal mummies that was in the Emory museum when I was a student there:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0430_030430_royalmummy.html

When I was in Luxor, I made a special point of visiting the Luxor museum and saying "hi" to Ramses I from his former home!

I actually have contacted Destinations and Adventures International to see what they might propose, a la the wonderful article below from Conde Nast:

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/10765?pageNumber=1

I'm just afraid that for a solo traveler, I won't be able to afford my own tastes. :D

[Our Passport Stamps]

I'm just afraid that for a solo traveler, I won't be able to afford my own tastes. :D

What a great full circle experience!

We have the same problem..
we have too many things on our wish list
and the only thing holding us back is time and money...

We need a trust fund or at least winning lotto ticket!!!

[cruisingallover]

We used nile blue excursions on 3 different occasions and were very happy. They were much less expensive than the cruise ships. Very informative, promp and professional.

[dino2067]

I certainly appreciate everyone's suggestions, but lest this thread turn into a free-for-all with everyone touting their favorite tour operator, I just want to re-emphasize that I'm looking for that "something extra" -- a guide who is above and beyond and who can take me to spots that aren't necessarily on the agenda of a first-time visitor to Egypt, as this is my THIRD visit.

I am not interested in revisiting Cairo on this trip.

I can quote chapter and verse on ancient Egyptian history from Narmer (1st Dynasty) through Cleopatra, last of the Ptolemies. I know about the ancient Egyptian gods, from Amun to Thoth. I spent 5 hours in the Egyptian museum on my last visit on my own with a guidebook that described every significant object in the museum -- and viewed almost all of them. I don't need someone who can give me that basic info -- I have it already.

But if you have experience with a guide who is truly knowledgeable about history and/or a company that can propose or arrange things out of the norm, please do post and let me know.

When I was doing research for our upcoming 35-day Hong Kong-Athens cruise, while I did look at some of the more frequently recommended tour operators from this board, I chose to work with US based tour companies offering unique/specialized tours which also have their own offices overseas in the countries they specialize in. In this way, I was able to take more of a regional approach to an area using one tour company for multiple countries and also get the customization that we required for our time in the area.

For Oman, Jordan and Egypt we choose to work with Caravan-Serai tours out of Seattle, WA. You may want to check out their website and contact the owner Rita Zawaideh with your special requests to see if her company can accomadate what you are seeking.

As an aside, Rita has also been well recognized by Conde Nast...in fact, Conde Nast was one of the places I did my research for different tour companies that might consider working with cruise passengers.

Kathleen

[cruisemom42]

When I was doing research for our upcoming 35-day Hong Kong-Athens cruise, while I did look at some of the more frequently recommended tour operators from this board, I chose to work with US based tour companies offering unique/specialized tours which also have their own offices overseas in the countries they specialize in. In this way, I was able to take more of a regional approach to an area using one tour company for multiple countries and also get the customization that we required for our time in the area.

For Oman, Jordan and Egypt we choose to work with Caravan-Serai tours out of Seattle, WA. You may want to check out their website and contact the owner Rita Zawaideh with your special requests to see if her company can accomadate what you are seeking.

As an aside, Rita has also been well recognized by Conde Nast...in fact, Conde Nast was one of the places I did my research for different tour companies that might consider working with cruise passengers.

Kathleen

This is extremely helpful; thanks for the information.