Egypt Private Excursions

[yorkiemomjn]

Originally Posted by manoftheworld

I finally came back from my cruise in the Middle East on the Pacific Princess, but I want to contribute with my experience and share some of my memories especially in Alexandria and Cairo. I was lucky and fortunate to pick Sami of Egypt private excursions for organizing my private tours.

The first day: the pyramids at Giza and Sakkara
As soon as we left the ship, and made all our security checks which was swift and not annoying, we were welcomed by Mohamed , our guide . He led us to the van (clean and comfortable). Inside the van, we were served bottled water, for free. Our first stop was in Sakkara (the step pyramid) sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base. We arrived at Sakkara about 11.30 pm. We had some pictures and information from the Egyptology. Mohamed brought the tickets in no time so it didn’t take us much to save our time for taking pictures and enjoying the informative ability of our guide. Who is full of fascinating historical information, and tells it all with a passionate excitement that holds everyone's attention. He also gave us the time to ask questions.
Afterwards we headed for the restaurant for lunch, Iwas hungry I was given the menu to choose. I wanted to try Egyptian food so I chose among several authentic Egyptian dishes which all turned out to be quite excellent.
We left the restaurant and headed our way back to the pyramids. Needless to say, the sheer size of the pyramids is impressive. And we rode the camel. It was fun and much excitement; it was a complementary from the company. We made our way to the sphinx. It was really big and you always try to compare between what you see and what you have seen on TV.
We finished our tour at the pyramids at 3.30. We headed to a store that sells Egyptian papyrus. I bought 2 papyrus. Mohamed gave us enough time for shopping then we went to the hotel Mena house oberoi. We had a room that faces the pyramids and the hotel was really amazing and welcoming. Having only stayed in the new wing, I can't tell you what the rooms are like in the original building, but our "pyramid view" room in the new wing was one of the nicest hotel rooms we have ever stayed in, anywhere. Incredibly comfortable and luxurious. I wish we could have enjoyed it and the hotel more, but we were only there overnight, and even then got in very late and left very early.

I had a shower and rest for a while to get ready for the light show at pyramids. We enjoyed the light show at the pyramids. It was amazing.

We went back to the hotel at 9.45 and had a long deep sleep.
The second day the Egyptian museum and the citadel:
We wake up 7.00 and headed to the restaurant to have breakfast. There were variety of cheese, bread and much more but I had cereals with milk and fruits. We had a good cup of coffee with a piece of cake. After that Mohamed came to take us to the museum at 8.30. Mohamed said that there will be a good chance for us to visit El tahrir square as we will pass through it on our way . Many police men & army soldiers were spreading all over the square and the area around, together with many crowds. I started to be tense, held my husbands' arm as some of these crowds were heading towards our direction or I thought they were. Well, i could not hide being scared but Mohamed reminded us that people still celebrating the feast after Ramadan and it is normal to see crowds everywhere. We continued and people were waving their hands & greeting us all the way . All went well and the Egyptians were so kind especially kids. In spite of this little adventure, it was great to visit the most famous square wide world that has been the symbol of 25 January revolution" said by Mohamed " this is when we reached the museum ,the second most frequently visited and certainly one of the most important attractions in Cairo. You will find fabulous collection of tutankhamun and monuments from all periods of Egyptian history from pre historic era to the Greco-roman period. The mummy room is another highlight of the Egyptian museum and it is a must-see.

We were really hungry and our lunch was waiting for us in the “Nile Lily” it’s a boat on the Nile. As usual, assorted variety of oriental food that captures your heart and mind, I love food and it was really tasty. We finished our lunch and 1:30 and then headed to the citadel.

The fortress - and indeed, the Cairo skyline - is dominated by the Mosque of Mohammed Ali. Modeled along classic Turkish lines, it took 18 years to build (1830-48) although the domes later had to be rebuilt. Perhaps the most evocative description of it is in Olivia Manning's The Levant Trilogy: 'Above them Mohammed Ali's alabaster mosque, uniquely white in this sand-colored city, sat with minarets pricked, like a fat, white, watchful cat'.


Note the chintzy clock in the central courtyard, a gift from King Louis-Philippe of France in thanks for the Pharaonic obelisk that adorns the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It was damaged on delivery and has yet to be repaired.


That was our last attraction then we started driving back to Alexandria.


I was really stunned by Sami organization with the trip and I appreciate the efforts done by everybody. And I am thinking of doing it again next year.

I would recommend Egypt Private Excursions Company to anyone for their professional support and difficulties they had bearing in mind the traffic of Cairo which makes it difficult for anyone to plan something ahead.

The job they did for us was outstanding in every regard. I had selected this cruise because of the stop in Egypt. Our expectations were set very high and Egypt private excursions did not disappoint us. And the price was affordable compared to the Princess sponsored options.

thanks for reading and I am pleased to answer any questions you have

terry

Thank you for the wonderful report. We have EPE booked for our tour of Egypt on the MV of Oceania's Riviera next April. We have read lots of good reports about them here on CC and also on TA.

[manoftheworld]

Originally Posted by yorkiemomjn

Thank you for the wonderful report. We have EPE booked for our tour of Egypt on the MV of Oceania's Riviera next April. We have read lots of good reports about them here on CC and also on TA.

thank you for reading the report. did you book one day or overnight tour?
thanks

terry

[yorkiemomjn]

Originally Posted by manoftheworld

thank you for reading the report. did you book one day or overnight tour?
thanks

terry

We are staying over night at the Mena House Hotel.

[galliegirlie]

Terry (manoftheworld),

Thank you for posting about your wonderful trip. We will be taking the same excursion in November with a group of 10 (same hotel as well), so I have a few questions for you:

-Did you find the need to carry any local currency?

-What time did you arrive to the hotel after the pyramids, and what time does the light/sound show start? How much was it, and who arranged getting you to/from the show?

-The mummy room at the museum is not part of the included costs correct? How much extra was it, and how much time should be alotted to see it?

-Did you have to arrange for your own dinner at the hotel? What are the choices at the hotel?

-What types of food were offered at the lunches? I'm not super adventerous when it comes to ethnic food, so I'd like to know what to expect.

-Did you find the papyrus institute to be really tourist-y, or was it ok for souviner shopping.

-what time did your guide meet you when you first got off the ship (compared to when the ship was scheduled to arrive)? I can't get a straight answer from David.

Sorry, that ended up being a lot of questions

[dog]

-Did you find the need to carry any local currency?
We took US dollars/guide gave us Egyptian $ when needed.
-What time did you arrive to the hotel after the pyramids, and what time does the light/sound show start? How much was it, and who arranged getting you to/from the show?We went to pyramids at Giza, Sakkara & Memphis first day, left ship at 7:00-730am and checked in to hotel around 6pm.
Didn't attend sound & light show but did see lights from room & could hear some of the sound.

-The mummy room at the museum is not part of the included costs correct? How much extra was it, and how much time should be alotted to see it? The mummy room was $ money. Go to museum's website-we paid as we entered-handed money to guide and he took care of it. A couple of hours for museum-mummy room 1/2 hour. Check out the museum giftshop.

-Did you have to arrange for your own dinner at the hotel? Yes, it wasn't busy so we just went at 7m. The hotel's website shows menus. I had lasagna (did not like meat in it), DH had a stew/seafood choice which he liked and we had shrimp dish. Bottled water. Pita bread. Be careful what you eat-people did get sick after eating in Egypt. What are the choices at the hotel?

-What types of food were offered at the lunches? I'm not super adventerous when it comes to ethnic food, so I'd like to know what to expect. Lunch for us was near Sakkara-outdoor place. Grilled meats-chicken, beef. Dips-hummus etc. pita. Water. Appetizers.

-Did you find the papyrus institute to be really tourist-y, or was it ok for souviner shopping.

-what time did your guide meet you when you first got off the ship (compared to when the ship was scheduled to arrive)? I can't get a straight answer from David. We started down at 7:00am and got off shortly after. Samir, our guide and driver were waiting right at gate with our name on a sign.

Hope this helps. Enjoy yourselves, watch what you eat/drink there, and stay out of crowds.

[galliegirlie]

Originally Posted by dog

-Did you find the need to carry any local currency?
We took US dollars/guide gave us Egyptian $ when needed.
-What time did you arrive to the hotel after the pyramids, and what time does the light/sound show start? How much was it, and who arranged getting you to/from the show?We went to pyramids at Giza, Sakkara & Memphis first day, left ship at 7:00-730am and checked in to hotel around 6pm.
Didn't attend sound & light show but did see lights from room & could hear some of the sound.

-The mummy room at the museum is not part of the included costs correct? How much extra was it, and how much time should be alotted to see it? The mummy room was $ money. Go to museum's website-we paid as we entered-handed money to guide and he took care of it. A couple of hours for museum-mummy room 1/2 hour. Check out the museum giftshop.

-Did you have to arrange for your own dinner at the hotel? Yes, it wasn't busy so we just went at 7m. The hotel's website shows menus. I had lasagna (did not like meat in it), DH had a stew/seafood choice which he liked and we had shrimp dish. Bottled water. Pita bread. Be careful what you eat-people did get sick after eating in Egypt. What are the choices at the hotel?

-What types of food were offered at the lunches? I'm not super adventerous when it comes to ethnic food, so I'd like to know what to expect. Lunch for us was near Sakkara-outdoor place. Grilled meats-chicken, beef. Dips-hummus etc. pita. Water. Appetizers.

-Did you find the papyrus institute to be really tourist-y, or was it ok for souviner shopping.

-what time did your guide meet you when you first got off the ship (compared to when the ship was scheduled to arrive)? I can't get a straight answer from David. We started down at 7:00am and got off shortly after. Samir, our guide and driver were waiting right at gate with our name on a sign.

Hope this helps. Enjoy yourselves, watch what you eat/drink there, and stay out of crowds.

Thank you for the helpful responses.

[manoftheworld]

Originally Posted by yorkiemomjn

We are staying over night at the Mena House Hotel.

sorry for being late to reply as I was busy working, Mena House is a good choice and Egypt private excursions gives good promotions with Mena House.I wish you a wonderful cruise

thanks
terry

[yorkiemomjn]

Originally Posted by manoftheworld

sorry for being late to reply as I was busy working, Mena House is a good choice and Egypt private excursions gives good promotions with Mena House.I wish you a wonderful cruise

thanks
terry

Their promotion for 2011 included the Mena House, but not for 2012. It costs $30 extra pp. For 2012, their promotion is the camel ride in front of the pyramids. I really want to do that, because where else would I ever care about riding a camel!!!

[manoftheworld]

Originally Posted by yorkiemomjn

Their promotion for 2011 included the Mena House, but not for 2012. It costs $30 extra pp. For 2012, their promotion is the camel ride in front of the pyramids. I really want to do that, because where else would I ever care about riding a camel!!!

When we were in Egypt I phoned (MR/ David ) to thank him for upgrading our booking to the Mena house as a company complimentary for us and he



informed me that this promotion would continue until 15 Mar, we would recommend this company to anyone touring on a cruise or independently.

[manoftheworld]

[quote=galliegirlie;30677060]Thank you for the helpful responses.[/quote

I wanna thank dog for his quick response as I was busy working and I couldn't manage to check the forum for three days. he did more than I could do and sorry for the delay
terry

[dog]

For Mena House, I asked for a pyramid view room when booking. Was told it would be more money-as price he quoted me was for a standard room. I just said I'd talk to reception when I got there (willing to pay hotel extra$). When we arrived they could see we had sore legs and asked for a room close to restaurants and reception. After having so few tourists they upgraded us without charge to the pyramid view room. It would have been worth paying the extra for IMO.
Hope you enjoy yourselves as much as we did.
Speak up if you want something or don't like something-they are willing to go with your wishes.

[tjcox9]

We've had what I consider a strange request from David at EPE and wondering if anyone else had experienced anything similar. Until now, all our correspondence has been spot on.

And then, I get a request from him to purchase something (not exactly inexpensive) to deliver to him in Egypt.........and he will pay us in USD.

I've not yet responded as we've been traveling and just arrived back home and wonder if anyone else has had any such odd request from him. Makes me wonder just a bit about this whole thing and we have group of 8-9 booked with him about a month from now.

Just checking in before I respond to him.

Thanks
Teresa and Bob

[cruisemom42]

I certainly never had anything questionable in any of the correspondence I had with EPE before either of my tours with them.

It's a little hard to get the gist of what you are saying -- are you concerned because of the request itself or because of what he requested you to buy (e.g., the item itself)?

I guess I would only say to keep in mind that this has been a very difficult year for Egyptians. I imagine there have been hardships and perhaps scarcity or shortages of certain items. Without more info, I can't offer more of an opinion other than to say that all their dealings with me were very above board.

Edited to add: If it makes you uncomfortable, I would just be honest and say so.

[Welshcruiser20]

As Cynthia says, these have been diffuclt days in Egypt so help them if you can.....providing the item is legal, easy to carry and not too expensive. But if you are uncomfortable it will be ok to say no and I am sure it will not affect your tour.

It's great to read the report about EPE on this thread - i have a tour booked for later this month.

[dog]

Originally Posted by tjcox9

We've had what I consider a strange request from David at EPE and wondering if anyone else had experienced anything similar. Until now, all our correspondence has been spot on.

And then, I get a request from him to purchase something (not exactly inexpensive) to deliver to him in Egypt.........and he will pay us in USD.

I've not yet responded as we've been traveling and just arrived back home and wonder if anyone else has had any such odd request from him. Makes me wonder just a bit about this whole thing and we have group of 8-9 booked with him about a month from now.

Just checking in before I respond to him.

Thanks
Teresa and Bob

What does he want you to buy for him?
He can wire you the money before trip.
Did he ask others besides you to do this?

I had an excellent tour with his company. Did not ask anything of us.
If you are uncomfortable tell him and why, so he knows these requests could affect his business.

Personally, I wouldn't buy/take it unless he sent me the money before hand. This has nothing to do with him, only from past experiences where friends, co workers never bothered to pay me for it.

[tjcox9]

Had an e-mail from David today telling me he'd found a way and decided to buy in Egypt.

I'd rather not disclose the details of the requested purchase and am sure we'll have a lovely tour with this company.

End of story.............

[alaskacruzer]

My husband and I did the overnight tour with Egypt Private Excursions two weeks ago, and have nothing but positive things to report. We are still raving about it. As we came off the ship we were met by our guide, Dalia, who was an absolutely amazing guide, and the driver, who gets top marks for his expertise in getting us to each destination in a safe and timely fashion. Egypt Private Excursions offers incredible value with top notch service and accommodation - staying at Mena House was a true delight! All correspondence with David was met with a prompt reply. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Egypt Private Excursions.

[yorkiemomjn]

Originally Posted by alaskacruzer

My husband and I did the overnight tour with Egypt Private Excursions two weeks ago, and have nothing but positive things to report. We are still raving about it. As we came off the ship we were met by our guide, Dalia, who was an absolutely amazing guide, and the driver, who gets top marks for his expertise in getting us to each destination in a safe and timely fashion. Egypt Private Excursions offers incredible value with top notch service and accommodation - staying at Mena House was a true delight! All correspondence with David was met with a prompt reply. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Egypt Private Excursions.

That is great to hear. We have a tour booked with EPE for next April. We had heard good things about Dalia here on CC and requested her. David confirmed that we will be able to have her. We are also staying at the Mena House!

[Andy60]

We just got back from our cruise on Star Princess and took two days of tours in Egypt with EPP. Everything was handled very well--extremely knowledgeable guide, great driver, clean bus, itinerary as described plus more.

Our guide, whose name sounds like Mohman (but I was never sure I got it right) was very cheerful, helpful, patient and knew Egyptian history very well. Our itineray called for the first day to drive to Cairo, see the museum, then to Giza for the pyramids and camel ride, and finally a stop at a perfumery. We elected to bring lunches so we didn't have to stop anywhere for lunch. At the end of the day we drove back to Alexandria for night on the ship, and then the next day toured Alexandria with the same guide and driver. There were 24 of us who signed up on Cruise Critic roll call for our cruise, so we had a full sized bus.

The only complaint I had on the first day was the persistence of the vendors at the pyramids. They would insist that you take whatever it was they were selling, even putting in on you if it was a scarf or whatever, saying it was a gift. Despite vigorous protests, they would persist. And then, of course, they wanted compensation--much more than the item was worth. They were very hard to ignore and, for me, really detracted from the experience of seeing the pyramids. I wish Mohman would have helped us in dealing with the worst of them. The camel drivers, also, insisted on payment, even though EPP was paying them for our rides. Mohman did deal with them after some tense moments for some of our group. At the end of the day, Mohman said we could stay for the light show if we wanted, but we were all tired and elected to head back.

The second day we visited the Alexandria Library, a beautiful mosque, the catacombs of Kom El Shuquafa, the Montaza gardens and palace, and the Quaitbey fort, built on the site of the ancient lighthouse. We drove the length of the cornish, also. Some of the sites we visited were just photo stops of a few minutes length, but we toured inside the library, climbed down and through the catacombs and went inside the mosque.

The things about both days that impressed me were the friendliness of the people, the unbelievable traffic, and the litter or trash found everywhere. Everyone we saw would smile and wave, especially if you did the same to them and often would go out of their way to help if they thought we needed it. Except for those pesky vendors at the pyramids, Egyptians seemed so kind and genuinely nice. The roads of two lanes often had three or four lanes of cars and the traffic system seemed to be one of "fill in the gaps." Those dashed lines on the highways and pretty red lights--they're just decoration. Horns, on the other hand, are an indispensable accessory and much used. But our bus driver handled it all with aplomb. And as far as the trash littering the roads, you must simply look beyond that at the history, culture, and friendly people that are Egypt.

I highly recommend Egypt Private Excursions and will certainly deal with them again if I ever return to Egypt. Email me at
slwriska-misc<at>yahoo.com if you want more info. (Replace <at> with @ in my email address, of course.
Andy

[dog]

Andy,
thanks so much for posting about your experience in Egypt. Glad you enjoyed your tour with EPE like we did in May.
Hope there will be more posts/reviews about your cruise. Anyone sick after Egypt?