15 Day trip to Egypt - the travel notes, by Seafun

[seafun]

Yes, there were a few places that I took photos where "a tip" was expected. A man in Horus' temple with the sunlight shining on him, a policeman at Karnak that showed me to a "special temple," and a guard at Abu Simbel....

Out of a thousand photos, I probably tipped about five people -- maybe a dollar or two. So maybe a total of $10.00 between them all. I always carried some $1.00 bills for tipping, and other than the policeman at Karnak, who wanted more, everyone else was satisfied with the gesture.

Fot the most part though, taking photos was free. I'm sure you will have a wonderful trip.

[1rocky]

thank you so much

i spent awhile looking at your fantastic photos. i also showed my daughter .

it made our trip seem more exciting as we have been waiting so long for this trip to Egypt

Also Did you pay in us or egyptian dollars,

[seafun]

In most cases, $1.00 U.S. is more than enough for a tip, and the locals were all very happy to receive them.

I went to a bank and tried to get small notes for tipping (well, two or three banks actually). None of them would give me as many 1LE ($.20 US) or 5LE ($.00 U.S.) notes as I wanted, so I mainly used the U.S. dollars for tips.

 

Having lots of small bills, whether U.S. or LE (Egyptian currency), is crucial to bargaining on prices. Getting change for a $20.00 can be difficult. If you can offer the exact amount in small bills -- US, euros or LE -- you'll be better off.

[1rocky]

thank you i will make sure we have plenty of small bills. all your info has been very helpful.

[jmlh]

1rocky

We are also plannig an Egypt vacation in October 2011 and Scenic tours is a distinct possibility. We hope that you will post a review upon your return. Hope you have a wonderful holiday!:)

[1rocky]

I will post a review on Scenic tours.

I have traveled with them before and they have been amazing and people i have talked to who have traveled with them have had wonderful experiences. i am also a gold member which has given my daughter and i some great bonuses.

[indigosails]

Actually, I am usually packed at least 3-4 days ahead....sometimes more ! But I am always afraid we will oversleep, not hear the alarm, miss the flight........ well, you get the message. To make matters worse, I am one of those who can't sleep on planes - even 9 or 10 hour night flights :eek: so when I get there I am one tired puppy ! But then the adrenaline kicks in and I keep going - at least for a while. I always try not to nap and get on "local time" with my sleep pattern.

 

Thanks, dh and I are so ready for another adventure !

 

Texancruzer, since you are so experienced, what kind of shoes do you wear in Egypt? My husband says I have to wear sturdy (i.e. closed) shoes because there is a lot of walking. I say Birkenstocks or similar walking sandals would be fine. Thanks in advance.

[englishlady]

Apologies if I'm off topic, but I have an "IMPORTANT" question to ask! A friend pointed me to this site as I mentioned I was thinking of going to Egypt. After reading Seafun's report and all the other posts here, I'm ready to book the 15-day Gate 1 tour. I have just one issue/question, which maybe Seafun or anyone else who has travelled Gate 1, can answer. Specifically, are there toilets on the tour buses that Gate 1 uses? I have a situation where going an hour between bus stops may be a problem for me. I've found several posts on this board about toilets on the motor coaches used for ship's excursions, but not for the busses Gate 1 uses, which I'm more interested in. I suspect information provided by a past Gate 1 traveller to Egypt may be more reliable that a U.S. based agent of Gate 1, so I'm hoping you don't mind me bring this up on this thread - off topic though it is.

 

Thanks!

[seafun]

I don't think your inquiry is off topic -- it's a specific question about the Gate 1 tours to Egypt. :)

As I recall, there was not a bathroom on all the busses. I remember some of the busses being very nice luxury busses, with bathrooms, but not all of them. I recall making frequent stops so we could use the "facilities," but a few of the trips we were on lasted longer than an hour with no stop.

The day we rode from Luxor to the Hurghada area, I know we stopped halfway there, but I don't remember if there was a bathroom on board.

Perhaps someone else can recall more details.

[englishlady]

Thank you so much Seafun for such a prompt response! I have to tell you how much I've enjoyed reading this thread, your detailed trip report, and your photos! I've decided .... "I want to do exactly what Seafun did!" and DH agrees with me. This thread contains so much valuable information and is such a great resource for someone like me in the planning stages, so many thanks to you and everyone else who's kept up with it. I was born in Egypt (British military), but evacuated as an infant. Throughout my entire life I've wanted to go back and visit, but never had the opportunity. Now at last I'm going to make it happen! Believe it or not, my only concern is the convenience of "facilities" on the buses (frequency of stops etc.) as we'll be on those buses quite a bit. So thank you again for your response.

 

Alma

[wanderinggirl]

Three days until I leave!!! I hope Texancruzer is having a good time. I had hoped she would post before I left so I could get another taste of what to expect.

 

See ya'll on the flip side!

[mes531]

Thank you so much Seafun for such a prompt response! I have to tell you how much I've enjoyed reading this thread, your detailed trip report, and your photos! I've decided .... "I want to do exactly what Seafun did!" and DH agrees with me. This thread contains so much valuable information and is such a great resource for someone like me in the planning stages, so many thanks to you and everyone else who's kept up with it. I was born in Egypt (British military), but evacuated as an infant. Throughout my entire life I've wanted to go back and visit, but never had the opportunity. Now at last I'm going to make it happen! Believe it or not, my only concern is the convenience of "facilities" on the buses (frequency of stops etc.) as we'll be on those buses quite a bit. So thank you again for your response.

 

Alma

Bathrooms on buses,,I remember our first bus was pretty ratty,:eek: and the people complained so that ended any ratty bus...after that all our buses were nice with bathrooms. Maybe it was a test to see what our group would take, and in this case, they wanted better. You will love the trip, enjoy!:) Our guide also gave us water each day, and then there was water on the bus as well that you could buy!

[seafun]

I'm busy packing myself! :) I leave tomorrow for a couple weeks in the Caribbean, so I'll look for your impressions when I get back.

I'm sure you'll have a marvelous journey! :D

[mes531]

Texancruzer, since you are so experienced, what kind of shoes do you wear in Egypt? My husband says I have to wear sturdy (i.e. closed) shoes because there is a lot of walking. I say Birkenstocks or similar walking sandals would be fine. Thanks in advance.

 

I put a pair of light weight sport socks in my purse..but wore sturdy sandals the entire time. If it was sandy, I put the socks on! Worked great.

[texancruzer]

Texancruzer, since you are so experienced, what kind of shoes do you wear in Egypt? My husband says I have to wear sturdy (i.e. closed) shoes because there is a lot of walking. I say Birkenstocks or similar walking sandals would be fine. Thanks in advance.

 

I wore Skechers. Had two pair - one black one white. I WOULD not wear sandals !!! Sandy, dirty etc. You will do a TON of walking, climbing, up down all around...... lots and lots of stairs, inclines etc. Get ready !

 

Apologies if I'm off topic, but I have an "IMPORTANT" question to ask! A friend pointed me to this site as I mentioned I was thinking of going to Egypt. After reading Seafun's report and all the other posts here, I'm ready to book the 15-day Gate 1 tour. I have just one issue/question, which maybe Seafun or anyone else who has travelled Gate 1, can answer. Specifically, are there toilets on the tour buses that Gate 1 uses? I have a situation where going an hour between bus stops may be a problem for me. I've found several posts on this board about toilets on the motor coaches used for ship's excursions, but not for the busses Gate 1 uses, which I'm more interested in. I suspect information provided by a past Gate 1 traveller to Egypt may be more reliable that a U.S. based agent of Gate 1, so I'm hoping you don't mind me bring this up on this thread - off topic though it is.

 

Thanks!

 

Depends on the size of your group. We just got home yesterday from GATE 1 15 day tour. We only had 11 in our group so almost the whole time we had a small bus. It was wonderful - but no bathroom. On the 5 hour ride from Luxor to Hurghada we had a big bus - just 11 of us and there was a bathroom on it. No one used it. We stopped at an oasis halfway there and nice bathrooms there. Usually a bathroom is readily available. Only place you DONT WANT TO USE THE BATHROOM is at Bent pyramid at Saqarra ! OMG - worst bathroom in the entire world ! I know this to be true - unfortunately :(

 

Three days until I leave!!! I hope Texancruzer is having a good time. I had hoped she would post before I left so I could get another taste of what to expect.

 

See ya'll on the flip side!

 

I am so sorry.... the internet was terrible. Our guide gave us one of his vodaphone but even it kept losing connection. Very frustrating to post and then it would go poof......... And s-l-o-w !!!!! so slow.........

 

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ? ASK AWAY. I will post a full review in a day or two. Today am resting !

[englishlady]

... and so good of you to respond to posts right away! Thank you! Did you have the most amazing time? I can't wait to hear all about it! But first you need rest and adjustment. I'll be looking forward to reading your report with great anticipation as DH and I are seriously considering doing this same tour in October/November 2012, and your experiences will very well illustrate for us what to expect when we go.

 

Welcome Home!

Alma

 

P.S. Sorry for mis-spelling "TEXANCRUZER"

Edited November 14, 2010 by englishlady

[seafun]

I almost warned you that finding decent internet would be impossible, but I thought, hey, maybe it's gotten better. :)

First of all, welcome home. Get rested up, and then share with us what you feel like. (I don't expect .... uh, a really, REALLY wordy review like SOME people write, LOL. Oh wait, that was ME!) :o

I am currently halfway between Tortola and St. Maarten in the Caribbean, having a great time in sunny weather. I reamember laughing today when I went to a bathroom on Jost Van Dyke, and thinking, "Gosh, this is a little rustic..." and then I remembered some of the bathrooms I've been in over the years. (And NO, the worst ones weren't in Egypt, LOL)

Anyway, time for bed -- gotta be up in the morning for another shore excursion. So glad to hear you're home, and we all look forward to whatever words or photos you care to share. :D

Best regards, Tom

Edited November 14, 2010 by seafun
cruise ship typing...

[texancruzer]

Thanks for the welcome homes......just woke up AGAIN !!!!! :o Funny thing - jet lag.

 

I will post a complete review - I promise. For now, I am just trying to feel "home again" and sleep. Ahhhh sleep.

 

Yes, this trip was truly very special.

 

(Just realized I meant Step Pyramid at Saqqara in previous post. Sleepy mistake. We could see the Bent pyramid in the distance though)

[seafun]

Perhaps your jet lag is over by now, lol. :rolleyes:

Any snippets of a review, or any photos you'd care to share?? :)

All the best, Tom

[Phoenix cruiser]

Got our travel docs from Viking yesterday and my guidebook showed up at the same time. I am almost afraid to get excited for fear something will arise to block the dream trip.

 

In our documents it says that intra-Egypt flights limit checked bags to 20 kg (43 lbs) vs. the standard transatlantic limit of 50 lbs for coach passengers. Did anyone run into this during their trip? It won't be a problem for me, but my wife has mastered the art of packing 49.9999 lbs!

[seafun]

I was scared of this also...:eek:

In hindsight, I think you'll be fine. Gate 1 grouped all of our luggage together, and checked it that way -- our luggage was not weighed for those intra-Egypt flights.

I presume Viking will do the same. A suggestion for you and your wife -- take older clothes with you, and leave them as they become dirty, freeing up a little space and a few more "pounds" in your luggage for souvenirs. :)

[texancruzer]

Perhaps your jet lag is over by now, lol. :rolleyes:

 

Any snippets of a review, or any photos you'd care to share?? :)

 

All the best, Tom

 

So sorry, not yet. We left for the Bahamas 10 days after we returned from Egypt....... had a wonderful Thanksgiving diving in beautiful Bahamas! I will write up a review soon..... promise :)

 

Got our travel docs from Viking yesterday and my guidebook showed up at the same time. I am almost afraid to get excited for fear something will arise to block the dream trip.

 

In our documents it says that intra-Egypt flights limit checked bags to 20 kg (43 lbs) vs. the standard transatlantic limit of 50 lbs for coach passengers. Did anyone run into this during their trip? It won't be a problem for me, but my wife has mastered the art of packing 49.9999 lbs!

 

Not sure how Viking works it, but like Seafun said, Gate 1 grouped our luggage together and no problem. NOW, for coming back to USA we had to buy another small piece of luggage (carryon) to get everything we bought back :eek: Also our regular luggage was now overweight too..... one by 2 lbs and one by 6 lbs. Egyptair did not charge us anything. But Continental charged us for the one that was 6 lbs over from NY to Texas.... oh well, only $50.00 - small price for the souveniers we brought back..... one was a large brass hooka pipe :eek: Luckily it broke down into a few pieces.....

[Phoenix cruiser]

Thanks texancruzer and seafun. perhaps I should look into the disposable clothing that Travel Smith offered at one point????;)

[wanderinggirl]

So sorry, not yet. We left for the Bahamas 10 days after we returned from Egypt....... had a wonderful Thanksgiving diving in beautiful Bahamas! I will write up a review soon..... promise :)

 

 

 

Not sure how Viking works it, but like Seafun said, Gate 1 grouped our luggage together and no problem. NOW, for coming back to USA we had to buy another small piece of luggage (carryon) to get everything we bought back :eek: Also our regular luggage was now overweight too..... one by 2 lbs and one by 6 lbs. Egyptair did not charge us anything. But Continental charged us for the one that was 6 lbs over from NY to Texas.... oh well, only $50.00 - small price for the souveniers we brought back..... one was a large brass hooka pipe :eek: Luckily it broke down into a few pieces.....

 

My travelling partner also bought another bag to bring home stuff. We got lucky, though, in that our luggage was checked straight from Cairo to Orlando and our guide helped us--they never even weighed the luggage and I think her suitcase was really, really close to the limit.

 

We had a fabulous time as well! I thank Seafun a million times for writing about this trip. It was even better than I had expected, and I had high expectations!

 

I'm not going to write a review, but will answer questions. My thought: if you've ever thought about going to Egypt, DO IT!! You won't regret a minute of it.

[Phoenix cruiser]

Received my copy of the Illustrated Guide to the Cairo Museum yesterday. Bought it used on Amazon for 1/6 the new price! What a find. We plan on devoting most of the first day there and this book is golden.