manoftheworld

I would love to budget my trip so I need to know what is the average of the appropriate tipping:confused:

i hope this might help. the prices are based on Egyptian pounds

Waiter/waitress at breakfast restaurant at hotel: 5-10 LE pr. meal

Waiter at cruise: 50 LE once if on a week long cruise. Less if cruise is shorter. You will most likely have the same waiter for the whole cruise. Of course, if your waiter does not provide a good service, you should reconsider how much you prefer to tip.

Driver taking you sightseeing full day: 50 LE (Full days are usually only in Cairo)

Guide taking you sightseeing full day: 80-100 LE (Full days are usually only in Cairo)

Driver taking you sightseeing half day: 25 LE

Guide taking you sightseeing half day: 40-50 LE

Waiter at lunch restaurant in connection to sightseeing: 5-10 LE

Feluccaman taking you sailing for one hour: 10 LE (if the agreed price for the trip does not include tips)

Guards around the sites: 1-2 LE

"Groundskeeper" in mosques (the man handing you shoe-covers, showing you special things etc): 1-5 LE

thanks

terry

Can we go inside a pyramid:confused:

I think its not recommended if you suffer from heart problems, back pains or breathing. consequences might be not good

best of luck and I wish you a great tour with EPE

terry

We are trying to decide where to stay for our overnight. Would it be better to stay at the Oberoi Mena House or to stay at Fairmont Nile City Hotel in Cairo:confused:

I stayed at menahouse oberoi but I read good reviews about Fairmont Nile City and next time I will be with EPE

wish you best of luck

I have travelled many times to Egypt and to many parts of the world under many different religious views ... that is the right of the people.

 

If Egypt now leans towards Muslim ... I do not see that as a reason to be concerned about visiting the country at this time.

 

The country now seems to be, in general, at peace and it does not concern me for my next visit planned for November.

 

Neil

I agree with you and I think that cultures remain the same regardless of the ruling party. The accumulated wisdom of the past is what keeps the identity of this country different. Wish you a good time there

Terry

do you think egypt now is a good destination after the election or what?? i would like to hear from those who can share

thanks

Thank you, Hazel, for organizing the tour and I'm glad to hear you will be getting there soon after having to cancel on our trip. Linda did a great job after taking over for you and we much enjoyed getting to know her and Franz as well as others on the tour.

it's great to hear that about EPE i did a great time with them and i recommend them for anyone heading for Egypt

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

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!!! :eek:

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

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

thanks

terry

We felt very safe with our guide and driver. Samir, the guide, left his wife & 2 kids in Alexandria and went to Cairo with his BIL for the 3 weeks of the revolution. He was one of the guys surrounding the Egyptian Museum to protect it. The driver was excellent in his safe driving skills and getting us out of an uncomfortable situation in a parking lot on the waterfront in Alexandria.

We left before the bus convoy/caravan and did not have any armed guards going along the highway with us/nor on the way back. No need IMHO, things seem to have gone back to regular daily life in the cities and on the highway.

We felt perfectly safe at the sites-Giza pyramids, where you ride camels, Sphinx, Sakkara, Memphis, Mena House Oberoi. On the Sunday morning we went to the Egyptian Museum-it was a busy couple of streets around there but I'm assuming far less people than usual and we were scooted in/out quickly by our guide to keep us out of crowds-which were mostly tourists and their drivers.

At the camels, where men & youngsters were trying to sell you things a tourist police dressed in white came over to help me get the guy away from me who was wrapping a shawl around my neck. My guide and DH were out riding the camel at this time.

I did see 2 armed guards in dark shirts and pants (did not see guns) but my guide told me they were armed guards with the bus.

Our table mates went on the one day Princess bus to the pyramids and did not have a guard on their bus, but saw one on the bus behind them.

We felt safe there. It was worth the overnight trip for us. I would only go with a guide though-not on our own like we do in other ports.[/quot

 

hi dog

thanks for your concern and giving much of your time

We stayed at the Oberoi Mena House and asked for a room close to reception & restaurants. The long day had taken its toll on our legs, so the hotel upgraded us to the pyramid view room, close to the elevator on the 3rd floor. The windows opened up and we had a view of 2 of the pyramids of Giza.

The rooms on either side of us had balconies.

The buffet breakfast was very good, but we stayed clear of unpealed fruit and uncooked vegs.

Dinner was very good as well.

hi dog

since you were in egypt, may I ask you about the security as I plan to travel to egypt?

many thanks

I think we should show our support for the Egyptian people by returning as soon as it is deemed safe. So many there working in the tourism industry must be having a very difficult time right now.

I have had to cancel my tours with Egypt Private Excursion as my cruise itinerary has changed but I have promised to rebook as soon as I get on a cruise going to Egypt. They were very understanding and easy to deal with.

i had to my cruise on ncl this year because for me Egypt was a must. i think the situation is beginning to get back to normal and cruise ships began to head to Egypt again. i hope all cruise ships put Egypt on the list again

some of my friends said that cruise lines began heading for Egypt. of of them is ncl. is that true???

thanks

terry

i will be on board Celebrity Constellation 14 Night Holy Land Cruise. I e.mailed hazem this morning asking for itinerary package for Israel, Egypt and turkey as i want one company to do all for me. hoping the situation in Egypt will be better on November 2011.

my best wishes for the people of Egypt

terry

Royal Caribbean has changed their ports eliminating Egypt until at least June. This is their statement on their website:

 

Protests in EgyptFebruary 9, 2011

Royal Caribbean International has been closely monitoring the situation in Egypt. In an abundance of caution, we have decided to cancel our upcoming port calls to Egypt through June. The sailings that have been modified are:

 

Mariner of the Seas, which departs Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy on Monday, April 18 will no longer call on Alexandria on Sunday, April 24. Instead, the ship will now call on Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday, April 24 and stay overnight until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 25.

 

Mariner of the Seas, which departs Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy on Wednesday, May 11 will no longer call on Alexandria on Wednesday, May 18. Instead, the ship will now spend Monday, May 16 at sea, stay overnight in Istanbul, Turkey from 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 17 until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 18 and call on Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey on Thursday, May 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

 

Mariner of the Seas, which departs Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy on Saturday, June 4 will no longer call on Alexandria on Saturday, June 11. Instead, the ship will now call on Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday, June 11 and stay overnight until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 12.

 

Mariner of the Seas, which departs Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy on Tuesday, June 28 will no longer call on Alexandria on Wednesday, July 6. Instead, the ship will now call on Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, July 6 and stay overnight until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 7.

 

Brilliance of the Seas, which departs Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday, April 21 will sail a modified itinerary.

thanks for your positive response and all the best for the Egyptian people. i think that tourists must show solidarity to those people and travel once again.

thanks

how is the situation in Egypt?? did all companies cancel Egypt ports till the end of the year?

thanks

would you please send me the itinerary , i wanna compare it with other one i have from another tour operator

This is the itinerary I had with Nile blue and its cost was 260 $ per person for me and my wife (private tour)

Day 1:

• Meet and assist in the port & transfer to Cairo
  
• Visit to Egyptian Museum. & King TUT treasure
  
• Visit to the citadel and the alabaster mosque
  
• A break for lunch
  
• Overnight in your chosen hotel in Cairo
  
• If time permits we will offer optional tours (sound and light 30$ per person )
  

Day2 :

• Meet in the hotel in early morning at 7:00 am
  
• Visit to Sakkara step pyramid & tombs
  
• Visit to Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza
  
• A break for lunch
  
• Start driving back to the port
  

Inclusions

• 1 night in 5 star hotel based on bed and breakfast
  
• 2 days Tour in Cairo with private guide.
  
• 2 lunches in Cairo during the tour
  
• Sights entry fees
  
• Free mineral water during the tour on board the vehicle
  
• Private A/C Van for all visiting sights.
  
• Meet & assist upon arrival.
  
• Security during the tour
  
• All transfers the port to the port
  
• An Egyptology tour guide.
  

Exclusions

• personal expenses
  
• tips for the guide/the drivers /etc
  
• beverages in restaurants & hotels
  
• entrance to the solar boat / mummy room
  

regards

terry

thx , how was the sound and light does it worth or shall i check for the Nile dinner cruise ?

the sound and light show is worse watching but you have to keep in mind that its chilly in the desert so wear warm clothing.

regards

terry

How much did you pay for your private tour ?

it was a private tour just me and my wife i paid 260 per person and 30 per person for the sound and light show

regards

terry

Has anyone used Nile Blue tours for a private excursion just for a couple of people? Or do they only do tours for large groups.

 

I am looking for a reliable company for a private overnight tour to Cairo.

 

Thank you,

Molly23

hi molly i used nile blue tours for a private excursion for a couple of people, just me and my wife. hazem made a customized tours for just the two of us. our tour included the the pyramids, the Egyptian museum, lunch on a floating boat and the sound and light show. Cairo is a very rich city of variety of cultures and many things to see. everything was prearranged and scheduled bearing mind the heavy traffic in Cairo which makes it difficult for anyone to plan something ahead. feel free to ask about anything in detail.

regards

terry

Both of the tours I had with them were very customized to my own interests and are not what most travelers would do on a first visit (particularly in Cairo). However, I think their prices are very reasonable and compare well with other agencies. It's easy enough to contact them and they will be happy to provide you with a quote for whatever you have in mind. :)

thanks for your quick response

regards

terry

8:15 pm the next day…

What a long, full day of incredible wonders it has been!

(I’m currently waiting for my dinner to be delivered in the upstairs “Fusion” restaurant here in the Swiss Pyramids hotel, after just getting back here from the Pyramid Sound and Light Show at the Sphinx, with the pyramids, all lit up in various combinations, as the background.)

The day began early… at 5:00 am, as I was awakened by the call to prayer, broadcast 5 times a day, everywhere in Egypt it seems, from their tall, beautiful minarets and mosques. The almost-hypnotic, sing-song chanting of the prayers came as a shock the first few times -- especially that “early national wake-up call” at the crack of dawn! We all got used to it fairly quickly in the first few days; for me, it seemed not so much an intrusion, but a reminder of my good fortune, blessings, karma, or whatever you want to call it, and a reminder to savor each new experience in the coming day.

My day officially began a little later, with a “real” wake-up call from the front desk at 6:00 am, followed by a nice, hot shower in my lavish “shower for four” as the first light of dawn appeared. Very nice bathrooms in that hotel…

I pulled myself together for the day, slightly self-conscious of what to wear – knowing full well that whatever I chose was going to be in a lot of photos that day – today was Pyramid and Sphinx Day, and that was just for starters! I ended up wearing all “sand-colored” clothes, trying to blend in, to not look too touristy -- ultimately looking a bit too much like an Indiana Jones-wannabe, but very comfortable for the long day ahead.

There was a fairly lavish breakfast buffet at 7:00, with lots of freshly baked pastries and breads, butter and jams, yogurt, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausages (“Don’t ask, don’t tell” what kind of meat they were made from, but they tasted pretty much like sausage…) I steered away from the fruit, but then wondered later about the two kinds of fruit juices, with refills, that I had filled up on from the juice dispensers – had they been made from concentrate? With bottled water, or not? (The first few days were filled with lots of stewing about what was and wasn’t “safe” to eat or drink.) Several of us from our tour group, at the buffet, just getting to know one another, had an instant, bonding topic of conversation – “What have you heard is safe to eat and drink? “Oh, I’d stay away from the ….,” or “I think the …. is safe.” Great conversation starter… Anyway, we each chose our respective breakfasts, some safer, some more daring, and then all grouped together, for the first time, at 8:00 am in the lobby to find our way to the tour busses.

We were divided into two groups -- “Gate 1, Bus One,” “Gate 1, Bus Two,” was to become one of our mantras for the next two weeks – not so much a herding call, but a comforting reminder that perhaps there was safety in our numbers as we wandered about Egypt, eyes wide open in wonder, absorbing everything we could – experiencing everything we could on our own, but comforted by belonging to a group, safely guided and tended to like a little flock. And yes, the similarity to a flock of sheep is somewhat appropriate, given that we were all so far away from familiar home bases and customs, and pretty open to following a “shepherd.”.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the division into two groups. Since there were only 30 or 35 of us, we would have easily fit on one full size bus, which is what I had expected from the size of our group, and what I had expected when I signed up for the trip. With two groups, each having their own full sized bus, we had lots of room to ourselves – as opposed to almost every other bus I saw today, which were all full, cramped, and judging by the faces on them later in the afternoon, hot. So our big, spacious air-conditioned busses were much appreciated and quite luxurious compared to most other vehicles on the roads.

So, up at dawn, fed, divided up into manageable groups, and away we went on our busses, getting to know our guides better, on our first full day with them. Our guide was “Sam,” a shortened, Americanized version of his real name, which has already escaped me. The other bus’s guide was “Mo” – short for Mohammed (as opposed to “Mohammed #1” who had met us at the airport…).

The first stop was the famed Giza plateau, to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Words can’t quite do them justice. Well, my words anyway. I see why much better writers than me have stumbled over descriptions of them for more than 4,000 years. The sheer size of the pyramids is breathtaking. I remember thinking “a picture is worth a thousand words,” as I begun taking what would end up being a thousand pictures over the two week trip! I recall taking many, many photos, some regular snapshots, some self portraits with my Quikpod camera attachment that lets me get into the picture when using the self-timer feature. I knew I needed lots of pyramid pictures -- normal, artsy, creative, plain, complicated, simple, in the sun, in the shadows, with the sun peeking over the top of the pyramids, with people in the background, without people in the background, with camels, without camels --- click, click, click – knowing that the more photos I took, the higher the chances of getting some good ones, and maybe even a few great ones!

The early morning sun at Giza was beautiful – not too hot, not too cool, and the sky behind those ancient monoliths (hmm, wrong word … monolith, one piece of stone; pyramids, many pieces of stone…) the sky was amazingly blue, even with being that close to Cairo’s air pollution.

It wasn’t horribly crowded when we arrived. I vaguely remember our guides presentations, some of the facts and a few of the dates. All of their presentations were great – they both spoke English very well, and certainly knew all their history backwards and forward; it’s just that the sights before us were somewhat overwhelming. I was greatly comforted by occasionally catching the same looks of awe and wonder on everyone else’s faces – knowing that I wasn’t the only one at risk of sunburned tongue from having my mouth hanging wide open in admiration of all that was laid out before us.

As we further explored the Giza plateau, more people arrived, and soon the water vendors, the postcard hawkers, the camel drivers were all operating at full steam – offering us literally everything under the sun, for a price, of course.

Amid the barrage of offers of camel rides, photo opportunities, items for sale and a bit of old-fashioned begging, I easily spent an hour – walking around the site, physically touching the giant blocks of stone, marveling at their size, climbing up on them a bit, taking photos, admiring the workmanship from 2,600 B.C. that had survived this long – this pile of giant blocks of stone that together form such an awe-inspiring achievement.

The hype and anticipation were all worth it – I was duly dumbstruck, lump in the throat, chill up the spine, shivers and goose bumps, dazzled by being there, and very, very grateful.

My mindset for taking photos kicked in, as I explored all over the site – among other things, walking all the way around the great pyramid of Cheops, which took 20 minutes --longer than I imagined, making me the first one late for the bus in our tour! (Only 2 or 3 minutes, but late nonetheless!) Quite an embarrassing distinction, for which I profusely apologized, but fortunately, we were all still pretty much in awe at that point and no one seemed to mind too terribly much.

As far as physical descriptions – as I said – my words can’t do my first visit to the pyramids justice; I’ll have to let my photos speak for themselves.

I climbed up to the entrance of one of the pyramids. For years I had always assumed that I would be among the first of my group to climb inside, personally explore those passageways and experience the whole mystique of being inside one of them (even though I knew they were long ago emptied of any treasures.) But after reports from my fellow travelers of claustrophobia (which I don’t suffer from), sore backs from stooping over in the 3 foot-something high ceilings, inadequate lighting, bumped heads, “thigh muscles on fire,” from stumbling up and down the steep ramps while bent over – using muscles none of us are used to using! – and most importantly, the perceived lack of enough air to breathe deep inside, I chose – wisely – not to crawl inside and take the plunge. I congratulated myself repeatedly for that decision over the next three days, as my fellow travelers who’d gone inside suffered through sore backs and devastated thigh muscles, with a few bumped heads thrown in for good measure as they hobbled around.

The experience of visiting these literal wonders of the world, from the outside, all around them, and up to the doorway, was completely satisfying and awe-inspiring, and the first of my “truly unforgettable Egypt moments.”

By the time we had finished our slightly-further-away photo opportunities (all three pyramids together in one picture), the visit to the obligatory souvenir stands, some quick refreshments and a short camel ride for some of us, it was time to head down from the top of the plateau to the Sphinx.

After getting bogged down in the now-busy traffic around the pyramids, which slowed to a crawl, and occasionally stopped, it took a while to get down the hill to the Sphinx. More tourists had arrived by then, and it was crowded – probably one of the most crowded spots in the whole two week trip. A sea of humanity from many nations, speaking many languages – pressed together as one, inching forward a few at a time to see this famous half-human, half-lion statue that had survived the shifting sands for so long.

Still a gorgeous day, still amazingly beautiful, but noticeably less magical when bumped and pushed and prodded by many hundreds of others clamoring to see the same thing, and all having to pass through the same narrow passageways.

Once again, I was able to get more than enough photos to satisfy me, and now had a frame of reference that made me grateful every time we visited something that wasn’t as crowded as the Sphinx – which was almost everything!

 

(4:00 am, the next day – Cairo Airport, Departure Lounge…. ) I’m waiting for our flight to Luxor – once again, at the crack of dawn – 2:45 am wake-up call! I’ve just passed through security, and have learned that since our luggage is all lumped together as a group, the weight limits that were threatened for our suitcase and carry on, do not apply, so I guess that’s a good thing… woo hoo! More shopping!

I now have an hour or more to wait for my flight, after careening through (even busy at 3:30 in the morning!) Cairo traffic, way before dawn. But at least I can catch up a bit on the journal. Let’s backtrack a bit – back to the pyramids..

 

After being awed by their size and majesty, I was further impressed, thinking of the “invisible guest book” of visitors, pharaohs, dignitaries and luminaries that had preceded me throughout the ages – Anthony and Cleopatra, Herodotus, Alexander the Great – the list is a pretty long one of folks that have dropped by for a visit in the last, oh, 4,000 years or so.

From the Giza plateau, and the small sea of people at the Sphinx, we reboarded our nicely air-conditioned coaches, and passed by the tourist spots of Giza proper – including the Hard Rock Café, and a very out-of-place looking KFC – which prompted the Kentucky Fried Camel jokes… We headed for downtown Cairo, through the teeming, seething mass of humanity that is normal Cairo traffic – clogged with unbelievable volumes of cars and trucks, some new, most of them old and bellowing exhaust, horns constantly creating a nonstop symphony, moving sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly through the avenues and streets, through the traffic and the donkey carts and occasional camels and horse drawn carriages, and vendors pulling or pushing carts by hand. What a rich tapestry of life!

And that seems like a good place to stop for now…

hi seafun , i enjoyed reading your review and it brings good memories i had in Cairo during my last land excursion. it seems that you have a sophisticated descriptive style that kept me reading in a non-stop rhythm.