manoftheworld

We just returned from participating in a group tour with Nile Blue. I have to say that I was very impressed with the company, especially considering we had three large buses in our group. Ghada and Hazem were wonderful in trying to make sure we saw as much as possible, and kept on schedule. There were a few minor inconveniences (lunch on the second day) that were not in the control of Nile Blue, but were corrected to the best of their ability.

 

I will admit, I have no one to compare them to in Egypt, but I will say that they would be my first consideration when returning to the region!

my last excursion was private. can i know how much you pay in a group?

thanks

Yes, I used them for a day tour in Alexandria in September. I enjoyed the day immensely and arranged to have them give me a "light" day tour in Cairo at the start of my most recent cruise. They were excellent in providing suggestions of what might interest me (having spent a fair amount of time in Cairo already), and I ended up doing a walking tour of the wonderfully restored Islamic street near the Khan el Khalili bazaar called Al Muizz el-Din. It is a fascinating mix of ancient mosques, mausoleums, sabils (water houses), and even a few traditional houses. We also visited the Gayer-Anderson museum. It was a very interesting day.

can i know how much you pay with Egypt private excursions as i tried another company during my last cruise and i want to have a glimpse about other choices

thanks

i made a private tour with nile blue. i want to know form those who went in a big group this fall about the price the paid and the service the had. what was their itinerary?

I finally came back from my cruise in the Middle East on the NCL Norwegian jade. But I want to contribute with my experience and share some of my memories especially in Alexandria and Cairo. I was also lucky and fortunate to pick hazem of Nile blue 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 Ossama , 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 Egyptologist. Ossama 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 (I was hungry) I was given the menu to choose. I wanted to try Egyptian food so I choose 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, 15 dollars per person for the ride. We made our way to the sphinx. Wow, 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 4.30. We headed to a store that sells Egyptian papyrus. I bought 10 papyruses. Ossama gave us enough time for shopping then we went to the hotel le meridian. We had a room that faces the pyramids and the hotel was really amazing and welcoming. 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 7.45 and had a long deep sleep.

The second day the Egyptian museum:

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 Ossama came to take us to the museum at 8.30. It didn’t take long bearing in mind the traffic of Cairo compared to any other city in the world. 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 mummies 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 it was time to leave and travel back to Alexandria,

I was really stunned by hazem 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 Nile blue excursions 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.

Nile blue had offered me a dinner cruise on board Nile maxim , what do you think , is it better to go to the dinner cruise or the sound and light ?

i know that Cairo is overcrowded and one of the most polluted cities. did anyone have to cancel some of his plans because of the crowd? sometimes we have to be in touch with reality.

do Nile blue excursions provide air conditioned vehicles?

We have used Nile Blue 2 times. In Oct 2007 we had a large cruise critic roll call on the Star Princess and 100 of us took 3 buses with Nile Blue for our Cairo overnight. We all were delighted with their attention to detail, their anticipation of potential problems, and their efforts to insure that we saw the maximum in our limited time. Their English was very good and, being college educated Egyptologists, they had all the information one could ever hope to absorb.

 

We were so impressed that 5 months later, we again employed Nile Blue for a 10 day land trip that included a Nile River cruise from Luxor to Aswan and a day trip to Abel Simbal. They chose an interesting itinerary, excellent hotels, and went with us when we wanted to venture into the souk after dark. We felt safe and well cared for the entire time.

 

Hazem and his wife Ghada are great people. I cannot praise Nile Blue highly enough. Contact Hazem at info@nilebluetours.com

i think a Nile river cruise is an overwhelming experience. we all remember Agatha Christie " death on the Nile" it seems that this is one of the things that makes Egypt unique in itself. how much did it cost you then. and i would like to know other people's contributions and their personal impression and what makes it different from any other cruise.

You will be delighted with Nile Blue. They charge you upon arrival (they were the first to do this and then others started copying them). They will customize your excursion any way you'd like -- just ask!

 

Hazem's email is manager@nilebluetours.com or else he can be reached at info@nilebluetours.com.

 

Have a great time!

thank you for your quick and positive response. I'll call hazem and try to customize my trip with him as i want it to be private for me and my wife. i think charging upon arrival reflects their professionalism that the satisfaction of the customer comes first.:)

i m cruising on Norwegian jade dec 12. i see positive feedback on Nile blue. will they charge you in advance or upon arrival. i agree with the opinion above that hotel is only for sleeping, so one has to seize the opportunity and effort to spend time outdoor. can you send me the e.mail of Nile blue.