Hi Dusty Traveller!

I was wondering if you may be able to answer the following questions? Since you just got back from Egypt you would have the latest and greatest info.

1) How hot was it during your tour? What did you do to "handle" the heat?

2) Upon arrival in Cairo did you get transferred to your hotel by someone from Trafalgar Tours? How did that go?

3) I think I am going to take as many of the optional tours as possible but I am not sure about the tour to Alexandria. Did you go on it and do you think it is worthwhile? I hear it is a long day.

4) How dressy are the evenings on the cruise ship really? Are dress pants and a blouse ok for the ladies?

5) Is there anything you wish you would have brought but didn't?

Thanks

Susie Q

quote:

Originally posted by Susie Q:
Hi Dusty Traveller!

I was wondering if you may be able to answer the following questions? Since you just got back from Egypt you would have the latest and greatest info.

1) How hot was it during your tour? What did you do to "handle" the heat?

2) Upon arrival in Cairo did you get transferred to your hotel by someone from Trafalgar Tours? How did that go?

3) I think I am going to take as many of the optional tours as possible but I am not sure about the tour to Alexandria. Did you go on it and do you think it is worthwhile? I hear it is a long day.

4) How dressy are the evenings on the cruise ship really? Are dress pants and a blouse ok for the ladies?

5) Is there anything you wish you would have brought but didn't?

Thanks

Susie Q

Hi Susie,

I am very happy to answer your questions, about Egypt. It will hopefully help others to.

1. In Cairo I think the maximum temperature was about 33c, but it was a dryish heat. The hottest day we had was in Abu Simbel, it was 40c by about 10.30 am. That was hot place but well worth the trip and relatively early start.
To "handle" the heat over there you drink plenty of fluids, find shade where and when you can. The bottled water over there is cheap (LE3 for a 1.2 litre bottle at a supermarket or LE1.20 for a 600ml water). Every morning when we boarded the bus, we were given a 600ml bottle of water.

2. Yes, we were met by a local rep for Trafalgar Tours (Spring Tours) who holds up a sign with "Trafalgar" on it. Look for the red sign. He met us as we came down the escalators to the main hall area, after Customs and everything. We were not the only ones that the rep was dealing with, he was also acting for Trafalgar’s sister company, Insight Vacations, and we had to wait for another flight to arrive from Sydney, which was not too long a wait.

3. We were on the Egyptian Voyager tour, which included Alexandria as part of the tour, so we had a night in Alexandria. Nevertheless, Alexandria a 3 hour drive from Cairo, without stops. Personally, I think just seeing the Mediterranean Sea was a highlight for me. However, my significant other was keen to go to all the sights, like the Museum and such.

4. The nights on the cruise are a casual affair, so yes, dress pants and a blouse would be Ok. A 'slightly below the knee' dress would be Ok too, as it can get warm on the lower decks and on the sundeck, if the boat is not moving.
One night on the cruise, you will have a Galabea night. This will be fun. As you will find out, a Galabea is a form of dress in Egypt that both men and women wear. If you are thinking of going to the main Cairo bazaar before your tour starts, you may be able to purchase one there for a GOOD price. However, be aware, the bazaar, is not for the faint hearted. Even a hardened shopper can be a little put off by the pressure that the sellers put on you. Take a guide.

5. No, I don't think so. The one thing that I didn't take with me, I was able to obtain over there from a pharmacy.

I hope this has been of help to you, Susie. I am not sure what tour you will be taking, but enjoy every minute of it.

DustyTraveller

P.S. Take a little electric travel jug for your morning cups of coffee, as we did not find a jug in any of the rooms we stayed in. Even on the the cruise boat.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DustyTraveller,

Hi DustyTraveller

We are going to be arriving in Cairo very early in the morning and I'd like to go the bazaar that day - is it possible to organise a guide to take us to the bazaar at the hotel on the day or would it be better to organise this before we leave for Egypt?

Thanks for your input :-)

quote:

Originally posted by GillR:
Hi DustyTraveller

We are going to be arriving in Cairo very early in the morning and I'd like to go the bazaar that day - is it possible to organise a guide to take us to the bazaar at the hotel on the day or would it be better to organise this before we leave for Egypt?

Thanks for your input :-)

Hi Gill,

My suggestion would be to search the internet, for a private tour that will take you to the bazaar. (By the way, it is called the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. I forgot earlier.) Arrange this before you go, is my suggestion, but I have seen on here where others suggest, arranging that sort of thing when you get there. It is up to you.
Cheers,DustyT

Thanks very much DustyTraveller - I appreciate all your advice. I'm really looking forward to reading your tour tale.

GillR - We toured Egypt with C*****back in late July this year. We found the temp hot but not unbearable and you will want to drink about 1 to 2 litres of water each a day to keep ahead of dehydration. Whenever possible, just standing in the shade is cooler as it is a very dry heat.
We too were met just past the customs barrier by our tour company rep and the transfer was pre-arranged. Having seen the traffic etc I would strongly recommend you make sure you have arranged transfers.
The markets are huge so a guide would be ideal if you have the time. We visited there as part of the tour but were given very strick instructions of where to go and not to deviate. The market vendors are very agressive especially if you show any real interest but you just need to walk away as they will not move far from their stall to persue you (unlike the vendors at the Pyramids).
Recommended inclusions would be hand sanitiser, lots of small packs of tissues (toilet paper is not very common in the stalls). The cruise boats all seem to run with simialr themes so comfortable casual dress is OK. While you will see other 'westeners' with lots of exposed skin, I personally would recommend clothing to cover your sholders, no cleavage or stomach showing and pants or dress below the knees.
Be very careful with food and drinks (ice is made with local water) so stick to sealed bottled water and cooked foods. When all else fails, pick up some Antinal at a pharmacy when in Cairo early in your travels.

Egypt has many attractions and all the optionals will let you experience them, well worth it.

Thanks so much for your input Sonata. I appreciate any and all advice I can get as it will be our first trip to Egypt. Sorry to hear you were prey to Tut's Tummy. I will be buying Antinal on arrival for sure!

I'm struggling to find a tour that goes only to the market on our first day - most include something else that is already included in our tour. But I have time to keep looking and will also chat to my TA.

Thanks again :-)

Two more sleeps for me...yeahhhhhhh!

Susie Q

Gill, if you only want to go to the bazaar, you should be able to do it by yourselves easily enough. When I was there 15 years ago, I remember having the last morning to myself. The hotel was right next to the pyramids, but I remember wanting to go to the bazaar instead, but it was too far to make the trip and get back in time for my transfer. I went back up to the pyramids for a couple hours instead.

I was 29 and a solo female traveler and I don't remember anything that would have kept me from going back to the bazaar on my own except the lack of time. Since you've noted "our" in your posts, I can assume you're not going alone, so I think it would be fine to just take a cab to the bazaar and have fun!

And don't forget to bargain!!! Don't settle for anything less than 30-40% of the original asking price.

quote:

Originally posted by Susie Q:
Two more sleeps for me...yeahhhhhhh!

Susie Q

Susie,

Have a fantastic time. You will be amazed at all the sights and sounds.

Can't want to hear how you liked it.

Cheers, DustyTraveller

Thanks Chech, I feel much happier about doing it on our own having read your comment. I have 2 great big men going with me, so safety shouldn't be an issue

Have a wonderful time Susie!

Hi DustyTraveller

I was wondering if you could tell me which optionals you were offered on your recent Egyptian Voyager, how much they cost and which ones you did? I'd be so grateful for any info!

Thanks

Hi Gill,
Here is the list of Optionals that was avaiable for our trip.

Egyptian Voyager 2009 Optional Excursions
EG1 - ASWAN. Abu Simbel Excursion
A four-hour excursion including flights to Abu Simbel, site of the Temple of Ramses II with its four great statues of the pharaoh himself. Also see statues of his queen, Nefertari, on the facade of the Temple of Hathor. (A total of 90 minutes will be spent at Abu Simbel - the remainder will be travel time)
269 (US$)

EG7 - ASWAN. Sound & Light at Philae Temple
This most romantic of shows begins with a short boat ride across the lake towards Philae Island. Two short presentations on foot follow, then we are seated in a Roman style theatre setting for the main event. A retelling of the perennial Nile flood, building of the dam and eventually rescue of the temple from the depths of the lake. We also hear of the godesses Isis and Hathor, to whose worship the temple was originally dedicated.
33 (US$)

EG3 - CAIRO. Dinner on Cruising Restaurant
A two-hour Nile cruise on a luxurious ship, with dinner and a belly-dancing show included. (Drinks not included.)
55 (US$)

EG2 - CAIRO. Sound and Light Show amongst the Pyramids
Enjoy the marvellous sight of the Pyramids and Sphinx illuminated against the night sky, and hear the story of the ancient days of the Pharaohs accompanied by a haunting musical background.
33 (US$)

EG6 - LUXOR. Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple
This show is operated in Karnak Temple in Luxor during the evening. It last for about 2 hours. We listen to voices of ancient kings, queens and gods who tell us stories about places which we have seen in the Temple during a walking tour. The show ends with another show whilst we are seated around the Divine Lake in the Temple.
33 (US$)

The only one we did was the Abu Simbel one, and it was worth it. We had booked the Cairo Light and Sound Show, but as my darling other half was sick, we cancelled it on the day.

The Cairo L & S show was on our last night in Cairo, before leaving Egypt. We were told that is was "OK".

I hope that helps.
Cheers, DustyT

Thanks so much DustyT

We went on Trafalgar's "Best of Egypt" in May/June and it was a fantastic tour. The temperatures were at their hottest then (about 30C to 32C in Cairo, but worse in Aswan with about 42C in the shade). Under the sun it gets to about 48C (118F). Now is a much better time to avoid the worst of summer.

Our tour guide was fantastic. TT supplied chilled water every day and you sure need it. Under no circumstances drink the local water or even brush your teeth in it. Despite all the precautions, almost everyone in our group got ill at some stage. Make sure you bring anti-diarrhoea pills to avoid missing parts of the tour as some people did.

TT's transfers from Cairo airport are reliable. We arrived at 1am and he was standing there holding a card with our name on it. Certainly deserved the tip I gave him.

Dress pants and a blouse are fine for evenings on the Nile cruises but you are quite ok to wear a t-shirt and shorts. They usually have an Egyptian theme night so you wear local clothes you buy relatively cheaply. Most men wear a galabeya (sort of a long cotton nightshirt). Some boats sell or hire Egyptian clothes but most in our group had more fun buying them in marketplaces (as long as you can tolerate the rude, pushy touts).

Be circumspect with the optional tours because some are great but others not value for money. The Abel Simbel tour is expensive because it involves a plane trip. However, it is one of the most awesome sights you will ever see in your lifetime, so well worth it. The Giza sound/light tour is also a must. You probably don't get value for the Cairo dinner cruise because you don't see that much, you've already had several meals on your cruise boat, and we already had a belly dancer perform at Kom Ombo.

I pretty much agree with what Dusty Traveller had to say.