Egypt & Jordon Tour 2011
We have just returned from this tour and we cannot thank Tauck enough for the wonderful tour they provided. (We would also thank the thousands and thousands of tourists that stayed at home while our tour, toured Egypt almost on our own.) It has to be said that not once during the whole tour did anyone on our tour feel or see anything to give us the slightest concern. The locals themselves were the epitome of the perfect hosts. The most common greeting we received was "Welcome to Egypt" and this was offered by young and old alike.
As to Tauck's contributions, they were without peer. We feel qualified in saying this as this tour was our final tour of our 4 month trip from New Zealand. In that time we had 3 other organised tours plus the final tour with Tauck. Clearly the 2 private charter flights added to the overall cost so on balance we felt we received more bang for the buck with Tauck than the others. Everything that the glossies said, they delivered and no expense was spared.
Thank you Tauck and our specialist guides and in particular Matt our tour director. While it was beyond Matt's control we were all disappointed that Fed Ex did not get his string bikini to him as they had promised!!!!
The pick of the tour, after Matt - the river cruise, the staff, the food and the vessel were fantastic.
We will be happy to answer any questions but our advice is - Just do it!!!!
As to Tauck's contributions, they were without peer. We feel qualified in saying this as this tour was our final tour of our 4 month trip from New Zealand. In that time we had 3 other organised tours plus the final tour with Tauck. Clearly the 2 private charter flights added to the overall cost so on balance we felt we received more bang for the buck with Tauck than the others. Everything that the glossies said, they delivered and no expense was spared.
Thank you Tauck and our specialist guides and in particular Matt our tour director. While it was beyond Matt's control we were all disappointed that Fed Ex did not get his string bikini to him as they had promised!!!!
The pick of the tour, after Matt - the river cruise, the staff, the food and the vessel were fantastic.
We will be happy to answer any questions but our advice is - Just do it!!!!
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I do have a couple of questions. Do the men need sport coats and or ties on the cruise? Or is a dress shirt or golf shirt ok? Did they women ever wear capri pants - 3/4 length pants?
Did you leave the hotel on your own before or after the trip?
Thanks again for your post.
PMooney
Evening dress was 'Smart Casual' although some of the ladies did dress a little above that, but there were no ties in evidence. To be honest, provided you did not wear shorts, togs and flip-flops you were OK. It was far too hot for jackets when we were there. I think if you just look in the mirror and ask yourself 'Do I look smart and respectable' you will be fine. Having said that, you can do the full dress Monty if you want to.
Did we leave the hotel??? Are you asking, did we go walking the neighbourhood from the hotel?? We did not, but you could if you wished. The reason we did not, was because the days were hot and full and after dinner and a nightcap, bed was a good option. (I hope that is what you wanted to know) However, we had to fly back to Cairo from Jordan for a night prior to flying to NZ and stayed at a hotel in Cairo city, next to the Nile, and we went out walking, no trouble at all.
You will not regret going with Tauck. When you see the other river boats that people are on you will feel so pleased you are with Tauck. It will make more sense to you when you are there, but be assured you have made the correct choice. We are looking at doing the 24 days Black Sea to Amsterdam river boat with them.
Matt will be really pleased if you do that, but colour choice could prove tricky!!!!
Enjoy.
My sense is that for ladies Egypt is like India: no visible shoulders, knees or cleavage. So Capris should be fine, although a city like Cairo will likely be dressier than tourist sites further south. For evenings I'm planning on slacks with a dressy top, skirt or slacks with a cotton jacket, or one simple knit dress. I'm hoping it won't be quite as hot as Kiwi Bill experienced! My husband usually brings along a travel blazer just as another layer...no ties though!!!
Sheila
1) how big was the tour group, and do they split it up into smaller groups on the excursions?
2) what was the age range?
3) what types of airplanes were used for the internal flights?
4) how was the bus ride from Abu Simbel to Aswan?
Thanks so much!
We returned from this tour just last night and I concur with everything Kiwi Bill said in his original post. Tauck did a fabulous job organizing this tour - they really thought of every detail, even down to providing a roll of Egyptian 1-pound coins to use for tips in the bathrooms! The hotels were excellent, and I especially appreciated the option on some nights to dine in any of the hotel's restaurants and Tauck covered the bill. Other nights there were buffets; some nights they offered a la carte choices, at least for the entrees. (Some tour companies offer only buffet meals.) We really enjoyed the cruise on the Nile Adventurer; the service was wonderful.
To answer your questions:
1) This tour can have as many as 36 people on it, but we had only 15 which was fabulous. My understanding is that when there are larger numbers, they do divide into smaller groups for excursions.
2) The age range was primarily 45-65, although we had one 82-year old! But he held no one back; in fact, when the group rode camels back up to the Treasury at Petra, he walked the 1.5 mile distance instead & arrived at the same time
3) The airplanes were twin engine, 50 passenger aircraft; this is really a private airline, started by the oil companies...not small, general aviation-type airplanes. They were staffed with a pilot, co-pilot and 1-2 stewards. Minimal fuss getting through airports.
4) One way on the bus was fine; the buses are all very comfortable. (I would be less enthusiastic about any tour that did Abu Simbel as a day trip using a bus both ways.) You are mainly tansiting through the Sahara Dessert, so the view out the window is primarily sand, rather than anything remarkable. But we did see mirages! It was a pretty easy drive and a chance to nap, read, edit photos on your camera or catch up on your trip notes.
BTW, don't lets the current situation deter you from considering Egypt. The elections are only one week off, and I think that is the source of the demonstrations. One very nice thing about Tauck is that the insurance program allows you to cancel for any reason -- so you can wait until closer to your travel date to see how things are then. And Tauck won't take you into an unstable situation; the last thing they want to do is pull people out mid-tour.
I don't think you could go wrong with this Tauck tour!
We just arrived home last night from the Egypt and Jordan tour. This was our 4th or 5th Tauck trip...and I think it was the best ever...some of that certainly due to the geography, architecture, history, people, etc...but a lot of it due to our tour guide, Matt...and the group we travelled with. I think we had 14 or 15 on the tour...and it was the most compatible group we have travelled with.
Tauck met /exceeded every expectation that we could have had...our hotels, transportation, local experts (eg Egyptologist, Jordanian historian/cultural expert, staff on board our ship as we cruised the Nile, etc)...they were all GREAT.
It is cool in Egypt in the early am and late evening...and it was cold in the very early morning in Petra...we carried jackets in our back packs and were fine thru the day...wore shorts a few days but would guess as cooler weather approaches long pants will be more appropriate.
My wife and I just retired a few weeks ago...so this was a present from us to us...she also had a birthday...and Matt ( our tour guide who never quite seems to get his FedEx swim suit in time!) arranged for a neat Egyptian birthday card and a cake).
If you have not travelled with Tauck, you can feel very comfortable that they do everything right...if you have travelled with Tauck, you can count on the same standard of meeting/exceeding expectations.
We are booked for China next Spring and Greece next Fall....with Tauck!
You will enjoy the Egypt and Jordan experience!
Attire on the ship was not very formal. Some men had blazers for the evening meals. Some of the ladies had lovely ensembles. Others were simply comfortable.
There was a convenience store very close to the Mena House Oberoi that carried many drug store items. Matt recommended it as a safe place to shop for anything that you forgot to pack.
Bottled water is abundant. No "mummy tummy" in our group. (I should have worn hiking boots instead of athletic shoes because walking on the sands made my socks rub against the shoe interior and irritated by skin.)
The best selection for shopping was the El Khan Kahilili Bazaar in Cairo. There was a sizable bazaar at Abu Simbel but we overstayed our time in the temples and had to rush past everything. (There were smaller, but interesting bazaars in Luxor, but the vendors were much pushier in the Valley of the Kings.)
We feel lucky to have seen Egypt when there were so few tourists. Tauck did a fabulous job and I highly recommend this tour.
Thanks for any information you can share.
You cannot photograph inside the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, inside Abu Simbel and inside the Egyptian Antiquities Museum. Our guide, Matt, noted that one can download photos of the interiors of these three features and insert them into the deck if you are making a slide show. (It works OK.) The carvings on the wall of all of the other temples are very photogenic.
Be warned that the locals want money to be photographed (or to take your photograph). Some locals walk into your photograph and then expect to be compensated for posing with you.
I bought a beautiful book from one of the guys outside the area of Abu Simbel so I would always remember our visit there.
Sheila