Egypt and Jordan Oct 2013

Wondering what the weather is like at this time of year and if anyone is signed up yet Any advice on what to do in our free time. Thanks, Sue

Comments

  • Checking online shows it should be hot during the day (80-90F) and cooler in the evening (60+F). My daughter (Lauren) and I are going on the Oct 21st trip. Diane
  • Did this trip in October 2012. One word FANTASTIC ! Weather: Cairo 80's. Luxor: it was 106 the day we did Valley of the Kings but a bottle of water and a hat ....it was all good. Jordan was high 70's. Free time was limited...just enough for a glass of wine in the hotel bar ! This is a wonderful adventure....ENJOY !
  • We are signed up for the October 7 tour. Anyone else out there???
  • Hi Joyce,

    My mother and I are signed up for the October 7th tour as well. We're really looking forward to it.

    We're hoping things are settled down there by October.
  • Diane1234 wrote:
    Checking online shows it should be hot during the day (80-90F) and cooler in the evening (60+F). My daughter (Lauren) and I are going on the Oct 21st trip. Diane
    My husband and I are on the same trip. We are going a day early.
  • Hi Sue Ann
    We will not be coming in early (daughter can't get more time off work). We are debating what to do on the 12th day....Relax by the Dead Sea or explore Roman Jerash. We want to float in the Dead Sea and explore!!! Do you have any thoughts on this?
  • Hi Diane 1234,

    We have been to both Jerash and Ephesus on non Tauck trips. Both are wonderful! Although I'm sure some would disagree with us, we were even more impressed with Jerash than we were with Ephesus. Other than the library, much of the meaning of Ephesus is in its New Testament connections. Therefore, my recommendation is that you spend your time exploring Jerash rather than relaxing at the resort. While I'm sure that would also be enjoyable, I think you'll remember Jerash far longer than you will the relaxation.
  • Hi Diane,

    I guess I have to disagree with lovestravel. We have been to Ephesus and Jerash as well as Machu Picchu and Pompeii and many Roman and Greek ruins. I guess it's what one is most interested in. We love history and I was looking forward to Jerash (even looked at it on line before we went) and was so disappointed in what we saw. Jerash came after seeing Petra which was a very big high for us. The last day of the trip, I wished we had stayed at the hotel and relaxed before making our way back home to So. California.

    Sheila
  • Diane1234 wrote:
    Hi Sue Ann
    We will not be coming in early (daughter can't get more time off work). We are debating what to do on the 12th day....Relax by the Dead Sea or explore Roman Jerash. We want to float in the Dead Sea and explore!!! Do you have any thoughts on this?
    We are on the Oct 21 tour. I hope all the trouble is over by then. I am determined to go. We plan on going to Jerash. Have been to the Dead Sea. Sue
  • joycesw wrote:
    We are signed up for the October 7 tour. Anyone else out there???

    My wife and I are. We are following the events closely in Cairo and am wondering what Tauck's practice is in terms of assessing risk. We are holding our final payment until the last minute (which I think is August 8) as a hedge in case Tauck decides to cancel. As someone who has lived overseas much of my life in places like this, I know that it is difficult to determine what things will be like 3 months from now; it could well be fine---or not. It would be useful, though, to get a sense from Tauck about their standard practice in situations like this (I know our safety is their paramount concern, but beyond that how and when do they decide whether to cancel a tour?). Frank
  • edited July 2013
    Hi Frank,
    We are also glued to CNN today watching events unfold. I am going to assume that Tauck is adopting a "wait and see" attitude. The situation is so fluid, it will be difficult to predict an outcome. They are proabably taking a large breather after dealing with the flooding in Europe and Canada!
    As far as the deposit and payments are concerned, I am also sure that Tauck will do a complete refund. A few years ago our riverboat cruise was cancelled halfway through the trip because of flooding on the upper Danube. Tauck was very speedy and fair with refunds and even issued gift "travel vouchers" for a future trip. We also had to cancel another trip just ten days before departure due to a medical issue. While we had insurance (non-Tauck), Tauck held our deposit and applied it to the trip when we took it a year later. Both incidents were handled in a very timely manner, with the exception of a very slow refund for a post-tour stay on the riverboat trip. I suspect that was the incompetence of just one employee. So, the bottom line is that we are not too concerned about payments being refunded.
    Our biggest dilemma is that we are doing our own airfare (refundable) and are traveling prior to the tour. Those reservations will be more bothersome to cancel. I have been investigating other Tauck trips that we are interested in and that we might be able to substitute at the last minute in case of a cancellation and still retain our pre-trip plans.
    The good news is that we have three months for the situation to settle down. Do you know if this trip is/was filled? It is impossible to tell that from the web site. From this forum I know there are six of us signed up. From others' reports, it is a great trip!
    Joyce
  • We are doing pretty much what you are, Joyce. We actually watch Al Jazeera. Like you we have pre and post trip plans so adjusting that will be tough. Our airfares aren't refundable but if we simply switch to something involving Turkey (which is where we are flying to first) we could salvage something. We've checked Tauck's Turkey departure for about that time but it is full. The Egypt trip seems to be pretty lightly subscribed from the color coding on Tauck's site. Anyway, we've got about a month or so to figure it out until the final payment is due. Our friends who have had to cancel on Tauck also speak highly of their policies and management. We hope we'll see you on the trip! Be good to meet you.
    Frank
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