Our first attempt at experiencing the wonders of Egypt, was in March 2020. Yes, that rings a bell doesn’t it? Our tour was rudely interrupted by the Covid-19 epidemic. We escaped an airport closure in the nick of time and had to fly via Sharjah (UAE) to our destination – one of the few flights available. Hectic times. Fast forward to January 2023 and a now once bitten, twice shy family makes another attempt to visit Egypt.
The tour company had to be a reputable, flexible and affordable outfit, willing to go the extra mile and ready for any eventuality curtailing our tour. After much research and e-mails, we were contacted by a man named George from De Luxe Tours Egypt. He designed the perfect 9-day tour for us with just the right mix of activity and downtime.
The tour included a visit to the Giza pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara Nekcropolis, Cairo Citadel and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. We then flew from Cairo to Luxor and the following four days were on a relaxing Nile Cruise. We visited the Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings and Queens - the Tomb of Queen Nefertari is a must - and the Ramesseum Temple.
Although we visited Edfu and Kom Ombo during our visit in March 2020, Edfu Temple looked different with new excavation blocks around it. After a visit to the impressive Aswan dam, the Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk and Abu Simbel Temples, we flew back to Cairo from Aswan. A final excursion to Alexandria and the market area of Cairo rounded off an unforgettable trip to Egypt:
Highlights of the trip:
• The guides are exceptional, all trained Egyptologists with a vast knowledge of Egyptian culture and history, We had four of them, and each one brought different qualities to the table. Mr. Morsi, our first guide, concentrated on ensuring that the perfect picture is always taken, using the best camera angles. When we visited Saqqara Necropolis, he warned tourists not to touch the walls of the mastaba, as the scenes depicted from the Old Kingdom against these walls, still had their original colour. Saqqara is not as well-known as the Giza pyramids or the Sphinx, but well worth a visit.
• Our second guide, Dr Hamed, took us to the Karnak and Luxor Temples as well as the Luxor Museum. He knows everything there is to know about all the exhibits, pointing out tantalizing details, like the ancient architectural sketches on limestone and the Ushabthi statues. These tiny statues were placed in tombs among the grave goods and they were intended to act as servants for the deceased in the afterlife. They have baskets on their backs – ready to work for the farmer.
• Mr Hany was our next guide, staying with us throughout the Nile cruise and visit to Abu Simbel. He was very knowledgeable and described the background and significance of tourist attractions in a clear, concise manner. He can also read and write Egyptian hieroglyphics and translated an inscription found on the Small Temple at Abu Simbel, composed by Ramses II for his wife Nefertari. Mr. Hany insisted that we must be learn to identify the Egyptian gods. Before long, we could distinguish between all of them. Another highlight was when he pointed out one of the murals depicting figures dancing, then demonstrating what such a dance would look like if done today. Above and beyond the call of duty. This man really makes Ancient Egypt come alive – in technicolor.
• The tomb of Queen Nefertari is expensive to visit – and one is only allowed to stay 10 minutes in the tomb – but it is worth every Egyptian pound. The murals are stunningly preserved and concentrate on the character and beauty of Nefertari, as well as her navigation through the afterlife to Paradise.
• It is a four hour drive to the unbelievable Abu Simbel Temples and DeLuxe Tours use two drivers – in case something happens to one of them. It is this attention to detail and concern for the safety of the tourists that demonstrates the caliber of this company.
• Our final tour guide, Mr Aly, showed us around in Alexandria and went out of his way to accommodate our specific requests – to see the sights of Coptic Cairo. According to Wikipedia, the most interesting feature at the Abu Serga Church is the crypt were Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus are said to have rested. The well where the Holy Family purportedly drank from, is also in the church. Although the Ben Ezra Synagogue was temporarily closed, Mr. Aly took the trouble to send us pictures of the spring where the pharaoh’s daughter is supposed to have found Moses in the reeds, and also where Mary drew water to wash Jesus.
• The Royal Mummies Hall in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo is another once-in-a-lifetime experience. One of my family members pointed out that Egypt has stayed Egypt throughout the ages. Iran used to be Persia, Iraq used to be Mesopotamia, Turkey was Anatolia and so on, but Egypt stayed Egypt. It is a fitting that this great country must be represented by excellent guides and a professional company going out of their way make your few days in their country memorable.
We just returned from a 10 day trip to Egypt arranged entirely by Deluxe Tours and it was fantastic! The entire trip was seamless! Egypt is not an easy trip to navigate by yourself and we are so grateful to Deluxe Tours for their expertise and experience in arranging the trip of a lifetime for our family! They took care of everything and all we had to do was enjoy....
Latif coordinated the logistics perfectly - four days in Cairo and a Nile cruise. From the minute we landed in Cairo, everything was taken care of. The accommodations at the hotel in Cairo and the Nile cruise were beautiful, drivers were always on time, guides were informative and enjoyable - every detail was thoughtfully coordinated. Special thanks to Nevin, Waleed and Marco who provided us with memorable commentary at the impressive sites along the way.
Deluxe Tours communicated with us throughout the journey to provide us with updates and details. Thank you so much to Latif and Deluxe Tours - we can't wait to have you plan another adventure for us on a return trip! All the best!
Our trip was organised by Latif, who from piking us form the airport to on on the way was explaining about the city Cairo and so well read and warm. He even encouraged us to explore the Cairo city ourselves told us what to look out for and where we could go ourselves and ensured us it was safe unlike what we had read online. He was quickly able to rearrange and customise things to our group as few of them got delayed with their flights and layover. The certain personal touches that he adds goes a long way. There are certain instances where he would have gone out of his was to help us out, to make sure our holiday is memorable. I would truly recommend all my friends and family back home to go though Latif, deluxe tours and travels if they are planning a holiday to Egypt.