The trip was amazing! Everything was organized according to the voucher, and Mohamed, the organizer, even organized for us two trips that were not included since we arrived earlier in Cairo than the tour. The accomodation was top level, great food, great service and everybody was extremely kind and serviceabile. Loved the trip, I cannot reccomend them enough. We visited everything there is to see in Cairo and on the cruise and all the guides were very expert and knowledgeable. Both Mustafa, our guide in Cairo, and Sharky, our guide on the cruiser were amazing! Highly reccomended, amazing quality for the price!
Just off the plane and the agency demanded 280€. In cash. 50€ visa (OK). 80€ tips (For whom? For what?) 90€ for an unpaid excursion (What excursion?). No explanations, no receipts, but « You're on holiday, no stress, relax!».
Once all paid, change of program, no explanations. No longer 2 nights in Cairo with visits, but 3 hours of sleep, to take the plane to Luxor, at 3:30 am. The dinner at the hotel "Le Passage" was to be paid. Full board only applied the next day... when we have left! Breakfast basket, once the contents inspected, hard and dry bread and pastries, was left untouched on the counter.
Regarding tips, ALL the guides asked us (with some insistence sometimes) for money, tips "for appreciation" with "We are always forgotten". No "Egyptologist" guide was up to the task. One guide complained about the heat constantly, another that he was tired of working so hard, and the worst .... An « imaginative » Cairo guide, after a quick tour of the pyramids and the museum, got off the bus that was taking us back to the hotel, barely 5 minutes later, leaving our group alone with the driver who spoke only Arabic. Oh, and before dropping him off to go home, the guide asked us to "show our appreciation" for him and the driver, but took all the money we gave him, thinking he was going to share it with the driver, but he gave the driver nothing! The guide on the boat, after 6 days, handed out an envelope to each couple insisting "For appreciation, only if you want to". And there was a box at reception "For the staff" Where did our initial 90€ tip go? Multiplied by our group, 35, that's a lot of tips! But for whom??? « Everybody » would reply the guides!
The boat, Pioneer 2, is not described here, as not being part of the Triad agency I think. But as everything is bought, sold and negotiated in Egypt, (in cash of course), I’m not sure.
The tours, which were done rapidly and with other groups joining ours, were far too long and boring during the stops in the papyrus, spice, perfume and stone shops etc. Guide's commission of course.
We were only informed of our visits in the morning or very late in the evening because the order of the outings was all changed. Why, we never knew. 6 nights instead of 7 on the boat, 4 nights (fortunately) instead of 3 in the awful hotel in Cairo, waking up at 3.30 am or very early, very often, (with paying options, like the hot air balloon, Abu Simbel etc). We knew, only afterwards, that the "Sound et Light" show in Philae was 40€ for 2 people online. Transport included. Our guide charged us 80€. With our group of 35 people, he made a net profit of 700€ that night. If this was the only fare the guides asked us to pay double the asking price, but no, there were others.
The person who was supposed to pick us up at the airport in Cairo, was sitting on a bench checking his Facebook, Whatsup, ????? And only after 10 minutes, did he come to us to ask if we were the group for the hotel! And no help with the suitcases, even with the people who were struggling. They are too proud and afraid that we will think they are servants, instead of gentlemen.
And finally, the 'Director' of the Triad agency. His office, a place in a remote corner of the reception of the hotel Le Passage, papers on the floor, on the table, on the chairs, everywhere, he and his team smoking cigarette after cigarette. A real misogynist and a macho like so many in this country, where women are ignored because they are « just women ». Having had a problem with the hotel, the very kind guide Tina ( Coptic religion) tiptoed over to discuss it with her manager, who was sleeping on the armchair. She came back to me, only a few meters from the manager's "office", whispering that the manager would "receive" me at 8pm that evening. I went up to him and asked him why he hadn't budged a few metres to inform me himself. He shrugged his shoulders and continued to doze off. Very disrespectful and disdainful.
The following day, our departure for the airport, April 1, no one from Triad came to explain how to get to the airport. We asked as best as we could and took the bus from the hotel to the airport, shared with other people. A second before we got on the bus, the manager jumped on, came with us, followed us to the airport, all the way through, and left immediately. Without a word. Perhaps my admonition the day before had shaken him, but I doubt it. He must have been secretly watching us asking everyone how to get to the airport, but no help with the suitcases and of course no conversation or exchange.