A Nile Cruise is absolutely the BEST way to see the historic and important sights of Egypt. Choices range from 3,4 or 7 days and sail from Luxor or Aswan. Luxor is generally a less expensive flight and a nice place to start your Nile adventure. Your stops shouls include: Luxor, Aswan, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and an excursion to Abu Simbel near the bottom of Upper Egypt.
There are nearly 400 boats plying these waters and a choice might be hard at a glance... Whatever you do, DO NOT pick a 4-star rated boat. It will be below standard and less than Motel 6 variety. You must pick at least a 5-star Standard boat which includes these fine boats equated to a standard Shearton Hotel- Emilio Travel’s Domina Prestige, Aurora, Sherry, and the Diamond. If you want a leap forward, pick a 5-star Deluxe boat which equates to a Hyatt, Marriott, or Intercontinental Hotel and includes these fine boats-Amarco 1, Radamis I and II, all of the Travcotel and Jaz Cruises boats, Sun Bay, and Sonesta Sun goddess. The highest category is 5-star Premium/Luxury which is the elite class of boats equating to Four Seasons and includes these fine boats-Abercrombie& Kent Sun Boat III and IV, Oberoi Zahra, Sonesta Star Goddess, and the Sonesta St. George.
My personal pick would be to stay in the 5-star deluxe category to esnure a perfect expereince and afforadable one for most. My personal favorite in this clas is the Amarco 1. It is the only boat that borders into the luxury class, offers a served dinner, has elevator lifts, and has accommodations for handicapped guests. It is priced more afforadably than osme luxury boats but has all the amenities. It also has won-BEST NILE BOAT for a number of years and was completely refurbished form top to bottom in September of 2008.
Going back to the experience though-one must keep in mind that most boats offer limited menus, buffet service for meals, have instant coffee, expect slower than normal service, being tied up with a number of other boats, sometimes a dusty boat-it's hard to keep them clean since it does not rain and there is always deisel fuel odors from other boats floating around outside. A Deluxe boat eliminates many of these issues but a knowledgeable agent can make the Nile experience GREAT for you if they know and have been on this cruise.
Regardless, this is an incredible, relaxed way to see Egypt. It is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of shopping, sightseeing, and a beautiful trip to take. The Nile region is absolutely beautiful. You can check out my pictures at www.CruiseCenter.Smugmug.com
Most boats have their Egyptologist/guides travel along with the guests to give more insight to guests informally on the boat and help planning any optional tours whch might include, hot-air ballooning in Luxor, A tour to a Nubian Villiage, a visit to the Valley of the Queens or Nobles, etc.. Also, when picking a boat, select one that was built in the last few years or recently refurbished or rebuilt to ensure top quality. The older and less refurbished the boat, the less likely it is you are going to be happy...
The other factor to keep in mind is that most beverages are not included. You will pay for coffee, juice, bottled water, and all alcoholic drinks during non-meal hours. This is standard practice in Egypt. Alcohol is quite expnesive too with drinks ranging $10-$20 USD depending on the grade of alcohol. The quality of bar service is also sketchy. This is an Islamic country where the government really disuades the consumption of alcohol, makes it expensive so the common Egyptioan will not consume, and also pricing keeps many tourists from purchasing. Egyptian alcohol is not very good but their beer is tasty. You may bring your own alcohol on the Nile boats and consume in your stateroom, however, you must purchase this at the arrival duty free airport shop at the Cairo International Airport and bring it in your packed suitcase.... That's a lot of extra work!!!
You are also limited in your luggage allowance to send through a total of 44 pounds via Egyptair's standard inra-Egypt flights. This sounds imposing but it is actually easy to do since you wearl light layers throughout the trip. You will want to save some room for exciting Egyptian souvenirs...
Tommorrow, I will cover the sights of the other ports of call-stay tuned!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Off To Luxor & The Nile...
After 4 days in busy Cairo, it was a welcomereleif to fly to Luxor to board our Nile Cruise Boat. I will go into the Nile Cruise Boats later and tell you how to pick one...It's actually easy as the choices for high quality are few!
More on that later...
As most US tourists arrive in Egypt at alexandria or Port Said, their choices for sightseeing are limited to a day or two only with Cairo, the Primids at Giza (on the outskirts of this massive city), and the great Egyptian Museaum in the heart of Cairo being their only choice for seeing Egypt. This is a shame as the true beauty of this land is found deep into the heart of Egypt and found along the Wotld's longest river, The Nile!
Most Nile cruise programs begin in Aswan or Luxor. The choices are 3,4 or 7 days for the most part. I sugeest a minimum of 4 days, however, prefer 7 to really give the traveler a chance for some neede relaxation and the opportunity to absorb all the history, culture, and sightseeing one will take in.
Our flight to Luxor left on Egypt Air from the new and gorgeous Terminal 5 in Cairo. It was a quick 45 minute flight on a very clean 2 by 2 seat airliner that was clean, comfortable, and exceeded expectation. Once we landed in the barren sesert of Luxor, it was a quick 20 minute motorcoach ride to our Nile Boat found just outside historic Luxor. The city is lines with palms, bouganvilla, flowers, and is quite clean compared to Cairo. The Nile creates a fertile region around it with much verdant farm land, beauiful plam trees, and villiages. It is quite attractive and the stark reality of the barren rich gold sand of the Great Sahara Desert is always just beyond reach of this river oasis. The city of Luxor is know as one of the former kingdoms of the Great Pharohs. The Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple are two of the most remarkable sights to see. I personally thought the massive Karnak Temple with its massive carved columns and obelisks was an engineering feat beyond imagination. The Luxor museum is worth a vist, and shopping for the famed Egptian historical items of Papyrus, Gold, Perfume, and Alabaster are highlights in the tourist rich city. Visiting Luxor is like taking a step back in time. You feel a more relaxed atmosphere among the people. They are farmers, operators of smaller business, and in general leave you to feel that they are an era (or two) away from the lifestyle of Cairo. Taxis are ancient. My rides to local markets usually took place in non aircoditioned 27+ year old Peugot station wagons-LOL! Roadside transportation of produce and materials is by cart, donkey or camel...
The main city of Luxor is found on the East Bank of the Nile. It is here where most cruise boat companies tie up their boats. It is common for 4-6 boats to tie together which allows you to see how the "other half" live. It is sometimes confusing as you don't know your own boat until you arive in your own boat lobby and boats chnge position frequently making the changes to new boats docking against you an ever changing scenario. The issue of privacy also becaomes interesting when your boat is sandwiched between two other boats wherein your picture window or french balcony becomes a window to window view of another boats guest stateroom...
The Tourist Police are evident in Luxor with armed guard stops everywhere. The Nile Boat docks are also found in private cluster enclaves where the area is also heavily guarded for guest security. I found Luxort to be charming, safe, somewhat relaxed and highly recommend the night time Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple along with the coveted West Bank tours to the incomparable Valley of the Kings, Queens, Nobles, Queen Hatsepshut's Temple, The colussus of Menmon, and More... I wil cover these exceptional tours on our return visit to Luxor at the end of our Nile Cruise as these were the sights that blew my mind...
Now, I have joined my Nile Cruise Boat. The Emilio Cruise-Domina Prestige. This five star-standard boat is one of the cleanest, most modern, offers some of the largest cabins, and top notch facilities of any boat on the Nile. It is only 5-years old and kept in good shape by its proud owners. The Domina Prestige has won more Gold Standard awards for its kitchen cleanliness than almost any other boat. As a matter of fact, it only needs one more Gold Standard Award to acheive the pinnacle Award-Platinum. There is only one other boat EVER to acheive that coveted title. The next blog will cover the Nile Cruise experience and we will continue on to more ports-of-call along the Nile with our Egyptologist guides and exciting Egypt experience...
More on that later...
As most US tourists arrive in Egypt at alexandria or Port Said, their choices for sightseeing are limited to a day or two only with Cairo, the Primids at Giza (on the outskirts of this massive city), and the great Egyptian Museaum in the heart of Cairo being their only choice for seeing Egypt. This is a shame as the true beauty of this land is found deep into the heart of Egypt and found along the Wotld's longest river, The Nile!
Most Nile cruise programs begin in Aswan or Luxor. The choices are 3,4 or 7 days for the most part. I sugeest a minimum of 4 days, however, prefer 7 to really give the traveler a chance for some neede relaxation and the opportunity to absorb all the history, culture, and sightseeing one will take in.
Our flight to Luxor left on Egypt Air from the new and gorgeous Terminal 5 in Cairo. It was a quick 45 minute flight on a very clean 2 by 2 seat airliner that was clean, comfortable, and exceeded expectation. Once we landed in the barren sesert of Luxor, it was a quick 20 minute motorcoach ride to our Nile Boat found just outside historic Luxor. The city is lines with palms, bouganvilla, flowers, and is quite clean compared to Cairo. The Nile creates a fertile region around it with much verdant farm land, beauiful plam trees, and villiages. It is quite attractive and the stark reality of the barren rich gold sand of the Great Sahara Desert is always just beyond reach of this river oasis. The city of Luxor is know as one of the former kingdoms of the Great Pharohs. The Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple are two of the most remarkable sights to see. I personally thought the massive Karnak Temple with its massive carved columns and obelisks was an engineering feat beyond imagination. The Luxor museum is worth a vist, and shopping for the famed Egptian historical items of Papyrus, Gold, Perfume, and Alabaster are highlights in the tourist rich city. Visiting Luxor is like taking a step back in time. You feel a more relaxed atmosphere among the people. They are farmers, operators of smaller business, and in general leave you to feel that they are an era (or two) away from the lifestyle of Cairo. Taxis are ancient. My rides to local markets usually took place in non aircoditioned 27+ year old Peugot station wagons-LOL! Roadside transportation of produce and materials is by cart, donkey or camel...
The main city of Luxor is found on the East Bank of the Nile. It is here where most cruise boat companies tie up their boats. It is common for 4-6 boats to tie together which allows you to see how the "other half" live. It is sometimes confusing as you don't know your own boat until you arive in your own boat lobby and boats chnge position frequently making the changes to new boats docking against you an ever changing scenario. The issue of privacy also becaomes interesting when your boat is sandwiched between two other boats wherein your picture window or french balcony becomes a window to window view of another boats guest stateroom...
The Tourist Police are evident in Luxor with armed guard stops everywhere. The Nile Boat docks are also found in private cluster enclaves where the area is also heavily guarded for guest security. I found Luxort to be charming, safe, somewhat relaxed and highly recommend the night time Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple along with the coveted West Bank tours to the incomparable Valley of the Kings, Queens, Nobles, Queen Hatsepshut's Temple, The colussus of Menmon, and More... I wil cover these exceptional tours on our return visit to Luxor at the end of our Nile Cruise as these were the sights that blew my mind...
Now, I have joined my Nile Cruise Boat. The Emilio Cruise-Domina Prestige. This five star-standard boat is one of the cleanest, most modern, offers some of the largest cabins, and top notch facilities of any boat on the Nile. It is only 5-years old and kept in good shape by its proud owners. The Domina Prestige has won more Gold Standard awards for its kitchen cleanliness than almost any other boat. As a matter of fact, it only needs one more Gold Standard Award to acheive the pinnacle Award-Platinum. There is only one other boat EVER to acheive that coveted title. The next blog will cover the Nile Cruise experience and we will continue on to more ports-of-call along the Nile with our Egyptologist guides and exciting Egypt experience...
Monday, June 15, 2009
My June Tour To Egypt-amazing!
It has been a few weeks since my last blog but I have returned from a nile cruisetour to Egypt. I must admit that it was one of the most exciting trips I have taken in years.
Egypt is one of the few destinations filled with artifacts and a history going back more than 5000 BC. It is an exciting, rugged, harsh, hot, congested, but magical place.
I have only been to Egypt on three prior visits but this was my most comprehensive and complete to date. I am going to break this blog into sections to ensure I can cover the main components which are Cairo and The Pyramids, Luxor and The Nile Cruise, and the Nile Cruise Boat experience...
So let's start with Cairo...
After arriving in a 12:40am on my British airways flight from London, I was very happy to find my transportation and local guide standing beyond the medical screening area (checking for H1N1 Flu) holding a sign and handing me my Egyptian Visa stamp to clear Egyptian customs. It was a seamless process. He took us to baggage claim and within a half an hour, we are off in our heavily air conditioned mini-van towards our hotel in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo. We were booked a the 5-star Sofitel Le Sphinx Hotel just less than half a mile from the Great Pyramids. Our ride took nearly an hour in modest traffic and I was surprised that the streets were quite busy as it was Friday and the Egyptian weekend. We arrived about 2:30am and off to bed it was. The Sofitel is one of the better resort hotels at Giza. There are only three for American Tourist consideration. They are the Movenpick, Le Meredien, and the Sofitel. These are the 4-5 Star quality. The other hotel property option across the roadway from the Great Pyramids is the historic and luxury hotel called The Oberoi Mena House. To have a more luxurious option, one must go to a high luxury hotel deep in the noise and congestion of Cairo and does not offer the same convenience to the Great Pyramids.
The Sofitel was just fine although it felt like a throwback to the 70's with a few 21st century twists of decor thrown in for updating. It would not qualify for a 5-star hotel in the US (I give it a 4-star rating myself) but had a lovely pool area with attractive and beautifully landscaped grounds. My room had excellent and very comfortable European style bedding and great A/C. I was happy! While it is not advised to drink the tap water anywhere in Egypt, the Sofitel cleans and purifies its water three times before sending to a guest room. I used bottled water for brushing my teeth and drinking only. The hotel offered daily full buffet breakfast which was more European in style and filled with Egyptian specialties. I was really hoping for the Sofitel European touch, however, this property and its chefs are all Egyptian making the food closer to home than the Sofitel European standard. The food was adequate and plentiful in offering. The coffee was quite good. The Italian Restaurant seemed to please most of the guests and I thought it was just okay. A few of us ventured over to the Oberoi Mena House to its Indian venue called Mogul where the cuisine and service exceeded expectation. It was also quite pricey at $70 USD per guest including a nice wine-high for Egypt but not the US or Europe...It was worth every penny.
The next day our group of 44 was divided into two very nice motorcoaches where our two exceptional Egyptologists, both named Mohammed, would take us to deep into the congested, dirty city of Cairo-home to nearly 20 million inhabitants. Nearly 90% of the population are Islamic Muslims and practice the traditional robe and head covering for woman. The other 10% of the population are Christian and other religions. Cairo has thousands of Mosques and feels like a city torn on the edge of the 21st Century meeting the old world of 1000 years past. It is amazing and a cultural kaleidoscope. We won't even go into old Egyptian history as that is something beyond anything that exists today. We visited the ancient Citadel overseeing the city on a very clear day, the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (not the boxer), and then into the city for the Egyptian Museum-one of the BEST in World. This is the home to most of King Tut's Tomb artifacts and the great Egyptian history. It is a visit that is necessary but overwhelming. We had a short lunch on a Nile Boat and a visit to the ancient Bazaar of Khan El Khalili for some bargaining and shopping old world style, and then back the to Sofitel to beat the afternoon heat and a short rest before we took off for an evening trip to see the famed Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza.
The next day we were off early to see the ancient sites of Memphis, Saqqara. It was an amazing day and the Step Pyramid of King Zozer at Sakarra was the highlight for me. The weather in Cairo was hot with temperatures up to 96 degrees during the day but cooler at night down as low as 71 degrees. Later in the afternoon after lunch we had an afternoon visit to the great Pyramids at Giza where the group had a chance to ride camels in the barren desert. We had free time to walk around the great Pyramid of Cheops and then down to the Sphinx sitting at the foot of Cairo and the desert. It is amazing to see how the Egyptians have expanded the city deep into the desert. The land for about 80 kilometers around the Great Pyramids is protected desert to ensure that the area and tombs of this area are not built on. This is one of the Great Wonders of the World and worth a visit. No matter how many times one has been to Egypt, the Great Pyramids never seem to stop amazing even the most jaded of traveler. After this hot afternoon event, we headed back to the hotel to shower and freshen up for our dinner cruise down the Nile River complete with Belly Dancing and Whirling Dervishes...
Many of our guests who were first time visitors to Egypt were shocked at the prices for alcohol. As one must know, it is forbidden for Muslims to consume alcohol. The Egyptian government makes it difficult to bring alcohol into the country and thus, it is VERY pricey. A standard cocktail can cost up to $20 USD!
After our evening dinner cruise, we headed back through Cairo's horrid traffic where the streets, shops, and restaurants were filled with many of this cities 20 million inhabitants. It was amazing though to have both coaches have a police escort back to our hotel making the ride a bit faster than it could have been.... Also, most tour groups and motorcoaches will always have an armed escort on the bus accompanying the group traveling to ensure their safety. After all, there have been a number of terror related incidents and Egypt is doing its best to protect its millions of annual visitors and chief contributor to its economy. I must tell you that I felt safe at all times and the people of Cairo and Egypt were friendly and never made me feel uneasy. I am. however, glad to know we had the added protection at all times.
PART 2 is coming Next with a trip to Luxor and The Nile Cruise....
Egypt is one of the few destinations filled with artifacts and a history going back more than 5000 BC. It is an exciting, rugged, harsh, hot, congested, but magical place.
I have only been to Egypt on three prior visits but this was my most comprehensive and complete to date. I am going to break this blog into sections to ensure I can cover the main components which are Cairo and The Pyramids, Luxor and The Nile Cruise, and the Nile Cruise Boat experience...
So let's start with Cairo...
After arriving in a 12:40am on my British airways flight from London, I was very happy to find my transportation and local guide standing beyond the medical screening area (checking for H1N1 Flu) holding a sign and handing me my Egyptian Visa stamp to clear Egyptian customs. It was a seamless process. He took us to baggage claim and within a half an hour, we are off in our heavily air conditioned mini-van towards our hotel in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo. We were booked a the 5-star Sofitel Le Sphinx Hotel just less than half a mile from the Great Pyramids. Our ride took nearly an hour in modest traffic and I was surprised that the streets were quite busy as it was Friday and the Egyptian weekend. We arrived about 2:30am and off to bed it was. The Sofitel is one of the better resort hotels at Giza. There are only three for American Tourist consideration. They are the Movenpick, Le Meredien, and the Sofitel. These are the 4-5 Star quality. The other hotel property option across the roadway from the Great Pyramids is the historic and luxury hotel called The Oberoi Mena House. To have a more luxurious option, one must go to a high luxury hotel deep in the noise and congestion of Cairo and does not offer the same convenience to the Great Pyramids.
The Sofitel was just fine although it felt like a throwback to the 70's with a few 21st century twists of decor thrown in for updating. It would not qualify for a 5-star hotel in the US (I give it a 4-star rating myself) but had a lovely pool area with attractive and beautifully landscaped grounds. My room had excellent and very comfortable European style bedding and great A/C. I was happy! While it is not advised to drink the tap water anywhere in Egypt, the Sofitel cleans and purifies its water three times before sending to a guest room. I used bottled water for brushing my teeth and drinking only. The hotel offered daily full buffet breakfast which was more European in style and filled with Egyptian specialties. I was really hoping for the Sofitel European touch, however, this property and its chefs are all Egyptian making the food closer to home than the Sofitel European standard. The food was adequate and plentiful in offering. The coffee was quite good. The Italian Restaurant seemed to please most of the guests and I thought it was just okay. A few of us ventured over to the Oberoi Mena House to its Indian venue called Mogul where the cuisine and service exceeded expectation. It was also quite pricey at $70 USD per guest including a nice wine-high for Egypt but not the US or Europe...It was worth every penny.
The next day our group of 44 was divided into two very nice motorcoaches where our two exceptional Egyptologists, both named Mohammed, would take us to deep into the congested, dirty city of Cairo-home to nearly 20 million inhabitants. Nearly 90% of the population are Islamic Muslims and practice the traditional robe and head covering for woman. The other 10% of the population are Christian and other religions. Cairo has thousands of Mosques and feels like a city torn on the edge of the 21st Century meeting the old world of 1000 years past. It is amazing and a cultural kaleidoscope. We won't even go into old Egyptian history as that is something beyond anything that exists today. We visited the ancient Citadel overseeing the city on a very clear day, the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (not the boxer), and then into the city for the Egyptian Museum-one of the BEST in World. This is the home to most of King Tut's Tomb artifacts and the great Egyptian history. It is a visit that is necessary but overwhelming. We had a short lunch on a Nile Boat and a visit to the ancient Bazaar of Khan El Khalili for some bargaining and shopping old world style, and then back the to Sofitel to beat the afternoon heat and a short rest before we took off for an evening trip to see the famed Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza.
The next day we were off early to see the ancient sites of Memphis, Saqqara. It was an amazing day and the Step Pyramid of King Zozer at Sakarra was the highlight for me. The weather in Cairo was hot with temperatures up to 96 degrees during the day but cooler at night down as low as 71 degrees. Later in the afternoon after lunch we had an afternoon visit to the great Pyramids at Giza where the group had a chance to ride camels in the barren desert. We had free time to walk around the great Pyramid of Cheops and then down to the Sphinx sitting at the foot of Cairo and the desert. It is amazing to see how the Egyptians have expanded the city deep into the desert. The land for about 80 kilometers around the Great Pyramids is protected desert to ensure that the area and tombs of this area are not built on. This is one of the Great Wonders of the World and worth a visit. No matter how many times one has been to Egypt, the Great Pyramids never seem to stop amazing even the most jaded of traveler. After this hot afternoon event, we headed back to the hotel to shower and freshen up for our dinner cruise down the Nile River complete with Belly Dancing and Whirling Dervishes...
Many of our guests who were first time visitors to Egypt were shocked at the prices for alcohol. As one must know, it is forbidden for Muslims to consume alcohol. The Egyptian government makes it difficult to bring alcohol into the country and thus, it is VERY pricey. A standard cocktail can cost up to $20 USD!
After our evening dinner cruise, we headed back through Cairo's horrid traffic where the streets, shops, and restaurants were filled with many of this cities 20 million inhabitants. It was amazing though to have both coaches have a police escort back to our hotel making the ride a bit faster than it could have been.... Also, most tour groups and motorcoaches will always have an armed escort on the bus accompanying the group traveling to ensure their safety. After all, there have been a number of terror related incidents and Egypt is doing its best to protect its millions of annual visitors and chief contributor to its economy. I must tell you that I felt safe at all times and the people of Cairo and Egypt were friendly and never made me feel uneasy. I am. however, glad to know we had the added protection at all times.
PART 2 is coming Next with a trip to Luxor and The Nile Cruise....
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