Splendours of the Nile - April 2009

Having just returned from the Splendours of the Nile (the Superior tour), we thought we’d share our experiences. We had a hugely enjoyable holiday and are very glad that we had the experience of Egypt Uncovered to help us.

OUR GROUP: The 24 superior tourists were divided into 2 separate groups of 12, each with their own guide... Ehab took the all grown-up group A (Listen for Ehab's whistle, you'll know where they are!). Our family of four with son (12) and daughter (15) were part of a group B, aka Mohamed Said's Lovelies. The 3 other children were aged 14, 14 and 8 and that balance of parents and children worked well. Mohamed was extremely knowledgable, patient and brilliant with the kids!

AIRPORTS: We flew from Heathrow to Cairo with BMI without incident. We stepped off the bus from the plane, entered the very busy terminal building and were immediately greeted by Egypt Uncovered reps, before passport control. You do need a landing card for each person available on the plane or the Cairo rep will find some if you don't get one (like us!) Ahmed Khalifa, our Cairo rep, organised our visas (a 15 USD pp sticker) and escorted us through passport control, baggage reclaim and out to the waiting minibus that took us to our hotel. In all it took about 30 minutes form getting off the plane!

On the way home, your passport will be checked a good half dozen times as you make your way to the gate and a further twice as you board your plane. Fortunately it doesn’t take long! You need to fill out an exit card for each person. This will be given to you by the airline when you check your luggage in and is needed at the next passport control.

CAIRO TRAFFIC: Nervous passengers need valium, a blindfold and ear-plugs! Egyptian drivers make the Italians look like timid wimps. You will get plenty of opportunity to examine the Egyptian driving method as you are stuck in traffic jams: Glass of coffee in left hand, mobile in right hand, horn blaring (Do Egyptians have three hands?), windows down, furry dashboard cover with box of tissues on it, religious text dangling from rear view mirror. The armed traffic police seem mostly to be enjoying their glasses of coffee too. The traffic is packed in across the full road width. Lane markings are there for decoration, if at all. Traffic lights, if they exist at all in Cairo, are on flashing amber. Drivers needing to stop, do so without attempting to reach the kerb.

Egyptians drive on the right… mostly. Exemptions apply to camels, flocks of sheep, donkey carts and anyone who thinks it might be quicker. Roads are generally tarmacked. However, they do not have to be complete before use. To relieve traffic in the centre of Cairo, a new road was started round the back of the Giza pyramids. This was halted by UNESCO who feared for the safety of the historic monuments… What’s there, a sandy, hilly off-road experience, is in full use by the local drivers however. Expect any road journey in the city to be lengthy. Admire the skills of your drivers; we have no idea how ours avoided being hit. Our favourite sight: the boy cycling through the insane traffic with a very large tray of pitta breads balanced on his head supported by just one hand!

Traffic outside Cairo is no less aggressive, but there is less of it making journeys easier! Oh... and the traffic lights seem to work.

CLOTHING: It’s hot, dry and sandy! The sun is intense and the sand gets everywhere! The only day when ‘the girls’ needed to cover up was in the centre of Cairo as we visited both Coptic churches and a mosque. “Sensible shoes” are recommended on many days as the hot sand and clambering around monuments make flip-flops and sandals uncomfortable. T-shirts with sleeves stop your shoulders from burning and a hat and sun-glasses are essential. There is little shade available, though Mohamed did his best to find it. It is the first time that I have wished that I could have 'gone Japanese' and had an umbrella to use as a parasol. I wish I hadn't remembered to unload mine from my handbag before I left the UK!

THE EGYPTIANS: Were very friendly and the younger children in particular received a lot of attention. Beaming smiles and friendly comments greeted us everywhere.

That said, the harrassment from vendors is pretty much constant everywhere and can be intimidating. It was particularly difficult around the pyramids and awful by the sphynx. Sunglasses are your friend as you rapidly develop the technique of looking left and right without moving your head when approached. Keep your hands in your pockets if you don't want to be given things to hold and buy!

Beware: The money change scam as a handful of pound coins or euros is thrust at you to change into notes. This gambit is an opening move in an aggressive hard-sell of things you don't want to purchase and is hard to get out of... it happened to one member of our party who got split off from the rest of the group by it. Our daughter was also split off from us by someone trying to get us to take a photo of him with his donkey. This was the first day and we (she) weren't be careful enough. She was extracted by us without payment or photo and using the phrase 'no time'. We never felt she was actually in danger, it was just a sales ploy.

At Abu Simbel, the shop keepers told us they would leave us alone to browse... and they did! You still have to haggle about the price, of course! At Luxor Temple, chalk boards also proclaimed that you would be left alone... and we were!

MONEY: Egyptian pounds are used everywhere and there is often a 3% surcharge for cards. US Dollars are often accepted, work out for yourself whether the exchange rate is good (Currently as a rough guide, 1 GBP = 8 LE and 1 USD = 5 LE). ATMs work fine with UK cards, but contact your bank before you go so they are expecting it. Hard currency exchanged at the bank in Mena House hotel attracted a 0.5LE (12p!) charge and had a competetive exchange rate. Make sure you establish the currency that you intend to buy things in when you negotiate a price!

FOOD & DRINK: We were not ill at all during our stay. We took care to drink plenty of bottled water (seal in place on purchase) The drivers in Cairo and at Luxor had bottled water for sale in their minibuses at 5LE (or 1 USD) for 2 small bottles. It is easily available to purchase water everywhere - expect to pay 8LE for 1 small bottle in hotels!

We took precautions with food in as much as we avoided salads, uncooked food and fruit that didn't need peeling. Orange juice tasted like squash generally, but fresh oranges were delicious. Antibacterial hand foam or wet-wipes were used regularly throughout the day and always before eating.

We took Alpen bars with us to Egypt. They were invaluable snack food for days when tours meant that eating times were irregular.

The city tour day in Cairo (Coptic churches, mosque, cairo museum) was very busy and in hind-sight we should have asked to stop at a 'supermarket' to buy snacks at the start of the day. It was a very long day, the traffic was dreadful and we had plenty of time for eating, just not many opportunities to purchase food!

THE DAY BAG: The contents of mine...
Sun Cream (Very high factor)
Antibac hand spray (used regularly)
Small pack of anti-bac wet wipes (for the times when the hands were really filthy)
Insect bite cream
Insect repellant
Box of toilet paper (from Boots - easier than a roll)
Imodium instant (just in case, but never used)
Paracetamol

SLEEPER TRAIN: If you've ever used the French Motorail service, you'll know what to expect. It's very similar except that you get food provided, the bedding is better and there's a soldier in his tin hat looking out of the window of the engine! The loos aren't great, but then neither are the ones on trains in the UK. The food is passable... the rice and fish in particular. Journey time from Cairo to to Aswan approx 13 hours. From Luxor to Cairo about 9 hours. Depending on the train, you may get interconnecting cabins for a family. Consider the size of your luggage. There isn't much room!

CRUISE BOAT: Al Jamila
We spent 3 nights on the cruise. Other passengers sleeping near the stern reported problems with engine noise when the boat had to sail during the first night. Otherwise comfortable, if compact, cabins and good food. It is surprisingly chilly in the wind on the open deck when the boat is moving! Laundry service was very speedy - next day!

HOTELS: We stayed at...
Mena House Hotel (Cairo - pyramid view room). An oasis in the middle of an overcrowded city… and a great place to start the tour. Wonderful showers. Egyptian Soup (lentil and garlic) very tasty as a starter!

Pyramisa Isis Hotel (Aswan). Requires a ferry to take you to the island! Outwardly a beautiful hotel. Food a little disappointing and rooms not great - with most of the group having one or more things that didn't work. We were only there one night and totally shattered from the train and so didn't bother to complain. We did fill in the hotel's guest comment card in the hope that some of the problems would be sorted for the next people in our rooms.

Sofitel El Gezirah (Cairo). Our last night and what a hotel! Built on a platform jutting into the Nile on the West bank, it is amazing. Food was glorious. We felt very dirty and scruffy on arrival!

TRIPS AND TOURS:
The most important bit and the reason for all the above! Mohamed Said, our guide, was great! Patiently helping us to get to grips with the pharoahs of North and South and with the Old, Middle and New kingdoms. By the end we became quite good at recognising depictions of gods and cartouches.

Many of us reverted to childhood circa 1975 when seeing Tutankhamun's treasures in the Cairo museum and visiting his tomb (remember the Blue Peter special anyone?!) The Mummy room at Cairo museum costs 100LE (age 12+) 50LE (under 12)... although our 2 children got student 50LE tickets with a 10LE supplement to the seller (his suggestion).

The survival of 5000 year old paint in temples was amazing and the build-quality puts the UK efforts at Stone Henge to shame!

Inside a pyramid: we visited the second pyramid interior at extra cost payable locally. Be warned, this is NOT for claustrophobics. It is hot and you are bent in half for the majority of the passage to the chamber where the sarcophagus can be seen. It is tough on the thigh muscles! The cost was 30LE per person

Valley of the Kings: The visit includes the 3 tombs that are open on the day. In our case Rameses III, IV and VII. The tombs are not claustrophobic. The entrances and passages are wide and bright due to the paintings. Tutankhamun's tomb is extra (see below) and his mummy is on display. Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings costed 100LE (age 12+) and 50LE (under 12)

Abu Simbel: An extra bookable in advance or when you get to Egypt. It was a very early start (2.30am) but 100% worth it to get there at first light without the crowds and heat. We were awestruck. It is definitely worth the money.

Flight announcements on the Air Memphis plane to Abu Simbel are cursory… along the lines of “The emergency exits are there and there; there’s a card in the seat pocket; fasten your seat belt”. On the way back there were no announcements, but we did get a carton of pineapple juice each! Normal airline rules regarding liquids apply, so apply plenty of sun cream before you leave the hotel in Aswan.

Valley of the Whales We booked this in the UK. It is a 3 hour drive into the Western Desert to get there in a 4x4. Our driver introduced himself as Osama *big wink and even bigger grin* "Bin Laden". He appeared to know everyone in Northern Egypt and every road whether official or not. The kids likened the journey across the desert to a theme park ride - one of the rougher ones; there were lots of giggles in the back. It's quite a tough walk in the heat to see the fossils - definitely time for good shoes, hat, sun cream, sun glasses and lots of water. It was 36 degrees when we set out and 41 degrees two hours later! I don't think I have ever been anywhere so remote. It is probably the only silent place in Egypt! Shark's teeth were easily found in the desert sand!

Osama took us and our Egypt Uncovered guide to a restaurant he recommended alongside the lake near El Faiyum for 'lunch' about 4pm. It was a basic restaurant used by local people, though we were the only ones there at the time. The fish, rice and bread were delicious. We avoided the salads, just in case. Our sand-blasted bodies welcomed the showers and body lotion back at the hotel on our return!

TOILETS:
You can smell the ones you don't want to go in. The guides are good at pointing out the best ones without asking! Someone will almost always be on-hand to give you a few sheets of toilet paper in exchange for a small tip. The heat ensures that you don't need to go very often despite drinking loads!

CONCLUSION
It was a fantastic holiday and we have returned to the cold and silence of the UK with many happy memories (and a few insect bites!) Thank you Egypt Uncovered, the rest of "The Lovelies" and especially Mohamed Said.