I’ve been lucky enough to travel in many different continents and countries throughout my life. I’ve had the chance to admire many of nature’s beauties that some times made me wonder whether they were real or not. From the high altitudes of the Peruvian mountains to the vast Amazon forest and from the glaciers of Patagonia to Morroco’s old clay towns there are so many memories and emotions to recall.
However, if I ever had the chance to pick up one particular moment out of all those moments I would choose the time as I spent in Egypt with a river trip in the Nile being the ultimate highlight. It’s not easy to explain the reasons for such a choice but I guess it has to do with the incredible energy that Nile transmits. I had never considered river cruises as I couldn’t see any point having a cruise in a river.
Until that day, I had never seen so much beauty anywhere else than into the sea, with the Mediterranean being my favourite one. Although I had spent some years of my life living in Budapest and Prague that were built in the Danube’s banks, I was never amazed by any river until that day.
During my travel in Egypt I met a very interesting American guy that was an expert in cruise deals and managed to make inhibitions go away and try one. According to his beliefs, for some of the greatest experiences in life there is only one chance which should not be missed. There are so many agencies selling Nile River Cruises at Aswan that buying one didn’t take us more than 10-15 minutes.
And what an experience it was, travelling in the mighty river Nile. Because its mouth is located into the Mediterranean sea the whole landscape seemed familiar. Just the thought that we were traversing the world’s longest river made me shiver and think of how many people’s lives were depending on that river which stretches all the way from Egypt to Ethiopia. So intense was the experience I had that it makes no wonder why ancient Egyptians worship had the Nile at its center.
In my capacity as the United Kingdom Operations Director for One World Tours Limited, over time, it came to my attention as to what a minefield in can be booking a vacation in a destination like Egypt thru the myriad of’internet’ based travel firms ; particularly local Egyptian corporations
I so though it could be useful to suggest a type of’checklist’ of things to search for and questions to ask’prospective’ vacation providers.
one. Are they a travel agent or a Tour operator ?
particularly at a local level, service from a tour operator is sometimes higher than that of an agent as tour scheduled through local agents’can’ risk the incontrovertible fact that the agent is only passing on your booking to a third party. This is not always the case, but it is’s something to think about. Comeback if you have Problems is also to be considered as an agent can blame the third party and vice versa.
two. Do they need a deposit or are they offering payment in full on arrival ?
If the company you are most likely booking thru accept payment in full on arrival, it means one thing – your are not booked. While will a company risk booking hotels, tour guides, drivers etc on the of chance you may essentially turn up ?
three. Do they accept credit cards as payment ?
This is critical whether or not you are counting on paying that way. Accepting credit cards ( particularly in travel fields ) will generally mean the Corporation has been pretty well vetted and definitely will offer you some added assurances ( and of course protection )
four. Do they offer Testimonials… ?
The second half this question maybe the most important part,’Do they offer Testimonials…and can you contact them’ ? If their testimonials are real then surely there is no reason why they can not be contacted.
five. Do they have a recognised complaints procedure ?
Any forward thinking and truthful company will know that there’ll always be the strange problem. Having a dispute procedure in place shows that the company will not just try and fob you off, but from the bottom up, they’ll try to reasonably look after any problems you may have.
Hopefully these five things may help you with regards to your future plans when thinking about a visit to a country such as Egypt.
Where do you want to travel in the world? For an idea of where to go on your next vacation, visit famouswonders.com. While you are on the site, also take a look at wonders of Egypt.
Who has not wanted to see the fantastic archeological sites and amazing artifacts to be found in Egypt-a land completely laid out for archeology buffs? Now, guided tours of Egypt and all its style are available for travelers from all around the world to visit and explore. Let’s take a look at what many steered tours have to offer .
Most guided tours of Egypt begin in Cairo, where Egypt’s biggest airport and biggest town are waiting to greet you. While in Egypt, your guide may take you to the famous Egyptian Museum, where the treasures of Tutankhamen and other ancient artifacts are available for viewing. You will take a drive to Old Cairo, the area where traditional Christians and Jews lived in the town. Have a good time shopping at the colourful Khan El Khalili Bazaar and remember to bargain.
One of the most pretty sites on guided tours of Egypt is a visit to the pyramids and the great Sphinx of Giza, a five thousand~ 5,000 year old monument. After taking as many pictures as you can, visit the nearby Solar ship Museum and continue on to the traditional city of Memphis, the first capital of United lower and upper Egypt, and see Sakkara, the location of the Step Pyramid of Zoser.
Longer guided tours of Egypt will fly you out of the area to Sharm El Sheikh, a town on the sea with lovely beaches, pure white sands and a chance to go diving in the Ras Mohammed Underwater Nature Reserve. Another option is a walking tour to visit a Bedouin camp in the desert. Other visits include the St. Catherine priory or night tours of Mount Sinai, where you can watch a gorgeous dawn and visit the monastery found there.
Next, some guided tours will take you on a flight to Luxor where you’ll take a fantastic cruise liner for an extraordinary experience on the Nile stream. Cruise trips sometimes last 5 days and 4 nights. You may visit the Luxor church that was originally dedicated to the God Amon-Ra. Karnak temple is nearby also. Steered tours of the area will have you continue on your cruise ship and will take you to the famous Valley of the Kings and Queens, where you can see the Funerary church of Queen Hatshepsut and many other archeological findings. The cruise ship will be sailing upstream and will take you up to Edfu where you can visit the Edfu church, a famous part of Egyptian architecture. Still on the cruise ship the following day, steered tours of the Nile will stop off at the church of Kom Ombo, another Egyptian archeological find and to the Nilometer, a superb site built by the pharaohs of Egypt that was built to determine the height of the waters of the Nile stream.
Next, guided tours along the Nile stream will show you the amazing and famous Aswan High Dam, as well as the Philae temple and the enormous half finished obelisk in the nearby granite quarry. At this point, your cruise ship adventure is complete and you’ll fly back to the city of Cairo. Guided tours of Egypt, particularly if they’re total, will show you many amazing archeological sites and will teach you the history of this engaging part of the world. You may see hundreds of traditional Egyptian artifacts and you will come away with a new appreciation of how the traditional Egyptians lived and built their monuments. .
Ever wonder about the most famous places in the world? Visit famouswonders.com to see the most popular places in the world and also take a look at Temple Karnak.
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