Viking Princess Sun Deck

Hi Barbara,

Thank you. We have just had a great time on the Viking Princess Nile cruise ship.

We have always wanted to do a Nile Cruise but we had heard that people could get tummy problems.

We had none of that.  The food was the best we have ever had in Egypt. The guide was fantastic.

We are now at home taking a rest as this was a very busy programe but  we enjoyed every minute.

 So one again thank you. All the tips you gave us were a great help.

Sue and Keith

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

You can read the testimonial along with many others on our Nile Cruise Testimonials page. However to save you time here is a copy of Andrea’s email:

Dear Barbara

Apologies for not contacting you before but I have felt “6 steps behind” since getting back from Egypt in the early hours of last Tuesday.

I want to thank you so much for all your assistance and advice prior to our holiday departure and for organising what we both considered to be the best holiday we have ever had!!  We have now got the ‘Egypt bug’ and can’t wait to return, in fact, neither of us wanted to come home.

Everything you said about the trip was true and really I have to say that it was better than I had ever imagined.  For your info, we thought the ship Grand Rose was absolutely fantastic in every single way – the food, the crew, the organisation, the cleanliness – everything.  I am about to write to the head office of Grand Cruises to say so.

If you have a regular newsletter which includes ‘offers’, I should really like to receive it or if you have any special offers on Grand Rose please let me know.

Thank you again.  I have already given your details to a number of people.

Warmest regards

Andrea
April 2012

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

You would fly from Gatwick and spend 3 nights at the 5 Star Kempinski Dead Sea Hotel followed by a further 4 nights at the excellent Kempinski Aqaba Hotel.

Here is the itinerary:

Day 1 : Depart UK to Amman. Upon arrival at Queen Alia Airport you will be transferred to the Kempinski Ishtar hotel in the Dead Sea for a stay of 3 nights

Days 2-3 : Time to relax and enjoy the many facilities that the Dead Sea has to offer. Whether it’s sunbathing or pampering you will find something to help you relax in this unique place on earth

Day 4: Visit to Petra to explore the many ancient monuments of this Rose Red City. Enter this once forgotten city through the Siq canyon which leads to the dramatic first sighting of the Treasury, Petra’s most famous attraction. Afterwards travel to the Red Sea for a stay of 4 nights at the Kempinski Aqaba

Days 5-7: Spend time relaxing and enjoying the many facilities this resort has to offer. For the adventurous why not take a trip on a desert safari to Wadi Rum or experience the rich underwater world by snorkelling or learning to dive. Whether its watersports or sunbathing this lovely cosmopolitan resort has something for everyone.

Day 8: Morning at leisure before transferring by road to Amman for the return flight to the UK.

Prices start at just £999 and you can read the full details of this wonderful travel experience here: http://www.nile-cruises-4u.co.uk/jordandeadseaandredsea.cfm

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Luxor Temple

Although it is situated in Luxor as are the Temples of Karnak, Luxor Temple itself is smaller than its’ near-neighbour.

Very close to the city centre these awe-inspiring ruins will still take you several hours to appreciate their full splendour.

Built mainly by Amenhotep III (1417-1379BC) and Ramesses II (1304-1237BC), the temple is – like Karnak Temples – dedicated in the main to the Theban Triad which consists of the Creator God Amun, his wife Mut, the Mistress of Heaven, and the Moon God Son Khonsu.

Highlights you should look out for are the 82ft high pink granite obelisk – the twin of which can be found in the Place de la Concorde, Paris – and the two seated colossal statues acting as guards to a 100 yard processional colonnade bordered by 14 giant columns. This is a really a magnificent sight.

The front of the Temple’s entrance pylon is carved with the story of Ramesses II’s battle with the Hittites. The Temple site also includes a well-preserved mosque, built on the then-ruined temple grounds by famous 12th century mystic Abul Haggag.

Luxor Temple holds a very dominant position on the Corniche which is where your Nile Cruise ship will be berthed and as you leave and return to Luxor you will see Luxor Temple on the skyline of this mysterious Egyptian city.

You can read the other posts in this series here:

The Valley of The Kings

The Temples of Karnak

Kom Ombo Temple

Luxor Temple

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Kom Ombo Temple celebrates two different gods. It’s situated some 28 miles north of Aswan on a bend on the River Nile and was a favourite basking spot for crocodiles in times gone by. So it’s understandable that half of the temple complex is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek.

The other half of the temple, which was constructed between 180 and 145BC and took over a 100 years to complete is dedicated to Haroeris.

Some of the temple has been destroyed but it is still a wonderful site to visit and you will see mummified crocodiles, the very ornate Outer Hypostyle Hall and the sacred well.

The last time we visited Kom Ombo Temple we did so in the early evening when it was lit up just like the photo above and it was great sight when viewed from below as we approcahed it on foot.

You can read the other posts in this series here:

The Valley of The Kings

The Temples of Karnak

Kom Ombo Temple

Luxor Temple

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

The Museum of Crocodiles , which displays mummified crocodiles and statues of the crocodile god “Sobek”, is near to the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan.

Another new museum is The Suez National Museum which houses 2,500 archaeological artefacts that tell the story of the history of Suez.

In 2015 The Grand Egyptian Museum, which overlooks the Pyramids at Giza, is due to open.

Last night I watched a fascinating documentary about Egypt and it showed the various displays and artefacts housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and I have to say the portraits that were taken from the various tombs are really wonderful to look at and you get a real feel of what the ancient Egyptian people looked like. It really brings things to life and I’m really looking forward to my next visit to Cairo.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

That was the title of an article in the travel section of yesterday’s Sunday Times.

The subtitle was: “You can see the ancient wonders without the crowds“.

The article written by Anthony Sattin, a writer and traveller suggested that:

“Despite the problems, the arguments FOR visiting Egypt are now compelling“.

He went on to say: “Tourist numbers have plummeted since the Arab Spring, so it’s gloriously quiet at the moments and the sights. The other reasons to go are perennial – stunning antiquities, beautiful landscapes, friendly people, the Nile, Tutankhamun’s treasures  – oh, and sun”

He then described the situation in Luxor, where Nile cruises start and finish:

“Being almost entirely dependent on tourism, Luxor has been particularly hard hit, with visitor numbers between a half and a quarter of what they would normally be. In the first days of the revolution, guards mounted a 24-hour watch on Karnak Temple to stop it being looted – but, since then, the city has been as quiet as a tomb. There have been no incidents on the Nile and Aswan is as sleepy as ever.

The tourism downturn has had one desirable effect. It has encouraged the new governor of Luxor, Ezzat Saad, to open more monuments. The Temple of Khonso at Karnak is to be opened after an American-backed renovation, and part of the Avenue of Sphinxes is due to be opened officially this week”.

We travelled to Luxor last April as the flights resumed and had a wonderful time cruising the Nile on the superb Royal Viking. Since then we have had scores of clients enjoy their Nile cruises and stays in Luxor, Cairo and the Red Sea resort of El Gouna and many of them took the time to let us know on their return what a wonderful time they had.

Hopefully Anthony Sattin’s excellent article will encourage even more people to take the opportunity to take a Nile cruise or visit Luxor or Cairo and take advantage of the quiet time to see and enjoy the wonders of Ancient Egypt.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

The Temple, or more correctly, The Temples of Karnak lie about 1.5 miles north of Luxor city centre and comprise of up tp 100 acres and consist of the remains of a vast temple complex.

The Temples are situated on the East Bank of the Nile, the opposite bank from where The Valley of The Kings is situated and often your visit will be combined with a visit to Luxor Temple. According to reports and statistics The Temples of Karnak is the most popular visitor attraction in Egypt after the Great Pyramids of Giza, near Cairo.

The temples were built over two millenia by a succession of Pharaohs, the earliest ruling over 4000 years ago.

There is an “Avenue of Sphinxes” that you will see standing guard at the entrance to the sacred enclosure of the Temple of Amun where you will see a giant monumental scarab by the temple’s Sacred Lake. You will also be able to see the Hypostyle Hall that has 134 massive columns.

Your visit to The Temples of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor will normally take you half a day and often your itinerary will include this visit on the Sunday when you return to Luxor having completed your cruise down to Aswan. However itineraries can differ and you should check your personal itinerary.

You can read the other posts in this series here:

The Valley of The Kings

The Temples of Karnak

Kom Ombo Temple

Luxor Temple

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Royal Viking Nile Cruise Ship

You can read it and 28 others on our Nile Cruise Testimonials page. However to save you time I have added it here:

The holiday we recently spent on the “Royal Viking” was an immensely interesting and enjoyable experience.  The detailed information provided on the www.nile-cruises-4u.co.uk website gave us a very good idea of what to expect and it was extremely useful as we planned for the trip.

 All the arrangements worked very well.  We flew down to London from Glasgow the day before our departure for Egypt; even the choice of airport (Gatwick) turned out to be correct, since the flights to Heathrow were cancelled due to snow (in London, not Glasgow!).  The EasyJet flight to Luxor from Gatwick passed relatively quickly as we had plenty of guide books to read on the way and our worries over the carrier were not at all founded.  Visa formalities were dealt with very efficiently by the representatives at the airport and we were soon transferred to the ship, ready to unpack in our cabin, and prepare for the evening meal. 

 The pattern of sightseeing trips was not too intense, but it could be much more demanding in the summer season when temperatures really climb.  Our tour guide conveyed a real passion for his subject and made the visits to the various monuments really fascinating.  We did not even mind getting a wake up call at 3 a.m. for the long trip by coach from Aswan to Abu Simbel.  The sight of the huge statues of Ramses II at the gate to the Temple was one of the most awesome experiences we have ever had – we equalled it to our ‘Petra’ moment.  Our guide was wonderful in many other ways – we had accidentally left some travel documents on the plane, and he did everything possible to smooth the way to allow us to travel home without any problems – Luxor to Bridge of Allan with only passports!!

 On board, the staff were friendly, attentive and efficient, without being overly fussy.  The food was varied over the week and of very good quality. No one was ill!!

One particularly nice touch was the arrangement of towels into shapes of animals (and humans) on the bed each day.  It was clear from what the tour company staff said that they very much appreciated our visiting Egypt at a time of political difficulties there.

We were really impressed by the way all the many different departures were managed on the last day – no fuss just quiet efficiency – allowing us to make the most of our last few hours in the sun on the upper deck.

 The only slight downside was the way that trips to the historic sights almost always involved running the gauntlet of street traders who wanted to sell you anything they could and were astonishingly persistent.  Our tour guide gave us some good advice as to how to avoid getting involved in unwanted transactions and this was generally very useful.

 Apart from wishing to see all the wonderful sights in Upper Egypt, we had intended that the Nile Cruise would be a good way to sample a cruise holiday.  Neither of us regard ourselves as “cruise people”.  By the end of the trip we had become converted.  It is a real treat to have to unpack only once, instead of moving on from one hotel to the next. The ship acts as a calm haven to return to after exhausting shore trips.  It is good to meet fellow passengers and talk about the day’s experiences over a meal or a drink. We even enjoyed most of the evening entertainment provided – perhaps the biggest surprise of all!!
  
We will soon be  investigating the possibility of a river cruise for the autumn!

Nicholas and Margaret

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Barbara and Colin at Tutankhamun's Tomb, the Valley Of The

I am going to start with The Valley of The Kings.

One of the most jaw-dropping sites you will visit is the world famous Valley of The Kings on the Westbank of the Nile. The first few times we visited the Valley we took a small boat across the Nile and then a short mini-bus journey to reach it but the last time we visited we were taken all the way by coach. It’s only a short journey, maybe 20 minutes, but it is a little easier than taking the boat and mini-bus.

Situated opposite Luxor, the Valley of The Kings is really a giant complex of burial chambers of tombs, including that of the “Boy King” Tutankhamun. These were tombs or burial chambers reserved for royalty.

To date it is known that it is the final resting place for 63 pharaohs who ruled during the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties.

Normally there are a number of the tombs open to view but they tend to rotate and sometimes you can enter the tomb of Tutankhamun and some days you cant’.

Almost all of the tombs are beautifully decorated and preserved.

From The Valley of The Kings you will normally travel on to The Temple of Hatshepsut which I will tell you more about in my next post.

If you would like to read more about Ancient Egypt and about the sights and experiences you will enjoy on your Nile Cruise we particularly recommend the Dorling Kindersley guide book “Eyewitness Travel: Egypt“. Its’ an excellent book and tough and sturdy to take with you on your cruise. Get it from Amazon for the cheapest price.

You can read the other posts in this series by clicking on the following links:

The Valley of The Kings

The Temples of Karnak

Kom Ombo Temple

Luxor Temple

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Is it wise to book a “cheap Nile Cruise”?

We often get asked “what’s the cheapest Nile cruise you can organise for me?’

Well the “cheapest” is usually the worst we can sell you. We can always find a really cheap ship but with “cheap” usually comes the word “poor”.

Poor standards of accommodation, poor standards of hygene, poor standards of service, poor standards of food, poor standards of service.

Cheap but rubbish.

Imagine if you have waited for years to book a Nile Cruise so you can experience the mysteries and wonders of Ancient Egypt and enjoy the leisurely cruise down the Nile and the ship you end up on is “cheap” but rubbish.

Dont’ you think that the edge will be taken off the whole experience?

Instead of “cheap” I think you should look for the “best value” Nile Cruise and by “best value” I mean a Nile Cruise that is enjoyed on an excellent ship, with excellent standards of hygene, accommodation, service and food. A ship that employs Egyptologists that will bring Ancient Egypt “alive”.

An awful lot of people have a “Nile Cruise” on their travel “wish-lists” or “bucket” lists (things I’d like to do before I kick the bucket). So I think it’s important that they experience it on as good a vessel as possible.

So when you speak to us or whoever you choose to book your Nile Cruise ask  for the best ship that that person knows about that offers the best possible standards for the best price they can obtain for you.

If a “Nile Cruise” is a once in a lifetime experience then make it the best it can possibly be and replace “cheapest” by “best value”.

To do that I would encourage you to speak to a Nile Cruise expert who has travelled recently and who travels regularly and keeps developing their area of expertise.

If you would like to speak to us, with no obligation whatsoever, you can call us on our Freephone number 0808 1089 100 and it wont’ cost you a penny or you can use our “Live Chat” facility on the main www.nile-cruises-4u.co.uk website. Just click on the button at the bottom of the home page.

If you want to know more about Nile Cruises before you decide on your choice of ship why not read our FREE Nile Cruise Guide.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Royal Viking Nile Cruise Ship

That suggests to me that a large number of people are hoping to take a Nile Cruise within the next few weeks. Not surprising really as the weather in January and February is possible the worst weather that we suffer in the UK all year and as Egypt’s climate is so good at this time of the year it really is an ideal time to cruise the Nile.

At the moment the temperature in and around Luxor, where the Nile Cruises start and finish is in the 70′s which is really the perfect climate to visit such sites as The Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatsepshut amongst others.

After lunch it’s up on the sundeck to relax and enjoy sailing down the Nile to the next port of call. Ideal!

The beauty of Egypt and cruising the Nile is that after just a 4 and a half hour flight in the middle of our winter you can be basking in guaranteed sunshine as opposed to flying for up to 11 hours or more to reach other long-haul destinations that have guaranteed sunshine.

On our Nile Cruise Bargains page we have a whole host of great “Nile Cruise Last Minute” deals. For me one of the best deals we have is the 50% off the second person travelling offer on the excellent Viking Princess and the superb Royal Viking.

The final “per person” price is a great deal and the standards of accommodation, food and service on both ships make the deal one of the best available.

Why not call us on Freephone 0808 1089 100 with no obligation and we’ll tell you all about the offer and let you know the current availability?

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Well it’s been a rocky road from Nile Cruises 4u over the last week. Our hosting company decided that they were not going to support a particular web platform that Nile Cruise website was built on. Sadly they only notified us on the actual day that they were ceasing supporting that platform and so our website almost immediately ceased to function.

That meant we had to scramble around to find a good alternative hosting company that was suitable for us to swap the site to. This took a day or so and then we spent almost 8 days trying to move over the site and this Nile Cruises Blog. This sounds easy in theory but in practise is a nightmare. The things you think are going to be easy become difficult to achieve and the things you expect to be difficult become a nightmare. I think we are pretty much ok now but only time will tell if there is anything that still needs to be configured.

The say “what doesnt’ kill you makes you stronger”.

So if we take that adage at face value then I think we will be stronger for the awful experiences of the last 2 weeks. We have certainly learnt a few important lessons.

1) You cannot always depend on the “biggest” companies in any field. We were with one of the biggest hosting company’s in the world. They now sponsor football matches in this country. Yet thet let us down really badly and could have destroyed our website.

2) Make sure you “back-up” daily or as often as you can. Make sure that if the same thing happens again that you have all your files and content backed up so you at least can try and re-build your site.

3) Make sure you surround yourself with experts that you can call on to assist you with the things you cant’ do.

After that its’ just hard work and…luck.

What about 2012 and Nile Cruises?

Well, at the moment we have some great Nile Cruise Bargains available for January on ships such as the Grand Rose and Grand Preziosa but we also have a wonderful offer of 50% off the second person for the excellent 5 Star Viking Princess and the superb 5 Star Deluxe Royal Viking for selected dates throughout January to October 2012. If you call us on our Freephone 0808 1089 100 number we can tell you more about that superb offer.

So all it leaves now is for us to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from all of us at Nile Cruises 4u.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

I’ve just added the latest Special Offers to our Nile Cruise Bargains page and hopefully I’ll be blogging regularly as before. Sorry for any inconvenience caused over the last 10 days or so.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Apologies if you are trying to access the site. If you have any queries or need any help please call us on Freephone 0808 1089 100. Hopefully the site will be back very shortly.

Our other website www.kenyaholidays4u.co.uk has been hacked by a hacker in the Far East called Ickhy Conficker. I’ve no idea why he has done this and I am sure he has no idea what upset he is causing. He actually has a Facebook page and so I have messaged him asking if he would “un-hack” us. However I am not sure if he will.

What a lousy couple of days we are having!

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

The suppliers range from individual hotels worldwide to car hire companies and we will be adding to the Links Directory as time goes by.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

We have a number of great offers available for departure on Monday 19th of December which would bring you home on the evening of the 26th.

What a lovely way to spend Christmas. In the sun but without flying long-haul and spending up to 12 or 13 hours flying. Seeing the wonders of Ancient Egypt and enjoying great service.

Beats stuffing the turkey!

We have a great offer on the MS Grand Star at a price of just £729 All Inclusive. A saving of £276 per person!

Or the MS Grand Preziosa at a price of £679 All Inclusive. A saving of £296 per person.

And the MS Grand Star at a price of £599 Full Board. A saving of £290 per person.

Please take a look at our Nile Cruise Bargains page for more details of these and other great Nile Cruises.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

Barbara and Colin at the Valley Of The Kings, Egypt

I can understand why people think All Inclusive is THE main choice but unfortunately people only seeking an All Inclusive Nile Cruise are missing out on a large number of excellent Nile Cruise ships who only offer Full Board.

One of the things I tell people is that for the right reason the All Inclusive option is a good choice. That might be when your budget is tightly limited and you need to know exactly what your Nile Cruise will cost you in total before you travel. Or, if you have been personally recommended to a particular Nile Cruise ship and that ship only offers an All Inclusive option.

However, for those people seeking more choice, both in the ships available to choose from and in the choice of refreshments available on the ship then it may well be worth looking at a Full Board option.  Barbara and I have sailed on both All Inclusive and Full Board ships and have enjoyed both but now, if the option is available, we would normally plump for the Full Board option if the ship offers a choice in refreshments/drinks, etc.

To try and help people think a little more about the choice between the two options I have written the following article which I hope will help:

Nile Cruises – Full Board or All Inclusive

If you are thinking of taking a Nile Cruise in the near future you will see when you start looking that you will have the option of a Full Board Nile Cruise or an All Inclusive Nile Cruise. So which to choose and what’s the difference?

Well, firstly, I recommend that you avoid the initial impulse to go for the All-Inclusive option as you might do when looking at a hotel-based holiday. A Nile cruise is very different.

One thing that you may wish to think about, if this is your first Nile cruise, is that apart from any refreshments that you may buy there is literally nothing else to spend you money on, either on board or when on shore. So you do not need a pocket full of spending money as there is so little to spend it on.

On the ship there is literally nothing to spend your money on. They will not ask you for any “extras”. Entertainment is included in the cruise price and although they do have a “ship’s shop” on board you will find that all they really sell are the cheap souvenirs that most of us would give a wide berth.

On shore you will find that you will pass stalls and shops on the way into the ancient sites, but again, most of it you wouldnt’ give “house room”. So  you will probably not be spending money.

So the choice between All Inclusive and Full Board should not be based purely on saving money. You need to consider a few options.

Firstly, a lot of Nile cruise ship owners will not offer All Inclusive as they feel they cannot maintain the standards of food, service and staffing if they have to provide unmlimited drinks and refreshments. So, if that’s the case and you only look at All Inclusive ships, you will be missing out on a lot of really superb ships that only offer Full Board.

Secondly, its worth considering that if you choose an All Inclusive ship then you may well be limiting your choices. Let me explain.

On many All Inclusive ships the the “included” wine and beer will come in a glass not a bottle and if you do not like that wine and beer then there may well be no alternative.  Wine and beer that you do not like can be hard to take for a full week. Normally, on a full board ship, you will be able to buy wine and beer by the bottle and there will be a choice of brands. So, if you prefer a choice and you want to be sure that you are not just stuck with one wine or one beer then you perhaps need to think about a Full Board ship.

Obviously All Inclusive can be very handy if you want to be totally sure that your Nile cruise costs are capped and you will know exactly what you are going to spend. Or, if you are on a limited budget then All Inclusive can be the best choice.

However, if you are thinking that Full Board drinks might cost you a fortune and that you will be presented with a huge bill at the end of the week then let me put your mind at rest.

Barbara, my wife and colleague, and I cruise the Nile regularly and have enjoyed All Inclusive and Full Board Nile cruises. However we now prefer Full Board as we like to be able to make choices that otherwise may be limited on an All Inclusive cruise.  Our last cruise was a few months ago on board an excellent 5 star Full Board ship and our total bill at the end of the week was £210 for the pair of us. In other words £105 each. That included a bottle of wine for most meals, (often that bottle lasted over 2 meals), beers, cold drinks and coffees in the afternoon and a few vodka or gin and tonics after dinner. Plus we had some clients on board and bought a few drinks for them too. So you can see that we did not skimp and yet our total bill came to £210.  Now when you think that we spent  no other money during the week that wasnt’ bad.

So there are plusses and minuses for both Full Board and All Inclusive but I would suggest that you keep an open mind and choose the best ship based on service, standards of accommodation and reputation rather than just choosing the All Inclusive option and missing out on a much wider choice of Nile cruise ships.

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide

You can read the latest review on our Nile Cruise Testimonials page along with 27 others. Or if you dont’ have the time at the moment here’s a copy:

Dear Colin & Barbara,

Just to say that we had an absolutely fabulous holiday and to thank you for helping us to arrange it.

Needless to say but the tourist trade was very quiet, making it a great time to visit the sites without too many queues. On the security side, we could not visit Edfu because of some local problems and we restricted ourselves to the museum in Cairo, otherwise we felt perfectly safe at all times.

The itinerary (Nile cruise, Lake Nasser, Cairo & Luxor) worked perfectly and we would recommend it to anyone looking for a 2 week holiday seeing as many sites as possible. We debated if we should have done Cairo at a different stage of the holiday but I think it works best if you do the museum after you have seen some of the sites that the pieces came from.

Personally, I would not have liked to have finished the holiday in Cairo – it was too busy and polluted to be enjoyable but we could not miss seeing the pyramids or the museum.

A quick summary of the boats and hotels:The Ra II. It was about 70% full which was nice. Any more and it might have been a bit cramped on the sundeck etc. The Egyptologist (Mohammed) was excellent and we were in a group of between 6 and 14 depending on the excursion. Our first impressions were that the boat was a little “tired” but we soon got used to it. We particularly liked the fact that we had a Julliette style balcony and could open the windows. Some of the newer boats seemed to have full length windows that could not be opened. Fortunately, we only had one night when we were moored next to another boat.

The food was very good and the staff could not have been better. They managed the fact that we were on a 4 night cruise whilst most others were on a 7 night cruise very well. We saw Luxor and Karnak on the 2nd afternoon (while the 7 dayers had an afternoon off) and we could only see either Kom Ombo or Edfu (as Edfu had security problems, this did not affect us). Otherwise we saw just about everything, just with less leisure time. Sailing to Dendra on the first day was a bonus – not many boats seemed to do this.

The Omar al Kayham.

As you know, we were moved to this boat from the Prince Abbas. I don’t know if it was a better boat than the Prince Abbas but it was very good and it is difficult to imagine a better boat. There were only 27 passengers on this 3 night cruise of Lake Nasser. We were told that there were 130 crew which meant that we got excellent service even though it surely could not profitable. The cabin was about twice the size of the Ra II and we had a small balcony which was big enough to fit 2 chairs on. We really enjoyed this cruise, it is more relaxing than the Nile and the scenery is different. We typically had one stop of about 2 hours to see the temples and would usually see 3 or 4 temples in one stop. The only slight criticisms of this boat were that the reception struggled to change English money into Egyptian (we eventually got £20 changed).

Mercure La Sphinx, Giza.

Well located and reasonable quality. Most guests seemed to stay for only 1 night which meant that the lounge area felt a bit like an airport transit lounge at times. The pool and gardens were a nice escape from the city outside the hotel. A good choice for 2-3 nights. A taxi into the museum took 50-60 minutes. The pyramids excursion that you arranged for us was very enjoyable. We had been warned that many of these excursions insisted on visiting the carpet / papyrus shops. We made it clear that we were not interested and it was not a problem. The guide asked what we wanted to do about lunch and drink breaks. We agreed to simply have a drinks stop for about 45 mins and this worked fine. A little disappointed that we did not have the option to see the Solar Boat (he told us it was not open but other people staying at the hotel said that they saw it). Also, it would have been nice to have had the option to extend the day to include Dashur.

Sheraton, Luxor.

Very pleased that we went for the superior room with the Nile View, it finished the holiday off very nicely. Excellent hotel and we like that it was situated just out of town. As it happens, the Ra II moors next to the Sheraton. It appeared that the travel companies were pushing the hotel as a place for a family break in the sun. Given the state of the tourist trade, we could not blame them for trying but it did detract from the quality of the hotel at times (I know, I am a snob!). We did not feel confident enough to eat out in the evening but the on-site Italian restaurant was very good. We would have struggled to find somewhere we wanted to eat if we had been there for longer.  The hotel were giving big discounts on food and drinks which made them quite reasonable.

As you told us they would, all the transfers went very well – from the moment we got off the plane until we checked in for our return. After a while we learnt to just trust things and they seemed to happen. The Rep in Luxor arranged a hot-air balloon ride for us at short notice – an experience not to be missed!

Thanks again for helping make this a successful and special holiday for us. We have already recommended you to friends who are thinking of an Egyptian holiday.

Best regards

Duncan & Susan

Why not find out all about Nile Cruises by obtaining a copy of our exclusive FREE Nile Cruise Guide