Jewels of the Nile October 6 – 17 2009

We recently returned from the “Jewels of the Nile” which was a wonderful tour, with a superb tour director (Waleed Allam) and great tour companions. There were 34 of us (10 Canadians, 2 from USA, and 22 from Australia).

As others have said, every experience in Egypt is indeed a WOW moment, and we were constantly amazed at the wonders that we saw. We learnt so much from Waleed, who is not only a great and passionate Egyptologist but also a kind, friendly and very experienced TD.

We had some very early morning wake-up times during the tour – the earliest being at 1.45 a.m. on the morning we left the Marriott to fly to Aswan then Abu Simbel. On the whole though these early departures enabled us to avoid the crowds and the heat later in the day.

In preparing for this holiday we were helped a great deal by the discussions and Tour Tales on this forum, and instead of giving a detailed journal I shall in turn write some notes which might help others taking this or a similar tour.

MARRIOTT HOTEL
The employees at the Guest Relations desk in the lobby are very helpful and a mine of information. For example, they can advise you on what a particular taxi fare should cost, make dinner reservations at restaurants outside the hotel, and locate lost and found items.

The 2 banks in the Marriott are open 24 hours, but both close at 7 a.m. and p.m. for about 15 minutes for their change of shift, and money count. Their exchange rates are identical, and we had no problems exchanging Canadian $, getting small coins and notes, and changing back unused LE at the end of the trip.

When boarding both the Nile and the Lake Nasser boats, you need to hand in a photocopy of your passport. We already had these with us, but they can also be obtained free of charge in the Business Centre at the Marriott.

If leaving for an early morning flight home you can order a boxed breakfast the evening before from Omar’s Café – we had to leave the hotel at 1.30 a.m. and we collected the meals shortly before then. As the box is rather bulky, you might want to use a large plastic bag to put everything in instead.

The Marriott would have sold us Antinal for 28LE, but at a Cairo pharmacy it cost only 2LE. We bought some just in case, but fortunately did not need it.

The hotel’s Bakery prepares nice Subway style sandwiches, soup, and baked goodies. If you order “to go” rather than eating in their café you do not face the 12% service charge.

ABU SIMBEL
When checking in at the airport to get boarding passes for the Aswan - Abu Simbel flight ask the EgyptAir clerk for seats on the left hand side of the plane, and as a result you will have a great aerial view of Abu Simbel shortly before landing.

The temples stayed fully floodlit for ten minutes after the Sound and Light Show was over on the evening we were there, so it was easier to take photos then than during the show itself.

It is useful to have a torch or flashlight when returning to the boat after the S & L show as the path is a little uneven.

Our TD encouraged our group to experience sunrise at Abu Simbel, so the next morning after our 3.30 a.m. wake-up call we walked up to the temples. The sight of the sun rising over Lake Nasser, and the changing light on the exterior carvings at the temples was beyond amazing. As we ventured into Ramses’ awe-inspiring temple the shaft of early morning sunlight penetrated almost through to the innermost sanctuary. As we were leaving to go back to the ship for breakfast, a deluge of tourists was pouring down the path to the temples, so we once again acknowledged the wisdom of our wonderful TD.

FILMS AND X-RAYS
Just a reminder that if anyone is still using a film camera be very careful of your unprocessed films at all the X-ray scanning you are subjected to (at hotel entrances, museums, airports and all the sites). The detrimental effect on film is cumulative as we discovered after multiple zappings during a recent trip to Turkey.

OPTIONALS
We did the Nubian Village and the Giza Sound and Light Show. The boat ride to the village was lovely, and as we had brought binoculars we could easily see all the birds the guide was pointing out. During the boat ride back to the cruise ship eight of us on the optional asked to be dropped off in downtown Aswan. We then explored the Aswan bazaar, and caught a taxi back to our cruise ship.

The Giza Sound and Light show was OK, but best of all it was a great way to sit in the presence of those great monuments, unharassed by pushy venders and camel owners. We sat on the RH side as advised on this forum, and took sweaters, but it was a warm and not very breezy evening.

We could pay for the Giza S & L by credit card when we first met our TD. However, money for the Nubian Village optional was not collected until after the visit, and the TD had to be paid for this optional in cash.

SOLAR BOAT MUSEUM
I decided not to go into the pyramid (which was included as part of the “Jewels” tour), as instead I wanted to use that time to visit the solar boat museum (admission 50LE, cameras allowed) which is nestled next to the pyramid of Cheops, above the location where this 4,500 year old boat was discovered in 1954, dismantled into over 1200 pieces. The boat is made of cedar and acacia, and has now been reassembled. It is about 150 feet long and its shape resembles a papyrus reed boat, with an elegantly curving prow and stern, with vegetable fibre ropes lashing the wooden planks together, instead of nails. It is simply spectacular.

RESTAURANTS in Cairo
On our first evening we enjoyed a light meal at the Egyptian Nights in the Marriott.

We went twice to Abou el Sid, the first time on our own, and then with 3 other couples. On that occasion our waiter said he could not issue separate checks – eventually he did split the bill in two, but the drinks were all on one bill. Service was slow, but the food was quite tasty and served warmer than on our first visit.

Our final foray was to “Le Caire 1940”, an Egyptian restaurant about 15 minutes walk from the hotel (with no busy roads to cross). (Walk past the Mobil, turn left at the first traffic light at Hassan Sabry Street, and go up to the second floor of number 17 where you push open a heavy wooden door to find yourself in a lovely restaurant). The menu is in Arabic and English, but the waiters seemed to speak little or no English so it was quite an adventure. The meals were very large, very reasonably priced, and tasted very nice.

EXTRA DAYS
We were very glad that we added an extra day before as well as after the tour. We did not hire a guide for these days, but ventured everywhere on our own. On the afternoon we arrived from Canada we went for a long walk around Zamalek. Having devoured this forum for information we were aware of the chaotic Cairene traffic and ubiquitous armed security guards we would encounter, but to actually witness this was quite an experience.

The next morning we took a taxi to Coptic Cairo and spent a long time visiting the churches and the synagogue clustered there. The Coptic Museum (50 LE admission, no cameras) was well worth while, everything is very clearly and spaciously displayed in a fine building with beautifully decorative ceilings and intricate mashrabiya windows. When you collect your camera after your visit you can take pictures of the exterior and grounds of this very nice building.

Somewhere en route our taxi driver had driven us through a narrow street jam-packed with donkey carts and market stalls, and as we hoped to find it again on our own we set off from Coptic Cairo on foot. As we were passing by the Amr ibn al-Aas Mosque (originally built in AD 642 and thus the first mosque in Africa) we decided to visit it. I had to enter by a separate entrance from my husband, and although wearing long sleeves and pants I was given a hooded green cloak to cover me up further.

Eventually we managed to find the cluttered and colourful street market, and had a marvelous time squeezing our way past the donkeys and their carts laden with beautifully fresh looking fruit and vegetables. People everywhere were very friendly and welcoming to the two wide-eyed strangers in their midst.

We then walked to a small square to admire the ornate tomb of Suleiman al-Faransawi, and heading for the Nile encountered some great off the beaten path sights, my favourite being an elderly weaver dwarfed by his massive rustic loom, ensconced in a tiny hole in the wall room, surrounded by heaps of rags his equally aged companion was shredding for him to make rag mats. On the pedestrian iron bridge to Rhoda Island we had a lovely view of the Nile. That evening we went to Abou el Sid for dinner (without a reservation) and fortunately only had to wait 30 minutes for a table.

On our extra day after the tour we braved the traffic and walked to the Egyptian museum. We had read about the people who manage to lure tourists away from the entrance, claiming the museum is closed, too full of tours, etc – in fact two groups among our tour-mates had fallen for such tricks and had ended up in shops rather than the museum! We ourselves did encounter two such people but managed to steer them off. Armed with the good floor plan of the rooms in the museum from the Rough Guide, and a copy of the “Museum Tour” from the Lonely Planet, we managed - despite the crowds and noise - to have a final long and lingering look at the treasures housed there.

We then went by taxi to the extraordinary Mahmoud Khalil Museum, at 1 Kafour Street, (near the Sheraton), an elegant palatial villa overlooking the Nile. It houses a rich collection of European artworks including Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, Sisley, Picasso, Monet and Rubens, fine Chinese vases, and other artworks in porcelain and jade. http://www.egy.com/giza/98-04-30.shtml Apparently it will be closing in a couple of months time for renovations. (Incidentally, the map location in the Eyewitness guide is incorrect).

Cheers,
Nicci

Dear Nicci

What a fabulous read. I wish we had been as adventurous as you. We seem to have missed so much by just not getting out there and walking around.

We did eat at Abou El Cid and enjoyed the meal and the experience of crossing the road to get there!!!

Egypt is certainly a fascinating country and I'd love to go back to see and experience more.

Happy travelling.

Great report! Thanks for all the tips!

Dear YonYon,

I’m so glad you enjoyed reading my report – I loved every moment of the tour, and like you would like to go back some time and learn more about that amazing country.

Cheers,
Nicci

Dear Brooklyn,

I do hope you manage a trip to Egypt some time, it is a fabulous place to visit, and Insight and Spring Tours do a really wonderful job.

Another hint, this one is for the photographers out there – when you have free time at Karnak make sure you walk to the far end of the ancient Sacred Lake, as you will get some wonderful shots of the temple and palm trees reflected in the water.

Cheers,
Nicci