Holiday Reviews
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same trip can have different views!
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Nile cruises, independent reviews
 Reviewed 26 Nov 2006 by Jane Lewis |  |
I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday on a felucca going up the Nile in Egypt. I understand that it is quite unusual to opt for four nights on such a small boat, as people usually only spend a few hours on a felucca, as a day trip. It was thanks to the enormous help and punctilious attention to detail which this travel company gave us that ensured we had a wonderful time.
We were fortunate to be on one of only two feluccas on the Nile with bathrooms - though that is a polite word for the 3 foot by 3 foot tin box we had to use! Having been trekking and camping in the Sinai desert with very basic facilities the previous week, the limited facilities on the boat didn't worry me at all.
Our private guide travelled with us throughout, and there were local agents and air-conditioned minibuses waiting for us to take us to Cairo station, meet us at Aswan station and at Luxor to take us from the boat to our hotel and then to the station there.
A rep from the operator rang our guide almost every day to check on our progress, and nothing was too much trouble. The crew on the felucca were lovely - helpful and charming, and even thanked us for being good passengers! Travelling on a felucca is a delightful, relaxing experience, and as long as you are prepared to eat and sleep on deck within a few feet of the crew, it is one of the most enjoyable ways of travelling I have ever experienced. We felt highly superior to the masses coming from the big cruise ships to the temples and other sights we visited, as we stepped off our little boat with our own personal guide!
We also visited small village shops and tea rooms near the river, as well as back street shops and restaurants in Luxor, so yes, I think we did benefit local businesses.
Travelling on a small wind-powered boat, as opposed to a large cruise ship, could, I suppose be considered to be an environmentally friendly way of travelling, but we did use taxis (albeit giving local drivers work), trains and of course a plane to get to and from the country.
Overall, I would give this holiday **** - and would certainly recommend this operator to anyone contemplating a tailor-made package to Egypt. I was emailing them for about eight months before travelling, and always had prompt, efficient and friendly service. They really went out of their way to help us and were incredibly patient with all my silly enquiries.
It is thanks to you that I found this operator, so I will be recommending your site to my friends, as well.
We were fortunate to be on one of only two feluccas on the Nile with bathrooms - though that is a polite word for the 3 foot by 3 foot tin box we had to use! Having been trekking and camping in the Sinai desert with very basic facilities the previous week, the limited facilities on the boat didn't worry me at all.
Our private guide travelled with us throughout, and there were local agents and air-conditioned minibuses waiting for us to take us to Cairo station, meet us at Aswan station and at Luxor to take us from the boat to our hotel and then to the station there.
A rep from the operator rang our guide almost every day to check on our progress, and nothing was too much trouble. The crew on the felucca were lovely - helpful and charming, and even thanked us for being good passengers! Travelling on a felucca is a delightful, relaxing experience, and as long as you are prepared to eat and sleep on deck within a few feet of the crew, it is one of the most enjoyable ways of travelling I have ever experienced. We felt highly superior to the masses coming from the big cruise ships to the temples and other sights we visited, as we stepped off our little boat with our own personal guide!
We also visited small village shops and tea rooms near the river, as well as back street shops and restaurants in Luxor, so yes, I think we did benefit local businesses.
Travelling on a small wind-powered boat, as opposed to a large cruise ship, could, I suppose be considered to be an environmentally friendly way of travelling, but we did use taxis (albeit giving local drivers work), trains and of course a plane to get to and from the country.
Overall, I would give this holiday **** - and would certainly recommend this operator to anyone contemplating a tailor-made package to Egypt. I was emailing them for about eight months before travelling, and always had prompt, efficient and friendly service. They really went out of their way to help us and were incredibly patient with all my silly enquiries.
It is thanks to you that I found this operator, so I will be recommending your site to my friends, as well.
| Reviewed 7 Nov 2008 by Patricia Warren | |
We were in Egypt 2 weeks, one week of which was organised through Responsible travel and this operator, who were totally efficient. The 4 day Nile cruise with the Movenpick boat was delightful. Our guide Adel was excellent and a good intelligent companion. The 3 days in the Movenpick Aswan was good as it is a nice hotel, but we were disappointed that they only had a Buffet restaurant, which is not really 5* style. Yes I hope we helped the local economy, we gave to all the hands which were outstretched. The only downside was the return journey from Aswan to Luxor by Police Convoy as the people carrier was cramped and uncomfortable for the 3 and half hour journey. As it was only the 2 of us, an ordinary car would have been more economical and a lot more comfortable. What we will remember is watching the sunset from the Tower at the Movenpick Hotel.
| Reviewed 2 Apr 2007 by Chris Smith | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
In the Red Sea, floating lazily along a beautiful coral reef in deep water, watching the beautiful coral and all the tropical fish when a huge manta swooped right under me. I am 6' tall and the ray made me feel small. Or Sitting on Mt Sinai at sunset with a handful of people from around the world and just talking about anything and everything.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
- US dollars were used everywhere, even in the Amsterdam Airport. Only very small denominations of local currency were needed for restrooms and such.
- Laundry services are dirt cheap, so you really do not need to wash clothes in the sink if you do not want to.
- Amsterdam has a tour from the airport that does not have you going through customs etc, if you have a lot of time to kill. Also see the restrooms next to the museum shop. Even the stalls have paintings on them.
- Internet was painfully slow to upload small images to Hotmail, even if it was said to be DSL.
- The felucca ride and the camel ride in Aswan are not to be missed. The camel ride was the best because you leave the Nile and head into stark desert resembling pictures of Mars. You pass behind a hill, so the Nile is hidden from view. All you see is the desert. Then you see an old monastery and such just before you round the long hill and the Nile suddenly appears with its greenery. Makes a real impression. We also took a nice carriage ride through the back streets of Aswan to see where people lived and shopped.
- Do not miss out on visiting the Sinai! We stayed in Dahab at the Coral Coast. You can walk in to the water and start snorkeling or diving on the reefs. No boats needed. The Blue Hole was just a short distance away and I was awed by the amount of tropical fish in my face all while watching divers explore the Blue Hole.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
The guides I was with were all concerned about the effects we had on the resources and on the people. I saw a tourist get a stern warning for taking coral on a snorkeling trip. There are a lot of fly-by-night guides out there that don't care about anything but money, but ours were not like that.
| Reviewed 12 Dec 2006 by Melanie Smith | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Aswan area with its clean air and lovely islands as well as the ruins on the Nile cruise. The crowds at the sites made it difficult to really enjoy the splendor of the places but our guide always found a way to get us out of the busiest area to more quiet spots that were very beautiful and even was able to get us time alone in some temples.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bring a hat. Sometimes they were available at some sites but not everywhere so it took me 3 days to find one and the sun is very strong. The burning of trash including plastic bottles is a little alarming but everything else was excellent. The food on the Nile cruise was good and varied and the guides were fabulous.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Never given so many tips in our life of travel. (Might mention this as a added expense for they can definitely add up.) We do appreciate the hotel on Cairo that it was not a big multi-national, much more real, not stuffy and full of Egyptians not just tourists. We did not feel like we were out of touch with the world there as well as on the cruise. Our guide took us to local homes and into villages where we could see and meet real people.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We had a great time. The Egyptians were very friendly and helpful and took very good care of us. A 10. One of the most memorable experiences of our life. 4 stars.