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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Beyond the Pyramids holiday, independent reviews
 Reviewed 16 Apr 2006 by Theresa Pemberton |  |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There where so many things happening on this holiday that it is impossible to pick one part of the trip as the most memorable. However, the highlights included: The Giza Pyramids, riding Donkeys to the valley of the kings, sailing the Nile on Felucca boats and desert trekking and staying in a Bedouin oasis.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take lots of insect repellent, sunscreen and hand wash. Make sure these three items are top quality - don't waste money on cheap stuff.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
This holiday directly benefited local people in many ways as we always ate at locally owned restaurants, went to visit local families and ate with them, used local transport and local guides. Everyone on our tour was conscious of the environment we were in which meant there was little impact on the surroundings.
4. Any other comments?
Although quite tiring, it is an absolutely amazing adventure tour where you don't just see Egypt but actually experience Egypt.
| Reviewed 6 Mar 2005 by Jon Franklin | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
This is very difficult to answer as it's hard to compare visiting ancient sites with a felucca trip - and we enjoyed it all! The mix of experiences probably made this holiday particularly memorable - we felt as if we'd visited several countries in one holiday, for example - the Nile experience is so different from the Sinai experience, and visiting a Nubian village is different again. Climbing Mt Sinai by moonlight was fantastic, the desert was very interesting, meeting Bedouin and Nubian families was fascinating, and the temples/tombs just got more and more amazing. And then there was the Red Sea ... Wow! The only low point for us was Hurghada - it just isn't our sort of place, but as we only spent a few hours there en route to St Catherine's it wasn't a problem.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Thoroughly read the information you supply - you really describe the holiday and what you do on it as it is, and we knew what to expect in terms of accommodation, facilities, etc, so there were no nasty surprises. Think hard about Abu Simbel - it is an amazing site, but the crowds really detract from it and this was not the highlight we expected it to be. Make sure you have the stamina to cope with a lot of very early starts - you have to have the knack of sleeping anywhere to cope with catching up on sleep on the overnight train and coaches. Expect to have to cope with stomach problems - even after you've got home. It's taken us about a week to feel we are approaching 'normal'!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, I'm sure it benefited local people. I hope we minimized the impact on their environment. We were very carefully briefed on what we should and shouldn't do so that we didn't leave our mark on the local surroundings.
| Reviewed 12 Nov 2008 by John Connell | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
All of the Temples, Pyramids and Abu Simbal. Worth the whole holiday just to see them!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared not to get a full nights sleep for 2 weeks.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
We all were encouraged not to litter and dispose of all rubbish correctly which we did, so I feel the tour operator did help minimize the impact on the environment. The problem is Egyptians having no sense of environmental impacts!! Although this is no reason to stop the good work the tour operator is doing on these trips. As to benefitting the local people I think that the shopping and tourism money we may have put into the economy in Egypt will not go a long way to help the people of Egypt!!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great experience and likeable people. Our guide (Marwuan) was excellent, but would not be in a rush back to Egypt. Would definitely book with this operator again!