NILE CRUISE

Our Clients’ Reviews

1 | 2

• 

  Robert Batty

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written March 2010

  Khaled was an excellent guide, who made the temples, tombs and pyramids of ancient Egypt come alive; and the boat and hotels were also top class - the soup of the day on the boat was always a winner. 

  Read full review

  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  going out into the desert to the Valley of the Kings

  What did you think of your group leader?

  could not be better; knowledgeable, friendly, amusing and a good teacher as well as good company

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  just soak it up.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  The location of the hotel in the outskirts of Cairo/Giza was a bit of a disappointment.  The Hotel itself was fine. But not having any programmed activities on the first morning, or in the morning of the day of departure, the inability of getting anywhere except by taxi (and then the centre of Cairo was some way off) meant that we were 'forced' to just do nothing.  I understand that there is concern about noise in the centre of Cairo, or maybe atmospheric pollution; or maybe centre hotels are not so spacious or are more expensive same for same, but for me/us at least it would have been nice to have been able to just walk out of the hotel when we had free time and wander in the streets of Cairo, and experience the atmosphere. we did not get much feel for modern Egypt as a contrast to our learning about ancient Egypt.

   
• 

  Angela Coates

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written January 2010

  This has to be the most fun I have ever had on holiday.  I cannot recomend it highly enough.  A great blend of ancient history, breath-taking monuments, fun evenings full of laughter and the best guide in all of Egypt. 

  Read full review

  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Every day brought something new:

   

  • The Tutankhamun relics in the Egyptian Museum were mesmerizing, exceptional and more impressive that I could have imagined.
  • The colours and sense of magic of the Valley of the Kings have to be experienced.
  • Sunrise over Karnak temple was out of this world.
  • Singing, drenched in moonlight chugging down the Nile was very special and I will never forget it.

  But the most inspirational part of the trip was the knowledge and life that our guide Mohamed brought to all we saw. 

  What did you think of your group leader?

  As you might already gather I believe we were lucky enough to have the best guide in all Egypt.

   

  Mohamed.

   

  He was patient, funny, knowledgable and made us feel so welcome that I didn't ever want to leave.  He encouraged us to learn more about ancient Egypt, so much so I am now stocked up on books to read up further whilst it is still bright in my memory.

   

  But not only did he teach us about Pharohs, God and Godesses - he talked about modern Egypt with great passion. I will be returning to Egypt because of the great time I was lucky to experience.

   

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  This trip is listed as leisurely - but you should be aware that there are many early starts.  You do not have much time to just kick back and relax.

   

  This suited me perfectly - and you don't have to take all the additional trips that we did - but if you have travelled all the way, why not take full advantage of what the country has to offer.

   

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  If you have ever thought - "you know I quite fancy a trip to Egypt" then I say do not wait another moment, book this trip immediately. 

   

  It is the prefect blend of ancient sites, fun, history, laugher, gods, adventure, excellent shopping and the most friendly people I have ever met.

   

  Don't delay...I promise you won't regret it, I didn't.

   
• 

  Karen Marshall

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written January 2010

  This was the first time I had been on holiday on my own and everything about the holiday was wonderful, surpassing all my hopes and expectations. I joined a group of 8, which was a really good number. We all got on so well and had lots of laughs! Mohamed our Egyptologist was great. The sites we saw were wonderful and the Nile cruise was lovely and relaxing. 

  Read full review

  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The visits to the Valley of the Kings and seeing some of the Tombs were amazing. But then the same can be said for the visits to the Temples and the Pyramids. On these visits the information from Mohamed, our Egyptologist was brilliant. He gave us lots of interesting information. Through Mohamed we learnt so much about the sites. I especially enjoyed seeing the tomb of Rameses V/VI and going down inside a pyramid at Saqqara. It is awesome to see sites that date back thousands of years BC!  
  The visits to the bazaars in Cairo and Aswan were also entertaining, hearing the comments that are supposed to draw you in e.g. “lovely jubbly”, “I don’t know what you want but I have it in my shop”, “have a butchers at this”……
  

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Mohamed our Egyptologist and our group leader was excellent. He had so much knowledge to impart and he made it fun and interesting. He tried to teach us to read hieroglyphics. Also he was happy to talk about Egyptian life and culture. He organised meals for us and we were never disappointed with his choice. One evening he organised a visit to a Nubian village where we were invited to a meal at the home of one of the villagers. This was really interesting and we appreciated their hospitality. We all held a pet crocodile too! It was only little!
  I really valued Mohamed’s input, he helped in making it a great holiday experience!

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  The overnight rail journey is a bit of a culture shock, but exodus do warn you in the trip notes. It is first class in Egypt but not in England. The cabins were very small. The bunk beds were surprisingly comfortable but it was hard to sleep because of the noise of the train and the swaying of the carriage. Plus the food is best described as like airport food.
  But it is well worth the effort to get to Luxor and board the cruise boat.
  Be aware there will be early starts, but again well worth the effort.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I thought the organisation on the whole holiday was first class.
  The accommodation at the hotels and on the cruise boat was very good.
  Party night on the boat when we all had to dress up in Traditional Egyptian clothes was fun!
  I had a really great holiday and can’t wait to try another exodus experience!

   
• 

  Richard Chester

  FUN ON THE NILE

  

  Written September 2009

  What can I say? Our first Exodus experience was a truly memorable trip to a fabulous country, shared with a lovely group of people and a personable, patient and knowledgeable leader. A good mix of sightseeing and relaxation; yes, there were some early starts, but it was a necessary evil to avoid the extreme midday temperatures and didn’t affect our enjoyment. Superb.  

  Read full review

  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Too many to mention. Aswan was stunning. Entering the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings was a particular highlight, but so too were the colossal Karnak, Kom Ombo at dusk, picturesque Philae, Abu Simbel, the Pyramids of Giza and watching the sun set on a tranquil felucca trip.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Mohamed was terrific; always friendly and informative despite having to contend with the demands of Ramadan in sweltering temperatures. He was always on hand to answer any questions, sort out any aggressive traders and was a reassuring, protective presence throughout, quickly bonding with the group and sharing in our experiences.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Be prepared for a few early starts (we were up at 5.15 for Valley of the Kings, 4.15 for Abu Simbel). These did not detract from the experience in any way, however, as these early starts only served to thoroughly extend the days of a seemingly over-too-quick holiday. 

   

  Taking along squirty antiseptic hand gel was a good call after a day of handling threadbare Egyptian pound notes. Talking of cash, get some small change as soon as you can at the airport for immediate hotel porter baksheesh! Take some sleeping pills for the sleeper train! Quite a rickety ride at times and only got about 20 minutes sleep on the way to Luxor.

   

  Be realistic in your expectations. From reading some (rather snooty) reviews/blogs beforehand I was expecting the hotels to be run down etc but everywhere we stayed was great. Yes, there’s the odd sign of wear and tear (a wonky socket here, a chipped tile there, and basic, beige-tastic train cabins with the odd faulty sink latch) but there was a good standard of cleanliness overall, and the rickety train was just part of the fun. It ain’t The Ritz. Get over it.

   

  Be prepared for a bit of chopping and changing of the schedule. Abu Simbel was a day earlier than expected, and Valley of the Kings had to be moved back a day because of a bit of a sleeper train delay. Dahshur and Saqqara (not on the original trip notes) was also surprisingly offered as an optional extra.

   

  Shop in the bazaar at Aswan rather than Cairo if you prefer a friendlier, more relaxed, less hassle experience.

   

  Be prepared for mad internal flights to and from Abu Simbel. Quite an experience for a nervous flier!

   

  Don’t be put off going during Ramadan. It was never a problem getting food and drink or seeing sights and only enhanced the experience.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  The buffets were good, but some of the set meals/train meals provided were a little repetitive, if understandable in catering for the masses. I’ve never eaten as much rice or bread! 

   

  A very well-organised and highly enjoyable trip which exceeded expectations. For our first group holiday experience we were blessed with a great bunch of people who bonded well with each other and with Mohamed, our trip leader. As an introduction to an historic and evocative country I’d highly recommend this trip. Just enough of a sense of adventure but mixed in with plenty of pool and sunbathing time! Wonderful.

   
• 

  peter jenkins

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written March 2009

  An interesting and worthwhile trip which met our expectations. Not an entirely relaxing holiday due to the regular wake-up calls and some transport delays; however we expected this to be the case and it didn't detract from the holiday. 

  Read full review

  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The Pyramids, without a doubt.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Ahmad was an excellent guide; knowledgable about Egyptology, but also very good at describing modern life in the country.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Watch what you eat at the Hotel Basma in Aswan! 13 out of 19 in our group suffered from diahorrea, vomiting and fainting whilst staying there.

  Also, be prepared to book the optional excursions on the first morning! We were presented with the list after breakfast, and given not much time to decide. We weren't quite ready for this, so had to frantically read up in our guide book. Payment for the trips wasn't easy either.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  We will definately use Exodus again in the future, and have recommended it to others already.

  Exodus Response

  Thanks for your review!

  Great to hear you had an enjoyable trip - Egypt is a truly fascinating country with an immense history and impressive monuments.

  This trip has a busy itinerary with visits to three important cities with a wealth of sites to take in. There is time in Aswan and on the Nile cruise to relax but you are right, there are often quite a few early starts as early morning is the preferred time to start or day so at least some of the sighseeing is out of the heat of the day.

  Thanks for the information on fellow travellers being ill. Our guides always recommend clients avoid consuming local water and eating salads as our bodies just don't get on with these things. Our local partner only recommends restaurants locally that have been inspected by them and meet required standards, however we have noted that many client were ill on your trip and have dealt with the hotel and local partner wioth regard to this.

  We are happy that you will use Exodus again and if you need any help in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us!

  Best regards - Lesley

  
  

  - Exodus Staff

   
• 

  Darshan Jagani

  NILE CRUISE HOLIDAY

  

  Written February 2009

  I loved this holiday , it was full of history but with some time to relax aswell.Our tour leader George was fantastic and supremely well organised 

  Read full review

  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Seeing karnak temple , it was vast and really impressive, very beautiful.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Very well organised and confident, he gave us lots of advice and support about life in Eygypt  and helped us not to be ripped off in the markets! 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Carry hand gel to clean hands     

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Gets cold in the evenings

   
• 

  Rita Lanzarotti

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written December 2008

  A great group of people.  As a single female traveller, I didn't feel left out at all; everybody bonded immediately and we got on well.  Holiday was fun, but very tiring (I think describing the trip as leasurely is not quite accurate) Hated the sleeper train, not many people got much sleep. 

  Read full review

  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The cruise on the Nile and Aswan - lovely place.  Would have liked to have spent an extra day there instead of rushing back to Cairo for two days...  I felt that we did not get much of a chance of soaking up the atmosphere there. 

  What did you think of your group leader?

  This was his first Exodus group and I think he would have benefitted from being told that Exodus travellers are not your run-of-the mill package holidaymakers and we don't have to be shielded from reality.  He carted us around like a coachload of japanese tourists and I think more advantage should have been taken of the fact that we were a relatively small group (16) and we would have enjoyed a bit more contact with the community...  He stuck rigidly to his schedule which included (much to our dismay and sometimes against our wishes) visits to so called "museums" (alabaster, papyrus & perfume) which were really just an excuse to try and sell us stuff.  Most annoyingly, we had to rush our visits to major sights to accommodate these "museums" i.e. ten minutes in front of the Sphinx to rush off to spend 50 mins at the papyrus joint... not amused and very un-Exodus in my view. 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Bring lots of pens for the children (and adults!) a bought a pack at my local pound shop and they went like hot cakes! 

  If you are travelling solo and you are female be aware that on the cruise boat (Shahrazade) there is a horny staff member... he was trying it on with all the single females and was quite uncomfortable.  I don't know his name but you will know who I mean if he starts telling you that "his heart is empty" .... avoid like the plague.  Having said that, the rest of the crew were wonderful.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  All in all it was a good holiday.  We saw all of the major sights and had some time to relax on the cruise boat along the Nile (when not running away from horny staff members!),  Extremely well organised and the hotels we stayed at were very comfortable.  My only gripe would be that we could have had more contact with the local community instead of always being taken for meals to tourist-only restaurants...  One afternoon four of us escaped from the guide and hired a taxi who took us around the outskirts of Luxor and showed us some village life... this was excellent and I feel that something similar could have been incorporated into the trip to balance out the ancient Eygpt focus.  I also think that an Exodus traveller would be very interested in this type of encounter.  Having said all this, I would go on another Exodus trip and certainly recommend them to a friend, in fact, I think my friends are thoroughly fed with me going on about my holiday!!!

   

1 | 2