Nile Cruise

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

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• 

  Margaret Lloyd

  NILE CRUISE by John and Margaret Lloyd

  

  Written April 2013

  It was a wonderful mix of visiting fascinating historical sites and relaxing, floating down the Nile and in delightful Aswan.  The organisation was excellent. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The impressiveness - the sheer size and solidity - of the temple at Karnak, peaceful sailing in the felucca.  Dinner with a Nubian family was an unexpected treat, thanks to our guide Ahmed!

  What did you think of your group leader?

  We were impressed by the way he went 'the second mile' to adjust the itinerary to the best advantage. He was well informed, interesting and humorous, with good people skills, and excellent organisational skills.  Good advice was given about staying safe and how to handle persistent street-hawkers.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Take hand wash.  Smoking, including shisha, is very prevalent in Cairo - along with traffic pollution - so not a place for asthma sufferers to linger!  Beware of attempts to relieve you of your valuables and passport e.g. distraction techniques whilst strolling in market areas. 

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  The locals were very friendly and appreciative of us being there.  We benefited from the downturn in tourism in that archaeological sites, hotels and the Nile cruisers were not at all crowded.

   
• 

  Jane Pickup

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written February 2013

  Really enjoyable trip which covers a lot of ground in a short space of time.  I don't normally go for holidays with a tour guide, but I'm glad I did this on my first trip to Egypt as it completely took away any holiday stresses and meant you could relax and enjoy the trip to the full. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Highlights:  Tutenkhamun's treasures and Royal Mummies at Cairo Museum, Valley of the Kings and the relaxation time on the deck of the cruise boat (lovely cabins too!). 

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Out tour leader Hoda was excellent - I cannot fault her.  In particular, I found her advice and recommendations about what to expect on the different excursions really good.  This was very useful when making decisions about which options to go on.  I think most of the group suffered at one point or another whilst adapting to the Egyptian food and Hoda really looked after us and made sure we had appropriate (local) medicines which were really effective.  She was also on hand whereever possible to deal with overly pushy souvenir sellers which are abundant at the majority of main attractions.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  The late timing of the inbound flight/very early departure of the homeward flight coupled with 2 nights on the overnight train make this quite a tiring trip which is why I've marked it down one star. For me, this detracted from the 'Premium Adventure' description of the trip as a whole.  I  got Exodus to book me onto the flight a day early and though I had to pay about £45 for the extra hotel night I was glad I did.   Make sure you book at least one day's recovery on arrival back home because you will need it!

  Money:  A lot of people have commented about the extra costs on this trip, so to give a rough idea of what you might expect to spend:

  I took £300 cash which I exchanged on arrival at the airport (Grand Pyramids Hotel also has a good rate at their own bank) and got out another £200 while there.  This covered flight/trip to Abu Simbel @ £200), all extra meals/drinks, souvenirs, £40 tip money, Tutenkhamum's tomb, Ramesses V1 tomb, Philae Island, a dinner with a Nubian Family, Royal Mummies Hall at Cairo museum and Pyramids sound and light show (very overpriced at £17!).  All of the other entrance fees such as Karnak Temple and the Grand Pyramids etc ARE included and are sorted out by your guide.  It was well worth paying the £40 tip money at the start as you will hardly have to lift your suitcase throughout the whole trip and it will save you constantly having to scrabble around for small notes every step of the way!

   

   

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I would definitely recommend this trip.

   
• 

  Catherine Pearson

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written February 2013

  I had a really fantastic holiday. we flew to cairo. our hotel was lovely but right next to a fly over. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The visit to the egyptian museum was fabulous. to see the treasures of tut was a priceless experience. the mosque with the huge marble courtyard was stunning.
  
  Cairo is not a good place to be at present. the traffic is horrendous as is the constant hassle from traders. its very sad to see this and to watch people throwing rubbish into canals because there is no proper collection.
  the night train to luxor was fine. the beds were clean and comfortable.
  the boat down the nile was absolutely superb. Cruising down the river was wonderfully relaxing.
  We visited many temples, the Valley of the Kings and the Aswan dam. Some people went to Abu Simbel. We also rode on a felucca and were invited to dine at jjs house in a wonderful Nubian village. Make sure you visit the crocodile museum! 
  
  We all did and saw so much of Egypt - such a wonderful country with a breathtaking history. Everyone should go at least once in their lives. The Egyptian people are struggling and they need and appreciate their tourists. We returned by night train to Cairo to see the pyramids!

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Our guide was a young Egyptian lady called HODA. She was brilliant. She was incredibly knowledgeable and made everything come alive for us with her stories and explanations, she was always there to look out for us and offer advice and her English was excellent.This is my second exodus trip and I would thoroughly recommend this trip.
   

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  If exodus are running the trip then you won’t have any worries about safety, travel and accommodation so go for it and ask for Hoda!

   
• 

  Paul Fields

  NILE CRUISE - Jan 2013

  

  Written January 2013

  It was a dream finally fulfilled as i finally got to see Egypt in all its glory. An amazing holiday with a great Exodus group and a superb guide. All i can say is go now. Dont wait as this trip is everything you expect it to be and more. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  My Top Four 

  Seeing the Pyramids in all their glory after first learning about this 'wonder of the world' as a young school kid. Awe inspiring.

  Abu Simbel- A must see, truly breath taking and amazingly preserved sight.

  Valley of the Kings - One Of the most important places/finds in world history. I felt like i was following in Howard Carter and his illustrious colleagues footsteps

  Cairo Museum- a place you could spend weeks/months in admiring the stunning artefacts of a bygone era. King Tut’s collections ......Wow 

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Walid , Thank you for making our holiday one that is unforgettable. We had a wonderful time in your country and much of that is down to your expert role as guide , baggage retriever , trip organiser , money handler and most of all our friend. If we head back to Egypt in the near future much of it will be down to your enthusiastic , knowledgeable and amiable personality. Thanks again.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Be prepred to fight off the Street Vendors as they don't take 'NO' for an answer and after a few days they put me off shopping completely. (Sorry , my one grumble for the trip)

  Be prepared for some early starts, but also take advantage of every trip you possibly can as you may never come back to this amazing country.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  An amzing trip where we saw so much, but also had just enough time to relax and take a breath !!

  Our group of Ten ranging from 30+ had a great time together and i would like to thank you all  (you know who you are) for making the holiday what it was. A resounding success and great fun.

   

  Further higlights included:-

  The Train ride – The second one obviously with the impromptu DJ’s session , Two bottles of Wine, some whiskey and a few beers.

  The Temples -  Karnak , Luxor , Esna , Edfu , Philai, Kom Ombo

  Cheops Boat

  The Sphinx – Another legendary sight

  Sunset whilst cruising down the Nile

  Afternoon Tea – How very British !!

  Chariot rides , Camel rides

  Crocodile Mummy Museum

  Egyptian Party Night -  We were defintiley the best dressed party on the boat as everybody got into the spirit of things.

  Nubian Dance Night -

  Kitchener Island and its Botanical Garden – My only ice-cream of the trip

  Elephantine Island and our Nubian meal with JJ Jamaica and his family

  The three Felucca pile-up (caught on video) and our subsequent rescue. Inclusive of a guy who couldn’t Sail and his mate who fell in !!

  Drinks at the Old Cataract Hotel – Agatha Christie , Poirot and King Farouk – We mix in good company.

  Aswan Dam

  Unfinished Obelisk

  The Cairo Mosque – Climbing the minaret in the dark without a safety harness

  Andrea Restaurant – Pigeon , Vine Leaves and French fries - Definitely recommended

   
• 

  Ann Henshaw

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written January 2013

  This was a wonderful holiday, which exceeded expectations. Apart from seeing most of the major sites we had had a lot of unexpected pleasures. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Hard to say - perhaps Abu Simbel or the Valley of the Kings. I also really enjoyed the Cheops' boat museum at the Pyramids, cruising slowly up the Nile with a glass of chilled rosé in hand, the colours in the temple at Esna, the felucca ride (with the excitement of having to have a motor boat tow where the currents were too strongly against us), having drinks at the Old Cataract Hotel in King Farouk's favourite spot, climbing the minaret at the Al Azhar mosque etc etc

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Walid was exceptional. He was really knowledgable about the history of all the sites, and very adaptable. Most of the transport arrangements went awry at some point (flight from Lomdon delayed, cruise boat unable to get to Luxor so we had to drive to Esna, train from Aswan 4hours late into Cairo) and Walid coped with it all with great good humour and adaptability. We still saw everything, just in a different order. He was always prepared to go the extra mile for us, and he is one of the reasons we all had such a good time.  

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Take more money than you think you will need! I was told by the London office that I could pay for the Abu Simbel trip with a credit card but this is not so. Take cash, NOT travellers cheques.

  Although this trip is rated as leisurely, some of the days are quite long if you do everything, and 2 of the nights (on the train) are not conducive to sleeping!

   

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I would certainly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to see the most important sites in Egypt. It's very good value.

  Other fun experiences were the party on the train coming back, sitting laughing until our sides ached in the club car, and our final dinner of barbecued pigeon (or chicken for those who didn't fancy pigeon) at Andrea in Giza. 

   
• 

  Jane Jones

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written November 2012

  An excellently balanced trip, with plenty of well organised visits to temples etc and also time for relaxation. The cruise on the Nile was a highlight on the trip,  the boat was excellent, good food and a lovely pool area. The train rides were OK, a travelling experience though the food was not brilliant! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Visiting Philae Temple, the beautiful setting of the temple which has to be reached by a boat.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Sayed was excellent, cheerful, informative, very knowledgable due to his degree in Egyptology. He got us to the various sites early before the crowds and the heat of the day, He really knew how to organise a trip to give his clients the best possible holiday.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Go now, sadly for the Egyptians tourism is down at present, but the sites were still all quite busy and I do not think my trip would have been as enjoyable if tourism was in full swing.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  A well balanced trip, something for eveyone.

   
• 

  Helen Jarvest

  NILE CRUISE

  

  Written November 2012

  In general it was a lovely holiday, relaxing and with interesting sights to see. Our guide was very knowledgable and timed the visits to sites of interest well avoiding the crowds. However, there were a lot of early starts and the first two days were very tiring as it was a late arrival to the hotel and then very little sleep on the overnight train journey to Luxor.  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Visiting the Valley of the Kings, especially Ramses II, worth paying the extra to see that one. The Feluca trip was lovely, though only a couple of hours. Aswan is beautiful.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Tarek was very nice and knew a lot of information about the history. He was softly spoken though and when there was a lot of information I would find myself losing track and then not following.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Tourism has been badly affected and so a lot of the traders at tourist sites and in Luxor and Aswan would seem desperate for your trade. By hassling tourists it puts us off even looking. However, I'd advise that you do look if you're interested in spending money. The traders really are suffering financially and yet they are nice. We didn't feel threatened at all. We were taken to an Alabaster shop by the first temple in Luxor where we had 20 minutes to shop. I chose some things but when I came to negotiate a price I felt rushed as everyone was sitting on the bus. I asked our guide if it was a good price and he said their company trusted the business. I realise it was difficult for him. However, reviewing my purchase I realise I paid totally over the value,I was just too rushed to think it through at the time. I didn't realise then that there would be lots of other places to buy from. Meanwhile we were given no time to shop at the valley of the kings, so those traders missed out. Same as in Abu Simbel, raced back to the plane not knowing there were some good stores. Give yourself time to look. Don't eat the salad dressing on the boat. Two of us were sick. Everything else was lovely.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Discussing with some in my group, the things we felt would have made the itinerary better were: not spending the first afternoon sitting in the cafe and bazaar by the mosque. Food wasn't great and neither was the bazaar. Also the citadel looked amazing from outside, would have much rather visited that than the mosque. As the pyramids were left until last I thought that it must be the best. It was very sad then to see them being completely ruined by the locals selling tat, climbing all over them and walking their camels and horses leaving their mess too. All the other sites of interests were well kept and clean, with decent stores and security and management. Therefore we felt that the visit to the pyramids could have happened on the first day too; there was plenty of time whilst sitting in the bazaar. We could then have got the overnight train down to Luxor and then at the end of the trip got the flight home starting from Aswan. No need to go back to Cairo. It was so smoggy and dirty after Aswan and then we could have an extra night in Aswan where it was beautiful. The train journey was an extra 3 hours longer on the way back (15 hours) and little sleep. Overall it was a wonderful holiday and I'm glad I went. Very relaxing and staff on boat were friendly and helpful. The people of Egypt were very nice and having a really tough time at the moment. I especially loved the towel art by the housekeepers on the boat.

   

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