Allan Ng

Trip Background: Family of 4 (inclusive of 2 children below 6 yrs)

Duration: 9 days 8 nights 

Places visited: Cairo, Abu Simbal, Aswan, Luxor

No. of visit: First time.

Pre-trip planning: We only had a general idea of the places we would like to visit with not much sense of organisaton or structure to the schedule. Googled an Egypt tour agency and got many hits so we sent our trip ideas to a handful of agencies for a proposal and along came Memphis Tours which turned out to be very impressive. Hooked up with Mohamed Mokhtar (the key coordinator) right from the start till we depart. Gave him some idea of what we are looking for and he drafted a full 9 day itinery for us while making the necessary adjustments along the way numerous times to cater to some specifics that we requested and ensuring that we are comfortable with the overall plan and price. We were extremely pleased with his promptness to our queries, patience in re-planning the itinery and offering pragmatic solutions. Airport meetup and pick-up from point to point was prompt and hassle free and the private tour was perfect for our family of 4 with an air-conditioned mini bus all to ourselves and a personal guide throughout! Oh, bottled water provided on-board daily too!!

Places visited:

- Great Pyramids and Sphinx (45 mins) 

(Awesome! A must see!! - time spent was a little short though)

- Camel ride around the pyramids (40 mins)

(Fun for the kids and fantastic view of pyramids! Do not miss!)

- Egyptian Museum (3 hrs)

(History at its very best with personal and highly knowledgeable 

Egyptologist - A Must see!)

- Coptic Cairo to visit Hanging Church (30 mins)

(Not great especially after you've seen those in Europe- wont recommend)

- Abu Simbal (2 hrs visit) 

(3-4 hrs coach ride each way from Aswan but still worth the time unless 

you have serious car sickness) 

- Nile Cruise (4 day 3 nights)

(Awesome! Miss at your own peril. Get your bathing suits and shades ready. Relaxing, comfortable and view of Nile is simply beautiful. All meals provided with reasonable buffett spread. Need to make booking early - Go to Memphis website to view and select the Cruise of choice)

- High Dam (30 mins) - Nice scenary with birds eye view

- Philae Temple (2hrs) - Must See!

- Obelisk (45 mins) - A monument (Ok but not great)

- West Bank - Valley of the Kings (2 hrs)

(Do not miss! Tombs and heaps of tombs - Visit early morning to 

avoid the scorching sun)

- Kom Ombo Temple (2 hrs)

(Boat trip - Recommended!)

- Horus Temple in Edfu (2 hrs)

(Boat trip - Must see!) 

- East Bank - Karnak and Luxor Temples (3 hrs)

(Must see!)

- Night City Tour on a horse carriage (< 2hrs)

(We loved it! Highly recommended if you wish to see the reality of 

local way of life, night markets and living conditions)

- Dune Buggy (3 hrs)

(Awesome! Probably the best part of our trip! Kids loved it..the peace, calm and vastness of the desert, view of the pyramids, the adventure, exhilaration of the speed buggies and freedom. Go for it!) 

 

Transport

- Overnight train from Cairo to Aswan (10+ hrs)

- Overnight train from Luxor to Cairo (8 hrs)

(Connecting cabins - Very nice and comfortable even with 2 kids-Highly recommended if you want to save on air tickets)

Hotels

- Min of 4 stars, reasonably luxurious and very comfortable!

(only grouse was that rooms were not specifically requested to accomodate extra beds for kids so we experienced some hassle with that but tour guide resolved all hotel and bedding issues for us! Advice: Be very specific in the room type requested for especially if extra bed is needed if you have kids) 

Memphis Tours Staff

- Special thanks to Mohamed Mokhtar (trip coordinator), Nabil (Egyptologist), Prince (Nile Cruise guide) and 'Mimo' (Tour 'companion' at beginning and at the end)

- Highly professional, friendly, knowledgeable, accomodating, prompt and helpful.

 

***The 'Wows' of the trip by Memphis Tours***

1) They gave me a local mobile phone when we arrived at the airport to contact them 24/7 should we face any issues at any point of the trip and in any city!! 

2) They put us up at a budget hotel free of charge during a 4-5hr gap between disembarkation from Nile Cruise to the Train departure at night. 

3) They offered to pay for lunch (not included in package at that time) for the whole family when a slight misunderstanding arose in the calculation of the lunch bill. 

Advice: 

1) Strongly recommended to go with full tour package that covers everything (all attractions paid for) for a piece of mind especially if it's your first time. 

2) Opt for the private tour option where possible. 

3) Wear covered shoes wherever you go if possible. Streets are rough.

4) Take lots of water.

5) Carry your Camera everywhere you go - there's just so much to absorb!

6) Do not tip unless advised by your tour guide or you'll be broke in 2 

days! He is the 'protector so follow him closely and he will usually 

coordinate any tippings if needed.

7) When shopping at flea markets, always negotiate prices by 50% or more because prices are already up 1-200% to begin with! 

8) Be prepared for lots of walking. 

9) Do not attempt to navigate the local streets using a map. You'll get hounded and lost! 

 

It was our very first time and it was an almost perfect trip! 

Thank you Memphis. We will travel with you again anytime!