mai2centsworth

My husband and I are used to making our own travel arrangements, but we don't know enough about the Middle East and didn't have time, so we trusted our fate to Memphis Tours. That turned out to be a very wise decision. A Memphis Tours representative was at our elbow for the entire trip. The guides provided info about the various sites and gave us enough space and time to tour on our own. When we needed to adjust anything, they were most accommodating. Our trip included 3 days in Cairo and 4 days on a Nile cruise. While in Cairo we visited the pyramids, a papyrus factory (very interesting), carpet making factory (great if you want to buy carpet), Cairo Museum, and the Citadel. The experience on the Nile Cruise was like watching a movie as we cruised by ruins of temples, beautiful countryside, and watched the people work the land. A couple of things could have gone better. The first hotel, Grand Pyramids Resort was old and the food was just "okay". Additionally, there was a very loud party in a guests room and the hotel could not or would not stop the noise. We asked to go to a different hotel on our return and Memphis accommodated us by placing us in a suite at a Movenpick hotel that was perfect. The other thing that would have made the trip more enjoyable would be if tips were included. The initial price of the trip was reasonable, but the price actually ended up being about 20% more because of tips. I would have preferred paying more up front than constantly paying tips go drivers and guides. (It should be noted, that all tour companies in Cairo have the same tipping policy.) Overall, the trip was great! Memphis Tours did a great job. Congrats to Emed, Wallid, and Ahmed.