RCCA

We just returned from Egypt and used Memphis Tours to arrange a trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel since we could get tickets independently through Egypt Air. We worked online with Abdo who was very helpful and responsive in selling us a package that was supposed to include airfare, airport transfers and a guide with the understanding that this was to be a private tour. We were picked up at our hotel and taken to the airport for the 7:00 am flight and told that a guide would meet us at the airport in Abu Simbel to take us on the tour. We were disappointed that we were told by Abdo that Memphis Tours would keep out luggage as we went on the four hour tour and were then transferred to our Nile cruise back in Aswan. Upon our pick up were told that we needed to take our bags on the flight and they would keep them in the car in Abu Simbel. This was slightly annoying, however we soon learned that this was the least of outrproblems. We arrived at the airport in Abu Simbel, collected out bags and looked for the Memphis Tours representative among the sea of guides holding signs with people's names. The airport quickly emptied out, the guides whisking off their tourists and there was no Memphis Tours guide to be found. We asked around and someone at the airport made a call and said the Memphis Tours representative was on his way. Ten minutes later we see a guy outside waving us towards his van. We tow our bags out there saying "Memphis Tours?" and head towards the representative. He leads us into the van that has two other tourists (we were told that it was all private). He said he was in the arrival hall, but holding the sign of a different tour company with others people name on the sign. No wonder we couldn't find him, he apparently wasn't looking for us and we had no way of identifying him. He then informs us that he is taking the couple to the boat dock and will first take us to Abu Simbel. We arrive to the site and he starts walking us towards the temple. I ask him when Abu Simbel was built and he responds "a very long time ago". I could have surmised that on my own. We continue walking down the path along the lake and all of the sudden we run into another person who we are told is our guide. We follow this new apparent guide and he brings us to a group of six British tourists and he picks up where he left off mid-tour. The Brits were really nice and we apologized for crashing their tour. Again, we were told we were receiving a private tour. Here is the good(ish) part. We were transferred back to the airport and told the "tour coordinator" that it wasn't a private tour and that we were disappointed and that we planned to communicate this to Abdo. He was very apologetic, wouldn't accept our tour and insisted that we take a tour book on Abu Simbel. This was nice, but didn't completely make up for the fact we were not met upon our arrival and passed of to a group tour in progress. When we arrived back in Aswan, I told the "tour coordinator" that I wanted to speak to Abdo to express our dissatisfaction. To end a already too long story, after much negotiation and a visit to our boat buy the Aswan tour coordinator and local manager we negotiated a reduction of the cost of the tour. Fortunately, we opted to pay the remained of our balance after the tour was complete and were therefor able to negotiate the process. Several of the staff including the manager and tour coordinator in Aswan were very nice and responsive, but the whole thing was a hassle and disappointing based on what we believed we were paying for. If you are up for an adventure and being shuffled among multiple guides and coordinators that work for various companies then you might like the Memphis Tours trip to Abu Simbel.