Trip Reports
EGYPT - through the eyes of a Tour Leader
Brad Crockett, one of our senior Tour Leaders, recently completed yet another successful adventure in Egypt… he sends us this report…
"Getting the chance to lead this adventure tour in Egypt was one of the highlights of working for Adventures Abroad. It wasn't just the idea of returning to the Western Desert or having the opportunity to once again sail down the Nile on a felucca. The thing that most interested me was "who was going to go on this trip?" Was it strictly younger people? Was it serious campers? I had no idea. As I waited at the hotel in Cairo I was eager to meet the people that had signed up for this tour. To my surprise the people were very similar to those that usually travel with us, people with a great sense of adventure and desire to experience a country a little off the beaten path.
The first couple of days were incredible, seeing such sights as the Pyramids at Giza, the Cairo Museum and the ancient capital of Memphis. But it was on Day 7 when our adventure truly began. After a couple of days in Aswan soaking up Nubian culture we boarded our felucca and spend the next three days and nights sailing up the Nile. A felucca is a traditional Egyptian sailboat, completely open and very simple; in my opinion, the best way to experience the Nile. Our crew who catered to our every need prepared wonderful meals on board. Our days would begin at sunrise, sipping coffee or Egyptian tea watching the farmers on the banks of the Nile. After watching the sun set we pulled up on shore for the night with dinner by candlelight. Sailing up the Nile by the traditional means enabled us to visit the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu at our leisure but more importantly, without the crowds. We were also fortunate in having the opportunity to stop to see a camel market where up to 2000 camels are brought up from Sudan each week.
Our days taking in the wonders of Luxor, we were ready for our next adventure in another part of Egypt. After travelling by train, camel, felucca and donkey it was time to board our 4X4's and head into the Western Desert. We visited four oases, eating dinner by firelight, visiting traditional mud brick villages, various pharaonic and Coptic ruins and some of the many hot springs throughout the desert. The landscapes were extraordinary, from the Black Desert to the White Desert, we covered it all.
We spent 18 days on this tour and we were all sad to see it end. I would like to thank my fellow travellers, as they are the ones that really made this trip what it was.
To book your own Egyptian adventure, ask for codes XND or XNF. We also offer a wide range of Egypt tours as part of our "soft-adventure" Cultural Series.
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