Has anyone booked a trip with Ask-Aladdin to Egypt?

Question

Has anyone booked a trip with Ask-Aladdin to Egypt?

Booked our air tickets with Singapore air, will be in Egypt from 3rd til the 17th of October 2008. Think a tour is the best way to go, and have been seriously looking at Aladdin's Egypt in style tour...

Any experiences/advice? Thankyou :)

Answer 1

I am aware of the company they have been around for several years and haven't heard of any negative reports.

I always recommend staying at least 12 days if its possible.

Otherwise you end up seeing so much in such a short space of time that you cant tell a scarab from a sarcophagus.

All of these tours basically follow the same route, go to the same places and stay at 4 or 5 star hotels,(in Egypt there is not a lot of difference) some go to Luxor by train some go by air.

Then there is usually the choice of Abu Simbel and a Nile cruise or Hurgarda,the Red Sea and a hike up Mt Sinai at dawn.

Just because they have paid to use an interview with Dr Hawass on their website doesn't mean he is in anyway affiliated with the company.

It is very difficult to judge a company by their website,too many tour companies in Egypt are just one man affairs with no actual office and it is these you should be wary of dealing with.

But so long as the gompany is recognized and affiliated with the Egyptian Tourisim Board and even better a company in you home country you should be fine.  

Very few of these holiday package tours actually use accredited Egyptologists, but the guide or tour leader should  at least have done a diploma in tourism services that also gives them a basic knowledge of Egypt's ancient historical sites.  ,

If you are from Australia I would have recommended you use Gecko's or Peregrine Adventures. They are a very respected company renowned for giving value for money and are very competitively priced.

Remember who ever you travel with, do take out travel insurance for in Egypt it is very difficult to make a claim for damages or injury if you should need to.

From memory the Singapore filght from Australia gets in very early in the morning and it is best to arrange for the tour company representative to pick you up at Cairo airport and drive you to your hotel.

As an Australian or American citizen you can get your entry visa on arrival at the air port, it is a totally hassle free process and I used to do it while waiting for my luggage to come through on the carosel.

You have chosen a great time of the year to visit Egypt as the summer heat is a bit restrictive for some visitors. But I find a 40c day in Luxor a breeze when compared to the Australian summer heat and here the sun doesnt sting your skin. .

If you are Australian and need any further information regarding your Egyptian trip, please feel free to email me with any queries.