Destination Debrief: Egypt
Overview
As many of you know, I recently had the opportunity to explore Egypt with one of my favorite partners: Lindblad Expeditions. Lindblad is known for their outstanding guides and commitment to responsible tourism in partnership with National Geographic, and this trip was certainly no exception. When you look Lindblad up online, odds are you’re going to find primarily content about destinations like Antarctica and the Galapagos. So why don’t you see photos on their Instagram of the Great Pyramids of Giza? While it’s not their typical wildlife trip, it’s no less spectacular! This trip is limited to only 44 travelers and usually sells out a year in advance. I can certainly see why it’s so popular after experiencing it first-hand.
Over the course of 12 days, we explored more than 21 different temples, museums, mosques, markets, and more. The first few days of the trip are spent in and around Cairo, followed by a Nile cruise. In my opinion, there is no better way to see the sites than by boat since it gives you a real chance to see local life. While sailing, it was a common occurance to see fisherman wave to you from their rowboats or children running and yelling their greetings to you along shore while their parents harvested crops nearby. The Nile is the true hub of all life in Egypt and has such a sense of magic as you sail along.
The amount of history and culture in Egypt is absolutely staggering. To give you a sense, the youngest temple we visited was built in 180 BC - that’s still over 2,000 years old! I was absolutely blown away by the layers of history, the engineering, and the artwork that we witnessed, and all of it given context by our brilliant Egyptologist. The sheer scale of the many temples you visit is just jaw-dropping and what’s even more exciting is that they are still constantly making new discoveries. A true living history trip that you should not miss out on.
Why Lindblad
Lindblad is backed by over 50 years of expedition experience and a partnership with National Geographic, so you know that you’re signing up for a quality trip when traveling with them. I can say with confidence that our guiding experience was outstanding and the people are really what make this trip special. Michael, our Egyptologist, has over 30 years of experience and made sure we were fully prepared for each day. Not only did he have outstanding knowledge of each site we visited, but he also ensured that the entire trip ran like clockwork. Most notably, Michael would always give us guidance on expectations for each visit including what security would be like to enter, what to expect from local vendors, how much on average popular items cost so that you could barter, the best toilet stops, how much time we would spend in each place, etc. He instilled confidence in each of us at every turn and we never felt unprepared for a visit.
We were also accompanied by Brooke Juhala, our NatGeo photo-guide! Brooke was an invaluable resource when it came to finding creative angles or lighting, learning how best to use your equipment (even if it was just an iPhone!), and of course she was able to capture some great photos of us as well.
Lindblad pays for private docking slips. This is one of the best and biggest advantages for sailing the Nile with Lindblad. Most other ships dock side by side, up to 7 ships deep. If you are docked like this, you are forced to walk through other ships to get to your own, you likely won’t have a view from anywhere on the ship aside from the sun deck up top, and you’ll have the noise/fumes from the other ships engines to contend with.
Lindblad is part of about 20% of Nile cruises that travels “off-peak”. 80% of the ships on the Nile follow the same schedule every day so you’re traveling around like a pack. At most, we had only one or two other ships sailing around with us and the majority of the time we were the only large cruise ship in sight. Again that means less noise/diesel fumes while sailing and less crowds in each port because of the timing of our visits on land. We experienced no vendors at the Luxor locks because we were the only ship passing through at the time and were the only group who were visiting when we arrived at Kom Ombo - great for photography with no people in your shot!
Lindblad provides VIP access. This is where Lindblad really shines. There are several locations throughout Egypt where ticket sales are limited, such as the Sphinx of Giza and Valley of the Kings, where our group got guaranteed access. For example, we were given access to the VIP viewing platform at the Sphinx of Giza where we were on ground level and could walk the entire way around the Sphinx to get up close and personal. It was an absolutely stunning view. General admission tickets only allow you access from an elevated viewing platform about 150 feet away.
Who is this trip for?
Given how active the itinerary is, travelers need to be physically in good shape and have decent balance. You’re not hiking for miles, but you’re often out in direct sunlight and walking for good distances over uneven, rocky terrain, or standing for sustained periods of time.
If you’ve done any research about Egypt, you may have seen the term “temple fatigue” thrown around. I would say this trip is for history buffs and novices alike! While you do experience A LOT of history, your Lindblad guide is excellent at balancing that with topics on engineering, art, culture, modern day life and more. I never felt like I was getting temple fatigue, because each experience and the topics discussed were unique.
While you could certainly bring kids along (the tour is family-friendly), I would suggest that for this specific itinerary, they be 16 or older to truly appreciate and retain the information that you learn. Traveling as a small group here is a great option if you’re feeling nervous about traveling somewhere new too.
Flights & Arrival
There are always several choices to get to a destination, but we opted for a direct flight from JFK to Cairo via EgyptAir. It was a smooth, on-time, 10.5-hour nonstop flight, which I’ll always opt for if I can. EgyptAir also offers the option to purchase your entire row in economy for some extra comfort. EgyptAir does not partner with TSA pre-check, so if you have a credit card that offers Priority Pass you can utilize the VIP One lounge at JFK to skip the security lines. VIP One also has subscription plans as well.
If you’re looking for that in-flight mimosa or G&T, you probably want to go for a different airline since EgyptAir is alcohol-free. Others in our group opted for flying Emirates via Dubai or Lufthansa via Frankfurt. Dubai is a great stop-over option if you want to spend a day or two exploring as well before continuing on to Cairo!
Upon arrival in Cairo we were greeted by a Lindblad representative who provided us with our Visas (included as part of the package) and whisked us through customs. After collecting our bags, he connected us with our driver who transported us to the St Regis, our home for the first few nights, where again on arrival we were greeted by yet another Lindblad representative who gave us an orientation and completed our check-in. When I say you are escorted from start to finish, I mean truly! The arrival process made us feel so comfortable and welcome.
The Cruise
We had the pleasure of sailing the Nile on board the Oberoi Philae, comprised of only 22 cabins. In 2015, the ship underwent a full rebuild and has been well maintained since then! The cabins are very spacious and comfortable with plenty of storage space. In addition to the cabins, there are two lounges, a spa, gym, dining room, and beautiful sun deck with a large pool. The sun deck was our favorite spot to relax, read a book, and take in all the action while sailing. While the water on board is all filtered with chlorine and UV light, Lindblad also provides water filling stations from large purified water jugs.
Meals on board were outstanding! For breakfast there was always a diverse spread of cold items like cereals, fruits, yogurts, and cheeses, along with hot a la carte items for order. Our favorite was by far the crispy waffles that were doused in confectioner sugar. After a few days, I didn’t even need to put my tea order in - our wait staff always remembered what we liked best and were always there to greet us with a smile! Lunch and dinner had a variety of rotating menus and typically consisted of a vegetarian, fish, chicken, or beef option to choose from for the entree. Each course always arrived super fresh, hot, and tasty. The meals are relatively simple, with great flavors and seasoning. A highlight was the Egyptian buffet night where we were treated to traditional courses. Chef personally gave each person a tour of the buffet and the staff was thrilled to give us suggestions on their favorite dishes and the best way to eat them. Homemade ice creams and sorbets were a huge hit for dessert too!
Security
The war in Israel has had a lot of travelers thinking twice before jetting off to a country bordering the conflict, so I wanted to see for myself what the landscape looked like. After experiencing Egypt first-hand, speaking with many locals, and our professional guide, I can say that I felt really confident in how secure the whole trip was. Egypt has seen a significant decline in tourism and it felt great to be able to support those in need of our economic assistance. One of the best things about traveling with Lindblad to Egypt is that the entire trip is fully escorted - from the moment you touch down at the airport to the moment you walk through customs on your way home. I was never left questioning what I should do, where I should go, or what the process was at any point in the trip.
Since we were traveling as a group, it is law in Egypt that we were accompanied by tourism police. These gentlemen would join us on the bus and then walk around with our group at each site. Egypt has several different police forces (antiquities, traffic, tourism, detectives, etc.). It is not legal for individual citizens to own guns, so the only people you see armed are the police forces. There is a strong police presence everywhere you go, but it never made me feel uncomfortable.
Vendors
Most of the temples have, what our guide referred to as “Vendor Valley” and you typically have to walk through this valley to exit. Some vendors can be very sticky and they use some pretty creative pick-up lines to try and get you in the door of their shops. Beware that if you show any interest, including smiling, they will stick to you like glue and may walk with you for a time. The vendors we encountered were not physically pushy, nor did they shove things into your hands. They may try to hand you items, but you can politely decline and many times they will move on to the next person. Most vendors we interacted with were very kind!
My Takeaway Tips
Avoiding Sunburn: Pants and long sleeves are key! The temperatures can be in the 90s if you’re traveling in March, so you’re constantly sweating off your sunscreen. Our guide was pretty good about keeping us in the shade where it was available, but since there are not many trees, sometimes the sun is unavoidable. Lightweight pants, linen shirts, and a wide-brimmed hat are a great way to keep from getting fried. I also found a light scarf to be great at keeping the sun off my neck.
Shoes: Sturdy shoes with good soles are a must – most everything is stone and sand so it can be uneven and slippery. Most of our group primarily wore tennis shoes or Chelsea boots. Full strap sandals like Chacos would work well too!
Cash is King: While you can use a credit card at places like your hotel or high-end shops, for any shopping you do with local vendors, you’ll want to have cash on hand. The Egyptian pound is the local currency, but the USD is widely accepted as well. Most trinkets are $1-$5 USD so you’ll often find vendors asking to trade smaller bills for larger ones. We only took out about $50 in local cash and used a fraction of it!
Early Mornings: If you’re not a morning person, you may want to consider doing this trip privately. Because our trip was so full of activities, most mornings we were out the door no later than 8:00 am. We had a few early morning sailings on the Nile as well, but because the engines are quite noisy and cause a lot of vibrations, you’ll be up with the sun. Personally, I really enjoyed the peaceful morning sailings on the sun deck, taking in the sights of the Nile. You’ll also hear the calls to prayer at sunrise as well.
The Great Pyramids of Giza: Are they touristy? A bit! While there were certainly a good amount of people at the pyramids during our visit, it’s not something that you want to skip. Is it worth it to go inside? Absolutely! We had the option to go inside so a few notes - it’s hot and there is only one way in/out. If you’re claustrophobic, you may want to reconsider since many of the passages are narrow and short. Your reward for braving the crowds is a burial chamber that sits 200 feet above the ground with 30 foot high ceilings. While there are no special carvings inside the camber, being inside of a piece of history like this was remarkable and I was glad I did it!
Egypt Facts
Click each image below to learn more.
If Egypt is on your bucket list, let’s chat! Whether it’s with Lindblad Expeditions as a group adventure, or you want to travel privately, the options are limitless!
