Overall another great trip from Stubborn Mule (maybe my fave of the 3 so far!) and I keep recommending you to others. I’d also encourage you to keep offering upgrade options, I love the focus on mid-range and having options to go up is always appreciated

We were also able to adapt the itinerary slightly eg we skipped a temple after we’d had a bit of an overload/changed the order of activities to suit us better – while we were keen to see and do a lot, we also needed some downtime after a very busy few months. 

The hotel in Cairo was fine, but if we were to go again, we’d be happy to spend more and go up a category. Cairo was great, we all enjoyed scrambling up inside the Great Pyramid, and the two museums and trip to the souk (!) were also interesting and helped set the scene for the trip.

The hotels in Aswan and Luxor were both outstanding, had great locations (the view of the Nile from our balcony in Aswan was amazing!), really comfortable, lovely food, and again brilliant staff. We’d be very happy to stay in both of them again. Also amazing to be able to get the felucca directly from the hotel garden steps. The boat trip to the Philae Temple was fun and interesting. 

The train was also a great experience. The beds were surprisingly comfy, and everything in the cabin was spotless. It was a bit jerky but I think we all got some sleep in the end! And waking up to realise we were travelling right alongside the Nile was just amazing, our son was so thrilled. As the train journey followed a very busy couple of days in Cairo, we would probably have done better to pay for an extra night at the hotel so we could go and shower etc at the hotel as soon as we arrived in Aswan, instead of starting to explore the city immediately, but this is just personal preference (and I’ve made a note of this for any future trips we do which include an overnight train journey!)

Thank you for all your suggestions and organising our best holiday yet. We are really happy with Stubborn Mule and your local partners in Egypt and hope to use you again in a couple of years for another trip. 

Fayoum – Going into the desert and seeing the Whale Museum was definitely a highlight, completely different to being in Cairo. The only thing we would change would be to come back to Cairo in the evening as we were getting the overnight train the next day, so there was quite a lot of dead time in Cairo the next day. The hotel we stayed in had a real Agrotourism feel, which was great so of course if we had come back to Cairo, we would have missed the excellent dinner and breakfast there. 

Overnight train –  Definitely an experience! Glad we did it as we prefer trains to flying but as you mentioned, it’s not luxurious travelling on an old Hungarian wagon. Service was good though, the food was fine and the beds were ok.

Aswan – Luxor – The real experience of the temples and ancient culture. Abu Simbel was well worth the 4:30 start, I think there’s also an airport possibility so if we weren’t also doing the cruise then it might have been interesting to stay there for a night. In Luxor, I think with hindsight it would have been nice to stay an extra night instead of Hurghada but still it was great. The dam in Aswan was interesting as a way of seeing how important the Nile is in Egypt.

Hurghada – Speedboat trip was great, once we realised that we would get soaked very quickly. After all the culture from the previous days, G and A weren’t so impressed by the slightly artificial nature of Hurghada but we did enjoy seeing the colourful fish and the hotel was perfectly fine. It was our first time with an all-in formula so we got a bit confused that we could just keep asking for things without a bill.

Of course, we booked our flights before contacting you so we couldn’t do the sensible thing of flying directly back to Belgium from Hurghada. Next time we’ll plan further in advance to tie everything together. 

Tipping for the things on the list was fine and the hassles in the Bazaar were part of the culture. Sometimes it did get annoying to not be able to walk anywhere without being asked to buy things but I guess that’s part of Egypt. It felt safe to walk around and leave things in the car.

Thanks again for organising such a great holiday.

After a night at the Cairo hotel and a lovely breakfast, we met our guide Ayman Nagy, and were instantly put at ease by his friendliness and knowledge. More on him later. The Egyptian Museum was very busy due to an unexpected half-day closure, so Ayman changed the itinerary a little and we visited the Civilisation Museum instead. This was hugely interesting – we didn’t realise how far progressed Egyptians were compared to other civilisations at the same time. The Mummies were spooky, but our little one was brave and looked at them all.

After some lunch, we then visited the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, which was an awesome building. Back to the hotel and time to go into the pool, which we stayed in until the sun went down. Watching the boats cruise past on the Nile as we ate dinner was a special memory, and this was only day two of the trip!

Next day, the Pyramids!!!  What can we say that hasn’t been said before, there aren’t enough superlatives?!  We had plenty of time admiring the structures, we would thoroughly recommend going into the great pyramid (mind your head and be prepared for heat!) and the camel ride gave amazing views as well.  Then up close and personal with the Sphinx.  Just… awesome.

After some lunch, we visited the Egyptian Museum, which was demonstrably quieter than the day before, full of interesting information and items, the best being the King Tut display.  No pictures allowed in this area, no problem!  Next a drink and explore of the Khan El Khalili bazaar for lots of haggling and shopping opportunities.

Then it was straight on to the overnight train down to Aswan.  What an adventure!  Plenty of food, comfy beds, and an attentive porter.  Yes, the toilet is literally a hole on to the tracks, but this is part of the adventure!  The rocking of the train was strangely comforting, our little one was asleep within two minutes!

Into a taxi, onto a boat, and over a lake to the Philae Temple, which was in magnificent condition.  Plenty of information from Ayman and then time to explore on our own.  Magnificent building and location.

We had a few hours at the hotel to chill and then on to another boat for a traditional evening with a Bedouin family, some of it during a state-enforced blackout, which added to the experience. The family was lovely, as was their food (there’s always so much, we didn’t go hungry once!), then a boat trip back up the Nile in the dark and our one night in the hotel, wish we could have stayed longer and used the pool, but there is so much to do!

Up super early the next day to drive down to the Abu Simbel temple. Thoroughly worth it, with plenty of information and time as always.  This was as special as the pyramids.  A quick stop-off at the Aswan Dam and then back to Aswan and a journey up the Nile on a boat which we also slept on.  Surprisingly comfy sleeping in the open air, felt extremely safe the entire time, and well looked after by the same Bedouin family from the previous night.

Day six already!  Explored two awesome temples (Kom Ombo and Edfu), including one dedicated to crocodiles, on the way to Luxor. The Jolie Ville hotel was on an island in the Nile and was one of the nicest we’ve ever stayed in.  We had some time in the pool before dinner and slept brilliantly in our ground-floor room set among the gardens.

Another busy day ahead!  After a few more hours in the pool, we were taken to Luxor temple, where we easily lost a few hours exploring.  Busy, yes, but never oppressively so.  Then an optional horse and carriage ride through Luxor.  We felt slightly on display and felt guilty as we were taken through very poor areas – but the little one enjoyed it sat up front with the driver and we were able to see the stark contrast between ancient, poor and modern Luxor / Egypt.

After breakfast, it was the Hatshepsut temple followed by the Valley of the Kings including visits to three tombs.  We had to see King Tut’s of course, the other two were much larger examples recommended by Ayman. A stop-off at the Colossi of Memnon and then a final jump into the (infinity) pool at our hotel to watch the sunset, hugely satisfying after the heat of the day!

Our last day already! A genuinely sad farewell to Ayman.  He was terrific throughout, looked after us, not just with the logistics, but with any needs or questions we had, even taking responsibility for tipping on our behalf.  The transport and meals he arranged throughout was perfect. He deserves a medal, Stubborn Mule should do everything in its power to utilise him as often as possible.

A quick flight from Luxor to Cairo, met by a chap (I wish I could remember his name too) who guided us to our day room at an adjoining hotel.  A nice lunch, some time in the (guess?!) pool, and then on the flight back to the UK.

I could have personally spent more time at the pyramids simply walking around the site, or perhaps visiting some of the other examples, such as the Bent pyramid, the Red pyramid, the Step pyramid etc, though I appreciate this might bore the pants off other people…

All in all, it was one of the best holidays we’ve ever had.  Yes, it was hot, lots of travelling, not the traditional ‘relaxing’ holiday we’re used to, but wow, what an amazing country, rich history, awe-inspiring sights, and genuinely a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Thank you, Stubborn Mule!

Hotels were all good…. Our guide was really nice and seemed to know his stuff. He did some nice bits like bringing us falafel sandwiches, handing round sweets when people were flagging, and taking a lot of family photos. 

The only thing I would skip was the very short camel ride which was basically just a photo op anyway… Probably good to mention that the currency is very weak against the $ or £ so generally things are good value but it is hard to get small notes to tip with.

M and E threw themselves into all the trip had to offer and have even come home as big fans of the local Nubian dishes and Egyptian food. They were really impressed by the Pyramids (and the camel riding) and Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings they were equally impressed with. We also paid the extra to visit the Tomb of Sety I, and it was worth it.

I know you wanted specific feedback on the Nile kayaking. We all enjoyed this and felt it was worth doing BUT, we have all kayaked before. We have our own kayaks and a SUP and get out on the water regularly. I don’t know how we would have got on if we didn’t already know what we were doing.

Everything ran seamlessly, we felt looked after and safe. Dina (our guide) dealt with all entrance tickets and hotel check-ins and we were able to contact her via WhatsApp.

The accommodation was super and where we expected luxury, we got it. We loved the overnight train with all its dirt, noise and discomfort and would not have missed this for the world. It was gorgeous to wake up (see, we must have slept!!) and eat breakfast watching the lush Nile countryside whizz by the window. Such a contrast to the craziness and sandy smog of Cairo, where (we were told) the white lines on the road are for decoration!!

We feel so excited that we have found Stubborn Mule, it has opened up a world (literally) of travel possibilities. You came up trumps on Egypt, and the Costa Rica itinerary looks fabulous. Thank you so much.

I’m pleased we tailored our trip with our last stop at the Red Sea, although Hurghada is very much a resort, the free beach/lagoon day was needed for the kids (I think they we templed out by the end of Luxor). We went snorkelling and dolphin spotting on our last travel-free day, which is an experience I don’t think any of us will forget.

Even though we were guide-free in Hurghada, we still felt looked after with all our transport and transfers back home covered and well communicated. Meeting Harris again at Cairo felt like meeting an old friend, and once again he guided us to our day hotel and transferred us back to our gate for our eventual flight home.

– The 4WD surfing on the dunes was a real hair-raiser, with our driver getting ever more adventurous as our screams of surprise grew. We thought it was brilliant! but with the back seat belts not working I can imagine some more cautious families would not be as enthusiastic.

– The whale fossils were a real surprise and the site was very well looked after.

– The Valley of the Workers was also a surprise – the colours after so much time, and within such confined space, are very impressive.

– We were not that fussed about the waterfall – looks man-made and there are many others, more impressive, around the world.

– We would happily have missed the pottery lesson and had more time in the pool at the lodge – which had lovely rooms.

– The only thing we saw in Memphis was the large statue found in a field.  Impressive statue but is there nothing else there worth seeing?

– The koshary lunch at Abu Sunouk was delicious.

– All the hotels were good – we got an upgrade at Aswan to a suite and enjoyed a wonderful view from our balcony over the Nile.

– We weren’t overly fussed with the hotel in Luxor. The pool was amazing but they closed the pools at sunset (5.30 pm) so we didn’t have much time when we got back from our activity. Lots of noisy group tours, a big soulless dining room and the service in the smaller restaurants was poor.

– Tips: we reckon we spent about £500 on tips overall and would recommend visitors get this money out at the start to avoid countless trips to the ATM’s. Plus everyone has ready access to lots of small notes (5, 10 and 20’s) for tips and toilets. Ahmed shared an A4 sheet with tip recommendations which he had then broken down for each element of the day so we could get the tip money ready at the start of each day.

– Drinks: these are expensive in the hotels and at the sites so we stopped off at supermarkets before reaching each hotel to stock up on water, soft drinks and snacks.

Thank you Emma for all your patience in setting up an itinerary to suit our family and providing a wonderful holiday we will not forget. 

I actually enjoyed the felucca! We weren’t on it for that long – one afternoon and one evening were all, also the support boat was a massive thing so that was good. Overnight was fun too so pleased you persuaded me.

The hot air balloon was fab – a real highlight. 

Our guide Ayman was fantastic throughout and I think we were very lucky to have him. Immense Egyptology knowledge, very personable, and great with the kids.  He also managed to sort out a number of local things for us.  I think that there was a slight confusion locally as we had him for 11 days and then a new guide for Fayoum (I think he indicated that he thought our trip was only 11 days).  Not an issue for us.

Day 1 – we did the Civilisation Museum and the Egyptian Museum on the same day which meant limited time in the Egyptian museum (enough for the kids but I would have spent more time!! Also, it closed an hour earlier due to Ramadan).  This may have been down to rearranging pyramids for Day 11 so no issue.

Day 3 – the meal with the Nubian family was great.  We also had a great lunch at a local Nubian restaurant organised by the guide on the way back from the Philae Temple. 

Day 4  – Abu Simbel – definitely worth going.  Glad we managed the flight option or it would have made for a very long day if we had driven with the Felucca in the afternoon.  Might have been a bit better to have had an earlier flight as the afternoon getting to the Felucca was a bit rushed, but guess this was down to flight availability.

 Loved the Felucca, as did the girls.  Was good to share the Felucca evening with other Stubborn Mule clients.

Days 6 and 7 – we swapped Karnak and Valley of the Kings.  This was primarily down to us doing the balloon trip on the 7th so did Karnak that day.  The balloon trip was amazing.

Both Karnak and Valley of the Kings surpassed my expectations massively, especially the Valley of the Kings.  We paid the extra tickets to get into additional tombs / Tutankhamun / and Seti 1.  Seti’s tomb was amazing and glad we paid the extra (maybe worth mentioning in the notes as an option as it was amazing) – hard to believe the decoration is thousands of years old. 

We also went to the Luxor Temple as an extra, which was good. 

Day 8 – we organised to go via El Alamein on the way to Alexandria which was good and interesting.  Had we not spent this day going to El Alamein, and went direct to Alexandria, I think 2 nights would have been sufficient. as we were finished off by early afternoon on both days.  Enjoyed Alexandria – a very different feel – tram and bus tours were good.  Aymen organised dinner at a very good fish restaurant where I think he got us a good deal – he also afterward treated the girls to an ice cream which they really enjoyed. 

Fayoum – we really enjoyed the time in the desert as something very different to the rest of the trip.  The girls loved the pottery making and we even managed to get the creations home in one piece. On our last free day, I arranged with Ayman to do a day trip (just me) to Saqqarah which was good.

On our transfer to the airport for our return flight, the representative was extremely helpful with assisting us through security.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the trip – I have thousands of photos to sort out!!.

He made the stories of the gods and pharaohs come alive for our children, and for the grown-ups he was able to provide great detail on all the sites, interpretations, differing theories etc. He also went out of his way to ensure our comfort, including helping us to find medicine for our son when he was unwell. He really went above and beyond our expectations!

We have no criticisms at all but do have a little helpful (we hope) feedback. Firstly, we would advise anyone taking a shy teenage girl with them that they should certainly encourage them to leave their traditional western summer wear behind and to dress modestly.

Our other tip would be, if doing the overnight felucca, take a sleeping bag not just a sheet. It was a cool night and a sheet and blanket didn’t quite cut it. A travel pillow and mosquito net would also be advisable.

We also found that giving our guide a kitty for tip money (totalling approx £200) made life so much easier in terms of when to tip and how much. We left it to Ahmad to sort which he did.

And, just a little bit of advice, try and learn the language even if it’s just to say thank you. We only said thank you in Arabic and everyone we interacted with really appreciated the effort.

So all in all an incredible holiday which has made us all fall in love with Egypt to the extent that we will be going back. In the meantime, I’m off to learn Arabic and to look into where we can travel to next year with Stubborn Mule Travel.

Thank you all once again. Hope your Christmas is as great as you’ve made ours!!

On all of our trips, I always ask the family what they liked and what they didn’t so I can provide you with honest feedback.  For J, it was the Valley of the Kings and being able to enter the Tombs. A also had this as his highlight. For M, it was the horse and carriage ride to and from Karnak Temple and the swimming pools!  Considering she was the one who wanted to visit the Pyramids, that didn’t make it her top 3!  She had this weird vision there would be shops inside the Pyramids?!!!

Hotels were much nicer than what we’ve been used to so I’m not sure if we opted for nicer hotels or if they are generally nicer in Egypt.  To have 2 rooms with a connecting door felt like a lovely luxury compared to being in a family room.

We ended up visiting the Pyramids first thing on our first day.  We thought we had a leisurely start so meeting Samah at 8.30 am was a shock to the system.  In the end, it was fine as it would have been far too hot to visit the Pyramids in the afternoon and the museum would have been rushed.  We stopped at Kom Ombo and Edfu when driving from Aswan to Luxor.  The total drive was around 5 hours. For us, it wasn’t an issue as I always have plenty of snacks.

We’ve come home with plenty of souvenirs and promise to share some of J’s photos soon.

I don’t think I have anything negative to say about the holiday.

PS While I remember, thank you for recommending we have someone with us throughout our holiday.  Having someone deal with everything (particularly when there is a language barrier) really allowed us to enjoy the trip.  And giving her money to tip along the way made it much easier for us.  I suspect families may be nervous to have someone with them all the time however Samah was great.  She wasn’t ever intrusive, gave us plenty of advice on restaurants, and knew so much about all of the sights.  She helped with check-in to ensure we had connecting rooms and always gave us plenty of free time at sights to take pictures.  She also told us in advance if the next day would be a long one or not so we could plan accordingly.

The train and felucca nights were also highlights, but probably not the best night’s sleep, so consider these as an experience, rather than for comfort.  

We added a week in Hurghada/Red Sea to recover at the end, which was very much needed and appreciated.

My boys said this was their best family holiday yet (and we’ve had a few good ones!) so a winner for us all round. 

A few pointers – be prepared for no wifi in many places (it can be intermittent at best in some hotels), and we wished we’d bought a SIM card at the airport – not having access to a phone caused a few issues along the way. 

You also need to accept that Egyptian standards and levels of service are not what you might be used to in other holiday destinations, so patience and understanding can be required at times, but if things aren’t right, they do their best to make good.

Overall – a wonderful holiday we would recommend. Thank you.

The girls particularly enjoyed the trip into the desert at Fayoum and sand-boarding, and the night on the felucca was great! The support boat meant that there was absolutely no concern regarding washing and going to the loo and so we would tell anyone slightly put off by the thought of ‘basic facilities’ to not worry… was all perfectly clean and swimming in the Nike at sunset was fantastic.

Sherif was also able to sort out hot-air ballooning at the Valley of the Kings at dawn which was unforgettable and much better value than other hot-air balloon trips we have thought about and discounted in the past!

All in all, it was another marvellous holiday and we can’t thank you enough… will forward you some photos in due course!

We loved all the sites, as did the kids. You couldn’t fail to be impressed by the pyramids, temples and tombs! The 2 museums in Cairo were also both brilliant. No one got bored of the sightseeing once. It felt well balanced with some downtime each day. 

The train was an experience. The kids slept well, the adults less so! I wouldn’t want to be doing it that often but we all enjoyed the experience, it helped make the whole trip feel like a real adventure. 

The boat was lovely – the people were so nice, and the food delicious. We slept well and really enjoyed the relaxing environment. Only problem was the mosquitoes… we put repellent on but perhaps an even stronger one for this night would have been a good idea.

It was HOT. Especially in Aswan and Luxor to a lesser degree. But we were prepared for this and took mini fans and cooling towels which helped to an extent. But we managed fine, we started early and rested in the afternoons and enjoyed pool time. So it was totally fine but you were right to warn us about it.  

I will be back in touch about Morocco – Egypt has definitely given us a taste for trips like this and we’ve really enjoyed the Stubborn Mule experience. Thank you so much for arranging such a fab tip for us. 

I would have liked timings on the schedule so I could have been aware of pick-up times. The guides were great at informing us when we were there but I personally like to know in advance details like this. 

The Cairo hotel was lovely and fantastically placed for the pyramids. It was clean, the room size was good and the staff were all very friendly.

The guide Abu was great very informative and very friendly. And Harry who met us at the airport was fab too. The trips that we did were great, I think if we had tried to squeeze any more in with the boys it would have been too much but it worked really well. 

Your tipping guide was essential and really helped us there. 

The hotel at Luxor was nice, the rooms were small but the hotel was very friendly and perfect for the boys. The trips were great here as well and I think I should mention all of the cars were very clean and spacious which was great. 

The last hotel near the airport looked amazing and the rooms were stunning.

We really did have a brilliant time!

La Bedouina in Jordan were also great. Our driver Naim was lovely, so kind and generous and also very knowledgeable having a degree in Byzantine studies! We were offered, and accepted, a free upgrade on the Bedouin camp and stayed at Wadi Rum Space Village Luxury Camp. This was amazing, nicer than some hotels. This for me was a highlight and I want to return and spend longer. They have a facebook page but I can send photos for reference if that helps.

In both countries I was really impressed with how smoothly everything ran. We never had to wait for transport, bookings were organised, everyone was expecting us, we felt like royalty!

In summary I would thoroughly recommend the whole experience and I will be telling all my friends to go. Before travelling lots of people were saying “ooh it’s so dangerous” but we felt safe the whole time. The locals were always friendly; they enjoyed the banter as much as we did! I can’t wait to return.

I look forward to working with you again in the future.

Tour came together well, had not realised that unlike Sri Lanka we would have a tour leader, driver and guide. We had very good local guides, which was important to enjoy the sights. Itinerary was flexible, we did Cairo on one day. Necessary as traffic has to be seen to be believed. Added in Ramesseum in Luxor, also worth a visit. Tour leader Abdo very friendly, helpful and organised – do pass on our thanks.

Felucca was great. Swam in the Nile. Kept awake by cats and dogs but a great experience. Good to have the support boat with proper loos etc.

Pleased we did not go to Abu Simbel as time well spent in Aswan.

Very little to fault. Main frustration was needing to pay extra for what were options but hard to see families not doing them. These included going in the great pyramid, seeing King Tuts tomb and the mummies in the Egyptian museum.

Overall a very high standard tour that we would happily do again tomorrow…

PS thinking of next year now. Peru current favourite but Costa Rica another option.

We also added Rammesseum and Medinet Habu when we were already on the West Bank as otherwise when you return into Luxor there would not be much time left to visit anything else since temples and museums close at 4 p.m.

On the day traveling from Aswan to Luxor maybe one could have included a stop at Esna and visit the temple of Khnum since again once one arrives at Luxor it is too late to visit anything else. But again, that´s just a suggestion and some visitors might be less active and need more rest with the heat whereas we are quite used to this.

Anyway had a fantastic time and will always recommend you.

The guides and drivers were generally very good and knowledgeable. For us, they were perhaps too attentive. I appreciate that many people need reassurance and the fact the ‘fixer’ in each town rang us everyday to check we were ok was a nice touch, but it became a bit overbearing for us. But that is just being picky.

… One thing I would suggest you recommend to people is to take mosquito nets for the felucca trip…

Other than that, it was spot on.

Mohammed was excellent, informed, ready to answer questions, available, pleasant company, funny, understanding, open and went out of his way to make our tour of Egypt relaxing and enjoyable. A great tour guide and a wonderful person. (Feedback from Dad)

Our tour was made very easy by Mohammed. He’s very knowledgeable about the history of Egypt. He’s the best guide we’ve had. Very easy to talk to and really looked after us. (Feedback from Mum).

Feedback from F (aged 13)
I had an amazing time! All of the temples, tombs, pyramids, camel rides, donkey rides etc were excellent! The best thing that made it as fun as it was was Sim Sim! He is so easy going, he knows so many interesting facts about Egypt! He is the best tour guide EVER!!!

Feedback from son
Sem Sem is basically superman, which is good.

Feedback from Dad
This is the first time that we have had an adventure type holiday and I am now sure that it will not be the last. Sim Sim is an excellent ambassador for your company and an asset to Egypt. Egypt is extremely varied and utterly amazing. We certainly hope to come again. One small thing – it would be good to advise travellers to bring a sheet to sleep under on the felucca as mosquitos were a pain.

Your communication, planning, and pre-trip materials were all excellent and extremely informative.

Scariest moment: landing in Cairo on Egypt Air – most out-of-control landing I’ve ever experienced!
Cairo hotel and airport transport – perfectly fine.

We met Sem-Sem the next morning, and that began 6 days of learning and fun in his good hands. He was absolutely perfect for us. Being an Egyptologist, a scout leader, a dad, and also young and energetic, he was always informative and fun.

We felt completely safe with him. One of the nicest little perks of his service was that he took care of every single tip up front. He had made a long list of what they all would be, calculated it, and asked us for that money up front, and then wherever we went all week, he handed us an envelope with the tip in it. Honestly, tipping just stresses me out, and he completely removed that stress from the trip. He also helped us navigate the pushy salespeople and vendors by being firm but always respectful and kind.

Our day at the Cairo Museum and Pyramids was great. We were practically alone at the pyramids, which was just amazing. Egypt Museum was a little creepy, being surrounded by military tanks, but SemSem put us at ease. And inside the museum itself was very cool.

We loved the overnight train. Super fun.

Dinner with the Nubian family, Philae Temple, various little boat rides, camel rides, and lastly our felucca ride were all great.

Hotels in Aswan and Luxor great.

I guess every detail of the Egypt portion was great. Use Sem Sem again, if you can. Really.

On to Jordan:
Our driver, Ashraf, was very good. He really looked after us, talked to us about what he knew, even though he was not an official guide, was nice with the kids, kept us company when appropriate and left us some space as well. We didn’t have the same emotional connection to him that we did to Sem Sem, but he really grew on us, and by the end of the trip we were very fond of him.

The Roman Ruins at Jerash were okay. They no longer do the chariot races, which we found out when we arrived, even though supposedly they haven’t been doing them for a long time. It’s a cool site, but the local guide we got was pretty lame. We would have had more fun exploring it on our own, I think.

The crusader castles we saw were really fun.

The Amman hotel was nice. Excellent food.

The Dead Sea swim was great. Lovely resort. Relaxing, nice place.

Petra hotel was friendly but kind of dingy. We didn’t mind, but you might make a note of it for pickier travelers than us. Their food was okay, but their chef was particularly nice and did a lovely birthday cake and singing for our son who turned 10 while we were there.
Our Petra guide was okay. We did learn some stuff from him, but again, it might have been better to be running around there on our own. The kids began to feel a little “guided-out.” We LOVED our day exploring Petra.

The next day we ended up having some extra time in the morning and we stopped in for the second time to Little Petra, which the kids loved best of all. We even happened upon some archaeologists doing a dig near the Neolithic Site there at Little Petra. They welcomed the kids over and put tools in their hands and let them help out with the dig. It was an awesome spontaneous experience.

The Wadi Rum desert drive was very cool. Every site we stopped at was special. The desert camp was perfect. And they too did a really nice job helping W celebrate his birthday.

Ashraf drove us to the border, where we picked up some kind of border agent, who held our hand through the border station, and we walked into Israel. Couldn’t have been easier!
So again, thank you for everything, and I can assure you that I would highly recommend your services to anyone looking to do a trip like ours. It was the trip of a lifetime. Thank you!