Egypt

I can only describe Cairo as organized chaos..... cars, car horns, traffic congestion, people and more people. Then you have the Nile, Giza Pyramids, history, camels, hawkers, heat (nice temperature in mid October, late 20s), security checks and scanned bags at each of the tourist locations to ensure your site visits are safe and then tour guides directing tourists and parting their knowledge to educate you in the wonders of Egypt. The tour company to take care of you and all your needs is Insight Vacations. Our particular tour guide was Hazem. He took our group for the 6 nights / 7 days from Cairo to Abdul Simbel and the major historical sites in between Luxor, Edfu and Aswan. Being an Egyptologist he had a wealth of knowledge and he had a warm and caring personality to match that makes the week of sight seeing activities and travel an art form. His story telling into all the sites (around Pharaohs, God's and Kings plus an occasional Queen) makes it easy to get immersed into the Egyptian history. You want to hear more and more and how the stories all end up and how they intertwine with other aspects of the Egyptian and world history. You visit the sites of the Pyramids, Temples (each of them unique in their own way) plus The Valley of the Kings. You also get to visit an Egyptian family making bread, sail on a Felucca on the Nile and have high tea at the famous hotel of Cataract in Aswan all of which are truly memorable and the photos that you take are memories you will keep forever. 

Travel tips: Make sure to book your tour to Egypt early (12 months if possible) with Insight Vacations to ensure you get the tour dates you want. At least 6 months in advance refer with your Doctor as some inoculations may be necessary. Take Egyptian pounds with USD as back up. Keep small 5 Egyptian pounds for any public toilet stops. Take a small pack of tissues just in case, hand sanitizer, small sun umbrella, sunscreen and insect repellant. Travel in mid October and you should experience late 20s in Cairo up to mid 30s in Abu Simbel. 

My overall impression of Egypt is an absolute rewarding and enriching one. Yes there is chaos in the streets of Cairo with cars and the hustle and bustle of the people but that is what Cairo is all about. Yes there is continual security checks but that is to make it safe for the tourists. All my time travelling around Egypt I felt safe. You are being expertly looked after by an amazing tour company in Insight Vacations with their tour director and support network to make your trip a truly memorable experience.