EGYPT - NILE 2
Due to the success of NILE in
March of 2010 we have decided to do a second trip in
2012
Link here
Details on the Nile,
March 2012
Specially Arranged by Ker & Downey for Brown and Keene Travel
Escorted by Ken Hutyra and Ngaire Keene Hutyra
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Ngaire,
I have finally gotten
the chance to put into words what an
incredible trip NILE was.
Mark and I had always
wanted to go to Egypt, and walk
where the ancients had walked;
nothing was so awe-inspiring to us,
as citizens of a very "young"
country. We were always a little
uneasy about how to go about
planning a trip like this; so much
to see, how do you get from one
place to another, and how safe is
it, anyway? When we found out that
NILE was going to happen, that was
all we needed. What could be
better? A group of friends, our
favorite travel agent, and history
all around us.
From the minute we
stepped off the plane in Cairo, we
felt like celebrities. Not for us
the bus to the terminal, the line
for immigration, then the line for
the visa, then pick up luggage and
find transportation. We were
whisked away from the foot of the
stairs as we came off the plane, and
taken to an air conditioned lounge,
where we waited in comfort with our
drink of choice. Our passports were
taken, all necessary things were
done, luggage was collected, and we
met up with it at the mini-van. We
had a driver and and escort, who
told us what we were seeing (after
he presented me with a bouquet of
flowers) on the way to the hotel.
Once we got to our hotel, we were
again escorted into a lounge while
being checked in. Then we were
escorted to our room, to make sure
everything was just right.
Every tour, every
excursion was done with our comfort
and happiness in mind. We had a "do
it all, top speed" group and a "do
what we can, at our own speed"
group. Each group had a driver, an
Egyptologist to tell us what we were
seeing, an escort from the Egyptian
government, and most of the time
there was a tourist police car
escorting us. We were never really
told about all of this, it was
simply done because South Sinai
Tours thought it was the proper way
to treat us as their guests.
We had our own, very
private showing of the "sound and
light show" at the Giza Pyramids, in
a venue that would hold about 2500
people. There were 27 of us, we all
had front row seats. We were
invited into the private home of Mr.
Antoine, the president of South
Sinai Tours, for dinner with him and
his staff. His home is amazing, and
the gardens are beyond description.
He made us feel like honored guests
in his home, and the food was some
of the best we had, during our
entire trip. On the way there, we
were all on the "big" bus; I looked
out the window and commented that
the smaller bus was beside us in
traffic. I was told that Mr.
Antoine provided that in case
somebody got overly tired and needed
to go back to Cairo early.
Every single thing
that one of us thought we might
need, South Sinai had already
thought of it and provided it.
For our trip out of
Cairo, to see Abu Simbel and cruise
the Nile, we had our Egyptologists
along (one for each group), and Mr.
Antoine sent along our good friend
Hossam (he met us at the airport and
delivered us back when we eventually
headed home) to make sure every
single moment of our trip was
perfection itself. We never checked
ourselves into a hotel room; we sat
and chatted while it was done for
us. On our Nile cruise, we ended up
having the boat to ourselves, at
every stop South Sinai was there
with two buses and more of their
staff to accompany us. Our escorts
had assistants! Every bus had a
refrigerator on it with an endless
supply of cold bottled water.
The boat cruise along
the Nile was wonderful. The food
was perfect; I would go to every
meal planning to eat lightly. I
would roll myself out of the dining
room after every meal; there was no
way to eat lightly, the food was
simply too good.
Every hotel we stayed
in was 5* at least. Breakfast was
included, and some dinners; I
honestly don't remember how many
dinners, but there were a lot of
them.
If I were telling
somebody who was planning a trip to
Egypt who to talk to, it would
always be Brown and Keene, because
they would use Ker &
Downey, and South Sinai Tours.
There are none better.
Pam & Mark Lurie
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Dear Ngaire,
Ray and I would like to
thank you and Brown and Keene for the
wonderful trip to Egypt and Jordan this
past March. When we did a Suez Canal
cruise back in 2005 Ray said, “we are
coming back to do a Nile cruise and land
tour”. Return we did and what a
wonderful experience it turned out to
be.
From the time we stepped
off our BA flight, only to be met at the
gate by Hossam, our wonderful logistic’s
man from South Sinai travel, who led us
to a VIP Lounge while he took care of
our visas and luggage to our deposit at
our beautiful hotel, the service was
excellent. Felt like a celebrity or a
movie star with this VIP service.
I think the fact that you
arranged for two buses and two
Egyptologists was the greatest thing for
us as Ray was able to “do-it-all” with
Hany while I could do just “the
highlights”with Henry on those days I
felt like it. The guides as well as the
people we met in Egypt and Jordan made
us feel truly welcome.
Egypt, for me, was
awesome as well as magical. Our private
Sight and Sound tour of the Great
Pyramids sitting there, in front of the
Sphinx, where Cleopatra as well as
Napoleon once stood made you realize how
insignificant we are. Hard to believe we
were the only ones there when it
normally holds hundreds. As if this
wasn’t enough, to be taken to a private
yacht for a dinner cruise on the Nile
was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
Another wonderful night
was being a guest of our host, Antoine
Riad, Chairman of South Sinai Travel, in
his beautiful home for dinner. What a
delightful man he is, so warm and
welcoming to all of us.
I would be hard put to
choose the most outstanding sites, from
the Aswan Dam, Luxor, Cairo to Petra in
Jordan and our fabulous Cruise up the
Nile...shades of Agatha Christi....was
fantastic.
If I had one complaint it
would be, that the time flew by so
quickly....it always does when you are
having such a wonderful time with great
people.
I have started a Blurb
book on Egypt and Jordon and will let
you know when it’s completed.
Once again, many thanks
Ngaire, to you and Ken for putting
together this outstanding Nile tour.
Till our next adventure
together,
Pat and Ray Mongeau. |
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Ngaire, I
have been somewhat remiss in not sending
you a note expressing Cheron and my
appreciation for our trip to Egypt. I
had intended to write a commemorative
poem to express our pleasure but the
loneliness of being away from Ken and
you blocked my creative juices so I am
herewith being more conventional. As you
know, NILE was the first group endeavor
for Cheron and I. We could not have been
more pleased. Not only were our fellow
travelers truly a joy to be with, the
services provided and the extra
activities you created could not have
been duplicated on our own. We fully
expected to be impressed with the many
wonders of Egypt's past but we had not
really expected the high level of travel
services and friendliness of the
Egyptian people. Tourism is the
principal business in Egypt and it
appears that everyone wants to leave a
positive impression. I had a distinct
feeling that Egyptians have a real
fondness for Americans. We have been
asked by several people if Egypt is safe
to which we emphatically answer in the
affirmative. At no time during the trip
did we feel at all ill at ease. The
local tour company with whom you
associated, South Sinai Travel, had
incredibly talented personnel in Hany,
Henry and Hossam. Each was attentive,
knowledgeable and friendly and each had
a great sense of humor. The warmth and
generosity of the Egyptian people could
not have better displayed than by South
Sinai's owner, Antoine, who opened his
home to us for a wonderful dinner and
evening of conversation and I presume it
was Antoine who orchestrated the private
sound and light show just for our
group's viewing.
I think a true testament to the
success of NILE is the fact that when it
was time to return home, we both were
sad that we had not extended our trip to
Jordan. Often toward the end a trip I
get antsy to get home but in this case,
whether it was Egypt and the Egyptian
people or you, Ken and all our fellow
travelers or both, neither of us were
anxious to leave the group. Thanks for
the experience.
Cheron and Mark |
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Ngaire,
With our move from Houston
to Hilton Head Island, June and I
have neglected to tell you just how
much we treasure our experience a
couple months ago on NILE. In a
word, it was fabulous. June often
tells friends and acquaintances that
It was the very best trip we've ever
taken, whether cruise or land tour.
The tour group of 27 people
was friendly and compatible, and
everyone got along tremendously well
with each other. The Egyptian
travel agency we worked with, South
Sinai Travel (SST), was
extraordinarily efficient, We were
met at the Cairo airport and even
before passing through immigration
and customs, we were whisked to a
private lounge. While we waited
comfortably there, the SST
representative secured our visas,
then escorted us as VIPs through
immigration, helped us locate our
luggage from the carousel, and then
accompanied us quickly through
customs. A very nice private
minivan carried us across Cairo to
our hotel, the Four Seasons in Giza,
which was on the Nile and whose
service and accommodations were
outstanding in every imaginable
way. The tone for our entire tour
was thus set at the highest level
from the outset, and so it remained.
The SST tour
guides included very well educated
Egyptologists who spoke English
fluently, and at every site we
visited they were able to give us a
very knowledgeable description of
what we were seeing and the history
behind it. June and I were with
Ken's "do it all" group, but our
friend Adelene stayed with
your smaller group for people who
couldn't manage strenuous activity,
and both groups benefited from
having an outstanding Egyptologist
along.
After several days in
Cairo, we flew on a domestic
Egyptair flight to Aswan. We and
our luggage were expedited through
airport security and the airline
check-in, and both the aircraft and
the airports were excellent. At no
time throughout our twelve days on
NILE did we feel uneasy in any way
about our safety or security. The
SST guides managed every detail
smoothly. The group tours in Cairo,
Giza, Aswan, and Luxor were
outstanding. Our hotel in Aswan was
first-rate, and the Nile cruise ship
provided recently refurbished
staterooms and truly excellent food
and service.
NILE was a tremendous
value and a wonderful experience
from beginning to end. The only
thing I would have changed was our
choice of airlines from JFK- CAI and
then from CAI-JFK. June and I had
chosen to fly on Egyptair, primarily
because it had a direct flight, The
aircraft were OK and the food
service in Business Class was
generally acceptable, but, it being
Egyptair, there was no alcohol
served on board during those two
long international flights.
We loved the trip, Ngaire,
and we would do it again. Thanks so
much for this truly fabulous travel
experience.
Art and
June Smith
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A note to thank you for
arranging the most wonderful trip to
Egypt and Jordan. We especially
appreciated the time taken by the
Egyptologists to explain all the sites
in a manner that we could understand
with just the right amount of detail. As
they were with us every step of the way
they became more than guides but
friends. That makes for a memorable
experience.
Before we left home we were
a little concerned about being in such a
foreign land with a culture so different
from ours. That was a concern that left
us from our first introduction to our
Egyptologists and the other staff from
South Sinai Travel. It was interesting
to see and learn how important the
safety of tourists such as our group is
to the country of Egypt. From our
steps off the plane where we were met by
the escort that managed all the arrival
details from getting our visas to our
luggage to all the final departure this
was a most wonderful trip.
As you
advised a trip to Egypt must include a
cruise on the Nile and a visit to Abu
Simbel. How correct you are. The
evening at the home of the owner of
South Sinai Travel was a night we will
always remember. What a fantastic
experience. We can not wait to
place ourselves in your fine hands for
our next adventure.
Ralph and Carol |
Going to
Egypt was always a plan for us, but
Jordan wasn't. We hadn't visited the
Mideast because of security concerns.
We
are so glad we went, as it was among the
most fascinating trips we have ever had.
We were met with an unexpected
pro-American attitude that was entirely
unexpected. Both children and adults
reached out and share their culture with
us and welcomed us to their countries.
Security was omnipresent and the
security personnel were so kind and
helpful. The sites were not to be missed
and the people made it all the more
special.
Egypt had ever so much to visit
and Jordan was a delightful country with
everything from lovely beach resorts to
exquisite deserts to incredible
archeological finds and ruins.
Additionally, the tour operators were
excellent--warm and flexible with such a
great desire to please. We had
absolutely no complaints except the trip
was too short! We will certainly return.
Andrea and Doug |
I have always been a lover of ancient
Egypt. Having had a taste two times off
of cruise ships, I really wanted to
spend at least two weeks with a Nile
cruise to see the ancient and new that I
hadn't been able to with a drop in and
out in one or two days. People say
"Aren't you worried about going to
Egypt?" . To be honest, I knew that on a
Brown and Keene trip I would be well
taken care of. From meet and greet, to
our great guide leading us through
departure, we were well taken care of
with great security. The Egyptian
government doesn't want anything to
happen to tourists. We are an important
economic driver.
We stayed at lovely
hotels in the nicest parts of town. My
husband and I walked along the Nile,
went to markets and even the Zoo where
we were the only non-Egyptians there and
never felt uncomfortable. They did want
to take our picture with their
children. Your chances of being hit by a
car is far greater than an attack.
Crossing a street is an adventure.
Being with a group is a plus. Not only
is it well organized so you do feel
comfortable, but it fun to share this
adventure with other people who are well
traveled. So if you are considering a
trip--GO. The time will never be better
Pam and Jim |
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Dear Ngaire,
Just a quick note to
thank you for the awesome trip you
organized. Jim and I are still
talking about what a wonderful time
we had in Egypt on NILE; it was one
of our best "land based" vacations
ever!
The guides from South
Sinai travel were fantastic:
in-depth knowledge, infinite
patience, inexhaustible energy, and
always smiling and willing to share
their wonderful country with us. The
private Sound and Light show at the
pyramids was amazing. With only our
group right in front of the Pyramids
of Giza at sunset with the call to
prayer in the background -
priceless!
The sites were as awe
inspiring as we expected. It's
still incredible to think we were
walking through temples that were
many thousands of years old and the
product of an advanced civilization
with exceptional engineering and
scientific knowledge before the
Greek empire began its rise.
We were impressed
with the quality of
the accommodations, the food, and
most of all the people of Egypt. We
didn't really know what to expect -
you get a very distorted view
watching American television -
but once we arrived it was clear the
whole country is really dedicated to
and organized for tourism. I was
surprised to learn it was their
biggest "industry" and also
surprised at the truly international
nature of the tourists themselves.
We felt very safe everywhere we went
and that allowed us to relax and
enjoy learning about the history and
the culture of the country.
We always look
forward to our adventures with you
and are eagerly awaiting our next
journey.
All the best,
Mary Ellen and Jim
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"Egypt
has long been on my wish list, but
since I was a woman travelling
alone, safety was a major concern
for me. When I learned that Ngaire
was organizing a trip to Egypt, I
jumped at the opportunity. Knowing
Ngaire's organizing skills, I knew
that the trip would be first-class
from start to finish. I can now say
that my expectations were not only
met but far exceeded.
The
itinerary was excellent and
well-executed. We were on a
schedule to see the best that Egypt
had to offer, but I really never
felt rushed or overwhelmed. The
hotels were excellent
and well-located. The tour guides
we had in Egypt were flawless. Not
only were they personable and
knowledgeable, they were genuinely
caring and catered to everyone's
needs. They streamlined airport
arrivals and departures (no small
feat in a country with tight
security).
We had
security with us when we travelled
in certain areas, and they
were watchful but never intrusive.
At no time did I ever feel unsafe.
A real
highlight and treat was dinner at
Antoine's house, the owner of the
tour company. It was a lovely
evening, with wonderful food and
spectacular gardens to stroll
through.
Another
great moment was the private sound
and light show at the pyramids.
Since we were the only people there
at the time, we sat right up
front (now I know how royalty
feels!) and enjoyed the
spectacular pyramids lit up in
different colors.
The Nile
cruise was very enjoyable, and I
wish I could have spent more time in
Lhave spent more time in
Luxor. It is an open-air museum and
I could have stayed here for
another week. There is just so much
to see in Egypt.
All in
all, this trip was definitely one of
my favorite trips ever. My thanks to
Ngaire and Ker and Downey for
planning this amazing trip!
Susan
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