Sep 17, 2008
A big U.S. tour operator has resumed operating well-priced packages to Egypt, including trans-Atlantic air and a 3-night Nile cruise
On the late afternoon of the day in 1977 when Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat surprised the world by announcing he was going to Israel to address the Israeli Knesset, the first step in negotiation of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, I went running out to Kennedy Airport without even a suitcase to board a flight to Cairo. I was then a tour operator and it was obvious that tourism to Egypt was about to explode. On arrival in Cairo, I rushed to the Mena House Oberoi Hotel next to the Pyramids, met with its manager, signed a hastily-drafted contract for the use of 80 rooms a night in a modern and just-finished annex to that historic hotel, and left his office with a signed agreement (the key to bringing more tourists to a hotel-jammed city) just minutes before several European tour operators arrived at the Oberoi seeking the same rooms -- too late! To someone who was then a tour operator, this was the equivalent of a home run.
My company, Arthur Frommer International, Inc., began within days to operate a "back-to-back" weekly charter program to Cairo, and continued operating that program for nearly three years. On numerous follow-up trips to Egypt, I had an opportunity to experience for myself the wonders of Egypt. It is a destination that comes as close as any other to being an absolutely indispensable visit for any mentally-alive person. The Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Archaeological Museum in downtown Cairo (with relics of Tut), the Nile and the glories of "Upper Egypt" (Luxor and Aswan, Abu Simbel, The Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Nobles) -- and the fun of being in a country whose population is well disposed to tourists and has been receiving them for hundreds of years -- are all a thrilling travel opportunity.
It is thus with sadness that I saw the drop-off in American tourism to Egypt, starting in the late 1990s in the wake of major terrorist attacks upon tourists. While American tourism came to a halt, European tourism to Egypt continued and grew. Literally millions of European and other Middle Eastern tourists continue to visit Egypt each year, and regard the visit as one of the memorable highlights of their travel life. They also find that the cost of visiting Egypt is extremely reasonable -- the price structure is low.
There are growing indications that after several years of improved security within the country, that Americans in large numbers are beginning to return to Egypt -- and they definitely should. The biggest proof of that return is the publication this past month of a catalog of reasonably-priced air-and-land packages to Egypt by the long-established Central Holidays (tel. 800/935-5000 or 201/228-5200; www.centralholidays.com), one of the nation's largest tour companies. And although their average tour (spending seven nights in Egypt) in high-season winter of 2008-09 will cost around $2,400 per person, that price is not only for round-trip air between New York and Cairo, four nights in five-star Cairo hotels (Le Meridien Pyramids for 3 nights and Sonesta Heliopolos for 1 night), air transportation within Egypt from Cairo to Aswan and back from Luxor to Cairo, and a 3-night cruise on the Nile with all-inclusive arrangements (comfortable cabins, all meals, all daily sightseeing), as well as transfers and sightseeing in Cairo.
Considering that this package takes you to Upper Egypt after a thorough exposure to Cairo, and then places you a cruiseship with all the amenities and features of a Nile cruise (including daily shore excursions to the remains of ancient Egypt), and considering as well that it includes round-trip non-stop trans-Atlantic airfare to Egypt, it is fairly priced, affording you a comprehensive visit and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Though you'll have to scare up $2,000-or-so, you'll spend very little in addition to that sum.
Egypt is worth it; this is one of the greatest of all travel experiences.
My company, Arthur Frommer International, Inc., began within days to operate a "back-to-back" weekly charter program to Cairo, and continued operating that program for nearly three years. On numerous follow-up trips to Egypt, I had an opportunity to experience for myself the wonders of Egypt. It is a destination that comes as close as any other to being an absolutely indispensable visit for any mentally-alive person. The Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Archaeological Museum in downtown Cairo (with relics of Tut), the Nile and the glories of "Upper Egypt" (Luxor and Aswan, Abu Simbel, The Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Nobles) -- and the fun of being in a country whose population is well disposed to tourists and has been receiving them for hundreds of years -- are all a thrilling travel opportunity.
It is thus with sadness that I saw the drop-off in American tourism to Egypt, starting in the late 1990s in the wake of major terrorist attacks upon tourists. While American tourism came to a halt, European tourism to Egypt continued and grew. Literally millions of European and other Middle Eastern tourists continue to visit Egypt each year, and regard the visit as one of the memorable highlights of their travel life. They also find that the cost of visiting Egypt is extremely reasonable -- the price structure is low.
There are growing indications that after several years of improved security within the country, that Americans in large numbers are beginning to return to Egypt -- and they definitely should. The biggest proof of that return is the publication this past month of a catalog of reasonably-priced air-and-land packages to Egypt by the long-established Central Holidays (tel. 800/935-5000 or 201/228-5200; www.centralholidays.com), one of the nation's largest tour companies. And although their average tour (spending seven nights in Egypt) in high-season winter of 2008-09 will cost around $2,400 per person, that price is not only for round-trip air between New York and Cairo, four nights in five-star Cairo hotels (Le Meridien Pyramids for 3 nights and Sonesta Heliopolos for 1 night), air transportation within Egypt from Cairo to Aswan and back from Luxor to Cairo, and a 3-night cruise on the Nile with all-inclusive arrangements (comfortable cabins, all meals, all daily sightseeing), as well as transfers and sightseeing in Cairo.
Considering that this package takes you to Upper Egypt after a thorough exposure to Cairo, and then places you a cruiseship with all the amenities and features of a Nile cruise (including daily shore excursions to the remains of ancient Egypt), and considering as well that it includes round-trip non-stop trans-Atlantic airfare to Egypt, it is fairly priced, affording you a comprehensive visit and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Though you'll have to scare up $2,000-or-so, you'll spend very little in addition to that sum.
Egypt is worth it; this is one of the greatest of all travel experiences.
Labels: egypt, tour companies
Apr 30, 2008
There's been a shift in British travel patterns that Americans might consider emulating
It isn't only the U.S. dollar that has fallen against the Euro; the British pound has dropped against the Euro as well (while maintaining its strength against the dollar). Result: British travel journals are headlining a sharp drop-off in British travel to Spain and Greece, where the Euro is used, and a corresponding increase in travel to Egypt and Tunisia, where the local currency is refreshingly weak. According to reliable travel newspapers in the U.K., British traffic to Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh is up by as much as 50%, as are passengers to Tunisia; while travel to such former British favorites as Alicante in Spain and Corfu in Greek waters is down by about 15%.
American travelers might ponder the fact that Brits in such large numbers are going to Egypt. They, like most other Europeans, regard Egypt as acceptably safe, and Europeans currently flock there by the millions. Most Americans, by contrast, have shunned Egypt since September 11, and are thus missing an inexpensive travel opportunity to a location that is an indispensable trip that must be made at some time in your life. The Pyramids, Sphinx and other ancient sights of Egypt (Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Giza) make for an enthralling visit; the city of Cairo is full of cafes; and a great archaeological museum (with relics of King Tut) rounds out the attractions, all visited with the assistance of plentiful hotels and restaurants charging a fraction of European levels.
As for Tunisia, and its off-shore island of Djerba, these are superb resort locations, especially for families, and my nephew who resides in Paris takes his family there periodically for two week stays at a seaside resort. He reports that prices are among the world's lowest.
The European population has concluded that both Egypt and Tunisia are safe to visit, and their assessment of the situation is supported by remarkable security measures taken by the Egyptian authorities. Though American tour operators have not yet created the low-cost air-and-land packages to Egypt that could easily be concocted, given the low value of the Egyptian currency, independent trips there are just as easily possible, and at a remarkably affordable price.
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American travelers might ponder the fact that Brits in such large numbers are going to Egypt. They, like most other Europeans, regard Egypt as acceptably safe, and Europeans currently flock there by the millions. Most Americans, by contrast, have shunned Egypt since September 11, and are thus missing an inexpensive travel opportunity to a location that is an indispensable trip that must be made at some time in your life. The Pyramids, Sphinx and other ancient sights of Egypt (Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Giza) make for an enthralling visit; the city of Cairo is full of cafes; and a great archaeological museum (with relics of King Tut) rounds out the attractions, all visited with the assistance of plentiful hotels and restaurants charging a fraction of European levels.
As for Tunisia, and its off-shore island of Djerba, these are superb resort locations, especially for families, and my nephew who resides in Paris takes his family there periodically for two week stays at a seaside resort. He reports that prices are among the world's lowest.
The European population has concluded that both Egypt and Tunisia are safe to visit, and their assessment of the situation is supported by remarkable security measures taken by the Egyptian authorities. Though American tour operators have not yet created the low-cost air-and-land packages to Egypt that could easily be concocted, given the low value of the Egyptian currency, independent trips there are just as easily possible, and at a remarkably affordable price.
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Oct 2, 2007
$999 can take you to Egypt for a week -- but for only a blink-your-eyes-and-you-miss-it moment
There's a tiny window of opportunity -- a tiny one -- when you can limit your costs to an affordable level for one of the indispensable trips of anyone's lifetime: to Egypt. The ancient civilization of Egypt is so vital to view, so memorable and instructive, that every person should experience it at some point. And yet despite the low costs of Egypt itself (a remarkably cheap country for room and meals), the tour-packaging industry has made hardly any effort at all to bring about the kind of bargain rates created for numerous popular destinations.
That absurdly limited period of time is December 1 to December 11, when Sunny Land Tours (tel. 800/783-7839; www.egypthotdeals.com) charges only $999 per person for round-trip air on Egyptair between New York and Cairo, round-trip airport-to-hotel transfers, and five nights at the quite elegant, 300-room Oasis Hotel near the Pyramids, with buffet breakfast daily and a half-day city tour of Cairo including the Egyptian Museum. The price goes up to $1,149 for departures in January, and to $1,299 in November, February and March.
Except for Sunny Land's air-and-land package limited to five nights in Cairo (and don't bad-mouth that short a stay; five nights in Cairo is itself an exceptional cultural and historical opportunity), all other packages to Egypt combine 3 or 4 nights in Cairo with 3 or 4 nights visiting the extraordinary antiquities of "upper Egypt" (Aswan, Luxor, AbuSimbel), for a price of $1749 or $1870 per person. On its "Budget Cruncher" program, Misr Travel, the more-or-less official, state-owned tour company of Egypt (tel. 800/223-4978 or 212/332-2600; www.misrtravel.org), offers October-through-February departures on Egyptair round-trip to Cairo, three nights at the Movenpick Pyramids Hotel in Cairo, sightseeing tours in Cairo, the Pyramids, and the exotic Khan al Khalili Bazaar, and a three-night Nile cruise (full board) to and from Upper Egypt, for $1749 per person, double occupancy. Another Egypt specialist, Travel Egypt (tel. 877/778-3497; www.travelegypt.com) of Alpharetta, Georgia (of all places), brings you round-trip air (from November through March), three nights in Cairo, round-trip overnight sleeper train to upper Egypt, and a three-night Nile Cruise, for what works out (air plus land) to around $1,870 per person.
Far better than any of these, if you have the time, is the program staying for 10 nights in Egypt, and yet costing only $1730 per person, from Djoser Travel (tel. 877/356-7376 or 484/595-0480; www.djoserusa.com), the distinguished Dutch company doing business in the U.S., consisting of round-trip air between New York and Cairo, 9 nights at four-star hotels in both Cairo and upper Egypt (Aswan and Luxor), one night on a sleeper train to upper Egypt and a return flight from upper Egypt to Cairo, and the lecture services of a licensed Egyptologist at various points. Same arrangements from Miami or Los Angeles: $1950.
Try the Djoser tour if you can; but if you can leave between December 1-11, book the $999 Cairo Super-Saver from Sunny Land Tours. That's a small enough investment for the Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Khan-al-Khalili Bazaar, the relics of Tut, mummies of the Pharaohs, and so much more, in this fascinating capital city.
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That absurdly limited period of time is December 1 to December 11, when Sunny Land Tours (tel. 800/783-7839; www.egypthotdeals.com) charges only $999 per person for round-trip air on Egyptair between New York and Cairo, round-trip airport-to-hotel transfers, and five nights at the quite elegant, 300-room Oasis Hotel near the Pyramids, with buffet breakfast daily and a half-day city tour of Cairo including the Egyptian Museum. The price goes up to $1,149 for departures in January, and to $1,299 in November, February and March.
Except for Sunny Land's air-and-land package limited to five nights in Cairo (and don't bad-mouth that short a stay; five nights in Cairo is itself an exceptional cultural and historical opportunity), all other packages to Egypt combine 3 or 4 nights in Cairo with 3 or 4 nights visiting the extraordinary antiquities of "upper Egypt" (Aswan, Luxor, AbuSimbel), for a price of $1749 or $1870 per person. On its "Budget Cruncher" program, Misr Travel, the more-or-less official, state-owned tour company of Egypt (tel. 800/223-4978 or 212/332-2600; www.misrtravel.org), offers October-through-February departures on Egyptair round-trip to Cairo, three nights at the Movenpick Pyramids Hotel in Cairo, sightseeing tours in Cairo, the Pyramids, and the exotic Khan al Khalili Bazaar, and a three-night Nile cruise (full board) to and from Upper Egypt, for $1749 per person, double occupancy. Another Egypt specialist, Travel Egypt (tel. 877/778-3497; www.travelegypt.com) of Alpharetta, Georgia (of all places), brings you round-trip air (from November through March), three nights in Cairo, round-trip overnight sleeper train to upper Egypt, and a three-night Nile Cruise, for what works out (air plus land) to around $1,870 per person.
Far better than any of these, if you have the time, is the program staying for 10 nights in Egypt, and yet costing only $1730 per person, from Djoser Travel (tel. 877/356-7376 or 484/595-0480; www.djoserusa.com), the distinguished Dutch company doing business in the U.S., consisting of round-trip air between New York and Cairo, 9 nights at four-star hotels in both Cairo and upper Egypt (Aswan and Luxor), one night on a sleeper train to upper Egypt and a return flight from upper Egypt to Cairo, and the lecture services of a licensed Egyptologist at various points. Same arrangements from Miami or Los Angeles: $1950.
Try the Djoser tour if you can; but if you can leave between December 1-11, book the $999 Cairo Super-Saver from Sunny Land Tours. That's a small enough investment for the Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Khan-al-Khalili Bazaar, the relics of Tut, mummies of the Pharaohs, and so much more, in this fascinating capital city.
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Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
