Egypt & Jordan

Irish Gunner

Looking at going to Egypt and Jordan in Sept. Taking in Petra, Cairo and all in between. Looking at a group tour and was looking at Gap adventures and Intrepid travel. Are there any other groups who specialise in Egypt and Jordan

Any tips advice welcome

LadyJedi

I spent 2 weeks in Egypt with a friend, we went from Cairo to Luxor, i would suggest organising your trip yourself as opposed to a group trip, apart from the trip to Petra, it is much cheaper doing everything yourself

Irish Gunner

Agree would like to do it DIY but travelling into Jordan and through Egypt would like to have a local guide and some of the trips on Gap and Intrepid look good. Want to camp in desert and sail up Nile and have less hassle about it.

lord lucan

You could always organise the flights and hotels yourself and just book trips/experiences when you arrive in Cairo,Luxor and Amman. There's plenty of local agencies in Cairo and Luxor,haven't been to Jordan unfortunately.

LiamMc

OP,
Lord Lucan would be the closest to my thinking, but buying the guided trip in advance will bring you peace of mind and if it hits the spots you want and you feel the price is good for you then go for it. Two weeks isn't alot of time to see these places, so you may get around faster on a pre-booked tour. You'll meet other people in the group and be able share the immediate experience of the site with them. It's got alot of advantages.

If you were thinking of doing a similiar trip indepently or semi-independently using local tours ( Wadi Rum in Jordan you buy the tours activities at the door of the National Park).
Where are you hoping to arrive and depart from?

Cairo, the the Pyramids on the Giza Plateau, with the Sphinx and the National Museum can take between one and three days. They used to limit the number of visitors to the three pyramids (200 per day?) that should still be the same. If you are interested in the Sufi dance, there used be in the Citadel but that was moved and I don't know if it's returned. Sound and Light show back at Giza plateau may be worth it.
There was regular boats going to the Barrages a couple of hours North. You will get a chance to meet other Egyptians aswell as tourists on the boat. At the Barrages it's possible to rent bicycles or mopeds and pass through some of the countryside and villages. This is a regular day-trip spot for Cairo people aswell.

Luxor is a long way from Cairo, but obviously worth it. Maybe you can pick a flight from Luxor back to Cairo, Amman (Jordan), Aqaba (Jordan) or a flight to an Egyptian ferry from a Red Sea port Hurghada or Sharm el Sheik.
There are other spots along the Nile like Minya and El Faiyum if you didn't have enough time you could visit, instead of all the way to Luxor. I understand the road trip is quicker but in the past needed to be organised for security reasons.

That Red Sea journey to Aqaba (Jordan) has always interested me.
Aqaba has alot of water sports, diving or snorkeling. It's got a Crusader castle aswell. But it may be possible to arrange a local tour here to take you into Wadi Rum National Park. The very independent thing to do is get a service taxi north to the turn-off for the Park and private taxi from there to the entrance. It should be possible to buy tailor-made excurisions to different topological sites e.g. Lawrence's Spring, Burdah rock bridge, many tourists end with a meal and a night's sleep in the desert (usually near the sunset spot). You pick out what you want in your itinerary and a Bedouin drives your party around in an open back van incld driving you deep into the park to your campsite and return to the entrace the next morning. This can be done with camels aswell. At the bedouin-tent campsite you'll meet other tourist who have done their own thing that day. There is Rest House (I think Govt. run) accomodation in Rum village within the Park. It should be possible to stay here and do you own walks or rock-climbing.

Is Petra the last big site you are hoping to visit?
Petra.
Well worth a three-day ticket. It's possible to buy 1,2, or 3 days. Plenty of walking. Treasury (famous half-hidden facade) and The Monastery (a few kilometres further out in a high place). The narrow Siq leading to The Treasury is how vast majority of visitors arrive and depart. The carved square entrances into the homes are beautiful because of the colours of the stone, purple black, white, red. Beautiful.
If you can get up to some of the High places just for the view, it would be good. It may be worthwile to take a guide for the first day because it may give you an overview of the site and it's inhabitants (Nabataeans) in history.

From the entrance about two kms from the beginning of The Siq, there are some hotels ( usually big chain hotels) but the one or two budget options. Wadi Musa is the village/town up the steep hill away from the Park. It will have alot of budget and mid-range choice. From Wadi Musa, it's downhill to the site entrance and then you have all that walking inside. You'll be glad of a taxi home from the site entrance at the end of the day.

Between Petra and Amman there are a few Crusader or Arab fortresses. Visitors can pick or chose what's convenient, maybe Madaba.
I havn't been to it but, Dana National Park is a fertile NP with a few rivers flowing through it that is possible to navigate by swimming and walking with a reduced kit. (so I understand).
River Jordan has the Dead Sea with all the floating and some religous sites.
There isn't much to see in Amman, but it has some Roman sites in the centre of the city.

North of Amman Aljun and Jerash are on the tourist route.

WanderlustQueen

I visited Jordan last June, it was amazing, I'd a great time altogether.

MYself and my two friends found the best way to get anywhere was to book a taxi, from the Hotel we were staying in, to take us to the sights. We didn't go on a tour or anything, the taxi was the cheapest and most convenient way to get where we needed to be without hanging around for anyone else. It was super cheap too, you agree an amount for the day.

We took a taxi to the Dead Sea resort, amazing, then the taxi driver hung around and waited for us to be done so he could drive us back. We paid the Marriott resort the equivalent to ten euro to use their amazing pool and beach. Totally worth it!

As for Petra, the taxi journey was super long (and no air conditioning either, and a whole load of desert either side) but it was definitely worth it. The taxi driver would stop anywhere you asked, like shops or John the Baptist site or wherever. We only stayed the day but I really wish we'd stayed longer, soooo much to see. I'd recommend getting a hostel or hotel for a night or two.

We literally just asked the guy at reception how much it would be and he booked it for us, it was a local taxi man too.


I do have one question for anyone who's been to Egypt (I'm going in June) were the mosquitos unbearable?? A friend told me to bring a mosquito net (we didn't need one in Jordan, didn't get bitten at all) but I'm thinking Egypt is a different kettle of fish! Also I've been told by everyone who went that they had tummy upsets and its unavoidable. eeeeek!

lord lucan

WanderlustQueen wrote: »

I do have one question for anyone who's been to Egypt (I'm going in June) were the mosquitos unbearable?? A friend told me to bring a mosquito net (we didn't need one in Jordan, didn't get bitten at all) but I'm thinking Egypt is a different kettle of fish! Also I've been told by everyone who went that they had tummy upsets and its unavoidable. eeeeek!

I've been to Egypt 7 times and never come across Mosquitos in the summer. That includes sitting beside the Nile at the back of the Sheraton in Luxor at night. I never even used repellent!

As for dodgy tummy,all i could say is avoid ice in your drink and salads. I find the hotels are fine as they use chlorinated water,it's just the local restaurants and pubs that you have to wary of.

WanderlustQueen

lord lucan wrote: »

I've been to Egypt 7 times and never come across Mosquitos in the summer. That includes sitting beside the Nile at the back of the Sheraton in Luxor at night. I never even used repellent!

As for dodgy tummy,all i could say is avoid ice in your drink and salads. I find the hotels are fine as they use chlorinated water,it's just the local restaurants and pubs that you have to wary of.

That be good advice! I've never really been of any interest to mosquitos, until i fell asleep on the side of the road on an island in sweden, i was literally eaten alive. I'm terrified of it happening again! But if you say there are none there...really? none at all?? even near rivers? damn.

Well those were my main two fears really, bring on the black snot and traffic-light-less streets!

lord lucan

WanderlustQueen wrote: »

That be good advice! I've never really been of any interest to mosquitos, until i fell asleep on the side of the road on an island in sweden, i was literally eaten alive. I'm terrified of it happening again! But if you say there are none there...really? none at all?? even near rivers? damn.

Well those were my main two fears really, bring on the black snot and traffic-light-less streets!

I'm sure there are some there but i don't think they're as prevalent in the summer,daytime highs in Luxor can hit 50 degrees sometimes,almost too extreme even for the Mozzies! Nightime lows are still in the low to mid twenties,still very warm.

Could be i've just been extremely lucky or they don't like me!

WanderlustQueen

'mazin!

The only other issues I have are vaccinations and visas. Obviously you got them at some point if you've been there 7 times? How much were they and were there many?
Also, I'm getting conflicting reports on the visas. Lonley planet is saying get it at the airport, a taxi driver and a mate of mine (who didn't even need a visa) says get it before I go. You know what they say about taxi drivers, they know feckin everything!

Kenny_D

Just get it at the egypt airport. Only takes 2 mins

lord lucan

WanderlustQueen wrote: »

'mazin!

The only other issues I have are vaccinations and visas. Obviously you got them at some point if you've been there 7 times? How much were they and were there many?
Also, I'm getting conflicting reports on the visas. Lonley planet is saying get it at the airport, a taxi driver and a mate of mine (who didn't even need a visa) says get it before I go. You know what they say about taxi drivers, they know feckin everything!

I've never gotten any vaccinations tbh. My brother went last year and spent about €200 on shots before he went. Taking normal precautions like i mentioned in a previous post served me well.

You're better off buying the visa when you get there. The last few times i went i flew into Luxor and just bought it in the arrivals hall. It's actually cheaper to buy it on arrival than it is to get it here through the embassy.

lalipule

Hi All

I have a question about Jordan as well.
Do you know if they accept Laser Cards in shops or ATM

Irish Gunner

From looking at other travel forums and reading Lonely Planet guides it seems that there are ATMS a plenty. Although dont expect any in the Wadi Rum Me I hope to get some dosh in Aqaba before heading into Desert.

I would say as long as your card is Cirrus enabled then it should be no problem. They wont accept similar to Ireland and your better of using the ATM rather than give it in to some shop. Some shops may take Cirrus but would you risk it Travelled a bit and never done this