Pyramids and Pharaohs tour in Egypt

Planet

Accommodation and Meals:
During this trip, we spend four nights in premium hotels, three nights in a Nubian guesthouse, and one-night onboard a sleeper train to Aswan. We try to avoid larger chain hotels where there are suitable alternatives, but in certain regions this isn’t always possible. By staying at the Anakato (Nubian guesthouse) we are directly supporting local residents and creating a greater benefit to the community, as most of the income generated is reinvested into the area. On our final night, we will spend our evening at a farewell dinner at El Sofra restaurant, where we can enjoy other traditional Egyptian dishes. El Sofra restaurant is owned by an Egyptian from Luxor, Ayman El Seman, as well as all workers.

Activity & Environment
Although this trip has many cultural aspects to it, we also have the opportunity to participate in numerous thrill-seeking activities such as sandboarding the dunes, kayaking the Nile, and boarding a traditional felucca, all of which are low carbon forms of transport.
We are very conscious of our effects on the environment and how we can reduce negative impact, therefore the activities on this excursion are non-detrimental to the places we visit. We achieve this by enforcing a - ‘leave no trace’ policy, whereby we ensure no rubbish including plastic has been left behind.

Group Size
Since this is a small group tour, we will have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, small family-run accommodations that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.

UK Office:
It all starts at home where we work towards reducing our carbon footprint in our offices through energy conservation measures, recycling policies and the promotion of cycling and walking as a means for our staff to commute. Our head office has become a plastic-free zone with the use of plastic bottles being banned in our head office and we distributed reusable water bottles and tote bags to every staff member. We also support a large number of community and environmental projects in different parts of the world and try to give something back to the places we visit.

People

Community & Culture
Throughout this trip, we will have numerous opportunities to engage with the Egyptian culture. During our visit to Cairo we’ll visit the Egyptian Museum to see the riches of Tutankhamun’s Tomb and other Egyptian treasures, as we continue exploring the architecture of Al Azhar Mosque, one of the oldest examples in the city. We’ll embark on a food tour and have the chance to sample traditional Egyptian dishes including koshary, molokhia, ful and falafel. These restaurants are owned by Egyptian people too and employs Egyptian workers.
After traveling to Abu Simbel, we’ll be able to witness its famous colossal temples, which are spectacular examples of ancient Egyptian art and engineering. That evening, we will enjoy feasting on a home-cooked Nubian meal and learn about the culture and history of this region. On day seven, we will explore Luxor and tour the Karnak Temple whist marvelling at the monuments that have survived here. After sunset, we’ll also visit the Luxor Temple built between 1352 and 1390 BC. On the following day we will have the opportunity to visit the Valley of the Kings, the site of 63 royal tombs.

Charity
On the final day of this trip we will visit ACE Luxor animal hospital, which is a charity dedicated to treating animals in the most impoverished communities of Luxor. Through our visit to this center and promoting their work to encourage donations, we are supporting this charity to stop the suffering of animals in the most deprived communities in Luxor by providing free veterinary care and education. There is now a walk-in clinic, a hospital for crucial surgery and 25 stables which allow animals to recover from injury and the pressures of working life. This is not just an amazing cause for the animals, but by teaching over 150 children a week, plus owners and veterinary students, communities gain a lot of valuable training.

A Fair Deal:
We work closely with our local operator and ensure that all of our guides are local and that in exchange for their expertise that they are paid and treated fairly. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from your visit.