Most Inspirational Moment
Karnak, Sphinx, Abu Simbel and Pyramids. Awesome. Inspiring and as they rightly are, a Wonder of the World. Almost too much to comprehend with the sheer amount of temples and tombs.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tefa was good, though Exodus need to allow the guides more flexibility to change things. For instance a late flight and getting to bed at nearly 01:00 and getting up the next day at 06:30 is not great when the very next day you get a late start at 09:00, why not swap them? Or have the tour designer change it properly.
Advice for Potential Travellers
When approached every 5 seconds as you approach the sites through carefully crafted 'run the gauntlet souvenir alleys' say 'No, Thank You' as they are generally polite and usually then stop, if they hassle you further then reduce to 'No' but still politely. This is NOT a relaxing trip, I run marathons and found it exhausting, apart from two of the days. Early starts are required to get around some of the sites, but all operators are doing the same so don't expect it to be to avoid crowds.
Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank Christopher for his review, although we regret that he was disappointed with aspects of the trip. Our local team have assured us that the Sphinx is visible for all groups as they travel around the Giza complex without further payment, we’re working with our local team to ensure this is clearly explained to future groups. We have amended the activity level for this trip based on feedback from Christopher and others, and hope that this will ensure clients on future departures are prepared for the busy itinerary, which includes so many of Egypt’s highlights. Many of the key attractions close relatively early in the day which does mean some early starts cannot be avoided, that said, we are looking into adjustments to the order of activities to potentially allow a slightly later start on Day 2. Our tour leaders keep records of all tipping kittys, should our customers ever wish to see them, although we are sorry that Christopher did not feel that this was transparent.
Exodus is aware of the unfortunate practice regarding animal welfare in some parts of Egypt, and we endeavour to make it clear in the trip notes for this tour that it is something we do not support on any level, while stressing with our local guides that all group members should be briefed to avoid encouraging this. The Nubian village visit is currently being reviewed, as we wish to maintain ways of supporting their traditional culture, which is at risk of disappearing, while also ensuring that our responsible travel ethos is not compromised.
We are sorry that Christopher’s experience was not as positive as we would have hoped, but we feel it is worth mentioning that we generally receive very positive feedback from customers who join this tour, as shown by the large number of five-star reviews submitted by other clients. I am, nonetheless, grateful to Christopher for taking the time to share his comments with us, and we are taking actions on a number of them.
Thomas Manchester – Product Manager