Egyptian history has fascinated me from an early age, my imagination raised by numerous Discovery documentaries decades ago by Dr Zahi Hawass.
So how could it not be on my Bucket List. Within this 6 months of travel, I have booked and planned everything myself, daunting to start, but quite easy once you know the tools to use.
Egypt however was always going to be an organised Tour. I did not want to arrive to these historical sites and not understand the significances’; so I either hired my own guide, or joined a small group organised tour.
Here’s where the fun begins. As a single traveller, most of these organised tours are a rate “per person, twin share”. They offer a single supplement, but that’s often prohibitive. In this case, Intrepid’s policy read something like, if there is an odd number of group participants, you may get a room to yourself. If there is an even number, then you will be sharing accom, and no guarantees of same sex. Ok, I was willing to take the gamble. Upon booking however, they were quite insistent I pay for a single supplement; and I was quite adamant to accept their policy. They soon got over that. To my good fortune, my assigned travel buddy John, was a top bloke. So short of a couple of rooms that some hotels got the bedding config wrong (quickly resolved) the shared travel experience was not too bad.
This blog is a focus on travelling as a Single. Soo many mature travellers are in the same situation; and while Resorts and Cruise Ships generally fail to realise we are an affluent target market; others embrace and support our continued desires to travel, without a partner.
I would hope my blog helps inspire other singles to get past the mental & potential financial hurdle; and realise you Can travel on your own, just approaching it differently.
So here is Egypt, an 11 day organised tour that included :-
Alexandria – Catacombs & Library
Aswan – Nubian Museum, Abu Simbel & Old Cateract Hotel
Cairo – Egyptian Museum, Great Pyramids & Sphinx and Saqqara
Kom Ombo Temple & the Crocodile Museum
Luxor – Luxor Museum & Luxor Temple
Valley of the Kings & Colossi of Memnon
I arrived the day before the tour started due to late flight arrival times, and stayed opposite the Sphinx, enjoying a spectacular sunrise with the moon setting over Khafre from the rooftop dining. Another couple at breakfast were having their last day, and introduced me to a guide they had used the past 3 days. A welcomed recommendation. He quoted US$20-25 for a half days excursion of the Great Pyramids, and would drop me at the Hotel where the tour started. Having just paid US$20 just to get from the airport, this seemed very reasonable; and with the others recommendation, the scam meter was switched off.
Turned out to be one of the best days, gaining access to more unique places and a day spent chatting to a local about life and their culture; and yes, I tipped. IF I ever return to Egypt, I would likely revisit a number of the sites where Intrepid allowed too little time; and engage local guides using Tripadvisor to find reputable ones.
