Topdeck Travel Blog

Dear Topdeck,

I (Courtney from Australia) just want to write this letter describing how wonderful my trip was and how my expectations were exceeded.

Choosing to go to Egypt during a time of significant change and upheaval, even going with a tour at first seemed uneasy, but I can now say that it was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Our Travellers: Katie and Courtney

It was my first time going overseas, so I was a little bit nervous as were my parents.

My best friend Katie and I booked the trip through our helpful travel agent Jill and going with the Topdeck tour was the best option.

The revolution was still going on before we left, but it was comforting knowing all our transport, accommodation and meals were already organised and that we were going to be in a group.

When we got to the airport there was a man waiting for us straight away and he chauffeured us to the Indiana hotel with no hassles.

Hamada, our tour leader was waiting for us at the hotel which was a nice and unexpected surprise because we arrived several days before the tour even began.

He made sure we were comfortable and arranged a whole bunch of activities we wanted to do in the days to come. Another surprise was that Hamada drove us around and gave us all the knowledge we needed in certain situations. For example, when we went to the pyramids, to not get on a camel unless we had a set price! He also educated us on the locals and the state of the country after the revolution.

Katie and Courtney at the Pyramids

In the two days we were there by ourselves we did a number of activities by ourselves, of course with Hamada’s help, but when we were alone we felt completely safe. We even visited Tahrir square on the day of the soccer riots and stood on the outskirts of thousands of people protesting which was a surreal experience.

When the tour began everyone in the group was friendly and we seemed to gel pretty quickly.  Hamada also made sure we knew exactly what we were doing and when and also how much things would cost.

Even for a second time, the Pyramids and Sphinx were absolutely amazing and the museum was so much busier than the first day Katie and I went. It made us appreciate the day we went because having such an interest in the history of ancient Egypt, it was nice to look at the museum at our own pace, but then again it was brilliant having a guide who knew so much!

The train ride to Aswan turned out to be one of my funniest memories of the trip. After the long wait at the station due to protests further down the track, then the 12 hour ride with the smelliest toilet you’ve ever seen and what seemed like unhygienic conditions, not to mention persistent stares from the local men, all we could do was laugh. It was one of the most interesting and memorable trips I’ve ever had and we pretty much had to make the most of it at the time.

The Nubian village was fantastic with the gorgeous local children, delicious food and a look into quite a different way of life.

Courtney at Abu Simbel

The following morning saw us waking up at 3 to start the journey to Abu Simbel, but Hamada was always there making jokes and lightening the mood when everyone was moaning because it was so early.

Abu Simbel was certainly a sight to see and the location overlooking Lake Nassir was beautiful. There were several sights we wanted to see and each one exceeded our expectations as we saw them up close.

We had such a good time on the felucca boat drinking and eating, and being plain lazy. The Nubian crew were so lovely and made sure we were fed and comfortable and one of the crew members even invited us into his humble abode for some tea and a look at all his stuffed animals.

As we were docked most of the day, Hamada always made sure we had things to do and often gave us options so we wouldn’t be bored. Having done the “old school” felucca sail I would definitely recommend it to future groups and this is after being in jumpers and sleeping bags the whole time.

The bus ride to Luxor from the felucca was fairly short and the guided tour of Kom Ombo temple was quite interesting before arriving at the hotel.

After being on the river Nile with surrounding riverbanks and sand dunes, it was going to be hard to beat, but Luxor was a beautiful place.

I can say that the guide for the Karnak temple and temple of Luxor was interesting and very knowledgeable, but it was hard to take it all in at times and we didn’t get a lot of free time to look around by ourselves. Both temples were stunning and it was nice seeing other wonders of Ancient Egypt that weren’t so well known.

The Valley of the Kings was a must do for Katie and I so we weren’t disappointed. One suggestion would be that we got more time to look around and to see more tombs, as we only saw three.

Tutankhamen’s tomb was on our ‘to do list before we die’ so we were more than happy we got a chance to visit him.

The Luxor markets were great and I loved bartering with the locals because I knew the price was too much. Initially I was under the impression the markets were a little bit unsafe from what people had told me, but once I was there, I was by myself running around most of the time.

The Topdeck Gang

We said our farewells to everyone that night and it came to just the six of us, plus Hamada. We were more intimate by this point and Hamada was just like a friend in the group except he could make everything happen for us and get us organised.

Hurghada was interesting as it was such a new town compared to what we had seen and Hamada even gave us a chance to go clubbing. That was a really fun night and being just the five of us that went out, Hamada looked after us and shouted us drinks most the night.

The driver did a good job at getting us to Dahab in no time and we ended up having the whole resort to ourselves which was nice. Again, Hamada gave us plenty of options for activities to do in the four days we were there and arranged everything necessary to make it happen.

The snorkelling was breath taking and I never knew Egypt held such an underwater wonderland.

Going on the trip, Katie and I just looked at the itinerary for the major places we wanted to visit, but after seeing Dahab I would definitely recommend future groups extend their trip if they could. We did a long bike ride one night which proved hard for those of us who didn’t have vespers, but it was worth it in the end and quad biking was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done, even with a mouthful of dust. Most nights the whole group met and we had dinner or drinks, and Hamada knew all the nice places to eat in town. Dahab was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Cairo and tourist attractions, so it was a relaxing way to end the trip.

On our way back to Cairo we got another sand storm and some rain, all thrown in for free!

Even on the last night of the tour we all met up and Hamada got us some authentic Egyptian cuisine, which was yum. After saying goodbye to everyone, Katie and I were there for another night after the tour. Hamada went out with us for dinner in his own time and it was great hanging out with him as a friend. He drove us to a roof top pub which played American music and had delicious food and then had drinks with us after. He also drove us to the airport the next day and made sure we got all our baggage through the crowd. For that I’m very thankful because he went above and beyond what he had to do as a tour leader. I can easily say our trip wouldn’t have been as memorable and the whole trip before, during and after wouldn’t have been the same without Hamada.

So, after telling you almost everything about the trip, I just wanted to say you guys are a great company to tour with. Being my first overseas trip, I felt comfortable that everything was organised and that we were going to get to see everything we came for. I also felt safe in a country that has negative affiliations due to the media back home and being in the group turned out to be way better than I thought.

The majority of people in Egypt were lovely, the guides were great, the driver was fantastic and a laugh, Hamada did a wonderful job and I don’t have any real complaints, except the state of some of the toilets and the staring! I say this in jest because it was all part of the experience in the end.

Thank you for making my trip more than worthwhile.

Kind Regards,

Courtney Heinjus.

Courtney travelled on Topdeck’s 15 day Pyramids & Beaches trip. For more adventures in Egypt checkout our website.