Egypt
- Beyond the Veil
A
12-Day Fantasy Tour
Women Of the Nile - The Power of ISIS
Insights
for Women Travelers
Men are welcomed as well
12 - Day Adventure. Weekly, Year Round
Egyptian
women's roles in home and society are changing dramatically.
They welcome new educational and career opportunities, but want to preserve
traditions and family values. Come
with us to meet Egypt's women, see how they live, share meals with them,
and go beyond misconceptions- beyond the veil.
We'll meet artisans and learn their crafts, travel through striking
landscapes, and explore the deep history, art, culture and society of
the Nile Delta and old Cairo Coptic biblical quarter from a woman's
point of view.
DAY
1 - CAIRO- Wednesday ( Weekly year round)
Our
representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel.
Complimentary visa is issued upon
arrival only for American, Australian, NZ, Western European , Canadian
& Japanese citizens, passports must be valid for at least 6 month
beyond the date of your arrival
Combine
Egypt & a stop in Athens , London or Rome:
Special air fare add on : Athens / Cairo / Athens : $290.00
London
Cairo London,
or Rome Cairo / Rome : Round-trip: $590.00 Tax included .
DAY
2 - Cairo Fayoum - Thursday (BL)
On
Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids
were old
The
wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue
for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains,
oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.
Join
us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place
of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four
Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel,
and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the
drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest.
Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands.
It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.
We’ll
visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside
the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s
village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught
fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and
discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating
crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll
also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local
artisans are on display.
Then
it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure!
We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes,
and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales
( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once
thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands.
We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside
smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George
Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.
The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal
evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site.
It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have
helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan
discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary
feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi
-El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales
were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more
slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales
are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie
the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .
In
the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land
transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser
with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included
DAY
3 - CAIRO - Friday (BLD)
We
start with the best of Cairo: the Egyptian Museum, Citadel of Saladin
and its Alabaster Mosque, where you will participate in a "
Q & A " presentation on "Women in Islam "
as well as "Women in Egypt".
After lunch at a charming local restaurant, we wander through the alleys
of the 12-century district of Khan el-Khalili with it's Caravanserai,
Medieval Trade Centers , and bazaar shops that changed little since
12-13 century. You 'll have some time to wander on your own maybe in
search of souvenirs.
Finally we walk the narrow streets of Old Cairo, once a Roman fort,
later the Jewish Quarter, then the Coptic Christian Quarter. We visit
the Coptic churches of Abu Serghius and Al Molaka, the Coptic Museum,
and Ben Ezra synagogue. While we are at one of the churches or
the Coptic Museum we'll discuss how the Nile Delta environment and local
Egyptian tradition has affected women in the Nile Valley regardless
of their religion.
In
the evening, it's all aboard! We'll settle you into your private wood-panelled
sleeping compartment on the train bound along the banks of the Nile.
You'll enjoy dinner on board , as the lights of villages reflect in
the river.
DAY
4 - Aswan - Saturday (BD)
After
breakfast on board, the train arrives in Aswan, where we'll settle you
into your hotel .
Tour
of Kalabsha Temple dedicated to the ancient god Mandulis, and
the goddess Isis . Built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus
, the small rock-cut temple of Beit El Wali, built by Ramses
the Great , and the small yet charming Kiosk of Qertassi.
Afternoon
tour of the Nubian Museum, then a short camel caravan & ride
to visit a local Nubian Village for tea with the local women in their
homes.
DAY
5 -Abu Simbel / ASWAN, Nile Cruise Sunday
(BLD)
Abu
Simbel We've planned our visit to Abu Simbel to be a highlight of your
Egyptian adventure. Rising before dawn, we drive along the shore of
Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above
the horizon. We reach the great temples while the air is clean, clear
and cool, and the sun's light still golden‹just right for photographs.
In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramsis are seated with the
gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is
dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of
love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore
these fine temple by ourselves in the quiet of the morning, admiring
their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable
hotel for refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng
the temples we begin our leisurely drive back along the shore to Aswan,
arriving in time for a late lunch on board
your Nile cruiser.
In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the
Nile.
DAY 6 - ASWAN & KOM OMBO Monday (BLD)
First we tour the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite
quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch
to the island temples of Philae. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser,
we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples.
DAY
7 - EDFU & ESNA Tuesday (BLD)
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop
through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved
temple. Re-embarking, we cruise to Esna and its great temple
dedicated to Khnum, the creator-god. Evening finds us in Luxor.
DAY
8 - LUXOR Wednesday
(BLD)
Crossing the Nile , we tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of
the Kings ,Queen Hatshepsut's Temple, Medinet
Habu and the Ancient Workers Village,
and Colossi of Memnon .
Evening
Sound & Light show at Karnak
.
DAY
9 - LUXOR & CAIRO Thursday (B)
Morning
tour of one of the local girls school, you may wish to bring with you
a small gift of school supplies , pencils, notebooks etc. to give to
the children .
Tour
the
gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor
are our goals in the morning, followed by a return flight to Cairo.
In the afternoon, wander through the city on your own, or do your last-minute
shopping.
DAY
10 - CAIRO Friday (BLD)
MEET
AMERICAN & EUROPEAN WOMEN IN CAIRO
In the morning, we visit the majestic
pyramids of Giza, the Valley Temple and the timeless Sphinx.
After lunch we drive to Dahshour, the newly opened pyramid field
south of Cairo. We visit several ancient structures, including the great
pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops.
On
our way back to Cairo , we stop at the village of Harania, after a brief
tour we'll have a group discussion , that will include an American
or a European woman /women who settled in Cairo to share their own insight
on/about the Egyptian Society & Egyptian Women. These guests
will join you for lunch at a charming local restaurant
Home
hosted dinner, meet the locals you may wish to bring token gifts
to exchange with the host family
(T shirt or small souvenir from your home town). If you rather have
a quiet meal at hotel, please let's know.
DAY
11 - Cairo Fayoum - Saturday (cBL)
On
Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases
The
wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue
for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains,
oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.
Join
us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place
of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four
Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel,
and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the
drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest.
Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands.
It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.
We’ll
visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside
the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s
village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught
fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and
discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating
crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll
also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local
artisans are on display.
Then
it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure!
We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes,
and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales.
Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived in waters surrounded by
sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains
alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
In
the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land
transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser
with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included
DAY
12 Departure Sunday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight.
Bon Voyage
RATES per
person in USD
| |
Deluxe |
| Triple |
US$
2145.00 |
| Double |
US$
2295.00 |
| Single |
US$
3105.00 |
This
tour starts weekly in Cairo.
For Easter , Christmas/New Year's week, add 10 % to the rates.
The rates include :
- All
airfares and transfers within Egypt.
- Preset
menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB,
Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D
= Dinner .
- Guided
sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees.
- Hotel
& Nile Cruise as listed, including all tax & service charges.
Rates
do not include:
Other
choices :
Click
here for Intimate size Nile Cruise : 6 Cabins cruises, available also
for charter and private cruising. Of course Air Conditioned
|
