|
North
Africa Crossing
A
Grand 23- Day Tour of Egypt and Libya
Here's
the best way to see the best of North Africa : Egypt, Libya and Nile
Cruise .
Compare with the 14-day or
19-day edition . Add
Tunisia ? .
Weekly every Friday year round - Add
Tunisia , or Morocco

Libya
far more than vast sweeps of desert. As you'll see on this tour, Libya
is a country of extraordinary and unexpected variety, so rich that it
was coveted and conquered in turn by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians,
Romans, and Byzantines-all of whom left their mark. During six days
with five overnights, we'll travel to the province known to the Greeks
as Cyrenaica, and see the ruins of Cyrene, Apollonia, Ptolemais and
Gasr. We'll ascend to Jabel Akhdar, where the precious moisture allows
a unique flora and fauna flourish. And we'll follow the route of Rommel's
famed Afrika Korps to where it met its match at Tobruk in World War
II. And then it's onward, to continue your travels through Egypt. The
connections are seamless, thanks to our inside knowledge and local contacts
.
DAY 1 -Tunisia / Libya or Fly Into Tripoli (LD) Weekly on Friday
year round
Arrive from Tunisia across the border, or fly into Tripoli.
You'll head out after breakfast, and in short order, reach Tunisia's
eastern border. After you pass through the formalities of customs and
immigration at Ras Ajdir, our Libyan personnel will take over and see
to your needs for the rest of the way. Our journey continues by road
to Sabratha, site of a fine Roman city. We'll tour the ruins and visit
the classical museum, and learn about Libya's key position on ancient
trade routes. In the afternoon, we continue on into Tripoli, the busy
capital of Libya, and settle into our lodgings for the next three nights.
You can relax in the evening, or venture out to explore the modern quarters
of the town, or the winding lanes of the old city.
Day
2 - Gharyan , Ghadames (BLD) Saturday
Drive to Gharyan 50 km far from Tripoli . Lunch at a local restaurant
.
Continue to Ghadames 570 km from Gharyan (passing of some Barber old
cities through old caravan way.
We
descend from the highlands after breakfast, toward Kabaw , Gharyan ,
where we'll visit the granaries-more evidence of the surprising variety
and wealth of this land. In the afternoon, we'll reach the oasis outpost
of Ghadames with its intertwined dwellings, and settle into our lodgings
at the modest and welcoming Kafila/Winzrik Hotel. But we won't tarry
long! Four-wheel-drive vehicles await. We'll embark on an excursion
up, over, and between the rolling sand dunes to sample the life, the
views, and the spectacular sunsets of the Sahara. Of course, we'll make
camp, where our hosts will brew mint tea, bake fresh and delicious flat
bread over the coals, and offer camel rides to the willing. At your
option, your dinner may also be prepared in the desert before your return
to the hotel at Ghadames (modest 3-4 stars hotels)
Day
3 - GHADAMES (BLD) Sunday
We wander the old quarters of Ghadames this morning, making our way
through souks (traditional markets) along winding lanes, and continuing
to the town museum. There will be time to stop and haggle for and acquire
select local treasures, including brassware, rugs, and the utilitarian
items fashioned from camel skins. Dinner at the hotel in Ghadames.
Day
4 - Tripoli (BLD) Monday
After breakfast, drive back to Tripoli 570 km, passing of another barber
old cities through the old caravan way (Lunch on road). Arrival Tripoli,
Dinner and overnight at your five stars hotel in Tripoli : Bab el Bahr
or Grand Hotel or Al Mahari ( Upgrade to Corinthia Hotel for $ 150 USD
per person per night)
DAY
5 - TRIPOLI (BLD) Tuesday
After breakfast, we'll take you for a drive through town to the Tripoli
Museum, housing treasures of Libyan history from Roman times and earlier.
We'll venture into the Old Town, and along the winding lanes of the
souks, where in age-old fashion, merchants and customers haggle over
local handicrafts and produce, treasures from across the desert, and
practical items from over the seas. We'll see the venerable arch of
the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Gurgi Mosque, and the Karamanly
Museum. Afterwards, you'll be free to explore on your own, and possibly
to return to the souks to try your hand at bargaining for some of the
crafts and treasures that you spied earlier.
DAY
6 - LEPTIS MAGNA, SILIN (BLD) Wednesday
We'll spend most of today at Leptis Magna, about 130 kilometers from
Tripoli. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered the best-preserved
Roman city in Africa. The enormous amphitheater and the remains of fine
buildings testify to the city's former importance. After gaining insights
into the old city at the ruins and in the museum, we'll continue to
the delightful and largely intact Roman villa at Silin, with its remarkably
lifelike mosaics and frescoes.
DAY
7 - BENGHAZI, PTOLEMAIS (BLD) Thursday
We'll head off after breakfast to the airport, and board our plane.
It's a flight of under an hour to Benghazi. From there, we'll set out
immediately for the ancient port of Ptolemais, founded by the Hellenic
dynasty of Egypt. We'll view the great cisterns and Mausoleum, and more
artifacts in the museum, where we'll learn about the kingdoms that vied
for Libya in ancient times. Then it's off to the surprisingly fertile
highlands of Jabel Akhdar. In Gasr Libya, we'll see a Byzantine church
with a mosaic floor, and view another mosaic with the only panels known
to show ancient Alexandria. Our stop for the night is El Beyda, where
we'll lodge in the modest and welcoming three-star Gasr El Beyda Hotel.
DAY
8 - CYRENE, APOLLONIA, TOBRUK (BLD) Friday
We set out after breakfast for Cyrene, the Greek city that once rivaled
Athens. Impressive temples to Zeus and Apollo remain Then it's off to
Apollonia, Cyrene's ancient port, with a surviving Byzantine palace,
theater, and baths. Late in the afternoon, we'll reach Tobruk, where
we'll overnight at the comfortable Masira Hotel.
DAY
9 - TOBRUK, ON TO EGYPT and Mersa Matrouh (BL)
Saturday
We've followed in the path of Rommel to reach Tobruk. Today, we'll learn
about the titanic and bloody clash of forces that marked the turning
point of World War II, and pay a moving visit to the cemeteries where
lie the dead from both sides. Rommel's push ended here, but not yours.
You'll continue to the border of Egypt, where our Libyan personnel will
bid you good-bye, and entrust you to your Egyptian hosts. On to Mersa
Matrouh and overnight at a modest 4 stars hotel. ( Always with private
facilities)
DAY
10 - EL ALAMEIN (BL) Sunday
We'll cross into another era of history today, as we motor westward
through the dunes along the Mediterranean coast, following the route
of Field Marshall Montgomery to El Alamein. Here we'll visit the fields
of battle where Rommel's advance on Cairo was finally halted. We'll
visit the museum. Lunch included at el Alamein, before we head back
to Mersa Matrouh, remainder of the day at leisure

DAY
11 - SIWA, ORACLE OF AMON (BLD) Monday
It's back to ancient days as we follow the pilgrimage route of Alexander
the Great to the Oracle of Amon. He marched westward along the Mediterranean
coast, then inland (south) to the great oasis of Siwa. His aim was to
visit the great temple of Amun which, tradition says, his legendary
"ancestors" Heracles and Perseus had visited. He entered the temple
and was hailed by the priests as pharaoh, the son of Amun. He then had
a private audience with the High Priestess of the oracle, who proclaimed
him to be a god, the son of Zeus. She predicted that he would conquer
vast territories. He did. Leaving Egypt, he marched into Persia conquering
all who came before him, all the way to what is now Lahore in Pakistan.
On
his return trip, however, he fell ill and diedat the ripe age of 33
in Babylon.

Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria just after
he defeated Cleopatra & Marc Anthony ( 30 B.C) . He left his coat
as a token of respect to Alexander the Great. The search continues for
Alexander the Great's Tomb.
According to ancient inscriptions, Alexander's body was returned
to Egypt and buried but where?
Both Siwa and Alexandria are possibilities. His tomb has not
yet been identified for sure. At Gebel Mawta, we'll see tombs of the
Greco-Roman era, including one that's reputed to be Alexander's own
tomb. At Siwa, we'll see an ancient fortress with winding alleyways,
and the Temple of Amon, where Alexander's divinity and legitimacy were
proclaimed. Within a short distance, we'll traverse centuries as we
visit Cleopatra's Pool, a Roman outpost, and a Ptolemaic temple. Our
lunch break will be at the springs of Ain Sharouf, where we might get
to take a dip.
DAY
12 - SIWA, ALEXANDRIA (BLD) Tuesday
We'll retrace the desert route to Alexandria this morning (the portion
never completed by Rommel), As the gateway to Egypt, the Nile and Africa,
Alexandria has been contested by armies and navies ever since. In 1798,
Lord Nelson defeated Napoleonıs navy just east of Alexandria.
In 1807 the British occupied the city. In 1941, General Erwin Rommel's
Afrika Korps stormed across North Africa all the way to El Alamein,
only 70 miles west of Alexandria. Rommel was driven back in desperate
fighting by British forces under the command of Field Marshal Bernard
Montgomery, yet another of the many generals to have struggled for control
of this strategic land.
Today
you 'll have the rest of the day free, to stroll the Corniche, acquire
mementos of our trip, or look in on daily life in the ancient capital
of Cleopatra. Lunch is served enroute . Dinner is included at the hotel
in Alexandria.
DAY
13 - ALEXANDRIA (BL) Wednesday
Conqueror
of the Mediterranean Coast - Alexander the Great
In 332 BC, Egypt was laboring under Persian military control when
Alexander the Great arrived to drive out the invaders without the shedding
of a drop of blood. The Persian governor surrendered and the conquering
hero was hailed as a liberator and given Egypt's double crown symbolizing
control of Upper and Lower Egypt. Alexander reinstated Egypt's traditional
government and founded the city of
Alexandria
at the countryıs most important crossroads: where
the Nile meets the Mediterranean. . Today, we'll get to known Alexandria
in depth, as we visit the Greco-Roman Museum, the Roman Amphitheater,
the Koum El Shougafa Tombs, the fortress of Kayet Bey, and the Museum
of the Crown Jewels. After lunch in an Alexandrine restaurant, on to
: Qayet Bey Fortress housing recovered items from the
French Fleet & Napoleons Flag Ship " L'Orient", sunk by
the British & Admiral Nelson, east of Alexandria.
Napoleon
in Egypt:
From
the Pharaohs to Napoleon: Discoveries Continue in Alexandria. Even today
( Sep 2003) , the treasures of Egypt are still being rediscovered—sometimes
spanning millennia in a single location!
The
Egyptian Department of Antiquity recently revealed the existence of
a Pharaonic tomb dating from 400 BC on Nelson Island, just four kilometers
from Alexandria’s Abu Qir Bay. Finds by a team of Italian archeologists
included three mummies, along with earthenware utensils, statues, and
figurines adorned with texts from the Book of the Dead.
But
that’s not all. The English sank Napoleon’s fleet
at Abu Qir in 1798, and the excavations yielded a treasure
trove from the battle: the remains of soldiers, sailors and officers
in uniforms, along with military gear, rosaries, and coffins and body
wrappings, all well preserved in Mediterranean sands. There were even
skeletons of newborns, as family members accompanied officers aboard
ship.
As
these exciting discoveries are catalogued and protected, many are sure
to be placed in the collection of the Qeit Bey Castle Museum, which
already houses relics from Napoleon’s fleet.
Qayet
Bey Fort was
built on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world : the famous
Alexandria Light House. A brief stop at " El Selsela" the
site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Place was discovered,
as well as Caesar Kiosk. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the Crown
Jewels Museum, then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library
before heading back to your hotel.
DAY
14 - ALEXANDRIA/ Wadi El Natroun / Cairo (BL)
Thursday
After
breakfast we 'll visit the new museum in Alexandria , the building was
originally built in 1926 for the US consulate in Alexandria and is a
masterpiece in 1920's architecture & Mediterranean style buildings
on to Wadi El Natroun monastery almost midway to Cairo in the middle
of the Sahara , where early Coptic Christians retreated here to escape
the Roman persecution in the 4th century AD. The Egyptian Pope of Alexandria
is always chosen from the Monks of wadi El Natroun. Reach Cairo late
afternoon and your hotel.
DAY
15 - Pharaonic Giza (cBL) Friday
Today we tour Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser
& Nobles tombs/Mastabas, The Serapeum, Unas, Pyramid of Teti and
key Mastabas.
In the afternoon the tour takes us to Dahshour, the pyramid field
south of Cairo:only-opened few years back after Sadat signed the peace
treaty with Israel, and the Army did let go of this strategically "important"
area.
DAHSOUR - we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to Dahshour,
the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid
of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structure:
The "Discovery" of Dahshour:
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the
desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits
to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were
many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru,
father of Cheops. Senfru's pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son
built Giza's Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly
on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at
one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru's--miraculously--is
still in place. We'll tour as well the famous "Bent" Pyramid.
DAY 16 - CAIRO LUXOR- Saturday (BLD)
A
very early breakfast ( around 4 AM ) and flight to Luxor or Aswan.
Transfer is always included ( private car/driver) from your hotel to
the airport.
Domestic air fare between Cairo & the cruise is included, tickets
are issued in Cairo . Add $ 150 for upgrade to business class ( subject
to availability).
Transfer
is included from Luxor Airport to the Cruise.
Check in on your luxury cruiser at noon. After lunch, we visit the great
temples of Luxor and Karnak, then return to our Nile cruiser in time
for afternoon tea.
DAY
17 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS - Sunday (cBLD)
We
tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings,
including Tut-Ankh-Amon's tomb, and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut,
we
stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise.
Queen
Nefertari's tomb will be closed for urgent repairs. , that's
why we are visiting instead the Ancient Worker's village at Deir el
Medinah
The
Queen for whom the sun shines : ( closed for urgent repairs)
Long before Cleopatra humbled the ruler of Rome, an Egyptian queen held
power over the heart and soul of Ramses, Egypt's greatest pharaoh. In
the 12th century BC, a brokenhearted Ramses built a grand funerary tomb
for Queen Nefertari, "the Beautiful one," in the Valley of the Queens.
It's been exquisitely restored with the aid of an American endowment,
and is among the rarest sights in all Egypt: the only great tomb ever
built by a pharaoh for his late queen. Artistically, it is the closest
thing you could ever come to see the original Ancient Egyptian art in
all of its glory and finesse.
Because of its fragile nature, only a limited number of visitors are
allowed entry each day. We are the only company to include a visit to
Nefertari's tomb in our daily program. Because of the limited access
we must rise early for our visit, appropriate as Ramses named Nefertari
"the one for whom the sun shines." >>
Then it's on to Queen Hatshepsut's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.
Afterward,
we'll continue on Luxor's west bank to get a totally different
perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement
of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites
of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah
gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who
constructed and decorated the tombs.
Here
we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic
animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized
rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt
might not have been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and
builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be
the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement
in its tour and cruise programs.
DAY
18 - EDFU & KOM OMBO- Monday (cBLD)
We cruise by Esna to Edfu, where we board horse-drawn
carriages for the ride to the Temple of Horus. Returning to our
ship, we set sail for Kom Ombo. In the evening, there's a jolly galabia
party aboard.
DAY
19 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN - Tuesday (cBLD)
We explore the twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek at Kom Ombo,
then sail south to Aswan. After lunch we board a graceful felucca
and cruise among the islands, returning to our ship in time for tea.
DAY
20- ASWAN / Cairo - Wednesday :
Nubian Museum, Camel Caravan, Nubian Village, Wednesday (cB)
After breakfast we check out, visit the awesome Aswan dams,
and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk,
the Nubian Museum ,then board a motor launch to visit the the
Island temple of Philae , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS :
The
Mystery of Isis
Two
millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery
of Isis:
"I,
Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath
ever seen me unveiled."
Called
Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean
tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess
from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.
Isis
was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun
God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and
Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was
also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction
of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!
Because
of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician
capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey
to the Underworld.
Isis
is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the
meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images
show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world.
Isis,
the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless
Egypt when you Travel in Style!
Be
our guest if you wish on a complimentary short camel caravan to a near
by Nubian Village for tea with the locals, returning to Aswan Airport
.Transfer is included ( private car/driver) back to Aswan airport
Domestic air fare is included as well back to Cairo . In Cairo , we
meet you at the airport & escort you back to your hotel .
DAY
21- CAIRO -Home Hosted Family Dinner (cBLD)
Thursday
The Culture of Cairo
Today
we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its
daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions.
We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense
variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and
exotic.
You’ll
see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience.
Be prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos.
It’s all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in
traditional modest garb as well as others in Western dress.
Then
it’s on to the Museum of Islamic Art, with its tapestries, textiles,
swords and other objects exemplifying one of the world’s great
decorative traditions. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House,
a serene and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain
and exquisite furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished
way of life—the residence is actually two traditional medieval
Cairo houses restored by an English physician to a former king. We’ll
stop for lunch at a restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab
an-Nasr, the Gate of Victory in Cairo’s old walls. You’ll
even see graffiti that survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the
British Empire, among the many who passed this way.
Dinner
is included at a local home:
Meet the locals,
you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (
T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right
into the homes of some of the people of Cairo l! You'll be invited to
a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties,
you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way
of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your
new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background.
Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that
you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may
enjoy dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting
us know your preferences.
DAY
22 - On
Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids
were old ,
Friday (BL)
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide):
Full day Fayoum Oases including:
Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun,
lunch is included at a local restaurant.
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
23- RETURN HOME (B) Saturday
After breakfast, our Cairo staff will accompany you to the airport,
where you'll board your flight to start your journey home. This tour
departs weekly .

Photo Credit Osama Abdel A'al - Click here for more images from
the Oases
RATES per
person in USD
| Sharing
in : |
Category
A Hotels
Sample
Deluxe Nile Cruises:
M/S Monaco ,M/S Monte
Carlo ,, M/S Mojito Beau Soleil, or similar
|
Category
B Hotels
Sample
Nile Cruise
M/S Lady Diana Presidential
Nile Cruise
or similar
|
| Triple Occupancy
room |
US$
6595 |
US$
5801 |
| Double Occupancy |
US$
6760 |
US$
5975 |
| Single Occupancy
|
US$
7275 |
US$
6525 |
International
airfare is not included from / to your home country
Christmas / New Year / Easter : please add 20 % to any of the rates
Please
add 20 % supplement to the deluxe rates for the ultra deluxe :
M/S
Tuya , M/S TiYi
, Nile Vision , the
all suites M/S Amarco ,
or the all suites with private balconies Nile Cruise : M/S
Liberty , or
Moon Goddess ( all state rooms do offer private balconies)
The
all suites M/S Amarco

The
Ultra Deluxe M/S Amarco
-
On Board the Nile Cruise :
For a PRIVATE: CAR/DRIVER & GUIDE for all the shore
excursions for the duration of the cruise , please add :$ 250 per
person.( This doesn't apply when you book the Presidential Suite)

Category
A class hotels :
Five-star Sheraton / Hilton / Meridien in Cairo
Five-star Corinthia
Bab Africa in Tripoli (www.corinthiahotels.com)
Alexandria : Sheraton, Hilton, Palestine Montazah Hotel
Siwa Oases Egypt:Hilton
Borg El Arab or Safari Paradise Siwa
Category
B class hotels :
Novotel / Maadi / Oases in Cairo
Yosser Hotel in Tripoli (newly renovated, near old town and Tripoli
Museum)
Alexandria
: Sheraton, Hilton, Palestine Montazah Hotel
Siwa
Oases Egypt:Hilton
Borg El Arab or Safari Paradise Siwa
In
Libya, surprises are the order of the day! An invitation to a refreshing
glass of mint tea while you browse in a shop . . . an encounter with
a humble desert dweller . . . a gust of wind and a swirl of sand, followed
by perfect stillness, and vistas under an endless blue sky.
You'll find sometimes that your tour schedule will be switched to accommodate
changes in conditions. You might even start with your last day and proceed
resolutely to the first! Your hotels will have facilities that match
their ratings, and idiosyncrasies in service on the upside and downside,
but always with a warm welcome.
It's all part of the experience and privilege of going where few have
gone. Be flexible and ready for surprises. If that's not you, don't
worry, we offer myriad options elsewhere tailored to your requirements
and expectations.
Rate
Includes:
- Hotel
accommodation with tax as listed , and two nights in troglodyte
accommodation
- All
transfers in Egypt & Libya .
- Guided
sightseeing including all entrance fees as per itinerary , always
by air conditioned sedan/van or mini bus ( 15 - 24 seater) .
- Pre
set meals as listed including B = Breakfast,
(or cB, Continental Breakfast), L
= Lunch, D = Dinner
- Cairo
& Libya and travel guide books.
- Egyptian
Visa:
Will be issued on a complimentary basis for American, Australian,
NZ, Western European, Canadian , Singaporean & Japanese citizens,
your passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of
arrival.
- All
Nile Cruise shore excursions, entrance fees, the service of an English
Speaking guide.
- Welcome
fruit basket upon check-in on board the Nile Cruise . One large bottle
of water per person daily while on board the cruise. Tea or coffee
with each meal on board the cruise
- All
outside cabins, including all tax & service charges.
- All
meals: B = Breakfast, L
= Lunch, D = Dinner. Afternoon tea daily onboard.
- All
transfers as listed, all by air conditioned car/van .
-
Domestic air fare between Cairo & the Nile cruise, tax included.
Add $ 150 for upgrade to business class ( subject to availability)
- One
small bottle of water per person with each meal on board the Nile
Cruise
- Visa
for Libya , limited to specific number of nationalities, such as USA,
Canada, Australia, EU etc. For Libya : No Israeli
visa stamps should be in your passport .
Please e.mail us a legible scan of your passport at least 60 days
prior to the start of the tour, otherwise, you need to secure the
visa on your own directly with the Libyan Consulate nearest you .
Not
Included :
- Any
International Airfare from/to
your home country
- Tips.
- Beverages
with meals
- Travel
Insurance
Jacquie
Kennedy & Abu Simbel:
All Americans alive during the 1960s remember President John F Kennedy
and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Most Americans from that
time also remember Abu Simbel, the dramatic, ancient Pharaonic temple
threatened by the rising waters blocked by the new Aswan High Dam. It's
worth remembering that it was Jacquie Kennedy who provided crucial support
for the mammoth rescue project. Without her help, Abu Simbel might have
been lost. Read More
Click
here for Intimate size Nile Cruise : 6 Cabins cruises, available also
for charter and private cruising. Of course Air Conditioned

Libya
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