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Temples and Timeless Vistas
7 - Day Including Abu Simbel
For
Guests Traveling onward to Sharm El Sheikh or Hurgada
Inclusive of all transfers, 5 Day Nile Cruise , Abu
Simbel
Domestic air fare in Egypt and And one hotel night
in Luxor or Aswan
For
Special Anniversary Honeymoon Wedding Party on board a smaller sailing
boat
Please click here
Perfect
add-on to a Cairo visit. Weekly on Sat , Mon , Tue, Wed & Thu.
Click
for the full listing of Nile Cruises : Rates
& Itinerary for : 4 days , 8
Days Cruise
DAY
1 - CAIRO / LUXOR Saturday (LD)
Please
advise the name of your hotel in Cairo. Transfer is included
( private car/driver) from your hotel to the airport.
Domestic air fare between Cairo & the cruise is included.
We have several boats that do start on different days of the week to
accommodate your schedule:
You may start this 5 day sailing Weekly on any Saturday , Monday , Tuesday
,Wednesday or Thursday.
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
2 - 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.
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 3 - 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
4 - 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
5 - ASWAN - 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."
Be
our guest if you wish on a complimentary short camel caravan to a near
by Nubian Village for tea with the locals. We
proceed to the Old Cataract Hotel, overlooking the Nile and the ancient
island of Elephantine. Remainder of the day at leisure.
DAY 6 - ASWAN / Abu Simbel / Cairo - Thursday - Home Hosted Dinner
(cB)
Very early breakfast at the hotel .
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.
There
we'll marvel at the temples dedicated to Ramses the Great and Queen
Neferatri, saved from rising waters of the Nile when the High Dam was
built. In
the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses 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
Airport for your flight
back to Aswan . Domestic air fare is included , issued & delivered
in Egypt: Abu Simbel Aswan Cairo ,connect in Aswan and on to
Cairo by air .
In Cairo , we meet you at the airport & escort you back to your
hotel.
Private
air conditioned Van / Private guide for Abu Simbel excursion
covering : all transfers in Aswan & Abu Simbel, entrance fees &
Abu Simbel/Aswan.
Complimentary 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 a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know
your preferences.
DAY 7 - CAIRO- Departure - Sharm El Sheikh or Hurgada
(B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your flight to Sharm
El Sheikh or Hurgada ( Economy class ) .
In
Hurgada or Sharm El Sheikh our local rep will assist with your transfer
to your hotel. ( we'll be glad
to assist with hotel accommodation of course )
End of our service - Bon Voyage ! Itinerary
is subject to change without notice.
RATES per
person in USD
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Oct
- Apr
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May
- Sep
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Triple
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US$1454
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US$1335
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Double
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US$1495
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US$1352
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Single
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US$1870
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US$1740
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-
Please add 20 % supplement to the deluxe rates for , or
Queen TiYi,
or the all suites Moon
Goddess ( all state rooms do offer private balconies)
- Please add 30 % supplement to the deluxe
rates for the all suites M/S
Amarco
For
a PRIVATE: CAR/DRIVER & GUIDE for all the shore
excursions for the duration of the cruise , please add
:$ 250 per person.( This doesn't apply when you book the Presidential
Suite)
Inclusions:
- All
shore excursions, entrance fees, the service of an English Speaking
guide.
- One
night hotel accommodation in Aswan (Old Cataract hotel or the Oberoi),
or in Luxor : Old Winter Palace or the Sonesta St. George), with tax,
breakfast & service charge.
- One
night hotel accommodation in Cairo , with tax & breakfast.
- Welcome
fruit basket upon check-in. One large bottle of water per person daily
while on board the cruise. Tea / coffee with each meal. Plus bottled
water with each meal
- All
outside cabins, including all tax & service charges.
- All
meals on board the cruise : B = Breakfast,
L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
Afternoon tea daily onboard.
- All
transfers as listed, all by private car/van & driver.
-
Domestic air fare between Cairo , Red Sea ( Sharm or Hurgada ) &
the cruise, as well as Abu Simbel Aswan , tax included, as per itinerary
, ending in Sharm or Hurgada .
- Private
air conditioned Van / Private guide for Abu Simbel excursion by
covering : all transfers in Aswan & Abu Simbel, entrance fees
& Abu Simbel/Aswan.
- For
Christmas/New Year's and the month of April :
Please add %15 supplement, to any of the listed rates.
- Children
discount :
10 % on the adult double rate. ( 9 years of
age or younger), must be raveling with an adult. No children discount
on triple or single rates.
- Baby
Sitting : Available upon request : $10 per child / per hour
Boarding
the cruise is from either Luxor or Aswan, depending on the availability
at the time of booking.
Dining Room Reservations: Meet other
passengers :
YOU will not require any, our dining rooms do accommodate all our guests
in one seating, one less thing to worry about while you are on the Nile.
Enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere with several different languages being
heard at dinner.
Do we get sea sickness while sailing the Nile
?
This is river sailing, so do not expect any waves , no rough seas
! Your Nile cruises is actually a floating hotel that moves from place
to place along the Nile. Actual cruising times are short and pleasant.
.
What to Pack:
Most of the year look forward to warm, even hot weather in Luxor & Aswan,
morning & evenings are cooler. For Shore excursions, we suggest comfortable
cotton & natural fabric lightweight clothing. Comfortable walking shoes
are essential.
Clothing on Board:
Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing. Swimsuits, sun hat. Dining
room dress code is casual for breakfast & lunch, but smart casual for
dinner. All ships are fully air conditioned
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.
No one questioned that the temple must be saved.
UNESCO developed a marvelous plan to cut the huge monument into 1,423
stone blocks and move it 200 meters (219 yards) north and 63 meters
(207 feet) higher,
just above the estimated level of Lake Nasser, the vast inland sea that
would be created by the new dam.
But who would pay? As a developing country, Egypt
could not shoulder the burden alone. Other countries could contribute,
but only one country--the United States of America--truly had the resources
for this
monumental rescue effort.
No matter how much wealth there is, it is never
enough. Many legitimate, worthwhile projects compete for funds. What
Abu Simbel needed was an advocate, someone who recognized the temple
for the irreplaceable world art treasure that it was.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, already famous
for her grace, refinement, and sensitivity to the arts, saw the need
to work for the salvation of Abu Simbel. It was she who urged Congress
to allocate $10 million for the rescue effort (a sum roughly equivalent
to $100 million today). It was an enormous amount of money, but she
saw that America
must step up to the challenge of saving this treasure of worldwide importance
for all time.
The rescue funds were approved by Congress and
the temple was saved.
In appreciation for her efforts, Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel Nasser presented the First Lady and the president with a
4000-year-old Egyptian statue (which is now preserved in the John F
Kennedy Library &
Museum in Boston). (http://www.jfklibrary.org/visit_museum-14.html)
President Nasser wanted also to give a gift of
thanks to the people of the United States for their valuable support.
He asked Mrs Kennedy to choose an appropriate monument. She suggested
the small Temple of
Dendur (c. 15 BC), and the gift was readily approved. The temple was
brought to the United States in 1965 and installed at New York’s
Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967.
(http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/
view1.asp?dep=10&full=0&item=68%2E154)
Times change, leaders come and go, but some acts
of support and generosity are remembered through the decades.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy loved Egypt,
and Egypt still loves her.
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