Review: Multi-Generational Family Vacation in Egypt and Jordan, Petra, Aswan, Cairo, Luxor, Valley of Nobles, Temple of Karnack

Egypt and Jordan have so many amazing, world-class monuments and historical sites that it's almost surreal to realize you're actually in the middle of the Great Pyramid, or standing in the Temple of Karnak, or hiking through Petra.  We saw and did so much, and will cherish these memories, as it really was one of the most incredible trips we've ever taken.  The travel company's founder is a pleasure to work with, and each piece of the itinerary, including airline tickets, hotel bookings, and transportation, fell smoothly into place - we were never stranded or forced to wait anywhere.

On the ground in Egypt, the experience was a bit grittier.  Our airport expediter in Cairo was brusque, unprofessional, and ill-informed.  Upon arrival, we told him that we needed to change dollars into Egyptian pounds.  He told us the airport currency exchange desk was closed (which it was not), and that there was no point in getting pounds, since we wouldn't be able to sell them back - instead, we should just conduct all transactions in dollars.  The problem there of course, is that U.S.$20 is an excessive tip for a bathroom attendant, we didn't come with hundreds of dollars in singles and fives, and none of us wanted to walk away without tipping at all.  Nevertheless, he hustled us out of the airport, brushing off our concerns/requests.  As a result, my husband spent approximately 90 minutes the next day waiting in line at a bank near our hotel so he could exchange currencies.  Far worse was our experience leaving Cairo for Amman.  We had about U.S.$800 in Egyptian pounds that we wanted to change back into dollars (or possibly Jordanian dinar).  We told the same expediter we needed to exchange currencies at airport; he once again brushed us off, hurried us through security, then tried to leave us at customs.  When I insisted we stop to exchange currency, he told us there was no bank in the airport - which I pointed out couldn't possibly be true, since we'd just passed multiple bank signs on the lower level.  He said to go ahead and try then, and promptly bid us adieu.  My husband spent several frustrating minutes trying to exchange currency at ATMs that would only distribute Egyptian pounds, only to learn at the Information Desk that the currency exchange that would exchange dollars for pounds was located before security, to which we could not return, having already been rushed through security.  To say we were displeased at this point is a gross understatement.  (We have since learned that this individual is no longer employed by the travel company, and do appreciate the company's responsiveness to our concerns.)

Our tour guide in Egypt was very engaging and reasonably knowledgeable.  He was where he said he would be each day, and got along particularly well with the kids and grandparents.  He was always ready with tissues and reminders to bring small bills into the restrooms.  That said, there were a couple of scheduling oversights/errors - he skipped the Valley of Nobles on the assigned day, and my husband had to call and request that we see it the next day.  We were left with the impression that, had my husband not raised it, we wouldn't have gone there, despite already having paid the cost of the tickets.  These were incredible tombs, and absolutely worth seeing.  That sort of decision needs to be a group discussion, not a unilateral, unadvertised decision by the guide.   Additionally, this guide is not particularly knowledgeable about Islamic Cairo, so he wasn't able to tell us much about the old mosques we were seeing, nor did we get to see inside any of them, which would have added to the experience.  

Overall, Egypt and Jordan are incredible tourist destinations, and with a few exceptions, our travel company delivered high quality service at very competitive prices.  The accommodations, in particular, were lovely - the hotel in Cairo, the unbeatable location at the guest house in Petra,  Jordan, etc.   Better, more knowledgeable expediters in Egypt, a more substantive guide for the Islamic Cairo tour, and a bit more transparency regarding restaurant selections and meal costs would have earned a five-star rating, and based on the responsiveness of the company to our concerns, I have every reason to believe many of these issues will not come up for future tours.