Travel Review: Luxury Egypt & Jordan Trip, Cairo, Luxor, Wadi Rum, Petra, Hurghada, Great Pyramids, Archaeological Dig, Snorkeling

Egypt

In Egypt we loved our guide. It was clear he loved his subject, was enthusiastic and very knowledgable. He was expert at getting us the tombs and museums at the least crowded times which made for a leisurely enjoyable tour. We would tour again with him in a heartbeat-in fact our daughter wants to come back and be involved in an archaeological dig with him. More than that he was personable and fun. We enjoyed meeting and enjoying tea/coffee in the park with his lovely family in his hometown of Luxor. He also recommended a delicious local restaurant for dinner( we do like to venture out of the resorts) always explained what was going on. He guided us with respect to Egyptian customs. He provided wi-fi in the car- a nice touch especially enjoyed by our 20 something daughter. We became especially fond of our driver. He had a very luxurious vehicle and provided water drinks snacks candy bars hand wipes- you name it-he had it besides being just delightful. In Cairo, a couple of people involved in our transfers deserve special mention. Our guide arranged breakfast and coffee to go at our departure which we enjoyed on our way to the airport. He was young , but very nice and engaging. Our driver who helped with transfer through Cairo to Jordan was just delightful, fun and informative besides pushing our tons of luggage without complaint uphill between terminals. In Luxor, the hotel rooms were not at the level of the other hotels where we stayed in Egypt. But the facility was lovely,  the food excellent and the service excellent, special mention for other our guide(not sure of name now)breakfast server and bartender (again not sure of name now). (I had already filled out review for the hotel highlighting these 2 men upon our departure)  Also the spa offered amazing massages. The hotel was beautiful with view on the Pyramids, great location, however, breakfast service was very slow. I would have preferred a flight later in the day instead of very early in the morning so that we could take advantage of our amenity of 4 pm check out.

The hotel in Hurghada was a wonderful oasis  but the rest of Hurghada seemed like a bad Cancun. I would not recommend going to Hurghada unless staying at this hotel. That being said-loved the hotel. The reef was beautiful and you could see a lot  just snorkeling. The dive shop was 5 star +, cannot say enough good things about the staff there, especially our guide who went out of his way to make me feel safe although I had not been diving in 25 years. Said was on top of all equipment and very helpful getting us outfitted properly. The food was excellent, favorite servers - attentive and accommodating. We also enjoyed the entertainment there- an amazing whirling dervish and belly dancer. The rooms were beautiful, the bed linens just scrumptious. The general manager of the hotel is in possession of separate review.

Jordan

Transfers- our driver was charming, efficient, on it (he found suitcase that was pulled aside for containing binoculars quickly) no hold ups.

Wadi Rum was enjoyable, our guide on the jeep tour very helpful to me negotiating some of the more difficult paths.

The hotel in Petra was ok, fairly basic. The pool was not heated, freezing cold and therefore we were unable to swim in it, which we were looking forward to after a very hot day touring Petra. No real service at the pool either. 

The guide in Petra was poor. He told us basic information, but seemed uninterested, walked ahead to smoke, was not at all engaging. 

On the other hand, our driver was wonderful, loved him. He was a font of knowledge and a very entertaining guide. He had all kinds of snacks, fruit, water etc, hand wipes, tissues  and wi fi. He took us off the beaten path when my husband expressed an interest in seeing a castle. The hotel terrace rooms were fabulous, loved having a quiet private pool there. Spa was beautiful, however I experienced  the best actual massage at the Luxor Hotel.  Housekeeping service and room amenities were beyond compare. Restaurant food all delicious although many times service was on the slow side.  Pool service, however, again, beyond compare. 

In summary, although quite expensive, it was a wonderful trip.