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Safaris to Egypt, Kenya Egypt Tours, Pyramid Tours in Egypt
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Best of Kenya
and Egypt Tour and Safari
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- Day 1 Cairo,
Egypt
- Fly overnight to
Cairo, where you are met and assisted through customs before transferring to
your hotel on the Nile.
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- Day 2: Cairo
- Visit the Pyramids
built for Pharaohs Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus on the Giza Plateau. Continue
to the Solar Boat Museum to view the 141-foot-long funerary boat of King Cheops.
Just to the east is the legendary Sphinx. Dinner at your hotel. (B L D)
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- Day 3: Cairo/Abu
Simbel/Aswan
- Fly to Abu Simbel
and visit the two temples built by Egypt's longest ruling pharaoh, Ramses II. Continue
to Aswan, where you board 'your nile cruise.' After lunch visit the Aswan High Dam
before a short boat ride to the exquisite Temple of Philae on the island of Agilika.
Proceed to the granite quarries, which supplied the ancient Egyptians with most
of the hard stone used in the temples. (B L D)
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- Day 4: Aswan/Kom
Ombo/Edfu
- Cruise to Kom Ombo
and explore its third century BC temple. There is time to rest and enjoy the
lovely scenery as your cruise takes you to Edfu, where you visit the Temple of Horus,
the falcon-god. Begun in 230 BC by Ptolemy III, this extraordinary structure is the
best-preserved temple in Egypt. (B L D)
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- Day 5: Edfu/Luxor
- This morning cross
the Nile to explore its West Bank. Tour the Valley of the Kings and visit the
Valley of the Queens and the Temple of the female Pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut, before
passing the famed Colossi of Memnon. After lunch on board visit the temple of Amun
at Karnak. Continue on to the spectacular Temple of Luxor. (B L, D)
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- Day 6: Luxor/Cairo
- Fly to Cairo, where
you will visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, housing the world's greatest
collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the treasures of Tutankhamun and
the Mummy Room. (B L)
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- Day 7:
Cairo/Nairobi, Kenya
- Visit the hilltop
Citadel and explore the mosque and tomb of the Ottoman ruler Mohamed Ali. A
walking tour of Islamic Cairo takes you from one of the remaining gates of the city,
Bab El Fotouh, to Khan El Khalili Bazaar for a traditional lunch.
- Later this evening
board your overnight flight to Nairobi. (B L)
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- Day 8: Nairobi
- Arrive in Nairobi
this morning, then transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, visit the Giraffe Centre,
the Karen Blixen Museum and the nearby Kazuri Beads workshop. (B)
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- Day 9: Nairobi/Samburu
- Fly to the
semi-desert bush country of the Northern Frontier District and take your first game drive in
Samburu this afternoon. (B L D)
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- Day 10: Samburu
- During your game
drives today, watch for crocodile basking on the muddy riverbanks, velvet monkeys
frolicking in the sun, and unique northern species including the reticulated
giraffe, Somali ostrich, Grevy's zebra and the graceful gerenuk. In the afternoon, visit a
local Samburu village. (B L D)
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- Day 11: Samburu/Masai
Mara Game Reserve
- Fly to the
magnificent Masai Mara Game Reserve, host to the most spectacular array of wildlife. Lion
are found in abundance throughout the park as are elephant, giraffe, a variety
of gazelle species and zebra. Cheetah and leopard are also regularly seen, and
you may even glimpse rhino. After a late-afternoon game drive, return to camp for
dinner. (BLD)
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- Day 12: Masai
Mara Game Reserve
- Spend an
exhilarating day in the Mara, embarking on morning and afternoon game drives in search of
lion, elephant, giraffe and impala. You will also have the opportunity to
visit a Maasai village during your stay. Bid farewell to the Mara at a special dinner
tonight. (B L D)
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- Day 13: Masai
Mara Game Reserve/Nairobi
- Fly to Nairobi
today where a dayroom has been reserved for your use before tonight's flight. The
afternoon is at leisure. (B)
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- 12 Days Egypt and Kenya
Safari Tours
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Nearly all of Egypt is desert, but the small part that isn't - the
valley of the Nile River - is vital to the nation (95% of the
population lives within a few miles of the Nile's banks). Most tours of
Egypt, whether by cruise, via train, on a bus or in
a private car, never stray too far from the river's shores. Egypt is the
largest country in the Arab world, and among
African nations, is second in population only to Nigeria (Cairo, the
continent's most populous city, alone has 16 million
people).
Kenya, today regarded by many as the ‘jewel of East Africa’ has
magnificent wildlife and scenery and an incredibly
sophisticated tourism infrastructure. It is a startlingly beautiful
land, from the coral reefs and white sand beaches of the
coast to the summit of Mount Kenya, crowned with clouds and bejewelled
by strange giant alpine plants.
Above all, Kenya is a place for safaris. Between these two extremes is
the rolling Savannah that is home to game
parks such as Amboseli, the Masai Mara, Samburu and Tsavo; the lush,
agricultural highlands with their sleek green
coat of coffee and tea plantations; and the most spectacular stretch of
the Great Rift Valley, the giant scar across the
face of Africa. One-tenth of all land in Kenya is designated as national
parks and reserves. Over 50 parks and reserves
cover all habitats from desert to mountain forest, and there are even
six marine parks in the Indian Ocean.
Day 1 - CAIRO, EGYPT
Arrive Cairo International Airport. Your local representative will meet
you at the airport and escort you to your hotel for
check-in.
Cairo, one of the world’s largest urban areas, is constantly full of
life and movement with honking horns, children
playing, and merchants selling their wears. You’ll find everything in
this modern and ancient city from the world’s
greatest archeological sites to the grandest accommodations and
restaurants. Conrad Hotel or similar
Day 2 – CAIRO
Breakfast: buffet breakfast at hotel.
Pyramids: Your Egyptologist will meet you at the hotel to escort you on
an unforgettable tour of the Great Pyramids of
Giza. The only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World, they are among the world’s greatest
tourist attractions and never lose their ability to inspire and
overwhelm visitors. Your tour today includes an opportunity
to enter inside one of these fabulous monuments and explore the
mysteries of its ancient past for yourself.
Camel Ride: No trip to Egypt would be complete without a ride on a “ship
of the desert”, and so you will have an
opportunity to mount your individual camel for a short ride across the
sands of Giza to the Sphinx.
Sphinx: Enter the temple of the mysterious Sphinx, an ancient figure
shrouded in legend and mystery. Your
Egyptologist will enthrall you with the tales told of this fascinating
figure.
Sakkara: Experience Egypt’s long and rich history in our exciting double
tour to the city of Memphis and the
necropolis of Sakkara. At vast Sakkara, you will see the famous Step
Pyramid of King Zoser, the first freestanding
stone structure in the world. Our Egyptologist will guide you to some
tombs belonging to the nobles of the past. They
show the beauty and excellence of Ancient Egyptian art on their walls
and give an insight in the daily life of Ancient
Egypt.
Memphis: At the site of Memphis, you will see the ancient capital that
once stood as a flourishing metropolis during
the time of the Pharaohs. The place is thickly surrounded by lush palm
groves and bushes, isolating the site of the old
city from modern civilization. Return to the hotel and enjoy the balance
of your day at leisure. Conrad Hotel or similar
Breakfast
Day 3 – CAIRO
Buffet breakfast at hotel and full day of sightseeing in Cairo. You may
choose two of the following half-day tours.
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities: Your Egyptologist will escort you
today on a fascinating tour of 7,000 years of
Egyptian history with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The
Museum houses the world’s greatest
collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts, including 12 rooms filled with
golden treasures from the world-famous tomb of
the boy-king Tutenkhamun.
Coptic Cairo: Your Egyptologist will guide you today round the
highlights of Coptic Cairo. There you will find the
remains of the old Fortress of Babylon, built at the time of the Romans
in Egypt to protect the country from invading
enemies. The walls of the fortress enclose the Church of St. Sergius,
which is built on a crypt considered to be one of
the resting places of the Holy Family during their flight to Egypt 2,000
years ago. You will also see the “Hanging
Church”, supported by only one column, and boasting incredible paintings
inside. Visit the Synagogue of Ben Ezra,
from the time of the once thriving Jewish community in Egypt under the
leadership of Rabbi Ben Ezra. Inside were
discovered the so-called “Geniza Documents”, which showed an
unparalleled source of information about life of the
Jews in Egypt’s past. You will also enter the Coptic Museum, which
displays a wonderful collection of medieval
statues, bells, bone carvings, frescoes, icons and colorful textiles.
Islamic Cairo: Take a fascinating tour of Islamic Cairo, including the
beautiful and graceful Mohamed Ali Mosque and
the ancient Citadel, a spectacular medieval fortress perched on a hill
above the city. Originally built by Salah El-Din in
1176 to fortify the city against the Crusaders, the Citadel was modified
and enlarged over the centuries by subsequent
rulers and today is a complex of three mosques and four museums. Proceed
to the fascinating Khan El-Khalili Bazaar
– reputed to be the largest bazaar in the Middle East. Originally
founded as a watering stop for caravanserai in the 14th
century, the bazaar has now grown to vast proportions. As you wander
through the labyrinth of narrow streets you will
find workshops and stalls selling all manner of things from woodwork,
glassware and leather goods to perfumes, fabrics
and Paranoiac curiosities. Conrad Hotel or similar Breakfast
Day 4 – CAIRO – ASWAN
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Cairo and checkout.
Transfer: Your local representative will meet you at your hotel and
escort you to the Cairo Domestic Airport in an
air-conditioned bus. Flight: Board your flight to Aswan.
OPTIONAL: Abu Simbel Excursion (at an extra cost). An airport
representative will assist you with check-in for your
short flight to Abu Simbel. Arrive Abu Simbel and board a shuttle bus
for transfer to the temples of Ramses II and his
queen Nefertari. A local Egyptologist will provide a narrated tour of
Abu Simbel. Return shuttle to Abu Simbel airport to
board your scheduled flight to Aswan. You are met by cruise staff and
transferred to the boat dock.
Check-in: Arrive on your 5-star deluxe Nile cruise boat, moored in
private dock in Aswan. On board, the reception staff,
which will offer you chilled fruit juice while assisting with your
check-in, will welcome you.
Lunch: Lunch will be served on board.
High Dam: This afternoon, your Egyptologist guide will escort you to
visit the Aswan High Dam, Egypt’s contemporary
example of building on a monumental scale.
Philae Temple: Take a short motorboat ride to visit the romantic and
majestic Philae Temple on the Island of Agilka.
Unfinished Obelisk: Next we proceed to the Granite Quarries, which
supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the
hard stone used in pyramids and temples, and still hold a huge
unfinished obelisk.
Afternoon Tea: When you return to your cruise, a relaxing afternoon tea
will be served in the lounge.
Captain’s Cocktail Party: Tonight you will be greeted by your Boat
Manager, who will introduce you to the boat staff
and review on-board facilities and your cruise program for the next few
days. Complimentary Egyptian wine and local
beer will be served, together with a selection of canapés.
Dinner: Gourmet menu on board.
Overnight: On board in Aswan.
Nile Vision or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 05 – ASWAN – KOM OMBO - EDFU – ESNA
Breakfast: Breakfast buffet on board, while you cruise to Kom Ombo.
Kom Ombo Temple: Visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the
crocodile-god Sobek. The temple stands at a
bend in the Nile where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the
sun on the riverbank.
Lunch: Return to your boat for lunch on board, while you cruise to Edfu.
Edfu Temple: This afternoon, explore the largest and most completely
preserved Pharaonic – albeit Greek-built –
temple in Egypt, the extraordinary Temple of Horus at Edfu.
Afternoon Tea: Afternoon tea will be served while you cruise to Esna.
Dinner: Tonight’s dinner on board will be an “Egyptian Night” costume
party for all guests, with a chance to dress up in
traditional Egyptian “galabeyas”. Dinner will be a lavish buffet of
Egyptian specialties, followed by oriental music and
dancing for everyone.
Overnight on board in Esna. Nile Vision or similar. Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner
Day 06 – ESNA – LUXOR
Breakfast: Breakfast buffet on board, while you cruise to Luxor.
Valley of the Kings & Queens: Begin your day with a visit to the West
Bank of Luxor to explore the Valley of the
Kings, a vast City of the Dead where magnificent tombs were carved into
the desert rocks, decorated richly, and filled
with treasures for the afterlife by generations of Pharaohs. You will
also have the chance to visit at least one tomb in
the Valley of the Queens.
Hatshepsut Temple: Rising out of the desert plain in a series of
terraces, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Ancient
Egypt’s only female Pharaoh) merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that
surround it, as if nature herself had built this
extraordinary monument.
Photostop Colossi of Memnon: On the way back to the river Nile, your
road passes by the famed Colossi of Memnon,
known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn.
Lunch: Lunch on board.
Luxor Temple: This afternoon your Egyptologist will guide you on a tour
of the East Bank of Luxor, starting with the
strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor dedicated to the god Amun.
Karnak Temple: Proceed to the Temple of Karnak, built over more than a
thousand years by generations of Pharaohs.
The great “Hypostyle Hall” is an incredible forest of giant pillars,
covering an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame
Cathedral.
Afternoon Tea: Return to your cruise for afternoon tea on board.
Dinner: Tonight’s farewell dinner will be a formal gala dinner, with
white-gloved waiters serving gourmet cuisine.
Overnight on board in Luxor. Nile Vision or similar. Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner
Day 07 – LUXOR – CAIRO – NAIROBI, KENYA
Breakfast: Very early breakfast buffet on board, and check out.
Flight: Transfer to Luxor Domestic Airport for you scheduled flight to
Cairo. Arrive Cairo, you are met and transferred to
the Fairmont Hotel where a dayroom is arranged.
Spend the day at leisure doing some last minute shopping or sightseeing.
This evening transfer to the Cairo
International Airport for your outbound international flight (not
included) to Nairobi, Kenya. Hotel - dayroom
Breakfast
Day 08 – NAIROBI
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. After clearing Customs
and Immigration, you will be met and transferred to the Nairobi
Hotel for check in and breakfast.
Enjoy your day at leisure. Meals are on your own account.
Nairobi. As the sun rises each morning in equatorial East Africa,
Nairobi is already bustling with traffic, streams of
pedestrians and people pushing carts. In the city's markets, the floors
are washed, and fresh produce is artfully
arranged; the tea sellers unlock their stalls and light their fires;
merchants raise the iron screens from their store
windows. Flowers are everywhere.
Day 09 – NAIROBI – MAASAI MARA GAME RESERVE
After breakfast at hotel, transfer to Wilson Airport for your scheduled
flight (1000/1045) to Maasai Mara Game Reserve.
You will be met at the Mara Airstrip and transferred the short distance
to your camp in the Maasai Mara for the next
three nights. There will be time to relax before lunch is served.
This afternoon you enjoy your first game viewing drive in the Mara where
you will hopefully enjoy seeing all the animals
known as the “Big Five”. Breakfast, lunch, dinner at the lodge.
Day 10 – MAASAI MARA NATIONAL PARK
You have the whole day to enjoy the sights and sounds of Maasai Mara on
your early morning and late afternoon game
viewing drives.
The jewel in Africa’s crown, Maasai Mara is host to the most spectacular
array of wildlife. Her 320 square kilometers of
open savannah, woodlands and tree-lined rivers creates an eco-system
that supports huge numbers of bird and
mammal species. The western border of the park is the spectacular Siria
Escarpment, and together with the acacia
dotted plains, creates scenery of stunning beauty.
Lion are found in abundance throughout the park, as are elephant,
giraffe, a variety of gazelle species and zebra.
Cheetah and leopard are also regularly seen and, if lucky, you may also
find rhino. Game viewing is never dull in the
Mara, and patience is often rewarded with unique sightings: a pride of
lion stalking their prey; a solitary leopard
retrieving its kill from the high branches of an acacia tree; male
wildebeest sparring to attract females into their harem;
or even a herd of elephant protecting their young from opportunistic
predators. The annual wildebeest migration
traditionally is present in the Mara from July-September and at this
time nature’s dramas unfold before your very eyes
at every turn. As well as wildlife, the Maasai Mara is also home to many
members of the colorful Maasai tribe who may
be seen around the borders of the park – morans (warriors) loping across
the plains, young boys herding goats, or
elders grouped under a tree discussing matters of the day. Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner at the lodge
Day 11 – MAASAI MARA NATIONAL PARK
You have another full day to enjoy the splendors of the Maasai Mara.
There will also be the option to take a balloon
safari or visit Rusinga or Mfangano Island on Lake Victoria (at an extra
cost).
OPTIONAL: Balloon Safari. As the balloon is inflated against the first
rays of sunrise your pilot will go through safety
procedures. It’s then time to climb aboard. Once aloft, the balloon
floats gently over the plains, giving a bird’s eye view
of the game below as the sun creeps slowly over the horizon. Spread
beneath you is a panorama of Africa – elephants
looking improbably small; giraffe browsing amongst the treetops;
antelope grazing; a pair of lionesses stalking a herd
of wildebeest; an eagle guarding his eerie; and cheetah glancing up as
the shadow of the huge balloon crosses their
paths.
After around one hour the balloon lands and nearby breakfast is already
being prepared. The smells of bacon,
sausages and eggs drift on the breeze as you begin breakfast with
platefuls of exotic Kenyan fruits and homemade
pastries and, of course, glasses of bubbly to toast your flight in a
tradition initiated by the Montgolfier brothers.
OPTIONAL: Lake Victoria Adventure. An early start this morning with a
transfer to take you to the airstrip for a 0630
hrs flight (25 minutes) by light aircraft to Mfangano or Rusinga Island
on Lake Victoria. There will be an opportunity to
try fishing for the legendary giant Nile perch found in these waters as
you explore the myriad of tiny islands found in
this region of the lake. An experienced and knowledgeable fisherman
captains each boat. Nile perch weighing over 150
lb are regularly caught on the lake.
Lake Victoria is a spectacular sight: the world's second largest
freshwater lake, an inland sea covering some 68,800
square kilometers. Although an area comparable in size to Scotland, Lake
Victoria remained unknown to the outside
world until the middle of the 19th century. Birdlife is abundant and
includes the spectacular fish eagles that can be
seen perching high in the treetops or dramatically swooping across the
lake as they capture fish in their fiery talons.
There is the chance to stop at a traditional fishing village and see how
the villagers live from day to day before returning
to the island for your return flight to the Maasai Mara.
The afternoon is available for a game viewing drive and/or other
activity in the Mara whether or not you take the optional
adventure. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner at the lodge
Day 12 – MAASAI MARA – NAIROBI – DEPART
After a leisurely breakfast you will bid the lodge staff farewell and
transfer to the Mara Airstrip for your scheduled flight
(1100/1215) to Wilson Airport.
On arrival you will be met and taken to the Carnivore Restaurant for
lunch and then to the Nairobi Hotel where you can
relax in your dayroom.
The rest of the afternoon is at leisure and diner is on your own
arrangements.
This evening you will be taken to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
for your departure flight.
Nairobi Hotel - dayroom until 6pm.
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