Egypt
and Jordan a La Indiana Jones
A
15 -day tour in Egypt and Jordan, Including Petra
and a Cruise the Nile onboard a deluxe Air Conditioned Dahabiya
Indiana
Jones himself couldn't squeeze more adventure into this journey:
Cairo and the Pyramids,
and a dream cruise on the Nile on board a Dahabiya , the fabled temples
and tombs of Luxor and Thebes, diving in the Red
Sea, the mountains of Sinai, and a trek to the
mysterious ruins of Petra in Jordan . Departures are weekly year round.
Add Syria Magic
of the Arabian Empire : Syria, Jordan & Egypt
. Compare
with the 12-Day , Add Alexandria
and Abu Simbel , compare with the 17
days version, or the
7-Day Version . Compare
with the Alexandria
version : 9 Days ?
Egypt and Jordan, A La Indiana Jones :
Itinerary - The Dahabiya Version
Many visitors come to Egypt to fulfill their
dream of sailing the Nile on board a private boat.
These Four Dahabbiya allow you to experience the Nile 's romance in
an intimate, privileged setting. These dahabiyas take you back in
time to a gentler, more gracious era.
DAY
1 - DEPARTURE - Wednesday - Weekly Year Round
We take off aboard our Air France, British Airways,
Lufthansa , or if you prefer Egyptair non-stop JFK Cairo, from New York's
John F. Kennedy International Airport.
DAY 2- CAIRO - Thursday
Our Egypt-based staff greets you in bustling Cairo airport and escorts
you to your hotel . Complimentary Egyptian visa fee (valid only
for American & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid
for at least 6 month upon arrival).
Visa will be issued upon arrival.
As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down some
stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty free shops,
at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security officers.
There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding
a sign with the name you prefer to use for the sign .
Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp
from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport
officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport
as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist
you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs . After exiting
the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle)
to the hotel
DAY 3 - CAIRO- Friday
(BL)
Your exploration of the ancient world begins today! First stop is the
Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs:
mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals. We'll also stop at the
Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. Then it's on to Giza and
the mysteries of the Pyramids and Sphinx. Lunch is included at a local
restaurant . Return to your hotel late afternoon.
DAY 4 - Board your Nile Cruise -
Saturday (BLD)
Early breakfast at your hotel,
before we head for the airport to board your flight o Aswan and
your deluxe Dahabiya Nile cruise . Boarding Luxor or
Aswan
Embarkation in Luxor for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously
appointed Dahabbiya.
After lunch, excursion to the West Bank for visits to
the burial places of the Pharaohs - the Valley of the Kings - where
Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to
the adjacent Valley of the Queens, the temple of Medinet Habu and the
Colossi of Memnon.
Overnight moored on the Nile banks of Luxor.
Day 5:
On board your deluxe Dahabiya - Sunday - (BLD)
You will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak,
with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing
28 th Dynasty Luxor Temple.
Overnight moored in Luxor.
Day 6:
On board your deluxe Dahabiya - Monday - (BLD)
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to
Esna where your dahabiyya will moor overnight.
Day 7:
On board your deluxe Dahabiya - Tuesday - (BLD)
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved
Temple of Edfu.
Overnight moored beside a Nile island.
Day 8:On
board your deluxe Dahabiya - Wednesday- (BLD)
Today you will sail to Kom Ombo visit see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated
to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning
sun. Overnight moored beside a Nile island.
Day 9:
On board your deluxe Dahabiya - Thursday - (BLD)
A leisurely day sailing to Aswan where the dahabiyya moors overnight.
Day 10 :On
board your deluxe Dahabiya - Friday - (BLD)
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old
Dam (completed in 1902) and the ' unfinished obelisk', lying in situ
since the days of the pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple,
dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters
of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam's construction.
DAY 11
- SHARM EL SHEIK - RED SEA Saturday (B)
Now that you've seen the best of the Egypt of the Pharaohs, our guides
escort you
to the airport. You'll fly over to Cairo , where we connect on ward
and fly over the Sinai Peninsula and land at historic Sharm El
Sheik on the Red Sea. You're at the beach and free to swim, or explore
under the waters
DAY 12 - SHARM EL
SHEIK Sunday (B)
Relax! Today is set aside as a strategic mid-journey break. Spend some
time in the sun, but don't miss your chance to snorkel or dive
under Red Sea waters for an array of coral and glittering tropical
fish.
DAY 13 - AQABA, PETRA
Tuesday (B)
We'll drive to the port of Nuweiba, where we'll board the Red Sea ferry.
Across the water in Aqaba, with Israel and Saudi Arabia in sight,
our Jordan-based representative waits to greet you. You'll drive
north under a towering ridge of mountains, and arrive at your
hotel in Petra for the night. Complimentary Jordanian visa fee
(valid only for American & Japanese citizens. Passports must
be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).
DAY 14 - PETRA (B)
We'll spend the entire day at Petra, the stunning desert city hewn by
the Nabateans
from solid cliffs of pink and violet sandstone. Petra was known in
the bible as Sela, and rediscovered only in 1812. You'll feel like
Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark as you penetrate into
the city through a narrow sandstone gorge, the Siq, and wander
among the Temple of the Winged Lion, tombs, Roman theater, and
the imposing Treasury.
DAY 15 - DEPARTURE
FOR HOME
Thursday (B) Our staff escorts you to the airport of Amman for your
flight home.
RATES per person in USD:
| |
Deluxe |
| Triple |
US$
4190.00 |
| Double |
US$ 4280.00 |
| Single |
US$ 5690.00 |
Easter, Christmas, New Year's : 10 % supplement
will apply.
- For departures from most west coast cities, as well as Phoenix,
Dallas-Fort Worth or Atlanta in conjunction with travel on British
Airways, Lufthansa or similar carriers please add $ 350 to the above
rates.
- For travel in May / June/July/August, please note that a $300 air-fare
supplement is added to the above rates. This doesn't
apply when you handle your own air fare
Prices include:
- All transfers in Egypt and Jordan, always on a private basis.
- International air fares from New York to Cairo with return from
Amman , as well as flight within Egypt always in economy class , tax
included
- The Red Sea ferry ticket from Egypt to Jordan .
- Air-conditioned hotel accommodations with tax and service charges
- Sightseeing with professional local guides and entrance fees as
indicated
- Meals as indicated, with pre-set menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch,
D = Dinner)
- Jordanian and Egyptian visa fee (valid only for American, Canadians,
EU & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month
upon arrival).
- Jordanian departure tax.
- Dahabiya Nile Cruise
with all meals and shore excursions
Not included:
Other
choices :
Come to Egypt and enjoy your private honeymoon or Anniversary
cruise
On the Nile in Royal Style Feluccas or Dahabiyas
are the traditional sailing vessel of much of the Mediterranean world,
and the traditional Nile felucca, or Dahabia, was the mainstay of
travel in ancient Egypt.
With shallow drafts, sails, and oars, feluccas could
navigate not only the great river, but the maze of canals threading
through its banks, with or without wind, reaching every part of the
kingdom.
Dahabbiyas / Feluccas long ago transcended their role
as humble transports. They held the ancient empire together, carrying
troops, decrees, and the very mystery of the pharaoh.
Private docking areas:
Your Dahabia will moor on privately owned areas of the riverbank at
Luxor and Aswan, you will avoid the over crowded docking area of the
regular large size cruises.
In your felucca docking are you will be welcomed with the sight of
flowers and gardens that are frequented by exotic birds. These gardens
provide our ships with flowers and organically grown vegetables and
herbs.
Along the way, we moor on un-inhabited Nile islands, whose virgin
landscapes have hardly changed throughout millennia. Wandering the
gardens and Nile islands is an idyllic pastime, and the perfect compliment
to your visits to Egypt 's matchless monuments.
The Dahabbiyas are beautifully crafted wooden ships, outfitted in
colonial style with oriental and Egyptian touches. The interiors boast
period furnishing, and each cabin has its own distinct style and interior
.
The Cabins:
Each boat has six delightfully appointed private cabins measuring
5.75 meters x 2.50 meters . The cabins (maximum occupancy two persons)
have private bathrooms of 1.25 meters x 2.50 meters with a wc, wash
basin, shower and hairdryer. Some cabins offer two single beds and
others have a double. Each Dahabia comfortably accommodates twelve
passengers sharing in doubles . Yet of course in a lot of cases we
have smaller parties that prefer to charter the boat for four, five
or six guests only .
The cabins are named them in keeping with the ship's
theme. For example, on the Zahra ('flower') you will find the 'white
lotus' cabin; on the Nesma ('breeze') you have 'the zephyr', each
with tasteful, individualized embellishments.
The cabins are located towards the
front of the boat on the starboard and port sides, separated by a
central corridor. The communal lounge covers the width of the boat,
and is a lovely setting for enjoying meals.
Engines will only be used if wind is insufficient to
sail, but generators are available to provide electricity.
From the bow, two staircases lead to the partially shaded
top deck. Here, guests can sunbathe or just enjoy the ride and spectacular
views from comfortable rattan deck chairs, or in oriental seating
areas of colorful cushions and carpets. Meals will also be served
on the top deck, a great place for cocktails and stargazing
Daily
Telegraph
Peter Hughes
Saturday 13 May 2006
'Going
with the flow'
...'The
riad I found was not in the city but on the Nile. It's a dahabiya, a
traditional, two-masted Nile sailing cruiser. Anywhere else it would
be called a yacht. King Farouk had several. So if a riad is a small
princely palace on land - now given over to holidaymaking - a dahabiya
is a riad on the river...'
...'Mahogany
panelled and with two faux-glass oil lamps swinging from the beams -
a perfect touch for a sailing ship - the look was of a colonial club.
Hercule Poirot could have popped up at any moment. There were button-back
leather sofa and chairs, an antique bookcase and Scrabble, and tables
where we ate when the weather was too chilly for the deck. The food
was outstandingly good...'
...'
While the big ships charged by as if permanently late, the El Bey moved
at the same courtly pace as the Nile - slow enough to enable us to smell
woodsmoke from the villages and watch the kingfishers hover. Under our
isosceles sails we were as much a curiosity as the boys laying fishing
nets and the women doing laundry, the donkey carts and buffalo. But
it was the sight of some 40 huge cruise boats, moored in ranks, cheek
by gunwale up to 10 deep, at the pretty little temple of Kom Ombo that
made the greatest sense of dahabiya travel. The dahabiyas dont take
you to sites different from the norm, but they do take you in irresistibly
different style...'
...'The
greatest compliment to the El Bey was that, for all the wonders of ancient
Egypt, shown to us by our own guide, the part of the week my fellow
passengers enjoyed most was the time on the river...'
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