Amazing 4 Days Nile Cruise Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel ,Train tickets from Cairo

Hola Egipto (booked through Viator) cancelled our Nile Cruise at 1.39am on the day of departure, leaving us high and dry on the Nile in Aswan, with no accommodation, no trip to Abu Simbel and no way to get to Luxor. We had to find another hotel (at additional cost) and they called someone from Hola Egipto to try and assist us and were told someone from the tour operator would call back. After several minutes our hotel called again and we're again told someone would call back. Our hotel manager told us he felt this was not a decent company who cared or who would call back. He was correct! Hola Egipto told us in their message our trip was cancelled because of "lack of interest", which was complete rubbish, because we couldn't find an alternative like for like cruise, and everything in Aswan was fully booked. What really happened is that our money was taken weeks before and NOTHING WAS BOOKED for us, with the operator waiting to the last minute to get a cheap deal and getting nothing at all. The following day our hotel found us a last minute 2 day cruise on a much smaller boat (at a much higher cost). Although not everyone had used Hola Egipto, all 14 guests (from UK, USA, Australia, Korea, Greece and Chile) had had their original cruises cancelled at the last minute. Some of our cruise companions told us everyone in their hotel had lost their cruise. So this is clearly a common practise that everyone should be aware of. Please BEWARE and don't make the same costly mistake as us. Book your cruise directly through a reputable Egyptian operator to avoid disappointment at the 11th hour.

We debated between different Nile cruise tours, and settled on the one with Egypt Best Holidays. I was skeptical at first, but all the positive reviews are spot on. Khaled El Saady is the kind of guy you see in the movies - an Egyptologist who knows the ins-and-outs. When we got off the train from Cairo, he was easy to find - holding a sign with my name. Two men grabbed our bags, and without breaking stride said ‘these men will carry your bags to the car. They will ask for money after.’ Khaled helped us throughout by getting our tickets and advising who to tip, and who to ignore. This trip is worth it. Once in a lifetime opportunity, and our Egyptologist explained and shared stories the whole way. If you can, do not skip the hot air balloon ride. It’s really early, but my wife was radiantly glowing afterwards. Some tips: plan to spend about 700EGP per person for tickets to the temples. Not expensive, and you can stop by an ATM if needed. (also, when using foreign ATMs, decline the offer to convert to USD. Your bank does it already, and cheaper). Also, plan to have smaller bills before getting on the train. Water is 9EGP, cans of soda are cheap. ATMs give large bills that can be hard to break. August is hot - 105+, and you will spend a lot of time outside. Don’t cut short your free time because you got heatsick. Dress light and breezy. Take a parasol or umbrella. Get rehydration packets you can put in water bottles. Most of all, enjoy these sites. They are absolutely stunning, and the pictures you see and take make more sense after hearing the stories about each place.

Cruising on the Nile, being able to relax and take in the surroundings was amazing. Great food, accommodation and visits. Highly recommended.