Tag: Egypt

Open post

Flight Review – EgyptAir Business Class, Johannesburg – Cairo – Madrid

Following my Namibian road trip, it was time for me to return to Europe at the end of a long winter travel season.

Having found a seemingly fortuitous deal, I booked a one-way ticket on EgyptAir from Johannesburg to Madrid, via Cairo.

Originally, the eight-and-a-half hour, overnight flight from Johannesburg to Cairo was slated to be operated by EgyptAir’s 787-9 with fully flat seats in an all-aisle 1-2-1 configuration.

However, after the airline had advertised this product for several weeks, this was switched for the remainder of the season to an A330-300 with a significantly inferior 2-2-2, angle-flat configuration.

This was the first in a series of annoyances on this journey and would have been a deal breaker, had I known the configuration before booking. However, I was now stuck with the ticket, despite the bait-and-switch, so my only viable option was to try the product.

LOUNGE

My evening started in the comfortable and simply catered SAA Baobab Lounge, which proved to be by far the best part of the flight experience.

JOHANNESBURG – CAIRO

Boarding was somewhat chaotic, with priority for Business Class passengers only loosely enforced.

It was soon confirmed that the configuration was indeed the dreaded angle-flat seats.

Once on board, I received a welcome drink of “orange juice”, which in reality was diluted cordial.

It is important to note that EgyptAir is a “dry” airline, meaning alcohol is not served or permitted to be consumed on board.

CATERING

Dinner was served around an hour and a half into the overnight flight and service was delivered at a lethargic pace, which was frustrating as I was keen to try to sleep.

The appetisers were plentiful and reasonably tasty, although the salad leaves had seen better days.

I chose the beef main, although I am often wary of beef on flights, as it tends to be disastrously overcooked. This was no exception.

Drinks service was non-existent, so I drank the water that I had purchased at Johannesburg Airport.

When the cheese course was served, I walked up to the galley. Several minutes later, I was able to procure a grudgingly offered can of 7-up.

Dessert was a simple fruit platter, which was fresh and by far the best part of the meal.

At the end of the meal, my tray went uncollected for around 45 minutes, until I eventually returned it to the galley myself.

BEDTIME

Around three hours into the flight, I reclined my seat as far as it would go and attempted to settle down to sleep.

The provided pillow and blanket were reasonably comfortable, but the angle of the seat and the ridges at hip and shoulder height made sleep impossible.

Unable to sleep, I got up a couple of times during the night and stretched my legs with a wander around the economy class cabin. The very low load factor on this flight meant that nearly every passenger had a flat row of three seats. Had I been able to find a vacant one, I would actually have “downgraded” myself and chosen to complete the flight in economy.

On my return from one of these little excursions, I found my seat stuck in a position around one-third reclined.

The crew initially forbade me to use any of the several vacant seats in the cabin and made around five minutes of languid attempts to fix my seat, before losing interest and retiring back to the galley. I simply ignored their instructions and moved myself to a vacant seat.

BREAKFAST

After a fully sleepless night, breakfast was served around an hour and a half before landing in Cairo.

The continental breakfast with a beef ciabatta, croissant, fruit, yoghurt and black coffee was actually not bad and probably counted as the high point of the flight.

TRANSIT

Arrival in Cairo produced the same chaos as I had previously experienced, with considerable harassment from officials at transit security before reaching the EgyptAir lounge.

Having dealt with the petty officialdom with the time honoured Egyptian tradition of a US $20 bill, I headed to the EgyptAir lounge, which conveniently had a smoking area, and settled down for a much needed nicotine fix.

The lounge also offers a range of drinks, snacks and “hot” food, which was in fact stone cold.

Deciding that discretion was the greater part of valour, I stuck to the coffee.

I agree.

CAIRO – MADRID

The onward sector to Madrid was operated by an Airbus A321. The business class cabin is equipped with reclining seats in a 2-2 configuration, which is considerably more spacious than the pretend business class offered by European carriers on narrow-body aircraft.

Had this been a stand-alone five-hour flight, I would have been more than happy with the hard product – it was certainly no worse that the seating on the A330. It is not, however, the way I would choose to spend that length of time after a sleepless overnight flight.

The cabin was somewhat dated, but everything was functional and the seat controls were very intuitive.

CATERING

Around an hour into the flight, a lunch service was begun. Initially, things looked rather promising, with an appetiser and salad served on a single tray before the main course.

There were several options for the main course.

Having spectacularly failed to learn from my experience en-route from Johannesburg, or perhaps simply addled from 30 hours of enforced wakefulness, I opted for the beef tenderloin.

Suffice to say that the result more closely resembled the output of a bovine crematorium than anything remotely comestible.

Having decided that the steak was more suitable for fortifying the landing gear than for human consumption, I moved on to the cheese course, which was the pinnacle of the meal.

The finale was a delectably senescent fruit platter, which despite the airline’s monastic devotion to sobriety, was probably more intoxicating than anything I had been served in the previous 15 hours.

CONCLUSION

In all honesty, it has been some years since I have been quite so relieved to disembark a flight.

The price I paid for my one-way ticket, £517 ($685) – around a third of the normal fare – is broadly in line with premium economy fares on European carriers. Frankly, the latter would have provided a better experience. I arrived in Madrid every bit as exhausted as I would after an overnight flight in economy class.

In conclusion, this is a product which falls so far short of any expected industry standard, that EgyptAir should be ashamed to describe it as business class.

Open post

Flight Review – Royal Jordanian Business Class, Cairo – Amman

After my Nile cruise and Pyramids tour, my Egyptian adventures had come to an end, and it was time to continue eastward for the next phase of my winter wanderings.

For the princely sum of £508 ($648), I had secured a one-way ticket in Royal Jordanian’s Crown Class from Cairo, via Amman, to Bangkok, connecting with Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur.

This review will focus on the regional sector from Cairo to Amman.

Having originally booked a semi-civilised 09:05 departure, I was hit the dreaded schedule change and ended up with a decidedly less palatable 06:25 flight.

This eventually worked in my favour, as my dephased body clock had me retiring at 7pm the previous evening, and the extended layover allowed me the chance to take a short tour in Amman.

The check-in process at Cairo Airport was somewhat chaotic, with scanners and baggage x-rays at the terminal entrance. Having paid the ubiquitously required baksheesh to the dubious characters manning these checkpoints, I made my way airside, to the generic VIP lounge.

The lounge itself was relatively well equipped, with ample seating, a breakfast buffet and a selection of beverages.

Once at the gate, the boarding process was much smoother and more efficient, and I was soon settled into the business class cabin for the 90-minute flight to Amman.

In sharp contrast to flights of this length in Europe, Royal Jordanian offers spacious recliners, in a 2-2 configuration on its A320neo aircraft. These seats feature an extended pitch, with ample legroom for a short flight. The window seat next to me remained unoccupied for this lightly loaded sector.

Once airborne, an Arabic breakfast was served, with a selection of breads, cheeses and jams, fruit juice and coffee.

By the time I had finished my third breakfast of the day, the descent into Amman had begun.

The infernal obstacle course that is Cairo Airport aside, this was a pleasant and relaxing flight once on board, and certainly a far superior experience to intra-European business class products.

Open post

Destination Review – One Day in Cairo – Pyramids of Giza

On Christmas Eve 2023, I found myself with a spare day in Cairo before continuing my Winter travels to Malaysia.

I decided to take a half-day tour to see the most iconic landmark of Egypt, the world famous Pyramids of Giza.

I was picked up shortly after midday at the Intercontinental Citystars Hotel, in a relatively modern and comfortable minibus, for the one hour drive to the pyramids.

The tour began at the Great Pyramid, dating from roughly 2,600 BCE.

The tour included an entrance ticket to the Great Pyramid. However, I declined this, having been warned of the long queues to enter and the crowded and cramped conditions inside.

Instead, I took a short stroll around the base of the pyramid, to view some of the smaller tombs, as well as the holding area for the camel rides.

After the visit to the Great Pyramid, my tour group was driven roughly ten minutes to the panoramic viewing area, offering a sweeping view of the ancient structures, juxtaposed against the distant metropolis.

Here, there was the option of taking a camel ride.

As this was Christmas Eve, there was even a camel decked out in festive garments.

Whilst there was not such an obvious animal welfare issue as I observed in Edfu, I couldn’t be sure of the situation and preferred instead to spend my time admiring the vista.

The tour concluded with a visit to the legendary Great Sphinx, the oldest known monument in Egypt, dating from the 26th Century BCE.

The tour was around six hours long, including transport from and to my hotel near the Citystars Mall, at a price of $138 (£109). With only one free day, I considered this to be good value in view of the comprehensive nature of the tour.

Open post

Trip Review – VIP Train, Aswan – Luxor, Egypt

After leaving my Nile cruise on Day 4, I needed to arrange transport back to Luxor for my three-night hotel break.

Having been quoted $140 (£111) for a private taxi, I chose to try the three-hour VIP train service.

I booked my ticket at Aswan station the previous day, which was a relatively painless experience, taking around 20 minutes.

I paid the $25 (£20) fare with US Dollar cash and was issued a handwritten paper ticket, with a reserved seat in the first class carriage.

The following day, I arrived at the station around an hour in advance of the 3:15pm departure and spent several minutes hunting away importunate baggage handlers, whilst making my way to the platform.

I boarded the train around a half hour later, only to find someone already occupying my reserved seat. I attempted to enlist the assistance of the train manager, but the only English word he seemed to know was ‘tips’. Incidentally, ‘baksheesh’ is also one of the only Middle Eastern words that I know, this being a recurring theme in this part of the world.

Figuring that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, I took a seat on the opposite side of the train.

The seat I ended up occupying was in fact a superior seat, as the train is configured in 1-2 seating, with the single seats on the side with the direct river views.

The train takes a routing along the eastern bank of the Nile, meaning that the best views are from the left side of the train on northbound journeys, or the right side on southbound journeys.

The train was equipped with a lavatory, which seemed to double as an unofficial smoking room.

I availed myself of this a couple of times, although I was rather glad I didn’t have to use it for its intended purpose.

My train departed Aswan promptly at 3:15pm and arrived in Luxor around ten minutes late at 6:40pm.

In addition to the four VIP trains, there are around fifteen departures per day between these two stations, using Russian and Spanish built express trains.

Overall, this was a pleasant journey, passing the Nile Valley scenery, and an interesting and relatively comfortable way to travel between Aswan and Luxor.

 

Open post

Hotel Review – Citymax Hotel, Aswan, Egypt

Having decided to leave my Nile cruise on Day 4, I checked into the Citymax Hotel in Aswan for one night, before returning to Luxor by train.

The hotel is conveniently located on the Kornish Al Nile, which is the main riverside promenade. I chose the hotel principally for its proximity to the main railway station, around a five-minute walk away.

I booked a junior suite, mainly because it offered a balcony and was the only smoking room available. The suite was clean, sufficiently spacious for one person and comfortably furnished.

The attached balcony was sheltered, private and offered a rather engaging view of the Nile.

The hotel has a rooftop pool, which I didn’t try in the cooler winter temperatures.

The property also offers a very basic restaurant with takeaway style food, which was at least served hot. For the convenience of not having to venture back out and run the gauntlet of the persistent and ubiquitous street vendors, I was content with it.

At $141 or £112, this room was expensive by local standards. For one night, however, I considered it well worth the outlay for the convenience, comfort and ease of access.

Open post

Tour Review – Nile Cruise, MS Zaina, Luxor to Aswan, Egypt. Day 3.

Following a more successful second day on the cruise tour, I awoke in the next destination of the tour, Edfu.

The first of day’s activities was a visit to the world famous Temple of Horus, completed in 57BCE.

The transfer to the temple was scheduled to be by carriage, drawn by horses and donkeys. However, I refused to participate in this on ethical grounds, due to the obvious maltreatment of the animals. Much to the chagrin of my tour guide, I opted instead to take a taxi to the temple.

Having rejoined the rest of my tour group, I spent around an hour viewing the impressive temple, dating from the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

After around an hour at the temple, I returned to the ship, again by taxi, for breakfast and the first full day of cruising towards Aswan.

I spent most of the day on the rooftop deck of the ship, as we passed the riverside villages and desert scenery.

Before the ship’s arrival in Aswan, there was a short stop for a sunset visit to the majestic Kom Ombo Temple, also dating from the Ptolemaic Dynasty.

Apart from the experience with the abused animals, this had been a relaxing and enjoyable day. However, it emerged over another mediocre dinner that things were about to take a turn for the worse, as the schedule for the remaining three days was announced.

It emerged that there would be no further cruising for the next 48 hours, and that the ship would again be moored in port.

It also emerged that Day 5 would involve a 4am pick up, for an eight-hour round trip to Abu Simbel in the same rickety and overloaded minibuses which had taken me to the hot air balloon site on Day 2.

It was at this point that I made the decision to leave the cruise in Aswan the following morning. My tour agency, Get Your Guide, agreed to a 50% refund for the unused nights. I considered this a reasonable resolution.

Having seen most of what I wanted to see in Egypt, I decided to return to Luxor by train for a three-day break at the Pyramisa Hotel.

In conclusion, the cruise tour included some excellent highlights. The hot air balloon flight on Day 2 was spectacular, and the cruising on Day 3 was pleasant.

Overall, I am glad that I had this experience. However, in my opinion, there were simply too many annoyances to justify recommending a cruise tour of this length.

If you really want to take a Nile cruise, my advice is to look for a one- or two-night cruise, operating one way between Aswan and Luxor.

Open post

Tour Review – Nile Cruise, MS Zaina, Luxor to Aswan, Egypt. Day 2.

Following a disappointing first day on board MS Zaina, it was time for the highlight of the tour, a hot air balloon flight over the Valley of the Kings.

I woke around 3:15am for a 4:00am pick up. The first part of the journey was by chartered motorboat to the West Bank of the Nile, which was rather pleasant in the cool morning air.

I was then taken to the hot air balloon site by minibus, which was overloaded and somewhat uncomfortable, but manageable for the roughly 40 minute journey.

I arrived at the site around 6:00am, in time to watch the balloons being prepared.

It was then time for the breathtaking dawn take-off, along with dozens of other balloons, for the spectacular 45-minute flight over Thebes and the Valley of the Kings.

The balloon flight was a memorable experience and well worth the early start.

The second part of the day’s activities consisted of a tour of the Valley of the Kings, including visits to the Tomb of Tutankhamen and the Temple of Hatshepsut.

Late in the afternoon, I returned to the ship, which began to move towards the next stop of Edfu.

There was around three hours of early evening cruising, as the sun set over the riverside villages.

This had been a very full day of activities and it was with some relief that I heard the following day’s pick up would be a later start at 8am.

This had been a much better day, and I retired to bed in a much better mood than I had the previous evening.

Day 3 of the cruise is detailed here.

Open post

Tour Review – Nile Cruise, MS Zaina, Luxor to Aswan, Egypt. Day 1.

Following a short stay in Luxor, it was time to join my long awaited Nile cruise on board MS Zaina.

On the first day of my cruise, I was picked up from my city hotel at around 8am, for a pre-cruise tour of the sights of Luxor’s East Bank.

The first stop was the iconic Luxor Temple, known as “The Southern Sanctuary” and dating from around 1400 BCE.

The next stop was Karnak Temple, dating from the reign of Senusret I.

The temple is home to an open air museum and is one of the most visited historical sites in Egypt.

Having spent around an hour at each temple, I joined the ship at around 11am for the passage along the Nile to Aswan.

I had booked my cruise via Get Your Guide and was assigned to the MS Zaina.

Photo courtesy of Egypt Joy TravelPhotograph courtesy of Egypt Joy Travel.

On the face of it, the ship looked comfortable. The cabins were nicely furnished and well equipped, and there was also a rooftop pool available.

Unfortunately, this is where a series of annoyances began.

Firstly, I was informed that all cabins on the ship were non-smoking, despite my having been promised by Get Your Guide that I would be allocated to a smoking ship. I escalated this to Get Your Guide and was simply stonewalled, without even an apology for being misled.

Secondly, it emerged that there would be no actual cruising that day, the ship simply remaining in port, moored tightly between two other ships.

This was my view for the remainder of the day.

The cruise included meals, which were served in a buffet setting. The food was luke warm and rather uninspiring, but at least edible.

After a disappointing first day, I was looking forward to the following day’s hot air balloon flight over Luxor, which will be the subject of my next article.

Open post

Hotel Review – Pyramisa Hotel, Luxor, Egypt

After a few days in the UK and an uneventful EasyJet flight, it was time to begin my long-awaited Nile Cruise.

I chose the reasonably centrally located Pyramisa Hotel as a base, both before and after the cruise.

On my first stay, I received a Nile View King room, which was comfortably furnished and reasonably spacious.

The air conditioning controls were rather rudimentary, but it worked perfectly.

On arrival, I found that a snack and, thoughtfully, an ashtray had been left in my room.

The river-facing balcony was a very agreeable place to enjoy the warm evening air.

The hotel is equipped with two swimming pools, but sadly I found the off-season temperatures were not quite high enough for me to venture into the water.

The poolside bar, on the other hand was much more my style.

Having checked out the buffet and decided that discretion was the greater part of valour, I contented myself with a visit to the on-site pizzeria and an Egyptian beer.

I was pleased enough with the Pyramisa Hotel to return after my Nile cruise for a second stay, for which I received a Nile View Twin room with terrace.

Overall, the Pyramisa provided good value for $73 (£56) per night and I considered it to be a decent choice for a short stay.

Scroll to top