EGYPTIAN TOURS TO REMEMBER
Welcome to Exclusively Egypt, your gateway to enchanting Egyptian Tours. We are passionate about Egypt's rich history, awe-inspiring landscapes, and vibrant culture, and we're here to share that passion with you. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.
EXCLUSIVELY EGYPT
Hello, I’m Kath and I’m introducing you to my Egypt, the Land of the Pharaohs, which has fascinated me since I was at school.
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In a way, it is my personal journey that will entice you to visit this wonderful country where there is ancient history going back to around 5000 BCE. How life has evolved since then and how you will see that in some ways even though the modern way of life has arrived in the cities there is still an ambiance and spiritual feeling especially when you visit the ancient sites and as you sail on the Nile with its breath-taking scenery, its calmness with the unspoiled natural beauty and wildlife, a sense of freedom!
Nearly every child learns about the pyramids in Egypt and about the famous Pharaoh Tutankhamun and I was no exception but for me, it was more personal and became an obsession in some way. Thanks to my grandad and his thoughtfulness I was fortunate enough to receive a monthly magazine from the National Geographic Society when I was 11 years old the first issue received had the Funerary Masque of Tutankhamun on the front cover and pages of information regarding this young boy pharaoh.
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I was so excited as this was what I needed to build my dream of learning about the Ancient Egyptians and being an Egyptologist. There is a saying follow your dream and its true, at least it was for me to some extent.
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I did not have the expertise to become an Egyptologist and instead worked in a bank, had children and life passed me by. But my dream was always in the back of my mind and nearly forty years later (it’s a long story) I eventually got the chance to work for Thomas Cook in Luxor Egypt, my first month in the hotels and then I was transferred to their Nile Cruise Boats.
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I was in my element as I was learning whilst I was earning so to speak, and learn I did. I went on as many tours with the guides as I could, sitting on the front seat of the tour bus holding my pen and notebook ready to feel the magic of the gods in these historic sites. I took as many notes as possible with the intention of writing a guide on what to see in Egypt or even a book, just something to keep the momentum going. I had a laptop with many pictures of the temples and tombs and gradually made a collection. The guides were brilliant and treated me like their sister and helped me understand Egypt and its people as well as teach me the history.
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Unfortunately, the Egyptian revolution took over, and then COVID came along so Egypt has taken over ten years to bring back the tourists and now Egypt is buzzing again.
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After returning to Egypt to connect back with my past last December I was pleasantly surprised at the number of sites that were open to the public, some having had new artifacts discovered recently and of course, it was the centenary of Howard Carter finding the tomb of the famous boy king Tutankhamun. It was absolutely remarkable. However, I was overwhelmed by the locals asking if I wanted to buy their goods or to have them guide me around the sites, ride on their camel, or take a tour around Luxor on a caleche. I could understand this after such a long time being without an income for most families and I thought I would be able to accommodate this as I had lived there but it really did affect my personal space and my holiday. I realised the answer to this was staring at me, I could use my guides who now have their own travel agencies in Egypt to show my tourists this fascinating country which I love so much.
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That is why Exclusively Egypt will take away all of this uncertainty so you can enjoy your holiday in this wonderful country with my friends, the guides who taught me so much, who all have over 25 years’ experience and are all qualified to Degree Level in Egyptology and are also multi-lingual.
EGYPT
This fascinating country is situated in northern Africa and consists mostly of desert, apart from the lush green land on either side of the Nile. To the north, there is the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea to the east, the Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The triangular peninsula of Sinai east of the Suez Canal is also part of Egypt but is actually in Asia and is mostly desert.
Egypt is divided into two parts Upper and Lower Egypt. Lower Egypt is from the Meaditerranean down to Dahsur (just below Cairo) and Upper Egypt is from Dahsur up the Nile to the city of Aswan, which was called the ‘Gateway to Egypt’. This huge country covers over 1 million square kilometers of land and has a population of over 100 million people, 90 percent of them being of Muslim religion and 10 percent Christian and other religions.
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Family is everything to the Egyptian people. Here nepotism is nothing unusual, the couple may be related before they marry, especially in the more cultural areas of Egypt. Arranged marriages are not uncommon, the parents of the bride making sure the future son-in-law has plenty of money, is working, has a flat ready for his daughter and he is kind and has not got a bad reputation. At the end of the meeting, the father will then ask the daughter if she is agreeable to the marriage. She will not give a direct answer but offer a cup of `chai’ (local tea). If it has sugar the answer is `yes ‘if not then the answer is obviously` no’. This saves embarrassment on both sides.
Families live together, either in the same house or in the same street/area, especially in Upper Egypt. Daughters will eventually leave the family house when they marry, but the sons usually stay with the family and when they marry their wives look after the mother- in-law who, in turn, looks after the grandchildren when they come along. When you look at the houses being built they can be four or five stories high. Each male member of the family can build another flat above when he is married. That is the way of life, everyone has someone who can do something so it’s not what you know but who you know here in Egypt.
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There is very little crime here, especially in Upper Egypt where family values play an important role in the lives of the community. `Respect your elders’ was what I was taught but this no longer applies to the majority of the youth of today in Britain. If a person commits a crime in Upper Egypt he will be disowned by his family and the community and that is worse than going to prison
Here in Egypt like any third world country, the wages are very low. There is no minimum wage level at the moment so more often than not there is not enough money for food on the table. The people will work for a very small wage as it is better to have little money than none at all. In restaurants or for taxis, bus drivers, waiters, guides anyone who helps you, tip them, it is the way of life here. It doesn’t have to be a huge tip but as we would say ‘every penny helps.’ The Egyptian people are proud and they use their money wisely. You will not see them buy a new TV or something materialistic with the extra money they have, they will put it in the kitty for when there is no money to pay for food or someone is ill and cannot work There are no benefits or pensions in Egypt, the family cares for their own, even when the old people need caring for and there are no retirement homes, the family must look after them. That is why it is so important to have children in their lives.
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The Egyptian people are very friendly and whilst you are here observe how close the community is, they all help each other. They welcome tourists with open arms and will often invite you to their homes to meet their family, that is their way of saying ‘Welcome to Egypt’.
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Once you have visited Egypt you will have memories that will be there forever, such a magical place to discover.
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Whether you're a solo traveler, a couple, a family, or a group of friends, Exclusively Egypt invites you to join our remarkable Egyptian tours. Let us be your guides in uncovering this extraordinary country.
