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 ANCIENT
EGYPT WITH KENYAN SAFARI
- 2009
A cultural tour of Egypt and
a Safari in Kenya
 An artistically designed
tour package that covers the best of Egypt & Kenya in one journey.
We go from over 5000 years of human achievements enshrined
in the Pyramids, Sphinx, and Luxor Temples. Then it
is off to Islamic Cairo with its citadels, mosques,
parks and exotic bazaars. We leave the hustle and bustle
of Egypt to the world of the animal kingdom in its
native environment –the spectacular Masai Mara,
Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, the majestic Amboseli and
the Tsavo West game reserves. After this tour of 19
days, we will have completed a journey with the experiences
of the ancient world in Egypt and the natural heritage
of the animal kingdom in Kenya.
Day 01: (FRI) – Depart home city for Cairo
Day 02: (SAT) - Arrive Cairo
Ahlan wa sahlan! Welcome in Arabic. We are warmly received
at Cairo Airport and transferred to our hotel.
Overnight: Safir Hotel, Cairo (2 nights)
Day 03: (SUN) - Cairo / Pyramids (drive)
This is a day to go back in time, starting with a visit
to the most famous of the Egyptian sphinxes, the Great
Sphinx of Gizah, followed by the Great Pyramid of Khufu
(Cheops). Completed around 2600 BC, this pyramid was
146m (478ft) high and consisted of over 2 million limestone
blocks weighing over 2 tons each. We also examine the
Chephren and Mycerinus Pyramids as well as the Cheops
wooden boat. At over 4500 years old, this boat is the
most ancient vessel found in perfect condition anywhere
in the world and is one of the most important archaeological
finds in Egypt. Next we visit Memphis and the Saqqara
Step Pyramid, the world's first great stone structure.
Evening, an ideal opportunity to join in our optional
viewing of the spectacular Sound and Light Show at the
foot of the Great Pyramids.
(B)
 Day
04: (MON) - Cairo / Luxor (Flight)
A short flight gets us to Luxor where we are warmly received
and transferred to the boat, home for the next four nights.
Over the next few days we cruise the Nile and visit various
off-shore sites.
Overnight: M/S Sherry Boat / Presidential Nile
Cruise
(4 nights)
(B,
L, D)
Day 05: (TUE) - Nile Cruise Luxor
This afternoon we visit the Karnak and Luxor Temples.
The ancient Egyptians knew the Temple of Karnak as Ipet-isut.
It is a city of temples built over 2000 years and dedicated
to the Theben triad of Amon, Mut and Khonsu. This derelict
place continues to overshadow many of the wonders of
the modern world. It is the mother of all religious buildings
and a place of pilgrimage for nearly 4,000 years. Luxor
Temple was connected to Karnak Temple by an avenue of
sphinxes in ancient times. Unlike Karnak, Luxor is mainly
the work of one pharaoh - Amenhotep III and was added
to by Tutankhamun, Horemheb, Ramses II and Alexander
the Great. During Akhenaten’s all religion other
than worship of Aten was rejected and development at
Luxor stopped. When Akhenaten died, the old religions
returned, along with the priests so the temple began
to expand again. (B, L, D)
Day 06: (WED) - Nile Cruise Luxor / Esna / Edfu
We begin our 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, richly decorated, and filled with treasures for
the afterlife by generations of pharaohs. Our visit will
also includes Queen Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi
of Memnon. Sail to Esna, cross the lock then continue
onto Edfu. (B, L, D)
Day 07: (THU) - Nile Cruise Edfu / Kom Ombo / Aswan
Morning we will be visiting the well-preserved Greek
built Temple of Horus. This temple, built during the
reigns of six generations of Ptolemy’s, is not
only the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt, but
also the second largest after Karnak. Afternoon sail
for Kom Ombo to visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated
to the crocodile-god Sobek. It stands at a bend in the
Nile where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked
in the sun on the riverbank.
(B, L, D)
 Day
08: (FRI) - Aswan / Cairo (Train)
Disembark after breakfast. Visits in Aswan include the famous and monumental
Aswan High Dam and the romantic and majestic Philae Temple on the Island of Agilka.
This afternoon, we take a ride on a felucca, a typical Egyptian sailboat, around
Elephantine Island. This is also a day for those who may want to take an optional
flight excursion to Abu Simbel+ to see the temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari.
Evening we are transferred to the railway station at Aswan for our comfortable
overnight train to Cairo or take the optional flight to Cairo with overnight
at the hotel.
See ++ for details.
Overnight: Sleeper Train (1 night) (B, D)
Day 09: (SAT) - Arrive Cairo
We arrive in the morning and are welcomed at Cairo Railways Station. Our day
starts with 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. Next we are
off to the fascinating part 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. Our last stop is at the awesome 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.
Overnight: Safir Hotel, Cairo (1 night) (B)
Day 10: (SUN) - Cairo / Nairobi (by air)
Today we bid farewell to Egypt, best described as a heritage site to the whole
world, having gained an educational, historical an enlightening cultural experience
never to be forgotten. After breakfast we have the whole day free to enjoy the
colorful bazaars of Cairo. Late in the afternoon we go to the airport for our
flight to
Nairobi.
(B)
 Day
11: (MON) - Nairobi / Treehotel
Jambo Bwana and we are cordially welcomed as we arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport and transferred to the only ‘tree hotel’ ever to be built
on the slopes of Kenya’s legendary, Mount Kenya. Here we get a relaxing
afternoon enjoying our first game experience right from the balcony of our lodge
viewing the game as they come to the water pool opposite the lodge to feed themselves – least
concerned whether you are watching them or dozing off!
Overnight: Serena Mountain Lodge (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 12: (TUE) – Treehotel / Lake Nakuru (drive)
We start with a photogenic drive to the exotic Lake Nakuru National Park famous
for the flamingos and other birds that feed in the alkaline water. Other game
found in this park are black and White Rhino, buffalo, leopard, lion, Rothschild's
Giraffe, White and Black Colobus monkey, eland, steinbok, impala, Chandlers Reedbuck,
dik dik, whilst rock hyrax, klipspringer, hippo and clawless otter. Afternoon,
we have our first of many interesting game safaris.
Overnight: Lion Hill Lodge (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 13: (WED)- Lake Nakuru / Masai Mara (drive)
Traversing The Great Rift Valley, we ascend its western rim into the Masai land.
Red-clad with spears, Maasai warriors tend their herds of cattle among the wildlife,
admirably unmoved by the presence of large predators. Afternoon’s game
drive in search of yet another group of wildlife. The Masai Mara is probably
the most well known safari parks in the world.
Overnight: Mara Sopa Lodge (2 nights) (B, L, D)
Day 14: (THU) - Masai Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives in this spectacular game reserve, all with
superb photographic opportunities. The most spectacular feature is the annual
migration of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle from the plains of Serengeti that
cross the Tanzanian border and rivers to reach the Mara's grasslands from late
June, tracked by predators: lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and circled by vultures
as the journey unfolds. Apart from the seasonal migration, game viewing is excellent
year round. Game includes: - elephant, Black Rhino, buffalo, wildebeest, Burchell's
zebra, hartebeest, various antelope and gazelle, lion, leopard, giraffe, elephant
cheetah, hippo, crocodile and much more. (B, L, D)
 Day
15: (FRI) - Masai Mara / Lake Naivasha (drive)
Still in the Great Rift Valley, our next destination is the enchanting Lake Naivasha
- the highest and purest of the Great Rift Valley lakes. En route we stop at
villages and also at a colonial club where we will have our lunch and also see
the beautiful carvings that Kenya is famous for.
Overnight: Great Rift Valley Lodge (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 16: (SAT) - Lake Naivasha / Amboseli (drive)
Today we drive to Nairobi to arrive in time for a delicious lunch at the famous
Carnivore Restaurant. Continue to Amboseli National Park situated at the foothills
of the Majestic Mount Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain in Africa. Once again,
this will be a day to experience Kenyan rural life before we reach Amboseli.
Overnight: Ol Tukai Lodge (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 17: (SUN) - Amboseli / Tsavo West (drive)
Early in the morning we’ll have a game drive, to view wildlife against
the backdrop of Mt Kilimanjaro. The park offers a wide variety of wildlife but
the principal attraction is its vast herds of elephants. The bull elephants here
have some of the largest tusks in Kenya. Other games include zebra, wildebeest,
giraffe, impala, leopard, caracal and several species of cats. The park boasts
a rich bird life such as ibis, egret, avocet, common and saddle-billed stork,
secretary bird, heron, vultures, ducks, and geese. After breakfast, we continue
to Tsavo West to arrive in time for lunch at Tsavo Safari Camp. Afternoon is
our game viewing in this vast area in search of wildlife.
Overnight: Severin Safari Camp (1 night) (B, L, D)
 Day
18: (MON) - Tsavo / Nairobi (drive)
As our game portion comes to an end, we will be forever counting the different
species of animals we will have seen as we drive to the capital city. Evening
we are taken on a unique experience to the “Carnivore” Restaurant
for our farewell diner. Every type of meat imaginable, including four choices
of wild game, is roasted on traditional Maasai swords (skewers) over a huge,
visually
spectacular charcoal pit that dominates the entrance of the restaurant.
The waiters then carry these swords around the restaurant, carving unlimited
amounts of the prime meats onto sizzling, cast iron plates in front of you. A
wide selection of salads, vegetable side dishes, exotic sauces, dessert and coffee
accompany the meal.
Overnight: The Stanley Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 19 (TUE): Nairobi / departure (flight)
After an African safari at it’s best we are transferred to the airport
for our departure flight. This is an ideal opportunity to take an optional extension
to the wonderful island of Zanzibar. Please see our Zanzibar – the Spice
Island Tour. (B)
Departure
Dates |
2009
English Speaking Departures
Oct
09, Dec 04** |
Inclusions |
| Tour
Price Includes |
Tour
Price Does Not Include |
| Accommodation
and cruise as mentioned |
International air (see
Note below) |
Meals as mentioned (Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner) |
Insurance
(trip cancellation & medical insurances
are highly recommended) |
| All
game drives and transfers by jeeps |
Drinks
/ beverages with meals |
| Road
taxes, parking fees, drivers overnight wages
|
Entrance fees to special chambers inside
the Pyramids, Tout Ankh Amoun Tomb in the
Valley of Kings, Mummies room at the Egyptian
Museum, Solar Boat Museum. Entrance fees
to outside chambers, where applicable, are
included. |
| Services
of local English speaking guides / drivers
|
|
| Entrance
fees at all Museums, Parks & Sites |
|
| Domestic
air tickets: Cairo / Luxor |
|
| Train
tickets: Aswan / Cairo |
|
| Farewell
dinner at the “Carnivore” restaurant
in Nairobi |
|
|
Tour
Price |
|
| We
accept payment in US $ (US Dollars),
CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent
EURO (for clients outside North America).
Bestway
Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection.
Once full payment has been received, and no
modification has been made to the tour itinerary,
we will honour that rate.
For
complete payment procedures, please download
 Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf
Note: to read this file you must have Adobe
Acrobat. |
| Departure |
Double
Occupancy |
Single
Room Supplement |
| 2009 |
US
$ 4380 |
US
$ 795 |
+
Optional Abu Simbel (Day 08) at $315 per
person including air Aswan / Abu Simbel
/ Aswan.
++ Day 08 - Instead of the overnight train
take a flight at $160 per person includes
airfare, transfers and overnight hotel.
Single Supplement $35. |
*
Special Discount of $150 (Apr 17 departure)
**
High season surcharge of $200
per person |
Estimated
International Airfare - International
airfare is NOT included in this tour |
NOTE:
International airfares range from ex East Coast
to Egypt & Kenya combined at $1400 plus
taxes (approx $300). West Coast supplement is
$250. |
Participants |
| This
tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum
of 06 participants. |
Customised
Itinerary
If you would like to have a tour on dates
other than the above ones or with a customised
itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy
to work out an exclusive program for you.
Foreign Language Departures
Please contact us for information on French,
German,
Italian and Spanish
speaking departures.
You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com
or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of
U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844. |
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| © Copyright 1999-2010 Bestway
Tours & Safaris |
Site last updated May 27,
2010 |
| Photographs by Peter
Langer & Mahmood
Poonja |
Website © 1999-2010 Powered
by BTS |
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