Egypt is one of the oldest still-existing civilizations on the planet. It is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world with tourist receipts valuing more than 7 Billion dollars in the last 5 years.
One of the decisions people have to make when travelling to Egypt is how you are going to get around. Some will book a group tour, others will fly by the seat of their pants.
Still others will hire a private guide to go on a luxurious custom tour of Egypt, the read Sea, Jordan and the surrounding area.
This last method – organising a private custom tour through Egypt has been widely popularised by Mahmoud Gebril of Osiris Tours – a privately run travel adventure company whose Tour Guides are all qualified Egyptologists and native to Egypt and the Middle East.
This is becoming an increasingly popular way to travel to not only Egypt but also Dubai, Morocco and the Jordan region. Travelling alone is really dangerous, but it can be daunting if you are not familiar with the territory which is why many will advice against travelling alone.
There are a number of reasons for this. First, you will often get to see sites and visit locations that other guides can’t show you.
Aswan – A Nubian Village
The Nubian Village in Aswan is one example. A private guide can get you in and out of this village easily where others simply cannot go. Visiting this beautiful village you will have a chance to see it’s people up close and personal.
The Nubian people are part of the Egyptian society but they have their own language, their own customs, their own style of clothes, and food. Visiting this part of Egypt, you get to experience a different part of Egypt that others simply don’t get to see.
When in the Nubian village, a private guide will enable you to enter one of the Nubian houses, walk around, take pictures, and also visit one of the Nubian schools and meet one of the Nubian teachers who greets our clients and give them 10-20 minutes quick lesson about Nubian languages, numbers, etc.
Old Cairo
This is also true of custom tours that are organised to travel in to Old Cairo and up through the incredible Al Moaz Street.
This kind of custom tour can include access to to Beit El Seheimy. This is not usually open to the public but a private guide can organise evening access and take in some of the fascinating sites of Old Cairo.
Queen Hatshepsut Temple
A third bonus I have been told about is getting to see the Hathor temple, which is inside Queen Hatshepsut temple, in Luxor.
In the second floor of Queen Hatshepsut temple all the way to the left side, there is a beautiful temple for Goddess Hathor, it is easy to miss but with a private guide, you get to go inside and take pictures and learn about this beautiful temple.
In a group tour, you may find slower people, older people, or families with kids so these people tend to take longer time in the temples and tombs, which will slow the rest of the group down this usually leads to cutting down the time that they supposed to spend in a temple, tomb, or museum.
Quite often, it gets out of control in a group tour because people don’t know each other and some of them can even cause drama.
Are there any Risks with travelling with a private guide?
Health: There are no specific health issues with Middle Eastern destinations; However, I encourage you to do three things before they travel to any of these places.
I recommend you ask your doctor what vaccines and medicines you will need based on where you are going, how long you are staying and what you will be doing. It will also depend on what time of the year your trip will be.
Make sure your health insurance agreements are up to date. Some insurance agencies will not cover an overseas trip and you may need to explore a short term travel policy that covers injuries, accident and ill health.
In addition, consider obtaining insurance to cover the exorbitant cost of medical evacuation in the event of an illness or for the return of remains in case of death.
Insurance companies and some credit card and traveler’s check companies offer short-term health and emergency assistance policies designed for travelers. Medical facilities vary in the region
What About Children?
We found Osiris Tours can cater very well for children. All of their tours can include children, and there are no age restrictions.
Egypt is a place that welcomes everybody.
Egypt is also a wonderful way for young families to learn about different cultures and see different parts of the world through a safe and a personalized travel experience.
Private tour guides that are in fact endorsed and employed by reputable agencies work in conjunction with the Tourist Police: A dedicated section of the police force that deal with one thing only – Tourism safety.
Are their any special precautions?
Not really, there is no special precaution for young families to travel to the Middle East and I would say young and old families are all welcomed with open arms by the Egyptian, turkish and Jordanian people.
Read as much as you can before you travel so you understand where you are going and know what questions to ask. Also, be aware of currencies and economy for Egypt when you make your travel plans.
Planning our trip using a custom or private guide means being able to prepare all questions they may have for their private local guides and you will have the opportunity to ask as many questions and learn as much as you can while you are there.
As far as safety precaution, I would say it goes without saying if any traveler in any country is taking the necessary precaution and respects the safety rules of a given country, he or she may feel safe. Just monitoring the situation and common sense are the best guarantees of our safety in every country around the world.
