Customized: Janet & Family from USA

As part of a multi-day customized program, Backpacker Concierge brought one of its most popular excursions to life for Janet & Family - an overnight felucca sailtrek on a private felucca. Starting in Aswan, the trio headed north for Kom Ombo - what a relaxing and authentic way to travel the Nile!

Some post-felucca words from Janet:

The felucca trip was exactly what we had hoped - a fully relaxing day sailing with the breeze to cool us as we soaked up some sun. The crew was great and prepared better meals than I ever have camping! Drifting to sleep as the moon rose over the Nile is one of my best memories of the trip.

http://www.backpackerconcierge.com

We're Shortlisted for Travelmole Award!

Backpacker Concierge was shortlisted for the 'Travel Agent' category of this year's Travelmole Web Awards. Votes were cast over a one-month period and now it's the panel's decision who is the ultimate winner. The awards ceremony will be held at Canada House in London on June 24th. Thank you to everyone who voted for us!

http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1136891.php

June 17, 2009 - The shortlist for the 2009 Travelmole Web Awards has been unveiled today.

The companies, voted for by Travelmole susbscribers, will now be judged by an independent panel. In total, the awards received over 300 nominations and more than 15,000 votes were cast.

The panel consists of Peter Healey, founder and chief executive of The Vertical Group, former Teletext MD Matt Cheevers, now MD of consultancy business Smooth Direction, Helena Beard, marketing director at KBC PR and Marketing, Jérôme Moisan, Travelport general manager UK & Ireland, and Liz Craig, founder of Oneglobe Network, a boutique digital agency.

The winners will be announced at a lunchtime ceremony on Wednesday June 24 at Canada House, London.

http://www.backpackerconcierge.com/

Customized: Ayesha from Vancouver

Ayesha was in Cairo for business and decided to book something a little adventurous during her time off. Backpacker Concierge arranged their signature 1-night White Desert Safari with their friend Waheed. Check out Ayesha's experience in words at the end of the post.

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A view from Waheed's house

Atop the chalk formations in the White Desert

The famous "Chicken + Mushroom"

Waheed and Ayesha

Ayesha even got to test out her driving skills in the desert!

The AMAZING Black Desert

Ayesha's re-cap:

I came to Egypt for work, on a week tour into Cairo and then down the Nile River. I decided that I wanted to do something a little different after the tour and on my own. Ever since I saw pictures of the White desert I've wanted to go and see it for myself, so that's what I did, I mean I might as well, since I was all the way over there. I contacted Backpacker Concierge and they helped me arrange a private 2 day tour out to the White Desert. They had arranged for me to take the local bus to save a little money out to Bahariya Oasis, the starting point to get into the desert. The tickets were purchased and dropped off at the hotel for me in Cairo and the following morning I made my own way to the bus station to board the 5 hour unairconditioned bus journey. This ride was long but neat to see such vasted as you drive away from such an overcrowed city like Cairo. Everything worked out perfect; and the bus was on time and uncrowed and didn't break down...

Upon arrival in Bahariya, I was greeted by my guide Waheed, who picked me out as soon as I arrived, being a single girl. He threw my bags in the jeep and we went to his family's house for a nice home cooked lunch before we left. After lunch we picked up a few necessities, water, gas, beer etc... and drove out to the HOT desert, we passed a few check points and answered a few qustions, but my guide seems to know them all and they were excited to know that my name was also Arabic. we stopped at the springs for mint tea at the Bedoiun village, the black desert, and the crystal moutian before we really got into the White Desert, the landscape started to look like we were entering another planet. We dropped off from the miles of the long flat stretch of paved road and ontop the sand when the 4X4 came into use. We drove down these huge sand dunes and Waheed even let me drive the truck, which was pretty cool and raced along beside his friend Zachy that we met up with.

I loved that we set up camp under the open sky that night beside those huge white chalk rock formation. At night we saw lots of foxes come right up close to our camp around the fire, the whole thing was a unique experience. Waheed was a great guide, and very caring when I accidentally stepped bare foot into the hot coals and burned my foot…oops, silly tourist, too much mint tea inthe desert I guess!!

We ate a delicious vegetarian meal that was jsut wipped together as I sure he has doen this a million times, as his sister did back at their house the next day.

Waheed, arranged my bus ticket back and made sure that I left with a box of fresh dates and then waved good bye as the bus pulled away. My only regret is not staying longer as I wish I could have experienced more and gotten further into the desert.

Even though it was far to go, it was well worth it! Overall I had a great trip to Egypt, I saw so much, learned so much and met so many great, humorous people but the overnight into the white desert with a private guide was by far a highlight!! I can’t wait to come back and stay longer.

Customized: Harvard Business School

After the success of Columbia University's custom program in March 2008, a group of 16 Harvard Business School students decided to embark on an amazing 9-day program with Backpacker Concierge. Traversing the Nile from north to south, the group experienced Egypt like no other!

Instead of starting the program with a museum or temple, we went sandboarding!! Our tour leader Siobhan and our associates at Dune Raider took awesome care of the group - sandboards, frisbees, snacks, and tons of drinks were provided to keep everyone happy and healthy in the heat.

On the way to the dunes 60km outside of Cairo

Getting ready for the first run down a dune much higher than you'd imagine...

View from afar

After sandboarding, the group was escorted to the Giza Plateau to meet our Egyptologist Randa. They had the opportunity to venture inside the Great Pyramid and take the requisite pictures.

After sightseeing, we treated the group to a private cocktail party in our associate's renovated colonial area flat. It was a catered affair with plenty of booze and live music.

Abdallah and his friend played traditional Sudanese songs on the oud

Stephanie took it one step further and tried her hand at the oud!

(Abdallah was totally rocking the Micky mouse t-shirt)

Enjoying drinks on the balcony overlooking downtown Cairo

The following morning, the HBS students flew down to Luxor. They visited Karnak Temple upon arrival and had some free time to enjoy the hotel pool and amazing views of the River Nile. In the afternoon, they embarked on a bicycle ride around Luxor's West Bank before enjoying dinner at one of our favorite roof-top restaurants.

Getting fitted for bikes on Luxor's West Bank

Backdrop: Colossi of Memnon

A delicious family-style meal overlooking Luxor's East Bank

Valley of the Kings (home to King Tut's tomb) was the first stop the following morning. After the visit, the group was transferred to Esna where they met their private Dahabiya. Yes, a completely private Dahabiya! Their home for the next three nights.

The 7-room Dahabiya with a staff of 10

Relaxing on the Dahabiya's rooftop deck

Local color in Edfu, one of the stops

The friendliest children are usually found in the Nubian enclave of Kom Ombo. After visiting the temple in town, Jake poses for a picture.

No Dahabiya trip is complete without a little chugging from the Obelisk wine bottle!

Aboard the Dahabiya with Khalid

Khalid presenting a delicious cake courtesy of Backpacker Concierge!

On Day 4 of the Dahabiya journey, the group arrives in Aswan, where a local child surrenders to the groups antics!

Inside the memorial to the Soviet-Egypt partnership in building the Aswan High Dam

After a day of camel riding, sailboat trekking, and relaxation at the Movenpick pool, the group left Aswan for Cairo. One last day of sightseeing in the City Victorious rounded out their trip.

Collins in Khan al Khalili Bazaar

The ladies at Al Azhar Mosque

www.backpackerconcierge.com

Customized Itinerary: Sabine from Hamburg

Backpacker Concierge put together a city-break program for Sabine in May. The program touched on the city's highlights and featured a delightful stay at the always-pleasant Talisman Hotel in the heart of Cairo. Check out some pictures below of Sabine's adventure, a link to her blog, and an excerpt from the follow-up email she sent me.

At the Giza Plateau

Inside the Mohamed Ali Mosque

The beautiful panoramic view from Mojito

A morning in Coptic Cairo

Backpacker Concierge sent a follow-up email to Sabine after her trip for feedback, this is an excerpt of her response:

This is going to be a much longer feedback, than you might expected, sorry, but i have to tell you, what happened in [a] taxi ! The driver got a phone call, was very excited and obviously very happy afterwards. He immediately told me, why: His wife Fatma had just born a baby, a son. He made and received another phone call and then turned to me and said: "Name my baby, please !" Of course, i was very surprised and told him, that i couldn´t. But, he insisted, told me his name Mohammed and asked me to find any other boys name, that would fit. He asked for my name and nationality and really insisted. "Name my boy, please !" I thought of any arabic boys names, i ever heard of and remembered the name "Sayed or Said" and suggested this name, however it might be written or pronounced properly. The taxi-driver understood, which name i meant, told me, that it would be a very good name and Sayed/Said Mohammed would sound really good. The name was chosen in that very moment. He made another 2 phone calls, in which he told first somebody and then second his wife Fatma, that a german woman called Sabine, who´s just sitting in his taxi, had suggested this name and so it would be. The boy is now named Sayed/Said, wow ! I had to write my name and the shortly chosen name of his son onto the bill of money, i paid the taxi with and he told me, that he would keep this banknote, because it would bring good luck to his son. Incredible !!! This is my personal 1001-nights-story of Egypt !

Check out Sabine's blog here:

http://www.umdiewelt.de/Afrika/Nordafrika-und-Sahara/Aegypten/Reisebericht-4541/Kapitel-1.html

Backpacker Concierge hosts the University of California on Study Visit to Egypt

Backpacker Concierge and the administration of the University of California - San Diego have teamed up to offer a 17-day study visit to Egypt this September.


20 Students and 4 Professors will be traveling to Egypt during the Ramadan season for an in-depth look at the country's monuments and ongoing archaeological digs. The group will be traveling to some of the lesser known sites in the Lake Nasserarea in addition to extended visits in Cairo and Luxor.

Backpacker Concierge has incorporated some more interesting elements to keep the students entertained, as well - a Hot Air Balloon ride over Luxor's West Bank, 4x4 Motorbikes through the Theban Mountains, a Desert Safari through the White Desert, and a Felucca Journey and Camel Trek in Aswan.

Eco-tour with American NGO, HANDS

Backpacker Concierge and Hands Along the Nile Development Services have just teamed up to offer a truly one-of-a-kind eco-tour in September 2009.

Check out the program at - http://www.handsalongthenile.org/program/InsightTrips.htm

HANDS is an American 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that is committed to building bridges between the people of Egypt and the United States. In addition to their program of exchange and dialogue, HANDS also supports projects aimed at bringing socioeconomic stability to Egyptian communities.

The program that Backpacker Concierge and HANDS have put together features the services of a private Professor of Marine Biology from the University of Maryland, visits to lesser-known areas of Egypt, visits to local organizations that strive to improve the lives of everyday Egyptians, and overnight accommodation that honors the environment and features local building techniques.

We hope to see you in September!

Customized Itinerary: Conner & Kate from NYC

Conner and Kate were referred to us by one of the Columbia University tour participants. The newlyweds asked us to design a customized program before they continued onto the Maldives. We put together a great 6-night whirlwind tour of mainland Egypt. Get jealous!

www.backpackerconcierge.com


After spending two fantabulous nights at the Oberoi Mena House in Cairo, overlooking the Giza Pyramids, Conner and Kate were whisked away by private car to the Bahariya Oasis. They enjoyed a local lunch before beginning their jeep safari with Waheed's family (a fixture of all our Western Desert excursions). Above, Connor is hanging out in the camp the crew prepared for him and Kate.

Our safari crew prepares this typical desert cuisine from scratch over a few burners and a fire. Nice, filling food after an amazing trip.

Conner and Kate traveled down to Luxor by the overnight Sleeper Train. An experience in and of itself (check out Pat and Claud's itinerary below for their take on the Sleeper experience). Mostafa, our expert Egyptologist, graciously took the two around to the best sites in Thebes. As guiding is not allowed INSIDE the tombs at Valley of the Kings, Mostafa explains King Tutankhamun's chamber (above).

Here is a nice snapshot from Luxor's countryside. This is a typical West Bank scene and just so happens to be the same area Conner and Kate spent their night in Luxor. We prefer to place our clients on the quieter West Bank - it's more authentic and sorry to say, there's less harassment than the East Bank. More on their West Bank accommodation below.

Here, Conner is speaking to Eric, owner of Backpacker Concierge. All of our custom itinerary clients receive a mobile phone with local SIM card upon arrival in Cairo, Luxor, Sharm, or any other port of entry. This is a great way for the BC team to keep in touch with clients, but also a way for the clients to keep in touch with their friends and family.

So, back to the accommodation. Since this was a honeymoon, we recommended the romantic Moudira Hotel in Luxor. Above, Kate sits by the pool.

Yep, this was their room. The Moudira features local architectural techniques, including domed ceilings to keep the rooms as cool as possible, especially during the summer months.

After Luxor, Backpacker Concierge arranged a private car down to Aswan where they met their felucca captain for an afternoon sail through the islands, followed by a camel ride through the Nubian villages.

And back to Cairo again. This time, the Egyptian Museum with our Egyptologist Faten. Backpacker Concierge tries to use female guides as often as possible, as the average tourist will not have much contact with the women of Egypt. Pairing our clients with a gregarious guide is a nice way to them to expose them to a somewhat hidden world.

Conner takes one last puff on the sheesha in Khan al Khalili market before returning to Cairo Airport for their onward flight to the Maldives!

Itinerary:
- March 4 - Arrival and transfer to the Mena House for free afternoon
- March 5 - Full day sightseeing to Giza Pyramids and Saqqara, overnight at the Mena House
- March 6 - Transport to Bahariya for 1-night White Desert jeep safari
- March 7 - Return to Cairo for overnight Sleeper Train to Luxor
- March 8 - Early morning visit of Valley of the Kings and Hatchepsut Temple before a relaxing afternoon at the Moudira
- March 9 - Morning visit of Karnak Temple and onward transport to Aswan. Upon arrival, felucca excursion and camel trek on the West Bank.
- March 10 - Morning flight to Cairo and guided sightseeing of the Egyptian Museum and Islamic Cairo

Customized Itinerary: Pat & Claud from USA

While on their around-the-world adventure, Patrick and Claudia spent one week in Egypt with Backpacker Concierge. With such limited time, we focused on a cost-efficient program that took in the Nile at a somewhat leisurely pace.

Itinerary:
January 9 - Transfer from Cairo Airport to Giza Station for overnight Sleeper Train to Aswan
January 10 - Morning camel ride on Aswan's West Bank and 2-night felucca trip to Kom Ombo
January 11 - Full day sailing
January 12 - Transfer to Luxor, via Edfu Temple and free afternoon
January 13 - Sunrise hot air balloon ride, guided visit of Valley of the Kings, and return flight to Cairo, sunset guided tour of Islamic Cairo
January 14 - Full day guided excursion of the Giza Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum

http://www.backpackerconcierge.com

We have copied their blog below for everyone to enjoy!

Egypt.... is the one place we would like to go back to, first. There are so many things to see that are like no other place we've been. We started our trip by traveling for 36 hours from Beijing, including an 8 our layover in Qatar (lots of email time in the Qatar Airlines Lounge) and a 12 hour, overnight train from Cairo to Aswan.

When we arrived in Aswan, Egypt we were whisked off by our boat (felucca) guide, Mamud, to a guesthouse on the Nile for tea before our camel ride through the desert.

Mamud went on the camel ride with us as we saw the vastness of the desert and the charm of a Nubian Village.

After the camel ride we hung out with the locals at the guesthouse (there were no actual guests at the guesthouse while we were there) and waited for lunch. Our stomachs full, we stepped aboard our felucca (a traditional, Egyptian sail boat). This was going to be our home for 2 days and there were no bathroom facilities on the boat. Eeek! But instantly we were awed by the beauty of the Nile. It was such a “peaceful, easy feeling”. It was perfect! Our boat crew, Hussein and Luli, let me steer for a while (it was heavy). We spent our nights with our crew talking over the yummy Egyptian meals Luli made. It was such an unique and authentic experience. We sailed for 2 days and nights before disembarking in Edfu.

Did we mention it was freezing at night and blazing hot during the day. It is the desert, after all.

We drove through the Sahara Desert to our guide Mamud's home where his mom had prepared us lunch. His nephew impressed the teacher in me by saying the letters of the English alphabet accompanied by their sound and a word that starts with that sound (b, “b”, book). So cute.

Then we explored Edfu Temple and traveled on to Luxor.

The next morning, we got up early to go on a sunrise hot air balloon ride. It was, in a word, incredible.

Without a nap, we then went on a guided tour of the Valley of the Kings, an alabaster factory, and the temple of the artists (where the artists of the kings temples lived and painted their own temples). We got one photo in the first temple before a guard took our camera (only to return it to our guide). The detail in the art work was incredible.

(head archaeologist at the Valley of the Kings)

Then, still with no nap, we flew back to Cairo and went on a guided tour of Islamic Cairo. Our guide, Randa, was wonderful and I especially appreciated that she was a women. (Most of Egypt is a male dominated society. Women do not usually initiate conversation with a man so it was nice to be in the presence of another woman I could trust and was super assertive to boot.) Islamic Cairo was the original, walled city of Cairo. It is filled with shops and mosques and people. The market hidden deep in the maze of streets was a destination in itself. I could have stayed for hours and spent loads of money. Patrick thanked his stars we were on a schedule.

We explored the Citadel Mosque with 200 year old oriental rugs and an interesting history.

The next morning, our driver took us to meet Randa at the Egyptian Museum where we saw several items from the famed King Tut's tomb. Then off to the Pyramids. They are absolutely amazing. The sheer size made our jaws drop and then we heard the stats and history.

We also saw how papyrus (original paper) was made. It was hectic but bursting with history. We loved it! The Red Sea and Mt. Siani are among the sights we hope to see on our next trip to Egypt.