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.

www.backpackerconcierge.com

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