Israel

My husband and I previously used Encounters Travel for a vacation to Egypt and Greece and therefore jumped at the opportunity to use them for our journey to Jordan. The expectations bar was high given our previous trips being absolutely amazing and something we wanted to replicate in many areas. Our trip to Jordan delivered on those expectations! From the encyclopedic knowledge of our guide, Omar, who explained the historical significance of various sites encompassing the folklore of the civilizations responsible for such wonders as the temples, amphitheaters around Amman, As-Salt, Jerash, all the way to the remoteness of Wadi Rum. Plus, who could forget the marvels of Petra with its Hellenistic design. The highlights were many. One of which was floating on the waters of the Dead Sea being magical. Omar also kept the entire group updated via What's App.

One improvement or thing to note is the preservation of water in Jordan might mean if you're taking a shower at a particular hour expect it to be freezing cold. During the trip, we were provided bottled water; however, the water was never cold. It would have been nice if the refrigerated unit used to hold the water on the coach bus worked and would keep the water cold.

The expectations for the culinary choices were something my husband and I were particularly thrilled with offerings such as Makloubeh. Nothing could beat the desert item called Kanafeh which was scrumptious and if you're into Baklava, there is no shortage of places to purchase.

Encounters Travel gets both thumbs up for the trips and locations they put together and we will definitely use them for future travel adventures.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing many of the Mayan, Greek and Roman architectural monuments around the world. So I was quite keen on experiencing first-hand the Egyptian treasures. No photo or HD documentary can do justice to what you witness in Cairo, Luxor or Aswan! I convinced two good friends to tag along for this journey (we also added Israel with a very easy Air Sinai 45 minute flight to Tel Aviv!) and had the time of our lives. Mind you---this is not a "sit in the sun trip" ---this is getting up early to hop on early flights at the airport or getting to the hot air balloon launching pads before the sun rises----its a true Egyptian ADVENTURE. Comfy sneaks are imperative because there is lots of rigorous walking over uneven terrain in very warm conditions. Only casual wardrobe is necessary. Encounters made is all very easy ---with very organized/professional transfer agents on the ground, hotels and guides. We NEVER felt unsafe or uncomfortable. The Egyptian people have an amazing twinkle in their eye and can be unabashedly warm-hearted. For most of our trip we had Housam as our trusted guide----he is very knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor----so much fun to be in his company. There is a lot of history to be covered on this trip---and he makes it an enjoyable lesson. Jump at the chance to take advantage of this marvelous journey thru Encounters!----now with all that said----please keep the following in mind:
- We visited in early October and it was still over 100 degrees on some days
- Drinks LOTS of water---I had a kidney stone attack--which can come from dehydration----Experiencing the local hospital was another "adventure" ---Housam and the doctors at Aswan's Mission Hospital were TERRIFIC. Just keep in mind that the local ambulances don't have any equipment on them---so get doctor's care first!
- Le Meridian Hotel--best to ask for the upgrade room. Spa services great and inexpensive. The DOLLAR goes very far in Egypt!
- TIPPING is part of the culture--take this very seriously and keep small bills ALWAYS handy--ATM's only dispense big bills---and difficult to find ATM that would allow credit cards.
- The local merchants can BADGER you to death--you MUST not give them any attention---which can be sometimes difficult to do.
-If at all possible--I would try to research hieroglyphics---to have some basic knowledge--it would so increase your interpretative skills at the historic sites.
- Luxor's Winter Palace Hotel and Aswan's Cataract Hotel (both Sofitel properties) were great places for lunch and wonderful old world glamorous hospitality.

Happy travels-------peter

My friend and I looked for package tours to Israel online, but I am not very confident booking anything online unless I have a local phone number to call and speak to a person. We finally found our tour with a travel agent who had a number for me to be able to speak to a person and in this way feel assured that the company was legitimized. I spoke to Mariska at Encounters Travel and she was very helpful so I booked the 8 day package tour called Fantastic Israel with Encounters Travel only 2 weeks before I was due to travel with my friend. The tour itself was perfect. We When we arrived at the airport a lot of flights had arrived at the same so we got stuck for almost 2 hours in the passport control, but the person picking us up at the airport was very understanding. We arrived at our first hotel and we were checked in straight away. The food at all the different hotels was very nice, buffets for breakfast and dinner all inclusive. We were 9 people in the small group, all friendly and fun loving people each with their own personality and our Jewish guide Meir, who knew a lot about all the sites we saw. He was neutral in his comments and gave us good sound facts about Israel in general. All of us agreed that we felt like a big family closely bonded even with our tour guide who did not feel like a tour guide but like a friend. I highly recommend Encounters Travel and their 8 day Fantastic Israel tour as a small group tour. Thumps up from Me. Susanne Hultman, London, UK

I loved Egypt! !! This is the most interesting country I've ever been. Everything is so amazing. The tour guides did everything in their power to make everyone in my group, happy. We felt so safe and cared by them. I didn't have to think about anything, and I saw and did so much in 10 days. I learned so much about the acient and modern culture, and about the Egyptians life. The Muslims and Cristian are so united. There, religion brings people together. They are so peaceful and happy. They love tourists. We were so well treated, that we didn't want to come back so soon. I never felt so safe in my entire life. Everything is so different then what the media want us to see. I encourage everyone to go to Egypt to see and feel all the wonder this amazing country has to show and offer to the world. Beautiful people! I'm surprised and amazed by everything. I would like to give a special thanks to our dear tour guide that stayed with us the most and made our journey, the best one ever. This soul is a very special one, Sheriffhassan Mohamed. The best guide ever, his knowledge, kindness, and a great sense of humor, was beyond my expectations. Also Kalifa Mohamed, and Hassan were amazing to us. I'll definitely travel with Encounters again. Next trip is to Jordan, Israel, and Egypt again. Thank you , I feel blessed. This unforgettable experience is going to last even in the after life. I left my heart in Egypt, and some day I'll definitely go back.

it was my first trip to Israel with travel Encouters. I was anxious of traveling alone but I was connected to a wonderful group of 24 tourists. The tour guide was amazing. The hotels were fantastic. We visited so many places including historical sites. We had a wonderful time. I will definately book my next trip with Travel Encounters.