Greece

Our recent Discover Egypt tour was just magic! A brilliant tour of Egypt's amazing ancient History. With a few extra excursions, we added the Roman and Greek history and more 'recent' Christian and Islamic time. The reps in the cities were beyond amazing. They made themselves available 24/7 and would move Heaven and Earth to make us happy! I particularly need to mention Hassan in Cairo and Mohammed in Hurghada. They looked after us as if we were their family.
Also our tour guide from Aswan to Luxor, Emad Aiad, was brilliant! Hilarious and so knowledgeable. He tailored the days to work for our family and we have learnt things we will never forget. Fayid in Cairo, was also exceptional and also arranged the tour to work for us best.

In addition, we were expecting a big group but ended up having a private tour around Egypt. This was so special. Fantastic holiday. It made travelling easy!!

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.

We just returned from our Oct 6 - Oct 20 Encounter Tours Best of Italy and Greece. What a FANTASTIC experience! Every aspect of the trip was exceptional. The hotels were all as advertised, 4 Star and centrally located. The transportation was always on time, in a nice vehicle and with a pleasant driver. The food at each breakfast was plentiful, full of choices and very tasty. All tours were “Skip the Line” so we never had to wait. The groups were very small and the tour guides were very polite, knowledgeable and spoke excellent English (our language). We were allowed to make trip modifications at very nominal cost. For example, our trips to Florence and Venice were on a fast train instead of a bus. We flew to Greece from Venice rather than take the ferry. Chevy was always available. I had a few questions and he responded within a few hours and answered our questions perfectly. We will definitely consider working with Encounter Tours and Chevy again. We expected a glitch or two over the 2 weeks, but experienced a 100% perfect experience. Thanks for everything and memories we will never forget.

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

Waleed guides us through limestone, alabaster, and marble antiquities.
And in a short time we forget present day iniquities.

We follow the route of the Pharaohs and Nile.
While listening to his stories, we are left beguiled.

Greece has its athenaeum, and Rome its Coliseum.
Now we stand awed before pyramids and mausoleums.

Through a Nubian dinner and a felucca cruise,
This exceptional man becomes our muse.

We discover Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor,
And we take from our guide his wisdom and more.

The kings and the pharaohs become our best friends,
As we all point at Ramses with our zoom lens.

Constantly with us are the desert and Red Sea.
We swim and absorb, and converse over tea.

In only nine days there are so many sights,
As Waleed encourages us to climb to new heights.

We have been blessed with this brilliant and exceptional guide.
Whose country and history energize him with pride.

We thank the heavens for his skills and enthusiasm.
For Waleed has indeed found his guiding passion.