Destinations

I probably think about parts of this trip everyday. It was well organized and planned by Encounters, and the guides and staff in Egypt are amazing human beings. Go on every extra side trip and mini adventure you can. We went in the pyramids and the camels ride behind the pyramids, went to Ramses II tomb, on a hot air balloon ride over Luxor, and to Alexandria, in addition to the amazing things to do on the trip. It was well worth the money. It was absolutely amazing everyday. Tips: Don't expect customer service to directly answer your questions. Mariska only sends generic emails. At least 4 people on our tour experienced this. The other staff and their amazing customer service makes up for this. Bring toilet paper, small 1 Egyptian pounds for the bathrooms, and expect to tip everyone. Also, its good to bring Imodium, heartburn, and allergy meds just in case i would go on this trip again...
With all we did and the amount of travel, I was shocked at how cost effective the tour company made it. You get your money's worth after you think about busses, felucca sailboat, overnight train, hotel rooms, and the amazing tour guide.

We were very lucky there was only one other couple who were very nice and our guide was excellent. His name was Phuong. He had a lot of knowledge, put it over very well and was very concerned that we were all happy and always went out of his way to help and did 'the extra mile'. He really made the holiday so good
We thought it was a good tour but did not particularly enjoy the two full days at the seaside. It could have been cut back to one. We did enjoy the snorkeling and swimming. We would have also liked an extra day at Hulong Bay as it is a long journey each way and we barely had 24 hours there. Everyone was very pleasant and helpful in the tours and hotels

I was very pleased with the responsiveness of everyone that I encountered through Encounters Travel. I worked mostly with Anthony and he was always very helpful.
I thought they selected a wonderful guide for the trip. The one part that I really hope that they change is the night at the Bedouin Camp. It was not authentic and it was so out of the way. I think that people would prefer to spend the extra money for a night in a hotel with a bed and your own bathroom.

Was pleasantly surprised at how organised the tour was. There was only one occasion where the hotel was changed and was not completely satisfactory. All communication was promptly answered and dealt with in a competent manner.
Loved the tour and thought we experienced the best Turkey had to offer. At times would have liked just a little bit more time to explore at our own leisure. Particularly would have like to have stayed closer into the township of Cannakkale .

Everything was very well organized and our guide Magz was incredible! He genuinely looked out for us the entire trip, especially in the markets and busy areas, as well as taught us about all of the history of the places we were at. Transportation was always ready and waiting for us and the accommodations were way nicer than we expected. Well done Encounters!
We really got to see a lot for the time we spent in Egypt and Encounters made sure no time was wasted in waiting for transportation and rooms and things like that. We had a great group, a great guide, and really learned a lot. All accommodations were exceptional and we couldn't believe how we did everything for such a good price