Iceland

Before the trip Encounters Travel answered my enquiries promptly and responded to my many concerns. Pre-trip planning was a pleasant experience because they really seemed to understand my concerns and needs. Once on our way, everything was handled professionally and caringly. There was always someone there to meet us and also to return us to our hotel or plane or whereever we needed to be. The security was always evident and at no time did they appear to let their guard down. Our guide, Mohammed, was amazing—very knowledgeable about Egyptian history—a true academic—his classroom is his tour group and when those he has touched return home, ultimately his reach is the entire world. His enthusiasm and love for his country, its history, and its people is contagious as is his sense of humor and energy. There are many short nights—prepare to need a rest when you return home—so much to see and do—amazed we did it all in 2 weeks.

I haven't traveled yet, so it is a bit premature to be giving a rating. That being said, I have been exceedingly impressed with the service I have received to date. No pushy salesmanship just quick and complete answers to all my questions. It shouldn't be hard to give this sort of service, but I have found it lacking elsewhere. And the itinerary looks to be the best for the time we have, really allowing us to see the places we are visiting instead of seeing how many places we can cram in - but I will be able to comment better on that after the trip.

Everything went really smoothly on the booking end and on the ground in Egypt. The only surprise was when arriving jet lagged at the hotel being presented with a list of fees that needed to be paid right then. The problem was that everything up until then had these fees in US dollars and now the fees were in Egyptian pounds. It pretty much cleaned out our stash of Egyptian money. Had we known we had to pay in Egyptian currency we would have sought out additional currencies places at home to get us the funds we needed. (Banks wouldn't order the funds). However after that the tour itself was great. Our guide Emad did a great job.

We bought the Encounters Travel Discover Egypt trip through Groupon. The entire experience was amazing. They met us at the airport at the gate, helped us through customs and getting our visa, and every step of the way we were escorted. They would tell us what time to meet and where and we would show up and we'd be escorted off to another fabulous monument. Our Guide Mahmed was extremely knowledgeable and so much fun. My only caution would be that the trip is go-go-go all the time. Very little downtime, and if you do Abu Simbel and the Hot Air Balloon ride it's a lot of early mornings too. However, I cannot think of anything I would have been OK with cutting out, because everything was so amazing, I just wish we could have spent more time everywhere. I highly recommend this trip if you want to get a good overview of Egypt.

It all started with me searching for a good itinerary to visit Petra. Since I didn't have much vacation time, I was looking for something that would cover the places I was interested in visiting besides Petra, that’s how I found Encounters Travel online. At first, I was going to do only Jordan, but there was an option to do Petra and Dubai, so why not? The price was very affordable, the hotels were not the top of the line, but it was my decision to stay with the basic and so I did. Mariska was the person I exchanged emails with it; she made sure I had all the details taken care prior to my trip, and always answered my questions either by phone or via email. Despite the fact this trip was on a “shoestring” category, or more known as “budget” trip, from the time I was picked-up at Amman's airport until the time I was dropped off at Dubai's airport, everything went smoothly. I was part of a big group while travelling in Jordan, but solo in Dubai, yet everything occurred accordingly to the agenda. I’m a happy customer; I’ve already booked another trip with EncountersTravel. Roberto Lima

This was my first trip abroad and the Encounters Travel team kept me updated and informed from the moment I booked my tour of Egypt. Encounters Travel team member Ahmad Sol was there, upon our arrival in Egypt, to welcome and assist tour members safely to our hotel. Ahmad Sol was also there to bid us farewell to the stunning country of Egypt at the end of our tour. The food and hotels were wonderful. The Pyramids, Sphynx, the Nile River, the Temples and museum were fantastic, only to be made even more memorable by our Encounters Travel tour guide, Ahmad Kamouna. Ahmad Kamouna is very knowledgeable, charismatic, enthusiastic and passionate about Egypt, its history and future. There are no adequate words to thank Ahmad Kamouna for making my tour of Egypt the trip of a lifetime for me!!!

We bought the Encounters Travel Discover Egypt trip through Groupon. The entire experience was amazing. They met us at the airport at the gate, helped us through customs and getting our visa, and every step of the way we were escorted. They would tell us what time to meet and where and we would show up and we'd be escorted off to another fabulous monument. Our Guide Mahmed was extremely knowledgeable and so much fun. My only caution would be that the trip is go-go-go all the time. Very little downtime, and if you do Abu Simbel and the Hot Air Balloon ride it's a lot of early mornings too. However, I cannot think of anything I would have been OK with cutting out, because everything was so amazing, I just wish we could have spent more time everywhere. I highly recommend this trip if you want to get a good overview of Egypt.

Encounters Travel did an amazing job. Everything was so well planned and our tour guide was just exceptional (Sherif). I can not praise both tour guides enough. They went out of their way to ensure that everyone needs were taken care of and that everyone was having a great time. They also looked out for our overall wellbeing. One person left items behind in his hotel room, they were able to get it delivered to him at our next stop. UNBELIEVEABLE!! Everyone was so friendly. The ABSOLUTE best I've been on. Much success in your future adventures.

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...