Highlights of Egypt holiday

Planet

Water:
Water is a really important issue with trips such as this and whilst we must stay hydrated, it is also vital that we have a system for providing clean water without causing lots of waste with plastic bottles. Wherever possible we provide safe alternative sources of water to buying single use plastic bottles. This may be through large water containers, or encourage our passengers to filter, sterilise or purify water. We encourage all our passengers to come prepared with a reusable water bottle for this purpose.

UK Office:
It all starts at home where we work towards reducing our carbon footprint in our offices through energy conservation measures, recycling policies and the promotion of cycling and walking as a means for our staff to commute. Our head office has become a plastic-free zone with the use of plastic bottles being banned in our head office and we distributed reusable water bottles and tote bags to every staff member. We also support a large number of community and environmental projects in different parts of the world and try to give something back to the places we visit.

People

Local craft and Culture:
There is so much about the Egyptian culture to be discovered on this trip. In Cairo, we have a full day tour where we visit the Egyptian Museum and the Al Ahmar mosque which is the oldest mosque in Cairo dating back to AD970. We will also transfer to Alexandria and have a tour of the city home to the lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In El Alamein, we visit the war cemetery and military museum, the site of famed allied victory during World War Two. There is also an optional trip to Abu Simbel where clients can visit the temples that are rank amongst the most impressive in the country as well as to take in the views of the Nubian Desert.

In Aswan, we get to explore the Nubian way of life and learn about the history and culture of the people. Clients will visit a Nubian village, a worthwhile experience that benefits the community financially and helps preserve their culture. However, we do not support their tradition of keeping crocodiles in poor living conditions and holding them for photos so we make sure to address it to clients and educate them the aspects of animal interaction that we do not encourage.

On this trip, there are plenty of opportunities to support local craft especially during our visit to local markets in Aswan. Of course, our local guides will advise clients on what can be bought and what should be avoided as products made from parts of endangered species should not be purchased.

A Fair Deal:
We work closely with our local operator and ensure that all of our guides are local and that in exchange for their expertise that they are paid and treated fairly. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help clients understand how they can help reduce their impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from our visit.

Accommodation and Meals:
On this trip, we will spend most nights in locally owned hotels and several nights in a cruise boat and sleeper train. All of the accommodations try to employ locals and uses local produce for meals wherever possible. This ensures that our money spent will directly contribute to the local community. When meals are not provided, our local guides will encourage and recommend clients to visit local restaurants and cafes to try local delicacies. Food in Egypt mainly consists of kebabs, falafel, aubergine and pitta-bread.