Egypt is a once in a lifetime holiday destination and after the recent political situation you'll find the Egyptian people are welcoming tourists back with open arms. Here two Bunnik Tours clients share their recent experiences...  

A letter from Susan Knight
"We are on tour, now in Jordan at the Dead Sea Spa resort (though, alas, to the girls’ disappointment it is a Medical Spa only and does not offer ‘pamper’ treatments!). Any idea I had of keeping a detailed diary has long since gone out of the window as in free times we are too busy enjoying ourselves to sit in a corner and write, but we have a later start today and I’m taking the chance to send you a recent photo which I thought you would be glad to have.

On our last day in Cairo (a free day) we decided to have a group Bunnik photo taken at the famous Tehrir Square, and it was quite an experience. Though it was not an official protest day (which is every Friday) Egyptian men gathered in groups (presumably discussing politics) there, and some were even sleeping among the bushes - whether long-term protesters or vagrants I don’t know. We had long since discovered that carrying our toy flags was a guarantee of safely crossing the Cairo streets (which are so crazy that even Eman our guide begged us to take taxis rather than walk!) and we were all armed with our flags when we arrived at the Square. Our reception was amazing - the atmosphere was like a street party. It was clear that to the Egyptians, tourists standing in Tehrir Square with Egyptian flags was a sign of support for their country’s economy, as well as their citizens’ recent stand against government corruption. Everyone wanted their photos taken with us, wanted to shake our hands, or pat our shoulders, or wanted to tell us their personal experiences of the revolution.
 

One man who looked too poor to afford it, insisted on giving me a cup of hot tea - his way of saying thank you. I bravely took a few sips and as we were swallowed up in more of the laughing, cheering and at times, singing, crowd, I passed it on to one of the men camping in the bushes, who seemed very grateful to have it. 
 
As an aside:  It has been very educational to realise that what you hear on the TV news is not always the whole story or even accurate, and that there is no substitute for hearing from the man in the street! Or in particular, the people who are involved in making the news, whose stories have been totally consistent no matter where we have been.  One of our young  tour directors was even locked up (he had not been part of the demonstration, but had  been taking food to a friend in the square) and had rather uncomfortably first hand experience. There is no doubt that the mood is very optimistic here, and positive, and that tourists are met with enthusiasm and great friendliness wherever you go.  A total stranger literally took David's hand at the roadside of a maelstrom of vehicles and marched into the road, with his hand up like a policeman - stopping the traffic to get us over the road....."come, come, you are safe!"  Others reported the same experience (no they didn't ask for baksheesh either.)  All in all, an amazing time. 
 
We managed to get our group photos - rather untidy ones due to the men who kept darting in with grins to share the picture - and I am sending you my best one for your records. I had worn my Bunnik luggage strap as a belt on our Galybeia night when I pretended to be Eman! and wore it also around Cairo on our last day, to advertise Bunnik! So for the photo I held it out to identify our group, and I think you can read it clearly, it’s proof that the Bunnikins (as Eman called us) were actually in Cairo, in Tehrir Square, and not only safe, but positively celebrated by the locals."
Best wishes
Susan Knight.

A letter from Julia Meek
"This was the best trip I have ever been on. My first impression of Egypt was the welcome sight of the friendly Flywell representative greeting me and helping with the visa, customs and my luggage. My first view of the pyramids was the next morning on the way to breakfast – what a sight!

As there were only eight in our group we received very personalised service. Our Cairo and Alexandria guide Muhammed was knowledgeable and passionate about Pharonic Egypt and embodied the enthusiasm for a new Egypt. There were so few tourists at the Giza Pyramids and Sakkara that we almost had the place to ourselves, this meant wonderful photo opportunities and no queuing. We felt sorry for the souvenir sellers, camel drivers and donkey boys , 3 months of no tourists meant they were very persistent!

The views of poverty and rubbish, particularly in the country areas was confronting, but also helped us to understand the need for reform and an end to corruption. We had one of our best lunches at the Andrea where the spit roasted chicken and fresh bread was perfect after a morning driving and sight seeing. At the Khan Bazaar Mohammed introduced us to delicious Falafel sandwiches and we had our first taste of haggling. Sometimes you ended up buying something just to escape the sellers!

I loved the Cairo Museum- there was just so much to see – and Tutankhamen’s treasures were even more amazing that I had expected. The burnt out Government building next door and the tanks, soldiers and police were a constant reminder of the recent events- but at no time in Egypt did I feel unsafe.

The train trip to Luxor was as expected. We had 2 train enthusiasts in our group so it was more of an experience for them. The added breakfast and rest time on arrival at the beautiful Steinberger Nile Palace was appreciated by all. Our Upper Egypt guide – Hussein- was quite different from our Cairo guide, his enthusiasm for Ancient Egypt and particularly his explanations of the meanings of inscriptions and symbolism had us all wanting to know more. He also went out of his way to show us around Luxor and Aswan and assisted with ATMs , banks, photoshops and shopping.

The Nile cruise was pleasant, my only criticism is that the food was very Westernised (except for one Egyptian night) and the system for ordering and recording the cost of drinks was laborious. The optional balloon flight was well worth the early wake-up, beautiful views of Hatshepsut temple and the surrounding areas. The tombs in the Valley of the Kings and their beautifully preserved colourful hieroglyphic paintings were a wonderful sight. There were more tourists in Upper Egypt than Cairo but still well down on usual numbers so it was much easier to see things up close and get good photos at the temples.

The highlight of my trip was Abu Simbel- I think there were about 28 vehicles in the convoy and I slept for a few hours of the 3 hour trip. 
The temples are even more spectacular than I had imagined- especially when you also take into account that they have been relocated. I was in awe! The Movenpic Hotel in Aswan was a beautiful location for our overnight stay. I took the Nubian tour and found it very interesting to see how the people have adapted their original lifestyle to incorporate some modern aspects. We were invited into the local bakery to see the bread making process and had lovely fresh bread straight from the oven, I can see why the locals queue up for this.

On our free day in Cairo I went on the Coptic Tour and visited Dashur. At Dashur there were only the four members of our tour group and 2 other tourists. The walk down into the tomb in the Red Pyramid was a great experience.

As I had a late flight on my final day I revisited the museum and spent more time looking at the Tutankhamen gallery (where I actually had 10 minutes without any other people in the room)  and visiting the Mummy room. The museum is just across the road from the Ramses Hilton – but I still cannot “walk like an Egyptian” so I had to catch a taxi there and back.

I was very impressed with the organisation of the tour and the little extra touches, such as flowers and a perfume gift for both myself and another tour member, Bree, on our birthdays. The Egyptian people all seemed friendly and pleased to see us, and our  “I love Egypt”  badges, T shirts and caps were often commented on.

I would recommend a Bunnik Egypt Tour to anyone. Again, thanks for all your help, I’m glad I decided not to cancel my tour, this was a perfect time to visit the beautiful country of Egypt."

Kind Regards
Julia C Meek