Please meet at Pharaohs Hotel, 12 Lotfy Hassona, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt, by 4pm on April 28, 2023.

The hotel is located in a modern area of ​​Cairo, 100 meters from the banks of the Nile River, facing Gezira Island. It offers rooms with air conditioning and satellite TV.

If you have opted for an arrival transfer from the airport, you’ll be met before you reach immigration by a representative holding an Intrepid sign.

This representative will assist you in obtaining a visa on arrival if required, before guiding you through immigration, luggage collection and to a waiting vehicle. 

Alternatively, you can take a taxi from the airport to your hotel. The journey will take approximately 45 minutes depending on the traffic, and cost approximately EGP300.

Yes. Visas are currently attainable on arrival at Cairo airport for most nationalities. The visa costs USD25 and can only be paid in USD cash. On arrival to Cairo airport, you can buy your visa at any of the banks before proceeding to immigration. You will be given a stamp that you then need to put into your passport yourself. A single entry visa is valid for three months from date of issue and entitles the bearer to one month in Egypt.

If you prefer to get your visa before travel, Egypt now has the Egypt Online Visa, or Egypt e-Visa, a new electronic visa authorisation for citizens of eligible countries wishing to travel to Egypt for tourism. An e-Visa for Egypt can be obtained through an online application.  You can check your nationalities eligibility and apply for the e-Visa from this link:

https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/FAQ?VISTK=UN26-IRWS-H69H-5I6P-LZF5-56RD-...

The e-Visa for Egypt is a single or multiple-entry visa, allowing its holder to visit the country for a maximum duration of 30 days. It is valid to use for a period of 3 months.

Houston Vandergriff is a travel photographer/TikTok star who has a simple vision with his photography: To make the world a better place.

Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, he has traveled far and wide and hopes his photographs will inspire others to live life to the fullest and to live life with compassion.

Born with Down Syndrome, Houston has shared his gift of photography as a means of also sharing the gift of hope, and wants to help those who do not have the opportunity to visit the places he photographs to be able to experience them.

For more information about Houston and Downs and Towns, visit: https://www.downsandtowns.com/

As a rule we recommend you don't drink tap water, even in hotels, as it may contain much higher levels of different minerals than the water you are used to at home. For local people this is not a problem as their bodies are used to this and can cope, but for visitors drinking the tap water can result in illness. Generally this isn't serious, an upset stomach being the only symptom, but it's enough to spoil a day or two of your holiday. Many hotels and lodges provide safe drinking water, while bottled water is another alternative. Water consumption should be about two litres a day. Rehydration salts, motion sickness tablets, and diarrhoea blockers are available from many pharmacies.

Your Felucca Captain may also suggest swimming in the Nile. Whilst we recognise that our Captains know the best and safest spots to swim, this activity is not recommended because of the risk of exposure to bacterial and other infections. Please refer to the health risks section of your countries Travel Advisory Service.

ACCOMMODATION STYLE
Some of the accommodation along the way is basic or simple, three and four star accommodation in the Middle East (with the exception of Israel)  is often not equal to same star facilities in some western destinations. Rooms are clean and comfortable, however you may note some small maintenance issues that have been overlooked, please bring these to the attention of your Leader so that they can follow up with the hosts. Many restaurants and hotels do not serve alcohol for religious reasons or due to local laws. Breakfast is included in 95% or our hotels, pleaser refer to our daily itinerary for meal inclusions.

TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASIS
Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multi share basis. 

CHECK-IN TIME
Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.  Standard check in time is 1400 hours.

PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.

SHOWERS
Showers at some hotels only have hot water at peak times (usually morning and evening). Outside of these times you may need to speak to reception to obtain hot water.

HEATING AND AIR-CONDITIONING
As a desert region, this part of the world has extremes of weather. Winter months (approx December to March) can be very cold. All of our hotel accommodation contains suitable bedding, and simple light bedding is provided during camping activities such as an overnight felucca, desert camps or at the Red Sea Beach camp stay. Most of our travellers find the bedding provided here adequate, but for your own comfort and if you are particularly sensitive to the cold, consider bringing your own sleeping bag, thermals, scarf, gloves and a warm jacket. Some of our guesthouses / hotels don't supply heating. In many cases this would be a major financial and environmental strain on our hotels and the local towns. Summer (approx June to August) can be very hot everywhere we travel, which means that it can be quite uncomfortable for those not used to the heat. Not all our hotels have air-conditioning, and in those that do, it's not always functioning.

ROOM ISSUES
If you have any issues with your room, please speak to the hotel and your tour leader right away so that the problem can be addressed without delay.

Known as 'baksheesh' in the Middle East, tipping is a part of everyday life and is more than just a reward for services rendered. In a countries like Egypt where wages are extremely low it is an essential means of supplementing income. This practice is not merely reserved for foreigners and Egyptians have to constantly hand out 'Baksheesh' as well - to park their cars, ensure fresh produce and pick up their mail. If you are satisfied with the services provided, a tip - though not compulsory - is appropriate and always appreciated. While it may not be customary to you, it's of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels.

Usually the equivalent of around USD5 to USD10 per person, per day to cover tips is fine. 

TIPPING GUIDE
Please don't tip with coins, very small denomination notes, or dirty and ripped notes. This is regarded culturally as an insult.

Restaurants: Round up to the nearest figure or leaving the loose change is generally fine; Up-market restaurants, when checking the bill, if there’s an addition of 10% service charge, there’s no requirement for tipping. Otherwise, 10% of the total bill amount is appropriate.

Felucca boat trips: If you are travelling on an itinerary that includes an overnight Felucca trip up the Nile, we suggest USD3 per person, per day for the boat staff.

Drivers: You may have a range of private drivers on your trip. Some may be with you for a short journey while others may be with you for several days. We would suggest a higher tip for those more involved with the group however USD2 to USD3 per person per day is generally appropriate.

Your Tour Leader:  You may also consider tipping your tour leader for outstanding service throughout your trip. The amount is entirely a personal preference; however as a guideline USD4 to USD5 per person, per day can be used. Of course, you are free to tip more or less as you see fit, depending on your perception of service quality and the length of your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

Below are some ideas and helpful tips on what you specifically need for this trip.

GENERAL PACKING LIST

• Travel documents: passport, visa (if required), travel insurance, air tickets or e-ticket receipts and a copy of this document.
• Photocopy of main passport pages, visa (if required), travel insurance and air tickets.
• Personal medical kit. Your guide will carry a large kit but we recommend you carry items such as mild pain killers, electrolytes and bandaids.
• Daypack
• Watch/Alarm clock or phone that can be used for both.
• Power adaptors
• Insect repellent
• Sun protection - hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
• Earplugs and eye mask (you might be sharing with a snorer!)
• Water bottle. We recommend at least a 1.5litre capacity. The sale of bottled water contributes to an enormous environmental problem around the world. In addition to the water in bottles, the production of a 1 litre plastic bottle takes 2 litres of water and 200ml of oil. A large proportion end up in limited landfill or discarded in waterways and natural environments.
• Warm clothes including hat and gloves - When travelling in cooler climates
• Wind and waterproof rain jacket
• Toiletries/travel wipes/ hand sanitizer 
• Travel Towel
• Closed in, comfortable walking shoes. As most of our trips include some walking elements, we highly recommend that you take a pair of comfortable, closed-in walking shoes. 
• Camera with spare memory cards and batteries
• Clothing - The staple travel items but consider the time of year. We recommend a fleece/jacket any time of the year and a scarf for women for visiting religious sites
•  Cold Weather: Long-sleeved shirts or sweater, scarf, warm gloves, warm hat, warm layers / thermals
•  Warm Weather: Sandals/flip-flops, shorts/skirts (longer shorts/skirts are recommended), sun hat/bandana, swimwear

LUGGAGE LIMIT
On this trip, you must pack as lightly as possible because you will be expected to carry your own bag and, although you won't be required to walk long distances with your luggage, we strongly recommend keeping the weight under 15kg. If your itinerary includes a flight, please keep in mind that some domestic airlines have checked luggage limits of 15kg.

CLOTHING & CLIMATE
Please note that as a desert region, the Middle East can have extreme weather. Temperatures are generally hot with little rain. This can become extreme during the summer months of June to August. In the months of December to March it can be very cold, particularly next to the river or the ocean and out in the desert where night temperatures can drop dramatically. Even in the hot months, it can get cold in the desert at night. Consider bringing a sleeping bag, thermals, scarf, gloves and a warm jacket for travel in this period, especially on itineraries which include camping such as on a felucca, in a desert camp, or at a Red Sea beach camp. A light water and windproof jacket is useful and a hat is essential.

VALUABLES
Please try to avoid bringing unnecessary valuables, and use your hotel safes to store the bulk of your money, passport, and airline tickets. It’s also a good idea to purchase a money belt or pouch that is easily hidden. We strongly recommend that you photocopy all important documents e.g. air tickets, passport, vaccination certificate, etc. and keep the copies separate from the originals. While not valid, a photocopy makes it very much easier to obtain replacements if necessary.

BATTERIES/POWER
We recommend that you carry an extra battery for your camera just in case. Charging of batteries is advised before checking out of your hotel rooms. Please bear in mind there may be some nights were electricity may not be as readily available as you might be used to – home stays, beach and desert camps etc.

Whilst there are Internet facilities throughout your trip in hotels and on the boat, they are often only available in the lobby and can be unreliable.  Acquiring local data by way of pre-paid sim card is a simple process on arrival at Cairo Airport.  When you leave the arrival hall, still in the building, on the left you will find the booths of three mobile phone providers: Vodafone, Etisalat and Orange.

Choose the plan that best suits your needs, plans and prices can change but expect to pay between 100-165 EGP for a plan that will provide you 3-4GB of data. You will require your passport to purchase and register your new sim.

Depending on your device, you can also look into purchasing an e-SIM card before travel, through companies like MXT Connect:

The Supplier is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. We ask that you carefully consider whether you are physically and mentally able to complete the itinerary you have chosen, recognising that on many trips you will be required to carry your own bags and use public transport.

Where possible, The Supplier will make reasonable adjustments to the operation of trips to facilitate the requirements of disabled travellers – such as booking ground floor accommodation, or having tour leaders communicate important directions in writing as well as verbally. Many travellers with disabilities have been able to enjoy these trips by travelling with a friend or companion who can assist with specific needs.