We had been interested in visiting Egypt for some time, but were reluctant because of unrest, terrorism, negative publicity, etc. Things seem to be getting better, so we booked with Uniworld because they have a good reputation and we liked the itinerary. Well, if anybody is wanting to go to Egypt, but concerned about safety, I'm here to tell you that there's no reason to worry and not go. I felt 99.9% safe at all times and actually didn't think about it much. Things can happen anywhere at anytime, including in your home town so there will always be some risk, but I felt as safe in Egypt as I have in Paris or anyplace else. You will see signs of heightened security at airports, in towns, etc., but that's a good thing. In fact, at times (and maybe all the time) our tours had plain clothed security guys with us. The Egyptians are very committed to protecting tourists. People are patted down at least twice in the airports. They are much more thorough than the TSA.

Splendors of the Nile was a fun and educational experience. We saw many amazing sites and Cairo itself was unique and undescribable. What really made the trip was our extraordinary guide and Egyptologist, Hani. He was a walking encyclopedia of Egyptian history and facts and very kind and considerate of all of us. He also spoke excellent Englsh. He gave a couple of very interesting "lectures" or Q&A sessions. The other bus had Ramadan and I understand that he was very good too. The 4 Seasons Hotel in Cairo was an oasis in the city and extremely nice (they do allow smoking in the lobby and in the restaurants, but it was never overwhelming and they had non-smoking areas in the restaurants; Be sure to ask for a non-smoking room). The hotel has several restaurants and we liked the Italian one, the Chinese one and the Pool Grill. The Riverboat TOSCA was old, but very nice and comfortable. The crew and service was impeccable. I am not a foodie. I found the food to be OK to Good, but not exceptional. Others thought it to be very good. Of course one does not go to Egypt for the food. I always found something that I liked and never left the dining room hungry.

This was a busy trip with some early mornings to start tours. We did the optional tour to Abu Simbel which involved a short flight over Lake Nasser. Some of us did the optional Balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. The trip to Abu Simbel was definitely worth it. If you've never been in a Hot Air Balloon, it's a fun 45 minute trip for a decent price. If you have taken balloon rides before, I would suggest sleeping in a little longer. Read more