Well some bad news and some good news.

Bad News
K&D have been talking to Oberoi since I asked K&D to move forward with our trip. Oberoi is insisting on a total charter where K&D must pay in full for each and every cabin. In these economic times K&D is not prepared to take that risk and of course I cannot do that either. There was no flexibility on Oberoi's part and I know K&D has done all they can. So if you want to go on the Oberoi you will have to do that independently.

SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS
K&D has also been talking to the Triton and their land operators in Egypt. We have what I think is a GREAT plan. I think this is a far better itinerary than our old Triton itinerary and it is obvious that K&D really went out on a limb here for us as they felt so bad about the Oberoi situation.

It is more nights and more inclusions and a better price. $7682 for 10 nights with Abu Simbel included. Old plan was $7785 for eight nights and no Abu Simbel. No doubt they are giving us a good price on this itinerary. Also on the Triton all drinks are included and for those bathtub lovers we have bathtubs.

Everything always works out for the best one way or another.

K&D told me that the Triton 7 day trip is not really that good as the first part of the trip would be boring and K&D feel it is not the best use of our time or money.

Since I REALLY feel EVERYONE should do Abu Simbel I asked them to include it in the package. They came up with a new plan. I will have a full itinerary it has a lot of pictures that makes it very attractive but hard to post it all here. So I took out all the pictures and just posted the text.

We do the same thing in Cairo as Cairo as before then we fly straight from Cairo to the airport for Abu Simbel. This way we can all do Abu Simbel together and it is included in the pricing. Then fly to Aswan where we spend two nights before boarding the Triton. Anne mentioned Aswan was the highlight of her trip and Ken and I did not get to spend much time in Aswan on our last trip. She also said that she loved the Nubian Village so we included that also. When Anne speaks - I listen!

We will stay at the Movenpick Elephantine which looks great. I read reviews and they are very good. It is now totally renovated and I think it will be a wonderful place to stay. It is on an island in the middle of the Nile. I asked about the Old Cataract but it is closed and there is no date set for it to re-open. If it does re-opens it is fantastic, and we can talk about changing to that hotel if we decide we want to do that.

So here are the basic details. I literally JUST got this and wanted to get it to you as soon as I could. My time for being gone for a full month is looming. AMA - GAME - SAMBA I will be gone forever.

Egypt Aboard the M.S. Triton

Featuring: Cairo, Aswan and Nile Cruise Aboard the Triton

March 2010
Specially Arranged Brown and Keene Travel

Your tour at a glance:
Day Date Itinerary Accommodation Meals
1 Arrive Cairo Four Seasons
2 Cairo Four Seasons B,L,D
3 Cairo Four Seasons B,L,D
4 Cairo/Aswan Movenpick Elephantine B,D
5 Aswan Movenpick Elephantine B,L,D
6 Aswan M.S. Triton B,L,D
7 Aswan/Kom Ombo/Edfu/Esna M.S. Triton B,L,D
8 Esna/Luxor M.S. Triton B,L,D
9 Luxor M.S. Triton B,L,D
10 Luxor/Cairo Fairmont Heliopolis B
11 Depart Cairo B


Tour includes:
Eyptian Visa
• Meet and greet and private ground transportation throughout entire tour
• Accommodations as per itinerary
• Meals as indicated (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
• VIP Services; Customs, Visa and Baggage Fast Track
• Services of a Private English Speaking Egyptologist / Guide throughout the entire trip (Cairo / Cairo).
• Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence - three nights - Superior Rooms, including breakfast
• Private Light & Sound Show at the Pyramids Area – exclusive for group
• Private dinner at an Egyptian home
• Private dinner in Cairo aboard yachts
• Tours in Cairo on private basis with lunch
• Egyptian Museum – private visit
• Entrance fees for scheduled sightseeing
• Abu Simbel Excursion with air
• Movenpick Elephantine Island, two nights, standard room, including breakfast
• Private BBQ dinner on Basma Island
• Domestic Flights (Cairo/Aswan and Luxor/Cairo) Coach Class
• M.S. Triton, four nights, full board
• Fairmont Heliopolis, one night, standard room, including breakfast
• One small bottle of Mineral water per person - per tour & transfer
• Service charges, taxes and tips
• Porterage at airports & hotels
• Pre-departure reading list and country information
• Ker & Downey travel duffel for light aircraft flights, document wallet and bag tags
Tour does not include:
• International airfare – quote available on request
• All items of a personal nature (i.e. telephone calls, internet, beverages, laundry etc.) unless specifically listed above
• Meals not mentioned above, or beverages during meals
• Passport fees or personal travel insurance
• Airport departure taxes and excess baggage fees
• Anything not specifically listed in the “Tour includes” section

Tour Cost – Per person, sharing $7,682.00

Itinerary – Brown and Keene – Egypt Revealed


Day 1
Arrive Cairo
Four Seasons First Residence

Welcome to Egypt! On arrival you are met and assisted through the immigration and visa process. Transfer to the Four Seasons First Residence Hotel.

Cairo: Cairo has at various times been called Memphis, Babylon-in-Egypt, Heliopolis, El-Fustat and most recently, Al-Qahira (the Conqueror). With a population of 16 million, Cairo is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa, and is the center of all routes leading to and from three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. Here, past and present meet in a glorious diversity of cultures.

Modern Cairo is an architectural fusion of old and new, where skyscrapers and ancient monuments stand side by side. The Pyramids of the Pharaohs, early Christian monasteries and churches, Salah El-Din's Citadel and mosques of the Mamluke and Ottoman sultans form a historical mosaic. Greater Cairo encompasses both historic towns and modern districts, resulting in one of the world's largest metropolises. To the north is Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC as a gateway to Greece; to the northeast, on the Mediterranean Sea, lie Port Said and the Suez Canal.

Four Seasons First Residence: A gracious sanctuary of Four Seasons hospitality and service, with impressive views of the Great Pyramids over the old-growth canopy of Cairo’s ancient Zoological and Botanical Gardens. The Hotel is at the center of the First Residence apartments and shops on the west bank of the Nile.
Accommodations at Four Seasons First Residence – Superior Room


Day 2
Cairo
Four Seasons First Residence
After breakfast embark on a full day of touring.

Little remains of Memphis, the first capital of the united Lower & Upper Egypt, as the stones were plundered to build Cairo. On the plateau above lies Sakkara, a cemetery for Memphis used continuously for 3,000 years.

The Pyramids of Giza are dominated by the Great Pyramid, constructed for King Cheops around 2650 B.C. Close to the eastern flank of the Pyramid of Cheops are three small pyramids dedicated to either his wives or family members. The second pyramid, built for Kephren, son of Cheops, southwest of his father's pyramid, has a simple interior with two entrances on the north side. The third one was built for Mycerinus (Menkaure), Cheops' grandson, lies southwest of the others and is the smallest of the three.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

On the way to the pyramid of Kephren sits the statue of the Great Sphinx of Giza, one of the most famous monuments in the world, a legendary figure with the body of a lion and the face of a man.

Enjoy a special dinner this evening in a private home.
Accommodations at Four Seasons First Residence – Superior Room – Breakfast- Lunch


Day 3
Cairo
Four Seasons First Residence
After breakfast embark on a full day of touring.

A full day of sightseeing begins with a visit to the Citadel, a medieval fortress in the time of Saladin built with blocks from the Queens Pyramids at Giza. Visit the Alabaster Mosque built for Mohammed Ali, modeled after the one in Istanbul.

Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is considered one of the most prominent museums in the world. It was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II in 1897, and opened on November 15, 1902. It has 107 halls divided into seven sections, each section devoted to one era in Egypt's history. The museum's most significant showpiece is the Tutankhamun collection. View the images of Akhenaten (the heretic king), Queen Hetepheres jewelry and solid silver coffins of the 21st dynasty kings.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Khan El Khalili Bazaar is a highlight for local shopping and cultural flavor! Dating back to the 14th century, this market is renowned for its magnificent examples of fine gold and silver work, embroidered clothing, leather goods and hand-carved woodwork.

Dinner is included aboard private yachts this evening.
Accommodations at Four Seasons First Residence – Superior Room – Breakfast – Lunch - Dinner


Day 4
Cairo/Abu Simbel/Aswan
Movenpick Resort - Elephantine Island
After breakfast fly to Abu Simbel.

The magnificent rock-hewn temples at Abu Simbel feature Ramesses II and that of his Queen, Nefertari. They were moved about 40 years ago, 200 feet above their original site now inundated by Lake Nasser and re-housed in an artificial mountain which successfully recreates their original setting.

Continue on by air to Aswan. On arrival you are met and transfer to your hotel.

The Movenpick Resort – Elephantine Island is the perfect place to relax in some of the most beautiful, natural surroundings in Egypt –The Resort is set on an island in the middle of the River Nile in one of the most enchanting natural locations.

Visit the Nubian Village this afternoon.
Accommodations at Movenpick Resort – Standard Room – Breakfast - Dinner


Day 5
Aswan
The Movenpick Resort – Elephantine Island
Visit San Simeon Monastery and the Nubian Museum.

Enjoy a BBQ dinner this evening on Basma Island.
Accommodations at Movenpick Resort – Standard Room Breakfast – Lunch - Dinner

Day 6
Aswan
Enjoy the morning at leisure.

Board the M.S. Triton. Lunch is served onboard.

Visit the High Dam, Temple of Philae, and the ancient granite quarries, in use since the first Dynasty to see the unfinished obelisk – Egypt’s tallest had it ever been disengaged – which clearly demonstrates how stone was extracted in ancient times.
Accommodations M.S. Triton – Full Board


Day 7
Aswan / Kom Ombo / Edfu / Esna
M.S. Triton
Cruise downstream to Kom Ombo to visit the twin sanctuaries of crocodile-headed Sobek and hawk-headed Haroeris, uniquely set, side-by-side in a single picturesque Ptolemaic temple on a hill overlooking the Nile. Of special interest here, are the surgical instruments depicted in the reliefs on the temple walls. Continue sailing to Edfu arriving after lunch. Visit the almost perfectly preserved Ptolemaic temple of Horus, protector of the sun god, whose exploits and cult are detailed on the corridor walls surrounding the building. The ever-dark rooms, their walls crowded with dumpy figures and clumsy late hieroglyphs, are unchanged since ancient times. Interestingly, some of the cartouches for the royal name are empty; indicating how swiftly the throne could change hands.
Accommodations M.S. Triton – Full Board


Day 8
Esna / Luxor
M.S. Triton
A short distance away from the Nile in Esna is the Ptolemaic Temple of Khnum in a pit excavated in the middle of town. Only the vestibule now remains but there are interesting reliefs of the emperor Domitian slaying enemies and Commodus netting fish and waterfowl.

Arrive at Luxor after lunch. Visit the Temple of Luxor built by Amenophis III for his wife and son. This is a well-preserved non-funerary cult temple from 1400 b.c. In the evening visit the Karnak temple for the Sound and Light Show.
Accommodations M.S. Triton – Full Board


Day 9
Luxor
M.S. Triton
Cross the Nile to the West Bank visiting the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Tombs of the Nobles, and the Valley of the Queens before returning to the ship via the Colossi of Memnon.

In the afternoon visit the Temple of Karnak where a massive mud brick wall encloses a sacred lake and temples of Ptah, Osiris, Opet and Khonsu. Visit the new Luxor Museum which presents its artifacts in a modern environment.
Accommodations M.S. Triton – Full Board

Day 10
Luxor/Cairo
Fairmont Heliopolis
Disembark after breakfast and fly to Cairo.

The Fairmont Heliopolis hotel offers a convenient location just 3 miles from Cairo International Airport. Heliopolis is a tree lined suburb of Cairo that is home to Egypt’s Diplomatic and Presidential offices.

Indulge in authentic Lebanese cuisine and belly dancing at the Lebanese restaurant, Al Dabke or crafted pasta at Leonardo’s. Live music will keep you entertained until the closing bell at Dart’s English Pub. From spring through early winter, you can spend the evening under the stars and around the pool area while enjoying local entertainment. The hotel features a wide range of facilities and personalized service for business and leisure travelers. The warm, inviting lobby provides a preview of the well-designed touches included throughout the property, from a variety of full-service restaurants and bars to 588 comfortable guest rooms with high speed internet access.
Accommodations at Fairmont Heliopolis – Standard Room – Breakfast


Day 11
Cairo/Depart
In transit
Transfer to the airport for departure.
End of Ker & Downey Services

We can add a Petra extension for $2195 per person for five nights.