the archeological sites are worth the trip, the heat and travelling are hard but you know what you are going to get if you've EXPLORED before. Haggle and haggle some more, the hawkers have more tricks than paul daniels, beware, take lots of memory cards for your camera, you'll need them and DONT forget your chargers, 2 on the trip did, try as hard as you can, the tour guides cant do miracles. (EGR -16th October 2010)

On a tour with Explore you really feel looked after. Being collected from the airport was trouble free and our guide was great. We had 2 guides throughout the trip - one for Cairo and the Nile Cruise then the other for the Red Sea extension and our return to Cairo. Throughout most of our trip (excluding the 3 nights at Hurghada) we had 2 trainee tour leaders with us who were also excellent and great fun. Throughout the holiday everyone in the group felt that we were well looked after and that everything was taken care of. We were supposed to go on a small Nile boat for just our group (a 2 star one), but the generator broke on it so we were not able to use it. Instead, Explore put us on a 5 star boat, but there were more than just our tour on it so it didn't feel so select, but the fact that it was 5 star made up for it! We still were able to follow our itinerary but we did one or two things in a slightly different order. The fact that you are in a tour group is great for this sort of holiday because it is a good chance to socialise. If you are considering going on an Explore holiday then I would definitely recommend it and you will most probably enjoy the social aspect. Explore really take the stress aspect out of a holiday. (EGR- 17th July 2010)

Multiply your expectations by 10 and we're getting there! On this tour you certainly hit the ground running and keep going until you start your Nile cruise. The group travel experience again exceeded all expectations. My ideal holiday is having plenty of interesting things to do, be in the company of wonderful people and have everything organised for me. This holiday has it all! The perfect mix of activity, relaxation and socialising. Best bits- pinching yourself as you keep on telling yourself that you are travelling up (or down) the Nile; all the wonderful sights from Ancient Egypt together with fabulous guides. Worst bits- having to say goodbye to new friends. Special thanks to Wael, our tour leader and Tarek & Amr, his trainees. Cannot recommend this tour and company highly enough! Best Holiday Ever! (EGR- 17th July 2010)

Brilliant trip, one of our best holidays ever. Met some great people in the group and saw some incredible sights. Three highlights- Aswan, the Nile cruise and diving in the Red Sea...wonderful. (EGR- 1st February 2010)

It was with some trepidation that I set off on this holiday when on arrival at Cairo I realised our group size was 24 people! However, hats off to our brilliant Tour Leader, Arafa, who managed us all flawlessly, accommodating everyone's needs and organising everything for us all. There was lots of optionality for people to choose different activities that they were interested in. We covered a lot of ground in the 2 weeks in Egypt (Cairo, Giza Pyramids, Saqquarah, Luxor, Aswan, Nile Cruise and diving in the Red Sea at Hurghada) something that would certainly have not been possible if we had gone there on our own. While this holiday was very good value for money, if I were to do it again, I would rather pay a bit more money to do an 'In Style' version of the trip, as generally the hotels used were of very poor quality and standard. Some of the highlights of the trip for me were: * Diving and snorkelling in the Red Sea * Nile Cruise and felucca sailing * Camel ride across the desert * Hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Queens  * Exploring the incredible tombs at the Valley of the Kings * The intricate, beautiful Edfu temple * Nighttime sound and light show at the Phillae temple. (EGR- 7th August 2010)

If you're after a lazy holiday, don't even think about Egypt - it's early mornings and temples a plenty but absolutely fantastic. From the very first day we were whisked off by our trusty guide Mohammed to see every tomb, temple, pyramid and archaeological find that there is to see and Mohammed made it all come to life. His incredible knowledge and love for his country gave us all such enthusiasm and before long we were answering questions about the gods and Pharaohs with ease! An early morning balloon flight over The Valley of the Kings was a must together with a ride on a not so comfy donkey which was, shall we say, an experience!!  The three days on MS Doma on the Nile were delightful, it's a fantastic boat with friendly staff who make you feel really at home.  Egypt is a fantastic country with so much history and this trip ensures that you don't miss a thing and that you are always at the sights long before the other tourists get there so can savour everything in peace & quiet. I would thoroughly recommend this trip - everyone should do it! (EGR- 3rd April 2010)

From the moment we arrived at Cairo airport, we knew this holiday would be different to anything we had experienced before. The sights and sounds of Cairo were so exciting for us. Rush hour is every hour in the city, with the types of vehicles used by locals ranging from camels to donkeys, bikes to trucks. Our guide kept us informed of Cairo's history and way of life throughout our stay, the highlight of which was seeing the muslim quarters and of course the Egyptian Museum. Life on board the Nile riverboat was relaxed and friendly with lots of trips included to see the wonderful sights that Egypt has to offer with her many temples and of course the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel.  The highlight for me though was a trip to the Nubian village where we were welcomed into a Nubian home for refreshments and a talk by a local man who was absolutely fascinating to listen to. Other highlights of the trip were of course, the camel and donkey rides which had all our group giggling with the fun of it all. Anyone embarking on this trip in the future will not be disappointed but perhaps surprised at some of the sights they will see. The overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor is perhaps wrongly named as a sleeper train...it is very noisy, hot and it can be uncomfortable, however it is an experience that I am happy to have had and it was certainly unforgettable. (EGR- 10th April 2010)