How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Jo from England was our trip leader

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"Egypt was spectacular......my experience was that I felt like i was IN the brochure!  Every picture I saw that was alongside that tour was not only accurate....it was thorough.  After deciding how many days you can spare....BOOK!  You will NEVER be sorry!
I loved the fact that the tour leader took care of tips so we were not bugged 24/7 for money!  She took care of all that and the people seemed to respect her and stayed away from begging off us.  I had a friend and her husband book another tour from another agency and they hated the trip and it soured them on touring for that same reason....constantly being harangued for money.  I really appreciated that from EXPLORE.......that detail made the trip enjoyable!  "

Do you have anything else to add?

I remembered it like it was yesterday when I started writing!  This trip was a definite high-light in our lives!  We often reminisce about it.  We spent Christmas there and THAT was really something: belly dancer,  magician,  whirling dervish at a local restaurant!  

This was my first experience with Explore and it has me hooked! It was a great experience.We realised before we left that the Bedouin were getting some bad press, but we felt completely safe during this tour and I would recommend it to anyone. I enjoyed camping under the stars and would advise anyone doing this trip to experience the snorkelling option on the final day. The reef is stunningly beautiful and I am already planning to go back to do a week scuba diving course there!

When I did this trip back in 2006, the tour was run in reverse, in that we trekked for 5 days then climbed Mount Sinai. Personally being confronted by the hoards of tourists (and there are literally hundreds) at the summit was a shock to the system after all the peace and solitude in the wilderness, so I am glad to see Explore have altered the itinerary. The trip overall though I couldn't fault. As with all these tours, it's the people who make or break it, and we we're lucky to have a great crowd and a fabulous guide, Tariq. The scenery is stunning, and the solitude is staggering. Though don't expect to loose any weight on this trek, the food is just too good! Chocolate cake in the desert? Delicious! (BT - 12th January 2006)