We felt it important to make a note about misconceptions, and specifically about travel to the middle east. When we left our sleepy Dublin, OH on October 17, there was a little bit of trepidation especially in light of the war between Israel and many of its neighbors and we had no idea whether there would be anti-American sentiment. For us, all of those concerns were unneccesary.

As similarly reported in an earlier post about Jordan, Egypt felt very safe to us. There was not one single instance when we felt threatened or our security in question. We give credit for much of that sense of security to the staff of AmaWaterways. While we often had guards with us, and sometimes a police escort, to assure us that we would not be bothered, we do not believe that any of this was actually needed. But they provided this to give the guests an extra sense of security.

Wherever we traveled, we found the Egyptian people kind and gracious. They know that tourism is important and they go out of their way to make you happy. Abdul emphasized multiple times that true, devout muslims are peace loving.

From stepping off the plane in Cairo, to clearing immigration on our way to Dubai, Ama had someone with us constantly, helping us navigate. They even paid the tips when we had to visit the “temple of relief” daily. Seriously, when you gotta go, it’s nice not to have to dig in your bag for a dollar so you can have some toilet paper! The Ama staff were simply top-notch and thought of everything.

Listen, if you want to travel to Egypt without the expertise of a ground tour, have at it. We wish you the best. However, if you want to travel to Egypt, surrounded by people who know the ins and outs, and who know the best way to operate in this often-chaotic country, you pick a high-quality operator like Ama. We encourage anyone considering Egypt, or Jordan, as a destination to make your plans and visit. They are both amazing countries with much to show and teach. But go with the expertise of a good tour operator.