APT River Cruises & Tours
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Magnificent Egypt, Jordan and Israel a tour that kept giving!
My husband and I have just returned from our tour of Egypt, Jordan and Israel with Travel Marvel. This was a tour full of fantastic experiences, seeing the most amazing sights with 3 of the best local guides. I would recommend this tour of a lifetime to any FIT person. There were a few early morning starts and a lot of walking involved. The hotels were all 4☆ with very friendly and helpful staff. However, having been on APT and Travel Marvel River cruises in the past, we were disappointed with the cruise on The Nile on MS Royal Lotus in comparison. The quality of the food did not match the quality of Cairo hotel meals. Having experienced fine dining on board boats in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, this was slightly unexpected. Also there was a charge for water at the table as it was listed as 'soft drinks'. There was plenty of bottled water in the cabins so many guests took it down to dinner. The interior of MS Royal Lilly seemed to be more regal, which was the boat mentioned in the itinerary when we booked. The Egyptian Night on board was a great success and lots of fun! We were a group of 16 in Cairo, 10 in Jordan and 6 in Israel. We were the first group to visit Israel. There is no need whatsoever to be apprehensive about visiting Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. I felt far safer walking the streets in Egypt, Jordan and Israel than I do walking the streets in some of the towns in the UK at times. It is a beautiful country full of interesting history and beautiful scenery. The experience of sharing Shabbat with a Jewish family was very humbling. We were made very welcome with some excellent homemade cooking. Constructive Criticism: 1. Crossing the border from Jordan to Israel needs the presence of a guide, if possible, to assist with the procedure instead of being left to fend for ourselves, OR clear instructions as what to do regarding cases going through security. 2. It would be better if the group had arrived on the Sabbath ( Saturday) and not the Friday. The resteraunt in the hotel was full on this evening and not many eateries were open due to them not cooking from Friday at 5 o'clock until 5 o'clock on Saturday. Shops are also closed during this period. 3. It would be a good idea for Travel Marvel to give tourists a list of 3 or 4 resteraunts with directions when dinners are NOT included. As a group we had difficulty in locating acceptable eateries Even with room for a few adjustments to the itinerary, I have given this tour 5 stars because it was absolutely magnificent led by very knowledgeable guides, so many highlights in all the 3 countries! Thank you Travel Marvel.