Hi Peggy,

The people you want in Luxor are Jolleys Travel who have a small shop just to the right of the Winter Palace Hotel as you look at it from the river.
Many people who use this forum have used Jolleys and the majority have been more than happy. As there will be four of you you will find that you will be able to get your own dedicated vehicle and guide that will take you where you want to visit not just standard itineraries. I have used this company since 1997 and found them thoroughly reliable. Don't forget to haggle though as with anything else in Luxor.

For Denderah, your best bet is to enquire at The Iberotel (formerly The Novotel) who operate there own cruise boat that does one day trips to Denderah and is a very good day out.

If you decide to go to Cairo, take the overnight train, Jolleys will arrange this for you and a guide in Cairo.

So many wonderful things to see and only 1 week to do it! You will never manage it all, but there's always next year!

If you need any more info, please ask.

Regards,

Roger.

Hi Roger

Thanks a million for the advice.

I will have to seek out Jolleys Travel, do they have a website??

I know that we a busy itenary ahead of us, but hey who wants to lay round a pool when you are in Luxor.

If you have any other tips, please feel free to post them.

Many Thanks
Peggy

There is a website for Jolleys but it is not concerned with local excusions in Luxor. These you must book personally.

Hi Peggy,
Regarding your trip to the valley of the Kings etc. Why don't you get yourself a taxi for the whole day. Arrange it yourself beforehand (haggle) should be arround LE 80 for the full day. I could give you my own personal favourite driver his name is 'Yaseen Mahmoud' and he operates from the front of the Mercure Corrallia (Etap) hotel in Luxor. If you are interested I will send you his picture so that you can spot him, he is very reliable and honest. we use him all the time and he is now a family friend. His son e-mails me on a regular basis. Tell your driver to take you to:
1. the Colossi of Memnon (free)
2. Then the ticket office just up the road to buy tickets
3. Purchase entrance tickets to:
(a) The valley of the Kings
(b) Deir El Bahari (Queen Hatshepsut)
(c) The Ramesseum (Ramses II) Read the poem 'Ozymandius' by Shelly
(d) Medinet Habu (Ramses III)
Visit in that order, Use loos in V.O.K. if required
That will keep you busy for the day, the cost will have gone up since I was last there in September 04 but it is still cheap, around £1.50 per site.
You can get yourself a ticket to see Tut's tomb for around £ 4.00 extra when you are in the 'Valley of the Kings' (remember no photography inside tombs)
There is also a little cafe' at Medinet Habu for a cold drink.
While you are there(Medinet Habu) try to find the depictions of how they counted the enemy dead in battle, it is graphically depicted on the wall. It will make your hubby cringe. Finally on your way back to Luxor tell your driver to stop at the Movenpick hotel on crocodile island, buy one of their famous ice creams and sit by the river reflecting on a hectic but wonderful day.
Have a great time, any more info just ask.
Tez
P.S. I always give Yasseen a good tip on average if he agreed to LE80 (£7.50) I give him LE 150 ( about £14.00) not bad for a days taxi is it? and he is very happy.

Hi Tez

Thanks for all the information. I would really appreciate it if you could send me over Yaseen's detail, as we will definately be requiring a driver for the week, and it is nice to have someone on recommendation.

I am definately interested in trying the ice cream from Crocodile Island . Is there anything to see on this island?

All advice regarding restaurants, bazaars are greatly appreciated, even though this is my second visit, I really want to see as much as I can this time.

Some of my family are staying at the Mercure Inn, are they local bazaars to visit within walking distance?

Hope you don't mind me picking your brains, but you seem to know alot re Luxor and I just want to do as much as I can and eat is lots of different places.

Thanks so much
Peggy

Hi Peggy,

Regarding your question about bazaars/markets, the main one in Luxor is open until late at night. Get a caleche driver (horse drawn carriage) to actually drive you through it at night (it looks impossible but it isn't), It is a wonderful, colourful experience. I've done it three times now and will still do it again.

Regards,

Roger.

Hi Peggy,
I am really pleased that you found my post some help. Yes I know the area fairly well. Feel free to ask away, I am sure that if I can't answer you lots of others like Carrot will chip in. His advice about the bazaars etc. is spot on. (Although I do have a little personal reservation regarding caleshes but I don't want to stir up a debate at this point it could be a mine field) The Mercure Inn, not to be confused with the Mercure Corallia is very near to the LUXOR temple and about 3 Km from KARNAK temple. It stands back from the road about 100 yards (showing my age with the mixed distances, sorry) The swimming pool is situated on a slightly raised terrace away from the main hotel. If you walk to your left at the Corniche, the main road that is, you will fall over the temple wall. If you turn right onto the Corniche, cross the road and walk on the river side, walk on until you see the 'Museum of Mumification' It looks like you are about to enter a subway. They will usually let you take video in there.
If you walk on, you will see the Corallia on the opposite side of the road and on your right, the local people still call it the 'ETAP' that is where Yaseen will be lurking I am new to this forum so I am not sure as to the best way of posting you some piccies. Perhaps you should send me a private e-mail and include your own e-mail and I will post them to you direct, I think that is OK but appologies to all if I am breaking some sort of protocol I am just thinking, that way you don't have to give your e-mail to the world! Another place you must not miss is the 'Luxor Museum' it has recently been extended and it is something that I think they have really got spot on. The statues have to be seen to be believed they are magnificent. There is also another recent section with a couple of mummies and various artifax (bronze battle axe) the gold 'flies of valor' are superb. A wonderful collection of war bows and arrows, a chariot and some stuff belonging to Tutahnkamun. There are statues of the 'heretic' Pharoah Akhenaton and a display showing the 'Talatat' blocks that were perculiar to his style of building. I have to say though that the labelling on some items in the display cases showing heads and crowns are a bit miss-leading in giving wrong info for that particular exibit. It is gloriously cool inside and really peaceful, an evening visit is nice. If you decide to walk to the museum, on your way back, stay on the Nile side of the road and look out for a shop with a board outside saying something like 'No Hassle come inside' It is OK to go in, they do try a little hassle but nothing like
outside. As you approach your hotel, if you are still on the river side of the road look to your left and you will see an entrance to a bazaar, have a walk through to the end (hassle galor) then walk back again the same way (double hassle) untill you find your way about a little better, it could be a bit confusing if you carried on through the bazaar.
When are you all going ? We (my better half and I) will be in Luxor ourselves in either late September or early October.
Oh nearly forgot, yes there are things to see on Crocodile Island
'A Crocodile' If it is still there that is.
The island is small enough to walk around in 45 mins easily. The other NOT TO MISS is 'The Fellahs Tent' this is an Egyptian evening set outside in the Movenpick gardens, you get a fellucca ride, followed by a meal, lots of entertainment with stick dancers and snake charmer (don't worry they wont come near you) and belly dancer (who does).
Tez

Watch out for the caleche drivers, and know how far away the things are youre visiting if youre going to use one. We got in one and asked to be taken somewhere (which turns out we were only a couple of streets away and could of walked it in a few minuntes) but were taken a very long way round by the caleche driver and charged lots!

If you chat to a caleche driver and say, 'no, not tonight maybe another time' they WILL remember you and pop up all over the place asking you when you want your ride, egyptian caleche drivers have very good memories!

Caroline & Kirsten

Regarding caleche drivers, I must just say that when you find a good one (and you will!), who looks after his horse and doesn't keep wanting you to visit his uncles shop, you will find that he will be wherever you ask him to be at whatever time. You must always agree a price BEFORE you get into the carriage and never fall for the one about giving a tip for the horse! Also never fail to tell a driver that you wont use him because he does not look after his horse or mistreats it.

When you do find a good one, which might take a couple of days, it is a much nicer way of seeing Luxor than from an ageing taxi with no A/C.

defo a good point about agreeing the price----- i fell foul to that! ouch!!

Haven't we all! Nice to be able to pass on experiences though. Wish this forum had been around the first time I went to Luxor!

An excellent point about telling a driver that you will not use him because his horse is in poor condition or ill treated. Only by them seeing that you will express a preferece for a well kept animal will they change the way they treat their horses. There is a voluntary free veternary service available for to them to use, but unless they have an incentive to care for the animal many won't use it. I think that it is the 'Brooke Foundation' who provide this service such as shelters for the horses etc. But often you will see the caleshe and driver parked up under the canopy and the horse is out in the sun. I don't want to spoil anyones fun, they are as many people have said a special experience, but Carrots advice is dead on. I think it is on Thomson flights that you can give your left over LE to support this charity.
Tez

You're dead right Tez. I have actually visited this charity but it is struggling from lack of support. If everyone who used a caleche on their holidays gave the charity a fiver, who knows what a difference it might make?

On a couple of occasions, we have actually used a caleche to take us from Luxor to the west bank, via the "new bridge". It takes absolutely ages to get there. Why? Because the horse was the most important part of the equation and had to be rested, watered and fed, along the way.
You do get to see the "real Egypt" though, absolutely magnificent!

I can understand that you may have reservations about using a caleche in Luxor, Tez, but they are part of life there and if we can get people to think before using them, then it can do nothing but good.

You have hit the nail on the head, as you say it is a part of life and that's what we all go to these places for, to experience some other culture. If we didn't use the caleshes the horses would probably be dead or worse off that they may be now. Without wanting to spoil anyones pleasure, I think that with a little thought we can influence things for the better then everyone will be happy. I have to say 'Your a better man than I am Gunga Din' if you took the trip to the west bank on a caleshe, how many hours, days, weeks months! did it take you ? It takes me nearly an hour with a mental taxi driver !
Tez

One thing to point out about the caleche - check the wheels, we sat behind them in a taxi quite often and they did not look particularly safe, wobbling about all over the place. Another thing, they use black boot polish to shine their seats so if you do use one make sure you are not wearing white. Out of principal I wouldnt use one although my husband did on one occasion. I know they are part of life, but at the Sheraton end near where they were fed and watered I didnt think the drivers treated the poor thin horses very well and their legs were so thin they looked as though it wouldnt take much to snap them.

The trip to the west bank takes 21/2 to 3 hours Tez. Where normal road transport crosses the bridge and goes on for a while before turning right, with the caleche you turn almost immediately after the bridge and go along through several small villages and agricultural sites.

I know what you are saying LD and if it was the same caleches that were down at the Sheraton all the time I dont blame you for not using them. I say again though, there are a substancial number of drivers in Luxor who keep their horses and their carriages in fabulous condition.

Hi guys

Just to veer off the horse/caleche debate and back to Peggy's original question:

Re: Tez's v.helpful info regarding entry prices for various 'sights', when I was in Luxor 3 weeks ago (ah, happy, happy days! ) the ticket price for Valley of the Kings (which gives access to any 3 tombs, except Tut's) was LE 55, about £UK5.50. The ticket price for Tutankhamun's tomb was LE 70, about £UK7.

Luxor & Karnak temples were around LE 30-40 each - worth every single piastre too....

Hi Choirgirl, I had heard that they were planning to put up the prices when I was there in September. At the time rumour had it that they would increase drastically, but from what you say it isn't too bad. It is still amazing value to get all that sort of thing for basically peanuts to us.
I can't wait for this September, I'll walk round the Sacred Scarab for you if you like!
Carrot, was it three hours each way ?
Tez

Tez, of course it was each way! With stops for the horse it did make it a long trip, but hey, I could spend hours and hours, anywhere in Egypt just looking!

I'd heard about the price increases to all historical sites in Egypt being increased. Still exceptional value for money, but will the extra be used to improve the preservation of these monuments? I really do wonder! Dr. Zawass does a wonderful job but i'm sure he has unbelieveable constraints put on what he would like to do!

I've walked around the scarab loads of times, both ways! Still didn't get pregnant!