In Egypt, seeing the pyramids, the Sphinx, and temples, and being there in person was truly moving.
I’m really glad I was able to visit a country I always wanted to see in my lifetime but thought would be difficult to go to.
Pre-trip communication;
Communication with the person in charge was not very smooth.
There were times when there was no response, or the responses didn’t address our questions or requests. Without the Japanese representative, it would have been a tough situation.
Local guide;
If I were to rate them on a 5-point scale, it would be a 2.
I think they were friendly and seemed like a good person, as they would approach other Japanese people they spotted besides us.
However, their Japanese proficiency was an issue, and their voice was too soft. For example, even in the car, they would speak while facing forward from the passenger seat, so we could barely hear what they were saying.
I understand that Egyptian names can be difficult, but their Japanese explanations were unclear, and when we asked questions, the responses were often along the lines of 'I don’t know?' It made me question the point of having a Japanese-speaking guide, and I eventually gave up trying to understand.
I ended up researching things myself online after returning home.
A friend’s suitcase broke during the trip, and we repeatedly asked the guide to wait a bit as it took time to carry it, but they walked ahead on their own. Even at tourist spots, when we were held up at baggage checks or couldn’t enter due to QR code issues, they didn’t notice and walked more than 50 meters ahead without looking back.
We were desperate not to lose sight of them.
Additionally, (though we asked to be seated separately midway), we had lunch at the same table, and the guide watched loud YouTube videos or something similar next to us. At a lunch spot in Luxor, we sat at a table for about an hour with nothing being served, while the guide watched videos. When I asked why nothing was being served, they said, 'Lunch starts at 11:30.' I wish they had explained the situation.
They were late for meeting times twice without any notice, asked questions they should have known like 'What time is your return flight?' and asked things like 'Do you dislike raw vegetables and fruits?' or 'Do you want to eat dates sold on the roadside?' They didn’t seem to understand Japanese tourists, and overall, it was far from satisfactory.
Hotels;
Barcelo Cairo Pyramids; It was far from a 4-star hotel. The windows were poorly fitted, letting in drafts and making it cold, and the hairdryer was broken and unusable.
Aracan Eatabe Luxor Hotel; At the dinner buffet, we were moved from a 4-person table to a 2-person table even though the massive restaurant was empty except for us. However, it was a nice hotel with a Nile River view.
[Other]
We were told by the person in charge beforehand that 'Egypt is a tourist country, so you can use dollars or yen. It’s good to bring about 10,000 yen worth of Egyptian pounds, but you can also exchange money at Cairo International Airport.' However, we couldn’t exchange Japanese yen at the Egyptian airport, and yen was completely unusable.
The Nile River cruise was extremely cold, and the music was unbearably (truly, truly unbearably) loud, which made it difficult to enjoy.
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That’s all, but overall, I am extremely satisfied with the trip and glad I entrusted it to your company.
I would definitely like to rely on your services again for future overseas trips.
Once again, thank you so much for your thorough support!!