Exciting news! We are featured in Condé Nast Traveler yet again. Backpacker Concierge is in their March 2012 issue. Thank you Zora O’Neill.

Stayed tuned for more details on our 2012 culinary tour to Siwa and the wineries of the Delta. For now, click here for the online version of the article.

Adjacent to Kom Ombo Temple
Best visited after viewing the temple grounds
08:00 – 20:00, depending upon cruise days

It could be that we are drunk off of ‘Nile loveliness’ having spent three days on a private Dahabiya with a group of intrepid Americans, but we found the new Crocodile Museum in Kom Ombo to be a worthwhile visit.

The concise exhibition opened just three weeks ago after years in the making and is currently included on the Kom Ombo Temple entrance ticket (30LE/$5USD). Upon entering the small building, you are greeted by 20 expertly mummified crocodiles and an array of eggs and crocodile-related artifacts.

The ancient Egyptians believed that gods sent physical manifestations of themselves to earth in the form of their totemic animals. Thus, at the Temple of Kom Ombo a live crocodile was thought to contain a spark of the god within and was worshipped and cared for by the priests during its lifetime. After its death, the spirit of the god would move to another crocodile’s body, while the dead crocodile would be mummified and ceremoniously buried in a special cemetery. Pilgrims who came to pray to Sobek (the crocodile headed god, of which half of the Temple of Kom Ombo is devoted to) would also give votive offerings in the form of small mummified crocodiles (on display) or statues to the god and these would also be buried in the cemeteries.

After a year in the making, iconic American magazine Food & Wine featured Backpacker Concierge in their February 2012 issue. Writer Salma Abdelnour traveled with us in Cairo, Alexandria, Dahab, and the St. Katherine Protectorate before writing this amazing 5-page article.

View the vivid .pdf version here or the text here.

Stayed tuned for more details on our 2012 culinary tour to Siwa and the wineries of the Delta.

After many long hours of travel from Australia, Tracey and her husband arrived in Egypt just before the Christmas holidays. They visited the capital’s main sites with one of our favorite female guides before traveling to Upper Egypt where they took their time exploring St. Simeon’s Monastery by camel, Abu Simbel by car, and Kom Ombo by private felucca. After two days in Luxor, they returned to Cairo via the Western Desert. This 1000km journey took two nights and included an amazing camping experience in the stunning White Desert.

A few words from the clients:
“We initially decided to tour Egypt with Backpacker Concierge as we had previously done small group tours with larger companies that had us go to selected and pre-arranged shops and restaurants rather than have time to visit towns and historical sites (thus wasting time and money on things we didn’t want to do and where tour guides got kickbacks if we brought something). The guides we had were wonderful with a sound knowledge background. It was great to have them all to ourselves so all our questions were answered and we could build a rapport with them. We felt as though we got to experience some of the real Egypt with lunches in family homes and were able to talk to people about marriage, politics, education, living conditions, history and art. Also it was great to stay in places a little off the normal tourist track.”

West Aswan

to Qubbat al Hawa

Exploring Dakhla

Cairo by Night

Left Bank
53 Abu El Feda Street, Zamalek – 022 735 0014
(Use Sequoia’s street entrance)

Described as a ‘café with soul’, ‘a cultural salon’, and ‘an ode to old Cairo’. Whatever the classification, Left Bank is a stunning, new edition to Cairo’s eclectic culinary scene. The setting is utterly refreshing thanks to local design outlet Eklego, who managed to transform an empty Nile-side plot of land into a multi-purpose dining space. The subtle tones, clean lines, and communal dining table are new concepts for the country and we applaud the design team for their light-handed approach.

Given the amount of love that went into the space, we can only assume that Chef Benoit Laboureux had good intentions when he designed the concise menu of pastries, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, and pastas. We wanted to love Left Bank, but what appears from the kitchen does not match the thoughtful surrounds. We advise sticking to the near-perfect pastries and divine desserts, taking advantage of the Wi-Fi and the view, and treating Left Bank like the coffee shop it is. For more serious dishes, Sequoia is 50 meters to the right.

Four teachers from Sulaymaniyah, Iraq decided to forego the cold winter holidays and spend their time in Egypt with Backpacker Concierge. They first ventured to Siwa where they stayed in a private villa and took part in jeep safaris and historical walks through the date palmeries. In Upper Egypt, they boarded a traditional cruise ship and sailed north to Luxor where they flew high above the West Bank. Backpacker Concierge met up with the travelers in Dahab, where they spent a few days by the sea before ascending Mt. Sinai.

A few words from the client:

“We will definitely send people your way when considering Egypt for a future holiday!”

Lunch in Siwa

Eco-friendly Taxi

Mt. Sinai with Salem

Giza, Camels, Photo Op

Xiaoyun and her family met in Israel and traveled overland to Egypt where they took part in a stunning 11-day program with Backpacker Concierge. After exploring the main sites in Cairo and along the Nile, they took to the lesser-explored regions of the Western Desert for a 2-night safari.

A few words from the client:

“You provide the best concierge [service] that backpackers could ever ask in Egypt. Backpacker Concierge was excellent all the way from designing the program to delivering the tour. The [program] itself was smooth and timely in all connections, the guides were first class and there were absolutely no scams (like a visit to a “Papyrus museum”). Although our trip was during the tumultuous time of post-revolution Egypt, we felt very safe and comfortable, were well taken care of, and were given full freedom to explore interesting things at our own pace every step of the way.”

Christine and her husband traveled from Germany for a short jaunt in Cairo and a long, relaxing trip on their 8-cabin Dahabiya with Backpacker Concierge. They decided not to gulp in the Nile – rather, they sipped it and explored Upper Egypt at a refined pace!

A few words from the client:

“We had a wonderful time in Egypt and everything worked perfect. Our guides gave us a deep dive in the history of Egypt and showed us all the important sights. We enjoyed the trip!”

Exploring Islamic Cairo with Guide Mohamed

Cairo From Above

Aboard the Dahabiya

High Above Luxor

Philae From the Nile

As part of a one year around-the-world holiday, Liz and Reed contacted Backpacker Concierge to arrange an overnight White Desert excursion. This is by far one of our most popular offerings given the desert’s proximity to Cairo and it is a great add-on for clients already booked on a group tour with another company.

A few words from the client:

“We loved the scenery – reminded us of the desert in Nevada or Utah at times, really incredible to drive through and camp like we did. And to know Libya is one direction and Luxor the other was fascinating. The food was excellent! [Our driver] Waheed brought his pipe so we could try sheesha – something I wanted to do when we were in Cairo. Sounds like he has traveled a bit and loves his job, which was refreshing for us!

I loved the sandsurfing!”

Setting Up Camp

Sandboarding!

Sheesha Time!

The World Famous Mushroom and Chicken