Another Egypt: what kind of vacation do Russians go to the Land of the Pyramids for?

There was a time when many Russians went on vacation to Egypt several times a year. But today Egypt seems to have ceased to be so popular, even though the country has enormous tourism potential. We talked about this trend with an expert on traveling to the Land of Pyramids – Lyudmila Kuznetsova lived in Egypt for 10 years and knows all the local secrets, secrets and passwords.

Lyudmila, why did you decide to create your own personalized tours in Egypt?

When I started working in Egypt, it was a very popular destination for the mass market segment. You could get to Hurghada or Sharm for three kopecks, and so Egyptian resorts were closely associated with very economical beach holidays. Tourists flew to the all-inclusive hotel and at the same time took excursions to the pyramids – after all, it’s strange to visit Egypt and not see the pyramids.

I’m sure many people remember these excursions: a bus for 40 people; the road takes 8 hours one way; then half an hour at the pyramids and three hours in the souvenir shops; lunch in a cheap tourist canteen; a guide muttering something into the microphone – you can’t understand him. At that time, there were simply no comfortable options for getting acquainted with the history of the country. However, even now I have almost no competitors.

I have always dreamed of showing Egypt differently. Today, people come to me who are interested in history and want to see the country, but at the same time they want to relax in comfort. I consider my mission to be to change people’s perception of this country and bring it into the category of fashionable destinations! And yes, Egypt’s historical heritage cannot be compared to that of any other country in the world.

What unusual things can you see in Egypt that typical tourists don’t know about?

That’s a very good question ! Many people think that Egypt is the Red Sea and the pyramids. And also Luxor with the Karnak temple and the tombs of the pharaohs. In the meantime, there are some breathtaking places here!

For example, at the El Fayoum oasis, an hour and a half drive from Cairo, here in the Valley of the Whales, the skeletons of prehistoric mammals lie on the ground. And we sandboard along the sand dunes.

The Mediterranean coast of Egypt resembles the Maldives or the Dominican Republic. And the beauty of the Western Desert cannot be compared to any other place in the world. One of the travelers said that he had traveled to more than 100 countries, but the Western Desert of Egypt was one of the most beautiful places he had seen.

There are surprisingly preserved pharaonic temples here – they are located away from standard routes, so they are always uncrowded and have a special atmosphere.

What is the most difficult thing about organizing trips to Egypt?

Convince Egyptian partners not to save money. They have a habit of pawning the cheapest hotels, cars and guides in order to reduce the cost of travel – but they have always looked for price, not quality. When I said we would have lunch at a restaurant with a view of the pyramids and a $40 check, not a cafeteria with a $5 lunch, they looked at me like I was crazy.

Or they tried to convince me that it was a very good hotel or restaurant. I personally visited each site and was once again convinced that our ideas of “good” are very different. Another difficulty concerns the guides. Cheap, expensive – I passed dozens of guys before I could find the ones with interesting stories!

What advice can you give to travelers choosing a tour in Egypt? What should you pay attention to first?

The first is, as I mentioned above, quality. In the context of travel, quality is when the transportation is convenient, the hotel comfortable and the restaurant delicious. I observe the market and see how some colleagues work – many still save on program components. But when, after a day’s excursion, a traveler returns to a hotel where the laundry is stale and there is no water pressure in the shower, it’s difficult to enjoy the trip!

The second point is logistics. Sometimes I see itineraries compiled with obvious errors – for example, tourists are offered to see two temples in one day, and they are located 7 hours from each other! Usually, those for whom Egypt is not their main destination make this mistake. I myself thought about doing tours in other countries, but quickly realized that if you don’t know the countries, it is impossible to create a practical itinerary!

And the third point concerns guides. 99% of guidebooks tell the classic story that the pyramids are the tombs of the pharaohs and Napoleon ripped off the nose of the Sphinx. But in modern Egyptology there are several directions and several alternative versions of the emergence of Egyptian civilization. It’s when my guides say that there are other versions, that’s when the travelers’ eyes light up.

When traveling in a group, everyone involved has different expectations. Is it possible to make everyone happy?

The author’s trip is a special type of vacation. The group always brings together, as if by magic, people with the same interests. Even though on the first day it seems like the tourists are as different as possible, on the second or third day we all converge on a discussion about the history of Egypt. In addition, I always try to show a little more than expected – we go to unusual cafes in Cairo, go down to the metro, try local treats and fruits, or just turn off the route if we see something unusual. interesting.

How has the tourism sector evolved in recent years?

A lot. In the 2000s, people liked to take “package trips”: an all-inclusive hotel, a week off and back. Today, many people are tired of lying on the beach, tourists want to travel more around the country, get acquainted with local history and culture. External factors also had a strong influence. Over the past couple of years, tours have become much more expensive and the need for vacations has also increased. If earlier tourists could go to Egypt or Turkey for 30,000-50,000 rubles, now prices start at 100,000 rubles. And the author’s routes to different countries on the market cost on average 200-300 thousand per person. Of course, for that kind of money you want to reach a certain level. People began to be more careful when choosing a route, hotel and organizer. And we must, in turn, live up to their expectations.