Our Clients Testimonials 18 | Central Holidays

Hi Heather,

I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank you and all those involved in our recent trip to Egypt. Right from the start dealing with you and the New Jersey office was a pleasure. When we reached Egypt we were met by your Sakkara counter part George. George took care of our every want and was always there if we needed him. A special thanks should go to our local guide Henry. His knowledge was so vast and insightful that it gave this trip a special meaning that can never be duplicated. We would highly recommend STI to anyone who is looking for a quality company with superior world class service. Again please thank everyone for making this trip a memorable experience that will never be forgotten.

Joe , Denise, Andrew & Paul Cerra
28 Jul 2007

Just returned from a trip to Egypt with your company. I want to thank you all for the best trip. The services we received were incredible. The guide and drivers were excellent. Please forward this to the appropriate personal so that they can be thanked too. I would recommend this tour company 100%. Please thank Head (tour leader) in Egypt for an incredible time.
My reservation was 6805 and my name is Amy Paul.
I will be using your company for future travels
Thanks again,

Amy Paul
12 Jul 2007

Maria and Philippe,

Good afternoon!

Awilda, Olga and I would like to let you know that we had a great time in Egypt. The service provided by STI in Egypt was superb. Our field coordinator was professional, personable, helpful, and to be honest with you, he made our trip a great one. Our tour guide, Ihab, was incredible. His knowledge and personality made everything so remarkable so great....he make us feel with the desire to go back to Egypt and learn more about this beautiful country. Even when we had the opportunity to change our tour guide for one that spoke Spanish, we chose to stay with Ihab. He made us feel safe. Ihab and Andrew are great assets to your company. I have been talking to everybody about how great our trip was and about the services provided by your company.
Anyway, we want to say thanks to you and Philippe for helping putting this great trip together.

Mariely Loperena
07 Jul 2007

My husband and I just returned from 17 days in Egypt and Jordan -- WOW! I have lived on message boards since we booked this past January, and I felt so well prepared because of that. First, thanks to all who take the time to answer (probably repeatedly) our questions about Egypt, in particular Darsh and Off Duty. No question ever seems too simple and you are always so prompt and informative. That said, we had the trip of a lifetime! We booked through STI Travel in NJ and cannot say enough about the job they did for us -- kudos especially to Cristina. Please see my review on the Grand Hyatt posted in the hotel forum, but briefly, we would recommend it highly. Our itinerary included 2 days in Cairo, a 7 night Nile Cruise, back to Cairo for another full day, then on to Jordan. Marcus met us at the airport and handled every detail from obtaining the VISAs, getting our luggage, escorting us through customs, etc. Our driver and escort then took us to the hotel, high noon, Cairo traffic -- Mr. Toad's Wild Ride for those who have ever visited Disney World. It was great and although we could never drive like they do, somehow it works. The security is amazing everywhere, and never for an instant did we feel unsafe.

The next morning Marcus greeted us again to introduce us to our guide, and that was the moment I knew the gods were smiling on us! In the March 1999 issue of National Geographic's Traveler magazine there was an article on Egypt based on an interview with Ihab Wagdy, egyptologist extraordinaire. Ihab is the grandson of Selim Bey Hassan who led excavations at Giza and Saqqara and is honored at the Egyptian museum with a large bust. Of course, we did not know all of this that morning, only that this Yul Brynner type, articulate smiling man was going to be our guide two days in Cairo, and then join us and 10 others on our Nile Cruise. I'm sure the trip would have been wonderful with other guides, but I promise you, seeing Egypt through Ihab's proud eyes and having the educational experience that went with it, surpassed our expectations. In addition to his degrees in Egyptology, he has a master's in comparative religions. We toured Old Cairo, the pyramids, Alexandria, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan, Memphis and Saqqara with Ihab. (He left us midway through the cruise to take the others back to Cairo, but then met us again that Saturday for Memphis and Saqqara.) We had another guide for Abu Simbel (one day) and then yet another, Khaled for Karnak, Luxor temple and Denderra. He was young and enthusiastic and did a nice job. I could write on and on about Ihab, but I think you can appreciate how blessed we felt to meet this man, as did the others I mentioned from the Mojito.

Re the cruise: we were glad we booked the 7-night cruise because it gave us a day here and there to relax. The crew on the boat was so friendly and always helpful. The food is served buffet style at each meal and they obviously try to have something for everyone: each night beef or veal, chicken, fish (one night all fish), pasta, tons of cooked veggies, and beautiful salads. We were very careful about what we ate and drank: bottled water only, no salads (altho finally we surrendered to the incredible tomatoes), no dairy, etc., and neither of us had tummy issues. I did develop laryngitus and bronchitus, but I never felt bad! I think I was having too much fun to feel bad! The Mojito is 5 stars, but remember this is not like a 5 star American cruise, rather a small and intimate setting that is comfortable, clean and relatively new. The bathrooms, all teak, deserve a special mention, along with the fact that they brought fresh towels twice a day. Our attendant made crazy, wonderful designs with the towels and on the last day took the bedding and made a crocodile! Amazing!

I will write a trip report for Jordan eventually on that forum, but we loved it and cannot state strongly enough that Petra is not to be missed!
Finally, I read all sorts of posts, some negative, and I can only share our experience. Yes, Cairo is smoggy, but it generally clears in the afternoon. Yes, it is dirty in places, but you with so little rain, how can it be pristine. Yes, Egypt is poor as are its people -- economically, but they are rich in so many other ways. Yes, the baksheesh issue bothers a lot of people, but we felt it a small price to pay. I loved sharing pens, and yes, pounds with the children. If there are more beautiful children anywhere, I have yet to meet them! We met so many warm and gracious people on this trip, and for us, that is really what traveling is all about. I have only scratched the surface with this summary, but wanted to get a few thoughts down while fresh in my mind. Go to Egypt, soak it in, bring your memories home, and consider yourself lucky to have visited the cradle of civilization.

13 Jun 2007

RE: reservation #6307

Dear members of the STI family:

My husband and I want to thank all of you for the wonderful prize (in conjunction with ModernAgent.com) that we received. Our trip to Egypt was unforgettable. As a travel agent, I will have no hesitations to book my clients with your wonderful company. Your representatives, guides and drivers were better than perfect! Michael was there at the beginning and end of the trip, making sure that every detail of our flights and hotels were in order. However, our fabulous guide, Ehab, truly made this trip. Of course he is very knowledgeable, and patient, and accommodating, but he is also just a sincerely nice, warm individual, who made us feel extremely comfortable and welcome. He was the best part of our trip! Our thanks to Ehab, Michael and all of our drivers.

The trip itself was a bit overwhelming. We did so much, in such a short period of time. We barely had any time to rest. I would recommend my clients to spend a few more days, building in a bit of relaxation time. The hotels we stayed in (Sonesta and Novotel in Cairo) were just fine, and we enjoyed "Lady Diana". However, the boat could use a bit of sprucing up. The towels and linens are obviously worn and faded. The tablecloths could have been changed during the cruise, and the bathrooms need some modernizing. The staff and crew on the boat were top-notch, and made up for any of the boat's shortcomings.

Egypt Air worked out very well too. The transatlantic flights were quite comfortable. In fact, the planes were roomier than many other carriers. However, on a very sad note, a passenger died on our return flight. I mention this because this family had been on another STI tour - it was a Philipino woman, her 65-year-old American husband, and their 5-year-old son. (I don't know their names, but they were on Lady Diana, for 7 nights, ending on May 12.) I know that STI had assisted the husband with seeing a doctor, and he was not feeling well.

All in all, it may have been unbearably hot, and our stomachs are definitely not iron-clad, but our trip to Egypt was a great experience!

Thank you again to all of you!!!

Arlene (and Jack) Lowenstein
19 May 2007