Egypt and Jordan Trip Report
February 10 (Wednesday): Trying to Depart the US
We were supposed to depart this day; however, major snowstorms on the East Coast ended up postponing our flight until the next day. We had been watching the weather, and we actually moved our flight ahead one day even before the airlines/airports cancelled/closed. I felt better having the decision in my own hands rather than being at someone else’s mercy, and it turned out to be the right one.
February 11 (Thursday): Departing the US
Parking: We used Air Park at JFK for the second time without any problems. The only potential snag was that they moved the entrance for their parking lot from a side street onto the main thoroughfare.
JFK Airport: Terminal 3 is pretty nice; however, we didn’t spend much time in the public areas. As American Express platinum members who were travelling on Delta, we had free access to their club/lounge, so we spent our waiting time there. There’s a huge duty free shop in Terminal 3, along with the usual array of shops, restaurants, and currency exchanges. JFK Airport
Delta Flight: The flight from JFK to Amman was fine. There were a few open seats, so my husband and I moved from into the center aisle of the 2-3-2 configuration with an empty middle seat between us. The flight attendants were friendly and the service was fine. Food was decent, considering it’s airline food. In coach class, movies are played on the general cabin screens, one right after the other, so you don’t have a choice as to what you watch when, but it wasn’t as problematic as I had envisioned it would be. I would use Delta again for the right price and/or itinerary. We chose them over Egypt Air or Royal Jordanian because they flew nonstop to both Amman and Cairo, and it allowed us to have an open-jaw itinerary. Delta Airlines
February 12 (Friday): Amman to Petra
Amman Airport Arrivals: This is a calm and manageable airport. We had to buy our visas, then stand in line for customs/immigration. The purchasing was quick and easy, but the rest of the process was rather slow and laborious, passing your documentation from one man to another, taking your photograph, etc. We exchanged enough US dollars for Jordanian dinars before departing the US, so we did not first have to stop at a currency exchange in the airport. We had no problems whatsoever at the airport; baggage claim was easy and we found our driver quickly. Amman Airport
Desert Horizons Transfer: Our driver, Ahmed, met us at baggage claim as planned. Desert Horizons deserves my kudos because we had to change our plans at the last minute due to the snowstorm. Mohammed, the general manager, communicated with me via e-mail many times over the past several months, then more frequently as it became evident that we would have to adjust our plans because of our late arrival. We intended to spend our first night at the Kempinski Ishtar at the Dead Sea, but we had to bypass that and go directly to Petra because of missing a full day. We had intended to do some sightseeing en route to Petra, including Bethany Beyond Jordan, Mount Nebo, and Madaba, but we had to skip those. We did get to visit Kerak on our last day en route to Jerash rather than on our first day as originally planned. Desert Horizons
Link to My Review of the Movenpick Petra
February 13 (Saturday): Petra
Petra Tour: Our driver from Desert Horizons, Ahmed, hired a local guide to give us a tour of Petra. (Only Petra certified guides are allowed inside.) Petra is amazing, and rounding the last corner of the Siq to catch your first glimpse of the Treasury is priceless. We hiked to the Monastery, and the view is a nice reward after the climb. Maybe I would try a donkey the next time and conserve my energy. We rode on horseback from the ticket area to the entrance (included with your admission, but not necessary--it’s walkable on foot), and took one of the horse-and-buggies back out in the afternoon. I was impressed by the facilities inside--restrooms (although port-a-potties) and even a full-service restaurant run by the Crowne Plaza (there were real restrooms there). We did not climb to the “high place” of sacrifice, choosing to hike to the Treasury instead. You can easily spend a full day in the site, if not two. I thought that one full day was perfect, but I think my husband would have liked to return a second day to explore further.
February 14 (Sunday): Petra to Jerash to Cairo
Desert Horizons: Ahmed met us early in the morning and drove us to a crusader castle (I can’t recall the name but it might have been Shobak) before visiting another crusader castle called Kerak (from the Kingdom of Heaven movie). As a fan of the movie, I think my husband enjoyed the visit, but it was not a must-see in my book. I would recommend hiring an on-site guide, because it was VERY dark inside, and the directions were not clearly marked. Jerash, on the other hand, is fabulous! Having recently visited Turkey, I wondered how the site would compare to Ephesus, Priene, Miletus, Didyma, and I think Jerash is equivalent if not better in some ways. The yellow wildflowers around the site were in bloom, making it very picturesque. The theatre is not impressive compared to Hierapolis in Pamukkale, Turkey, for example, but Jerash has a huge number of standing pillars that are quite impressive, along with some other well-preserved structures such as colonnaded streets, plazas, and arches. I would definitely recommend it.
Amman Airport Departures: As I said earlier, this is a calm and manageable airport. You must clear security in order to check in for your flight, and they don’t allow you to pass through until 2.5 to 2 hours prior. We used Egypt Air, but it seemed to be staffed by Royal Jordanian employees. Check-in was quick and easy, as was passport control. There is a nice duty-free shop in the airport, along with two or three other small shops, a few eateries, and a currency exchange. We ate at a full-service brasserie, where we felt the food and drink prices were fair, considering it was an airport. You are able to smoke in the airport in designated rooms; there is even a smoking room off each departure lounge.
Cairo Airport Arrivals: We found this airport to be a little hectic after the peace of the Amman airport. We got our Egyptian visas prior to leaving the US, so we were able to bypass the bank windows where everyone else had to stop to exchange money and/or purchase their visa. We had no problems with immigration, customs, or baggage claim. We went to the Marriott desk (the JW Marriott shares with the Cairo Marriott) in the arrivals area, but there was no employee present as we had been told to expect. We did see a man in a suit with a Marriott nametag, who told us that the $30 Lancer car that we had arranged through the hotel and asked to have added to our bill would take a very long time to get there. He instead offered us another car service for the same price, but we had to pay cash. It was hard to know if he was scamming us or not, but things turned out fine. You have to sign your name in a big book upon leaving the airport, just prior to the tolls. There is a duty free store in the arrivals area, but you cannot use it unless you just arrived internationally. There is also a convenience store, where we stocked up on drinks and snacks (prices were really reasonable even though it was the airport). There are restrooms and a smoking room in the baggage claim area.
Link to My Review of the Cairo Marriott
February 15 (Monday): Sakkara, Dashur, and Giza
Casual Cairo Detours: We booked about six months ahead with Debbie Senters of Casual Cairo Detours. Debbie is really responsive to e-mail questions, and as you probably already know, she is a frequent contributor to this board. We booked an Egyptologist for one full day tour in Cairo to the pyramids, including Sakkara, Dashur, and the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx. Mustafa was our Egyptologist guide, and Matmoud was our driver in a ?? nine-passenger van, even though it was just the four of us. Mustafa was very personable and knowledgeable, and we were happy with his services.
February 16 (Tuesday): More Cairo Tours
Casual Cairo Detours: We arranged to have an Egyptologist (Mustafa again, but this time without a driver) pick us up at the Marriott and give us a tour of the Cairo Museum. We debated about trying to see the museum ourselves versus using a guide for a half day. Deciding to use the guide was THE best decision--he knew exactly where and when to go to certain areas in the museum, thereby bypassing all the crowds (although we were told it wasn’t particularly crowded on the day that we visited). The security lines are fairly long to enter the museum grounds; if I have a tip, it’s to choose the line on the right when looking directly at the museum. Once you choose a “side”, the lines are contained by pillars, and it’s not really possible to switch from one side/line to the other. You can take photos outside the museum of the grounds (and there are some interesting artifacts to photograph), but you cannot even take your camera inside the museum at all. You must check it next to the security office, where they give you a claim check for when you return. The lines to retrieve cameras were longer than any other lines on the day we were there. Restroom lines inside are long. There is a small gift shop and a small cafeteria. People really complain about the conditions at the museum--hot, dark, crowded--but I really didn’t think it was bad. For our half-day afternoon tour, a Casual Guide, Jim, and his driver, Tariq, met us at the museum and drove us to the Citadel, which was marginally interesting, followed by a trip to the Khan-el-Kalili bazaar. I’m not much of a shopper, but I did want to buy some cartouches at Gouzlan Jewelry to give as gifts. I bought five double-sided silver cartouches, with Arabic on one side and hieroglyphics on the other; they came with a choice of 16”, 18”, or 20” chain and were enclosed in a small velvet pouch. They also have a cheat sheet to understand the writing. I placed my order around 4 pm, and Gouzlan delivered to the Marriott by 10 pm that evening. Their prices seemed fair, and they took credit cards and charged in US dollars, so no added foreign conversion fee. We ate kosharry at the bazaar, which is a traditionally Egyptian food, particularly in Cairo. Delicious! We were eating it on the street and some of the locals got a big kick out of us eating their food. One man chuckled, saying it was the first time he had seen tourists try kosharry. Highly recommended!
February 17 (Wednesday): Luxor West Bank Tour
Casual Cairo Detours: We asked Debbie to arrange an Egyptologist for us for our two days in Luxor. Moemen was our guide; again, he was very personable and knowledgeable. We had a driver as well, but I don’t recall his name. We visited the Valley of the Kings on what was the hottest day of our trip--we think it was 105 degrees--a definite heat wave for Cairo at this time of year. We were not able to take our cameras into the Valley of the Kings. Not only can you not take photos inside the tombs, but you can’t even take photos on the property (this is a new rule made within the past two months, we were told). We went inside three tombs: Seti I, Seti II, and Tutmoses. We did not pay the extra fee to see Tutankahmen’s tomb. I did not find the Valley of the Kings particularly enthralling, but it’s on everyone’s to-see list. It was hot outside, it was even hotter in the tombs, and the lines were long and slow moving. We also visited the Valley of the Queens, including Hatshepsut’s Temple (which was more interesting, and the first glance we had of enormous lifelike statues). We also visited the Colossi of Memnon, which I liked.
Link to My Review of the Hilton Luxor
February 18 (Thursday): Luxor East Bank Tour to Cairo
Casual Cairo Detours: Moemen (and a different driver) gave us a tour of the East Bank sites, including Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. I don’t recall the driver’s name, which is unfortunately because he was the best one we had during our entire trip. He brought along a cooler packed with cold drinks, which we appreciated immensely, and hopefully our extra tip covered whatever costs he incurred for the beverages. Both Karnak and Luxor Temples are amazing, and must-sees in my book. Moemen took us to his neighborhood sheesha “joint” for drinks and a smoke at the end of the day, which was a unique experience.
Link to My Review of the Novotel Cairo Airport
February 19 (Friday): Cairo to Abu Simbel and Back
Cairo Domestic Departures: Very clean, spacious, comfortable terminal. Gates are somewhat far apart, but there are maps telling you how many minutes it will take to reach each gate. A great idea--one that I wish other airports (particularly in the US) would copy. There are smoking rooms in the domestic departures area, and a few shops and cafes as well as vending machines. They make lots of announcements for boarding. The domestic flights we took all required us to board a bus and drive out to the tarmac, without the aid of jetways. Even our international flight home boarded the same way--bus transport, then climbing exposed stairs to board.
Abu Simbel Airport: Very tiny, as expected! One restaurant/cafe (where you could smoke) and one small souvenir shop. There were plenty of seats for waiting, and the restrooms were clean, well-stocked, and of course, attended (I don’t recall seeing a restroom in all of Egypt without an attendant). We spent much more time at the airport than necessary, but it was a fine place to wait.
Aswan Airport: We had a four-hour layover in Aswan. When I booked our Abu Simbel itinerary, there was a direct (but not non-stop) flight from Cairo TO Abu Simbel via Aswan, but the direct return was already full. We chose to visit Abu Simbel on a Friday because there is a later afternoon return flight to Cairo on Egypt Air, but we really had more time at the site than we needed. When I originally booked, it seemed that a quick one-hour breeze-through wouldn’t be enough, but in retrospect, it would have been fine. It was nice to see the site deserted, though, after the morning crowds had gone home; it was much easier to take photos without hordes of people in them. There’s a nice shady patio cafe just outside the site, and a gauntlet of souvenir shops. If you hire a local guide onsite, be sure to tell him how much time you have. Our guide grouped us with another couple, and assumed that we were on the whirlwind tour, when we actually had lots of time for him to really educate us on the place. We did a short 20-minute tour with the guide, then took another more leisurely look around ourselves. We also walked to the nearby Nefertari Hotel, thinking we could have lunch and a drink, but it was a scary place! We ended up having drinks in a dark, non-air conditioned bar adjacent to the dining room; it reminded me of a circa-1970s basement. I’ve since seen some photos online, and it appears that there is a pool; it would have been nice to have drinks outside near the pool, with a view of Lake Nassar in the background.
February 20 (Saturday): Cairo Relaxation Day
Our flight back to the US departed just after midnight, so we booked our hotel for another full night, even though we would be checking out around 10 pm. We slept late (missing the breakfast buffet, which ends at 10:30 am), then spent the day lounging by the pool. I wish it had been a nicer pool, but the area was clean, there were plenty of umbrellas (although chairs and towels were harder to come by), and large open grassy spaces so you didn’t feel cramped. There was even some marginal drink/food service by the pool. This was the only day we had free time to relax, so it was well deserved and appreciated. We had a late lunch/early dinner on the patio outside the main restaurant, Le Rendezvous. The food and service were fine; no complaints.
Cairo Airport International Departures: This is a different terminal than we had used previously for our domestic flights. There is some shopping and a few restaurants/bars. You can get beer in international departures. They start the boarding process nearly 3 hours before the flight--there is lots of security. There is a smoking room in the international departures building, though none once you pass through the gate security; the same is true for restrooms once you pass through the secondary gate security.
February 21 (Sunday): Arrival in the US
Delta CAI to JFK (Coach): We scored some exit row seats on the return, which gave us lots of extra legroom. That made the flight much more bearable. It was freezing next to the exit doors, though; I think it was the first time that my husband and I were actually cold on a flight--ever!
JFK Arrivals: We arrived 45 minutes early-woo hoo! The only problem was that it dumped us into immigration along with three other large flights, so the wait time was long. I think we spent about an hour. There’s a currency exchange just outside of baggage claim in case you have an foreign money you want to convert to US dollars. There are also soda machines if you need a drink for your ride home.
As we expected, the Novotel Cairo was the worst hotel of the trip. I
wish I had been surprised and proven wrong, but the rooms are terrible.
The public spaces are fine, particularly the lobby and restaurants, and
the pool is adequate (although a little old and dated), but the rooms
and the dank musty smell emanating from them are unacceptable. Sadly, we
were here for three nights due to our rigorous touring schedule. There
is an Iberotel right next door, and the view that we had from our room
into/onto that property made our stay at the Novotel even worse, because
the Iberotel looked much nicer than where we were (we had prepaid, so
we couldn’t leave without losing all our money). The bathroom was fine,
although the toilet didn’t flush properly, despite several calls to the
front desk and maintenance visits. The air-conditioning worked
wonderfully, as did the flat screen TV, so that was something at least.
Space was tight, and we had a room with a king-size bed, so I think it
would be even more cramped in a room with two double beds. We also had a
sofa/daybed type thing, but the furniture, carpet, and curtains
definitely needed a refresh. There was a mini-bar (not included), which
gave us plenty of space to store the drinks and snacks that we bought at
the grocery store across the street (well, across the street from the
property entrance). The Italian restaurant (La Primavera) was fine, as
was the Le Jardin d’Heliopolis (a la carte). We missed breakfast on all
of the days (at Le Jardin), so I can’t comment, but the buffet set-up
looked fairly large. It is possible to get beers from the bar (Le
Rendezvous) to take back to your room, but the quantity is limited.
There is a supermarket quite nearby where you can buy drinks and snacks
for your room, and the prices there are very affordable. There were a
few ground-level rooms that had access to the swimming pool/outdoor
terrace. I would recommend trying to get one of those if you must stay
at this hotel (I’m not sure if they were suites or regular rooms). This
is a popular hotel for weddings and local conferences; some big event
was going on every night that we were there, and the partying continued
well into the next morning. We didn’t hear any noise from our room,
although we were on the fourth floor and on the opposite side of the
building.
I
expected to like this hotel more than I actually did. Traffic was
unbelievable on the way to the hotel from the airport. It was about 10
pm, but it took us well over an hour to reach the hotel. It was
Valentine’s Day, so there were lots of locals out walking, driving, and
celebrating, which definitely added to the traffic. (While the traffic
is bad in Cairo, it’s not insane like it is in Delhi.) There is
extensive security at the Marriott, including bomb-sniffing dogs when
you first arrive at the property and then a metal detector later. This
hotel is a self-contained oasis, with many shops, restaurants, banks
(24-hours, three ATM machines), etc. We upgraded to an executive suite,
which wasn’t really up to 5 star standards. There was a separate
bedroom, but only one bathroom, and that didn’t even have a separate tub
and shower set up as I expected. There was no wet bar, either. The room
description said it included a dining table, which it did not, and also
a large balcony. It actually had two small balconies, neither of which
was viewable or connected to the other; just an odd setup. I expected
lounge chairs out there, and each one just had a tiny table and two
chairs. Neither of the balcony lights worked on our first night,
although maintenance fixed them the next day. The toiletries were below
5-star standards; just ordinary products you would find in a Fairfield
Inn in the US. The lounge was worthwhile, though. Internet access is NOT
free. We stayed at the Marriott for three nights.
This
was my favorite hotel of my trip to Egypt and Jordan. I could have
stayed here for a week without any problem. The public areas are
gorgeous, including the lobby, pool, and restaurants. There are a few
small shops off the lobby, including a bank and an ATM machine (I don’t
think that ATM took American cards on the PLUS/NYCE/STAR system,
though). There are several restaurant options; we enjoyed the four that
we tried. We booked an upgraded room, and I would highly recommend that
to everyone. We were on the second floor of the building adjacent to the
Nile. I think there were only 27 rooms in that building, nine per floor
on each of three floors. The main part of the hotel was farther from
the Nile and pool, and more stories high. The big bonus to the upgraded
rooms are the large balconies/terraces; the standard rooms in the main
building have a little triangular sliver of a balcony, not even large
enough to fit a chair, while we had a spacious terrace with two teak
chairs with comfy cushions and a small table. The room was really
comfortable, although not overly large. It certainly wasn’t the largest
room we had during our trip; on the contrary, it may have been one of
the smallest, but it was the one I liked best and felt completely
comfortable in. The hotel seemed deserted, although I saw many people at
the pool during the day; I’m not sure where they disappeared to at
night. We only spent one night here, sadly. There is a little grocery
store just outside the gates, but alcoholic beverages were harder to
come by. There was a restaurant right outside the gates, and they sold
us some beers by the can to take back to our room (we like to save a
little money when we can). I don’t recall the restaurant name, and they
didn’t take credit cards, so I don’t have a receipt, but it was almost
directly across from the hotel driveway; the restaurant also functioned
as a one-terminal internet cafe and library. We ate lunch at the
poolside restaurant on the first day, followed by dinner on the outdoor
Sunset Terrace, combining foods from Silk Road and Olives. In the
morning, we had breakfast at Rosetta, which was included with our room
rate, and very complete and plentiful. Internet access was free, but
only because my spouse is a Hilton Hhonors Gold member. The staff was
very friendly and helpful in every way. There was a metal detector to
enter the lobby, and the gatekeeper at the street entrance was extremely
thorough. I would stay here again in a heartbeat.
We spent two nights at the Movenpick Petra in a junior suite, which
wasn’t worth the extra money. The hotel can’t be beat for its location
right next to Petra; for that alone, it deserves your consideration. The
Petra ticket window is just steps from the hotel door. The outside of
the hotel is attractive, although boxy. At one time, it appeared that
you could enter the hotel from the main street or at either end of the
building, but that’s not true anymore. Security measures have everyone
passing through a metal detector and entering directly into the lobby.
The public spaces like the lobby, indoor atrium, and pool are
attractive, if small. There are a few shops off the lobby, including an
ice cream shop/cafe. The main restaurant, Al Saraya, has a nice
breakfast (included with most room rates) containing hot and cold
selections and made-to-order omelets; this restaurant is also open for
lunch and dinner, serving a buffet as well as a la carte. There is a
more formal restaurant called Al Iwan that we did not use. The Al
Maq’aad Bar has a lovely and lively atmosphere, and you can order snacks
and light refreshments there (that’s where we found ourselves for
“dinner” on both nights). Prices are fair, considering it’s a hotel bar.
You can also eat/drink in the Al Multaqa Lobby Lounge and the Al Baraka
Tea Room (in the winter during the afternoon). The Al Ghadeer Roof
Garden, supposedly only open in the summer season, was undergoing
renovations when we were there, so we couldn’t even sneak a peak. The
swimming pool is somewhat small, but that didn’t seem to be a problem
since it was deserted on the day we saw it. You reach it in an odd way,
though; first descending to the basement fitness center and then rising
again to the main floor. There was access through the buffet restaurant,
but it didn’t seem encouraged. The fitness center looked adequate, but
small. There are several restaurants right outside the hotel on the main
street; sadly for us, none of them served alcohol. There are also a few
shops and supermarkets right outside, but again, no beer or wine sold
(you could purchase bottles of wine at the Movenpick ice cream
shop/cafe). The Movenpick restaurants do serve alcoholic beverages, so
things aren’t completely dry. As I said, we had a junior suite, the
decor of which was a bit dated. Disappointingly, the room didn’t have a
balcony, although I saw other rooms that did (I think those were just
standard rooms whose guests got lucky). Our room was a decent size, and
it had a nearly-complete kitchen in a room off to the side, which we did
not need; we were more interested in the extra room than having kitchen
facilities. Our room faced the main street, but we heard no noise
whatsoever, and we even had to sleep with the windows open one night
because the air-conditioning did not work. The hotel says the minibar is
complimentary and refilled daily, but we found that not to be true. It
was stocked when we arrived, but never restocked, despite the fact that
we called room service twice (as directed by the front desk) and
actually presented ourselves at the front desk another two times to make
our request. That’s terrible service in my book--if you aren’t going to
refill it, then don’t lie to me and tell me you will! I suffer from
dehydration, and I counted on having those liquids available to me, so
it’s not just that I was trying to get a freebie. With the junior suite,
we had admission to a private lounge (I think it was called the
Burkhardt Library), although the first night we tried to use it, it was
closed, even though it was 1.5 hours before the scheduled closing time.
We were able to use it on our second night, and it was nearly deserted
while we had a few drinks and snacks (nuts, petit fours, canapes, and
wine and beer). I do not feel that I got what I paid for with the
upgraded room; therefore, I would recommend just going with the standard
option. I can’t remember actually using the internet while I was there,
although I believe it was free.
East Africa 2007
(including United Arab Emirates [Dubai], Kenya [Nairobi, Masai Mara], Tanzania [Serengeti, Zanzibar, and Dar es Salaam])
Reviews
Emirates Business Class
Complimentary Chauffeur Service:
JFK: At JFK, Emirates uses Boston Coach (www.bostoncoach.com) for their transportation. Vehicles were comfortable (Towncars and Cadillacs), drivers seemed knowledgeable. Upon arrival at JFK, business and first-class passengers who used the chauffeur service are met at the car by an airline representative, who supervises the removal of your luggage and assigns it to porters who take you right to the appropriate counter. Our only issue was that service is provided within a 60-mile radius (we live about 90-miles away), and we were not even able to pay for the additional routing. Instead, we drove our car and parked within the 60-mile radius in order to use the service. There wasn’t much of a hassle, and it was well worth the service that we received upon arriving in the car at JFK.
Dubai: We also used the chauffeur service in Dubai to get to/from our stopover hotel. Even if you have made your reservation previously, find the Emirates “room” (counter) after claiming your luggage and request your car. There wasn’t more than a 3-minute wait. Upon arrival back in NY, again find the Emirates representative after claiming your bags to reconfirm your transportation (not more than a 2-minute wait).
Nairobi and Dar es Salaam: No chauffeur service available.
Lounges:
JFK Lounge: Fabulous! The best food we’ve had at an airline lounge (e.g., filet mignon, shrimp cocktail, Asian foods). Good restroom facilities, comfortable chairs and couches for lounging, full range of self-service beverages, lots of staff.
Tip: Wait in the lounge until you are called for boarding, then you’ll breeze right onto the plane without having to wait at all. I got a bit antsy, since we were still (uncalled) in the lounge 20 minutes before take-off, but they really seem to know what they are doing.
Dubai Lounge: Business class lounge was good; probably the first class lounge is better and more comparable to the combination lounge at JFK. There are upper and lower floors. The upper floor seems used by smokers, primarily, because that’s where the smoking area was. There are computer terminals (free internet access) in the smoking area, a small food/drink service area (there is a much larger area downstairs), several TVs, and small restroom facilities (larger facilities available downstairs).There are flight boards throughout the facility, and the usual announcements are made. Wait in the lounge until you are called. The boarding procedure at the Dubai Airport takes a long time, so it is best not to go until you are called; there are multiple security checkpoints before boarding the plane, and it takes a long time if you try to clear with the larger number of coach passengers (again, I got antsy waiting).
Dar es Salaam Lounge: The Tanzanite Lounge is rather poor, but still preferable to waiting in the general boarding area. It is air-conditioned, and has free drinks and some limited hot snacks, as well as restroom facilities. Think of someone’s basement, with dark leather couches, the Tanzanian versions of “Dogs Playing Poker”, and that’s the Dar priority lounge. At least there WAS a lounge.
Equipment:
Boeing 777-200 (JFK to Dubai and Dubai to JFK): Excellent! We had the nearly lie-flat slumberette beds in business class. We saw the first class seats on our flight from Dubai to JFK, and they had the in-seat mini-bars (not sure if they had the enclosed “pods” or not. Definitely what I aspire to on my next flight!) These seats enabled my husband and I to get some actual sleep for the first time ever on an international flight, so it was worth the ticket price (used the American Express Platinum buy 1/get 1 free deal). Service was good, but not exceptional (service was better on the return than the outbound). The ICE entertainment system kept us busy when we weren’t sleeping--there were too many movie, TV, music choices to mention. The food was quite good. Three meals were served on the transatlantic flights: dinner (three entree choices), snack (three choices), and breakfast (three choices), accompanied by cocktails and various wines. There were additional snacks (e.g., sandwiches, fruit, chips) available in the galley whenever you liked. Meals are followed by a cart with desserts, cheeses, fruits, chocolates, and coffee/port/cordials. The cabins and bathrooms were kept clean. There were plenty of amenities available whenever one desired in the lavatories (e.g., toothbrushes, paste, razors, shaving cream, moisturizer, perfume/aftershave). Hot towels are passed out before/after all meals. There is a good selection of magazines and newspapers. Blankets, pillows, socks, eyeshades are provided, as well as noise cancelling headphones. There are separate amenity kits handed out for men and women, with the usual toothbrush, paste, comb, razor, deodorant, lotion, lip balm, etc. The business class cabin is large; if possible, request the smaller front cabin (behind first class) with just two rows, instead of the larger cabin with approximately six rows. The seating configuration is surprising for a business class cabin (2-3-2), but with the upgraded seats with the privacy panels and the amount of space between rows, even the middle seat in the middle configuration would be rather good. The middle bulkhead seats had the same large (I think it was 19” monitors) as the other seats; however, the bulkhead seats in the 2-seat side configuration had smaller (17” monitors) that pulled out from the armrests. Not only were the screens smaller (although who needs a 19” screen on the plane??), but they must have made the seat width slightly narrower (although the seats are wide enough for you to sit sideways or with one’s feet Indian-style for variation). There were NO laptop power ports at the seats--my only minor complaint about this aircraft. There is a neat nighttime starry sky displayed on the roof of the cabin during sleeping times.
Airbus 320 (Dubai to Nairobi and Dar es Salaam to Dubai): This aircraft is poor in comparison to the 777. We had problems with the entertainment system on all of our flights, but especially on this aircraft where you must request small cassette tapes to watch movies. It seemed rather archaic, and my first tape got stuck in the arm of the seat and was not fixable. On another flight, we were unable to remove the GUI directional information from the monitors, so it was difficult to watch a film unimpeded. The screens were smaller (less than 15”), and the seats not nearly as comfortable. The screens really ARE GUI, but you need to press so hard that it causes movement to the seat of the person in front of you. The business-class seats were certainly preferable to economy class, but they weren’t very wide, so you were unable to turn to either side to achieve a comfortable position for sleeping. Socks and eyeshades were provided, but no other amenity kit. Blanket, pillow, and noise-cancelling headphones also distributed. One meal was served; no dessert cart was seen in business class. We compared this flight to a first-class domestic flight in the United States: better than coach, but certainly not international business class (even though we flew internationally). The aircraft had the same 2-3-2 configuration. Our flight from Dubai to Nairobi was changed from a 3-class to a 2-class piece of equipment after booking.
Bottom Line: We would definitely use Emirates again, especially on the transatlantic portion! They allowed us a multi-night stopover in Dubai free of charge, and we were supposedly able to claim Continental (or alternately United) miles for our flights, which will be more usable to us in the future instead of Emirates miles (but we still haven’t received our miles, even a week after the completion of our itinerary, or even for the first outbound leg, which took place three weeks ago). We should each receive enough miles for a free domestic ticket in the US (about 25,000 each), or to use for upgrades. Emirates participates in the American Express Platinum buy 1/get 1 free program, although you are purchasing the first ticket at a higher business class (refundable) rate rather than the lowest business rate that you can find online (but it still saved us money).
Airports:
JFK: We used the new Terminal 4, which even has its own website (www.jfkiat.com). There really isn’t much to do within security in the terminal, so we spent our time in the lounge. You cannot smoke anywhere within the airport, including in the Emirates lounge.
Dubai: Huge airport, with about 4 floors (website www.dubaiairport.com)). It’s nearly all duty-free shops, the largest we’ve ever seen. They resemble grocery stores, with many cashiers lined up, each running a separate conveyor belt/cash register. All the usuals are for sale (e.g., liquor, cigarettes, perfume, jewelry), but also less frequently seen items like TVs, blenders, and other household appliances. Passengers walk through the airport with their luggage carts (which resemble shopping carts) piled high with duty-free. There are smoking rooms and other stations throughout the airport, including in the Emirates lounge. In August of 2007, there was NO visa required for US citizens who were on a 96-hour stopover in Dubai (or for transit passengers). Emirates passengers with a layover of greater than 4 hours are entitled to a meal in specific restaurants. There are separate lounges for business and first-class passengers.
Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (International): We didn’t spend much time there, but the airport seemed older in style (website www.kenyaairports.com/jkia). The few shops and restaurants that we saw were small and cramped. But to be fair, we didn’t spend enough time there to make an accurate comment. We got visas for Kenya before leaving the States, and we were glad when we saw the line at the airport (not that you need to rush anywhere, unless you’ve got a connecting flight). The visas were about $50 each USD for single-entry, and we paid another $50 USD each for the service who got them for us (see A Briggs at www.abriggs.com).
Nairobi Wilson (Domestic): Wilson is the domestic airport in Nairobi (website www.kenyaairports.com/wilson). We flew on SafariLink (website www.safarilink-kenya.com), but it seemed that all airlines operated similarly. Each airline has its own small building, where you must go to check in and check luggage. The SafariLink building has a small snack bar and restrooms. There is no smoking inside, but it’s not a problem outside. You are then mini-bused to the small airport facility from which you will fly. Once through security, there are two duty-free shops and restrooms, but they are in separate small buildings. There is a small waiting area with seats, but there are many more passengers than room to comfortably wait. We have used other domestic airports before, and this didn’t resemble anything we had previously seen, whereby you could pull up to the doors an hour before your flight, find your appropriate airline counter, check in, and have a quick wait in a shop or coffee bar. There was no problems with it; it just wasn’t what we were expecting. There is a small window for customs/immigration, which you’ll need to use if flying from the domestic airport to Tanzania or another country (this was fast and easy, and the staff from SafariLink led us by the hand through the steps). There is no coffee shop in the main departure area, but I believe that one of the two shops sold cold drinks and packaged snacks. There is regular security here, and our bags at the SafariLink “terminal” WERE weighed.
Kichwa Tembo Private Airstrip: I think that this was a paved (macadam) runway, surprising for being out in the middle of nowhere. We flew on a rather large plane between Wilson and Kichwa Tembo, probably holding about 50 passengers, having a restroom, and even a flight attendant who served hard candy and bottled water. This plane was much larger than I had imagined it would be, but the planes would get smaller from here on in. There is no formal airport building, only a small round seating area with a bench and covered by a roof (but open on the sides). There are no bathroom facilities at this airstrip; no running water; no electricity. We were met by staff from Bateleur, and greeted with a wonderful champagne welcome (including crystal flutes). It was a great beginning to our safari, and we would soon grow accustomed to the unbelievable luxury of the CC Africa lodges and staff! It was immediately apparent that we chose the best company for our safari (although we did not book through CC Africa itself). Luggage is NOT weighed here, and there is NO security.
Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA): Our flight departed Wilson late, and therefore arrived in Kilimanjaro late (probably by about an hour) (website www.kilimanjaroairport.co.tz). We flew Regional Air from Kilimanjaro to the Crater (Lake Manyara Airport). Since our flight was full, we did not need to stop in Arusha en route to the Crater, although some flights may if there aren’t enough passengers for the direct flight. Kilimanjaro is a “real” airport, but still very small. I only saw one snack bar inside, several bathroom facilities, and (joy!) an indoor/outdoor smoking area near the departure gates. There were a few shops outside of the security area (I saw some fake designer bags in the windows). The staff at Kili were great--and also led us by the hand through baggage claim and luggage recheck. There was no wait at the visa window, although we had gotten our visas before leaving the US ($50 USD each, plus another $50 each for the service). There is regular security here, and we were not allowed to take liquids on board with us. Luggage was not weighed, even though there were facilities.
Lake Manyara Airport: This is an actual airport, but teeny-tiny. The runways are paved (macadam). There is a small departure area (think grandma’s basement, complete with velour sofas) where you can smoke. There is a building across the parking lot with crafts and souvenirs. There is a bathroom building nearby, which even had toilet paper, soap, and running water on my arrival (but none of those on my departure, so it seems variable). People were quite nice. There was nowhere to buy drinks or snacks (which isn’t a problem if you use CC Africa, for they won’t let you go hungry or thirsty for a moment and always pack you a to-go bag with a sandwich, small dessert, fruit, nuts, and drink box; sandwiches were delicious!). Luggage was not weighed, and I did not see any facilities.
Arusha Airport: This is a CUTE little airport, with everything that you need: tiny coffee bar, several small shops, snack bar/coffee house, decent restrooms. There is no problem smoking here, since everything is indoor/outdoor. There is a security scanner and X-ray machine, but it was no problem taking liquids on board. Luggage was not weighed, and I did not see any facilities (although we transferred through). I would fly through this airport anytime!
Zanzibar International Airport: This is a small airport, but very traditional (website www.zanzibar-airport.com). It is indoor, and semi-air conditioned with chiller machines. Oddly, there is no restroom after passing through security, but it wasn’t a problem to go back out if necessary. There is a restaurant (?called the Palm Tree Terrace?), but again, it was prior to security so not really accessible. There are two shops inside (one duty-free with lots of books), one that sells drinks and snacks. There is NO smoking inside this airport. There was even a priority lounge (I guess for first class passengers flying internationally), but it had NO amenities other than being blocked off from the masses (no services inside). We flew Coastal Air from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam, and since we arrived at the airport early, they put us on an earlier flight, so we only spent about 20 minutes waiting (it would be tough to spend 1+ hours here constructively). This was the only airport where we needed to pay a departure tax, which was $5 USD per person for flying domestically (I think it was $30 USD for international). They took dollars for the fee. All the check-in counters are almost at the curb (so outside), and those flying Kenyan Air looked the most harried.
Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam: For one of the country’s two main international airports, this was surprisingly disappointing. Helpful Hint: Use a porter! It will be $5 or $10 well spent. They greeted us at the car door, whisked us through special security line, waited to grab bags, and then deposited us at the airline check-in counter (even though no one knew at that time that we were business class). There were shops outside, but the inside security business takes a bit of time, and I wouldn’t linger outside too much. The ”regular” security line was quite long, and there were at least two other security checkpoints inside. We weren’t allowed to take matches on-board, and they screened our bags heavily. Our luggage was weighed (with the meat-hook type devices, not digitally). There are a few nice shops inside security, along with a snack bar. There are a good variety of souvenirs, and reasonably-priced. Another airport where it’s difficult to spend 1+ hours, though. The priority Tanzanite Lounge was disappointing (see my other review for Emirates), but still better than waiting with the masses. The airport is not air-conditioned except after passing through the final security scan just before boarding, where there were chillers. There were bathroom facilities (though small for the number of people waiting), but there was NO smoking allowed inside (even though it seemed sort of an open-air building). I wouldn’t jump at the chance to fly through here again, unless it really fits my schedule well--just disappointing for an international airport.
Tours:
Desert Safari (Sandboarding and Dunebashing in Dubai) with Hormuz Tours (website www.hormuztourism.com) Hormuz was extremely responsive to my e-mails (unlike many other companies in Dubai), and they offered the exact tour that we wanted at a reasonable rate. (I think we paid $40 per person, excluding gratuity for a private tour.) I did NOT want to take the afternoon desert safari that included dinner at a bedouin camp, which was what most companies offered. The driver picked us up at our Dubai hotel for the hour drive to the desert. The drive is fairly interesting, with lots of construction projects along the way (they are building Dubailand: Dubai’s version of DisneyWorld, scheduled to open in 2010, I believe.) The road conditions were excellent. We actually left the emirate of Dubai in order to dune bash in Sharjah. The car (SUV) was comfortable, and the driver was friendly. We stopped at a small store just before dune bashing so that the driver could deflate the car tires in preparation for dune bashing. The store sold cold drinks, small souvenirs, and had restroom facilities (which we did not use). Dune bashing was really scary! We definitely should have signed a release waiver, and worn helmets. There isn’t much preventing the vehicle from flipping over on the soft dunes (they are really powdery--not hard-packed like the sand that we drive on in the beaches in the US), because you are going at a high rate of speed up and down some serious hills. It was fun, but I almost wanted to turn back several times because I couldn’t get the idea of flipping out of my head. We saw some camels being herded in the desert. The sandboarding was tough--not quite like skiing, and we’ve never actually snow boarded, so we can’t make a comparison. Going down is fun, but when you fall, the sand is burning hot! And you’ve got to walk back up any hill that you board down. If you’re worried about sandboarding, you can always just sit on the board and go down on your butt. But you do have to come back up after the fun.
Kudos for Kennedy! Waymark Safaris in Nairobi (website www.waymarksafari.com) As everyone online gushes, Kennedy is a great guy! He gave us a tour of Nairobi, including Kenyan Wildlife Services for the “cheetah hug” (highly recommended!), the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Langatta Giraffe Center, Karen Blixen Museum (we didn’t feel that this sight had any particular merit for us personally, and wish we had saved the time and entrance fee). Our tour also included the Utamadumi Craft Center (with optional lunch at Verandah), and the Bomas of Kenya, but we really only wanted to see the cheetah, ellies, and giraffes, so we went back to the hotel early. We paid for the whole day anyway, about $70 per person, excluding gratuities to the KWS guide, Kennedy, and the entrance fees to the sites. I think the entry fee for each site was approximately $10 USD per person; the Karen Blixen Museum was the only sight that required Kenyan shillings rather than USD. Kennedy, being the great guy that he was, agreed to change some money for us (I can’t believe we weren’t more prepared, but most of our trip was prepaid months ago). The other amazing thing that Kennedy did for us: My husband and I each bought a Tilley hat for our safari. My husband used his hat on a previous vacation, but mine was brand-new. We took the hats on our day tour with Kennedy (but didn’t use them), and proceeded to leave them in the back (luggage area) of his SUV. We didn’t even realize it until 9:00 pm that night (the night before our departure on safari). Kennedy offered to drive the hats to the airport for us, but we really didn’t expect to get them back, especially after seeing the unique airline building/departure terminal setup at Wilson. The minutes kept ticking by, and just when we had given up hope, an airline representative brought the hats out to us. We gave her a tip to give Kennedy, since we couldn’t go back out through security. We are unbelievably grateful to him! It was nice to meet since a kind and good-hearted person on our first full day in Africa.
Balloon Safari (from Bateleur Camp in the Masaai Mara)
This was the only part of our trip that didn’t go as planned. We were awoken at 4:00 to prepare for a 5:00 am departure to the ballooning site. After an hour’s drive, we reached the take-off spot, where we received a briefing from an incredibly funny balloon pilot and were offered hot drinks. It was a wet morning, so they started blowing up the balloons with fans in order to dry them off. Then several test balloons (regular helium balloons) were sent up, but it was determined that it was too windy to fly that day. I’m sure they would have done everything possible to send those balloons up, since at $435 per person x 40 people (2 balloons each held 12 passengers, and 1 balloon held 16 passengers) meant a lot of missed money that day (although our travel agent has promised us a refund, we are still waiting for it over three weeks later). The balloon safari was run by Governor’s Camps (www.governorscamps.com). We were back at our camp by 7:00, in time to take the morning game drive (I think the balloon company called the camps to make sure they waited for their guests). Our game drive that day turned out to be excellent, so it was a good consolation for the missed balloon experience. We tried to rebook for the next day, but there was no space available. As long as you heart won’t be broken if you can’t go, it seems like a great experience. Just seeing the little that we did, it’s something that we will try to do again in the future (even if it’s in the US).
Masaai Village (from Klein’s Camp in the Serengeti)
We paid $40 total for my husband and I to visit this village. The money goes directly to the family whose house you visit. We went late in the afternoon (probably arriving around 4:30 pm), and we got to go inside one of the small bomas. There were three teeny-tiny rooms, if you could call them that: the mother’s bed, the father’s bed, and a small common area where there’s a fire and where simple meals are eaten. I think that the children sleep in the father’s bed when he is not there, for when the father does visit and spend the night, the children are sent elsewhere (men have more than one wife, and all wives live in the same cluster of bomas). The most astounding part of the house is that half of it is taken up by a cattle pen filled with calves. This is to keep them warm and safe. Despite the close quarters, I thought that the house and pen were neatly kept and did not smell. Amazingly, the animals were absolutely quiet while we were inside--there was no “mooing”, and had I not seen them through a tiny window, I wouldn’t have even known that they were inside right next to me. The local women all rush to the area in hopes of selling their crafts (mostly beadwork and carved wooden objects; there were no textiles or paintings, which I was interested in buying). Prices seemed fair. The tour is a good opportunity to see the local people (or rather, the women and children). We also visited the newly-established clinic and passed both the primary and secondary schools and the town center (surprisingly, there was a satellite dish, and people were dressed in traditional Western clothing). Some Masaai seem to adopt modern conveniences when they choose to (we saw D cell batteries on the mother’s bed), but for the most part, they live an authentic lifestyle and it’s worth seeing.
Stonetown (in Zanzibar, Tanzania)
We took a 2-hour tour of Stonetown before leaving the island of Zanzibar. We stayed at the Palms, which was a 1-hour drive each way to Stonetown, so rather than give up half a day of relaxation for the tour, we decided to leave for the airport a bit early and see it en route. (This was a wise choice, for while it was a nice tour, it was quite hot and not worth giving up our luxurious post at the Palms.) We saw the main sites: synagogue (closed after noon on Fridays for services), House of Wonders, Old Slave Market, Anglican Church, Roman Catholic Church, markets (meat, fish, spice, vegetable), ampitheatre. We used a Unicef guide, who charged $20 per person, probably a bit steep, but he did manage to steer us to all the proper places in a short amount of time. The passageways were narrow, and we certainly would have gotten lost. Our map wasn’t very good (Stonetown was much larger than we envisioned). I didn’t see any of the hotels that I had considered staying at for one night (we looked at Emerson & Green, Sultan’s Palace, Serena Inn), but in retrospect, it was a bit noisy and crowded and wouldn’t have suited us.
Hotels:
Link to My Review of Dar al Masyaf (at Madinat Jumeirah)
Link to My Review of the House of Waine (Nairobi)
Link to My Review of Bateleur Camp at Kichwa Tembo (Masaai Mara, Kenya)
Link to My Reivew Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania)
Link to My Review of Klein’s Camp (Serengeti, Tanzania)
Link to My Review of The Palms (Bwenjuu, Zanzibar)
Link to My Review of the Kilimanjaro Kempinski (Dar es Salaam)
