Featured Travel Opportunity

Scuba Shack plans group trip to Egypt – April 2011

Scuba Shack is planning a trip-of-a-lifetime to Egypt! This popular scheduled program includes both exploration above and below the surface. The 16 day trip includes activities in Cairo, Luxor and the resort destination Sharm El Sheikh.

If you even think you might be interested in this trip, you need to pick up the phone and call Scuba Shack immediately. We want to ensure we have enough spots available and when planning a trip like this, Scuba Shack must start now!

Here is a listing of the day-by-day activities and accommodations. Note that B, L and D indicates when meals are included.

Day 1 – Friday – April 22 – Departure
Depart New York this evening on board your overnight flight to Egypt.

Day 2 – Saturday – April 23- Cairo
Ahlan Wa Sahlan! Welcome to Egypt, Land of the Pharaohs! Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, your tour representative will greet you, and assist you with custom formalities. After check-in at the hotel and time to freshen up, you will meet with the Learning Through Travel representative to discuss the exciting days ahead. A welcome dinner this evening will introduce you to Egyptian cuisine.
ACCOMMODATIONS:  MENA HOUSE OBEROI HOTEL OR SIMILAR (D)

Day 3 – Sunday – April 24- Cairo
Today you will visit the Giza Plateau where there are three Pyramids, the greatest being that of Cheops. It took 100,000 workers more than 20 years to construct. Entrance to one of the pyramids is included. Southeast of the Great Pyramids is the Sphinx, carved out of solid natural rock in about 2650 BC, a magnificent monument with the head of the Pharaoh and the body of a lion. Continue to visit the first Pyramid ever built, the Step Pyramid of Zoser, in the Sakkara Complex. When Memphis was the capital of Egypt, during the Old Kingdom period, Sakkara was its necropolis. Spread over seven kilometers of desert, Sakkara is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Before returning to the hotel, stop to visit the remains in Memphis, the first capital of United Upper and Lower Egypt.
ACCOMMODATIONS:  MENA HOUSE OBEROI HOTEL OR SIMILAR (B, L)

Day 4 – Monday – April 25- Cairo
This morning you are being introduced to the masterpieces of ancient art in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, including the Mummy Room. The museum is home to the vast findings of King Tutankahmun’s tomb and other important pieces of Egypt’s history. After lunch visit Old Cairo including the Citadel and Mohammed Ali Mosque. The day ends with a visit to the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, known for its narrow alleys. Hundreds of shops are selling all types of Egyptian handicrafts, silver and gold jewelry, cottons, copperware and perfumes.
ACCOMMODATIONS:  MENA HOUSE OBEROI HOTEL OR SIMILAR (B, L)

Day 5 – Tuesday – April 26- Cairo/Aswan/Abu Simbel [OPTION]/Nile Cruise
This morning a short flight will bring you to Aswan where you will connect with a flight to Abu Simbel. Visit the great Temples of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari. The colossal statues were originally carved into the side of a natural cliff that had to be rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. After your excursion and upon your return to Aswan you embark your Nile cruise. After lunch, visit Aswan’s High Dam, Granite Quarries, and Unfinished Obelisk. Then continue by felucca to enjoy Kitcheners Island with its beautiful gardens and to view the mausoleum of the Agha Khan.
ACCOMMODATIONS: 5-STAR DELUXE NILE CRUISE SHIP (B, L, D)

Day 6 – Wednesday – April 27- Nile Cruise Aswan/Kom Ombo/Edfu
After breakfast, sail in a small boat to the Philae Temple, situated on the island of Agilika. Like Abu Simbel, the temple was relocated in order to protect it from the rising water of the High Dam, built in 1960. The main sanctuary on the island is dedicated to the Goddess Isis and her son Horus. Ancient Egyptians believed that Isis was the Goddess of Magic, and when she wept, the Nile flooded.  This afternoon set sail for the city of Kom Ombo, known as “Ombos” in ancient times. Its location on the Nile, gave it strategic importance to control the routes from Nubia to the Nile Valley. The city became prosperous when the temple in the Ptolemaic era was built, divided into two symmetrical halves. The left side is dedicated to the falcon-headed god, “Heroeris,” and the right side to the crocodile god, “Sobek”. Reliefs of Ptolemaic Pharaohs are found in the porch area. The remainder of the temple consists of a crypt, chapels, Roman wells where sacred crocodiles may have been kept, and the remains of a birth house. On the walls of the temple, you will see the first recorded representation of medical instruments. Sail onto Edfu, midway between Aswan and Luxor.
ACCOMMODATIONS: 5-STAR DELUXE NILE CRUISE SHIP (B, L, D)

Day 7 – Thursday – April 28- Nile Cruise Edfu/Luxor
Begin the day by visiting the magnificently preserved temple of Edfu. The sandstone temple of Horus the Sun God was built under the Ptolemies and completed by the mid first century, BC. In the colonnaded court, we will see the surviving statue of a pair of falcons representing Horus. A series of smaller chambers leads to the Sanctuary of the God, which is lit by three openings in the ceiling. Ceremonies, celebrations, and war scenes are shown on the walls of the temple. Later today, sail to Esna, pass the lock, and arrive in Luxor, ancient Thebes. This afternoon you will explore the East Bank of the Nile including the Temple of Luxor. Here, the Avenue of Sphinxes, famous for its artistic degree of uniformity, leads to the entrance of the temple where a seated colossus of Ramses II and a towering Obelisk sit. Continue to the Karnak Temple, one of the most impressive monuments of ancient art and architecture in the world. The carvings, which adorn all of the walls, depict the history and conquests of many of Egypt’s Pharaohs. This evening return to the Karnak Temple for a spectacular Sound and Light Show.
ACCOMMODATIONS: 5-STAR DELUXE NILE CRUISE SHIP (B, L, D)

Day 8  – Friday – April 29- Luxor
Early this morning cross the West Bank to explore the Valley of the Kings, housing 63 tombs belonging to the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including the famous tomb of King Tutankhamen. Many of the tombs, carved out of the bedrock, retain their original bright colors and fine relief’s and scenes, thought to guarantee the safe passage of the Ka to the after life. Afterwards, continue on to Deir El Bahri to visit the mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, considered one of the finest buildings in Egypt. Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as King for 20 years.
ACCOMMODATIONS: 5-STAR DELUXE NILE CRUISE SHIP (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Saturday – April 30- Luxor/Sharm El Sheikh
This morning you will take a short flight to Sharm El Sheikh. Arrive in the “Land of Turquoise” where rock meets coral reefs and the desert stops at the sea.  Transfer to the harbor where you will meet with a dive guide who will take you on an orientation dive at the Far, Near and Middle Garden site. Your equipment will be waiting for you when you arrive. After your check-out dive embark your safari boat the M/Y Snefro Crown.
ACCOMMODATIONS: M/Y SNEFRO CROWN LIVE ABOARD BOAT OR SIMILAR (B, L, D)

Day 10- Sunday – May 1 – Ras Mohammed National Park
Your first day of diving takes you to Ras Mohammed. It has been said, that if there were just one place in the world to dive that would be Ras Mohammed. The Wall extends from the eel garden in the north to a large rock formation in the south called the Shark Observatory.  Above the surface is a sheer limestone cliff with a fringing reef below.  Drifting southward with the gentle current, every ledge and crevice has something different to offer. Colorful soft corals grow from overhangs, surrounded by Anthias, which flutter around the wall like butterflies. Giant gorgonian fans, up to 15 feet across, spread horizontally on some of the ledges.  A few areas, especially in deep crevices, are dark and devoid of life, while others are brilliantly colorful and alive with activity. Caves provide refuge for soldier fish, hatchet fish, and silver sweepers. If you look upward, you will notice schools of jacks or tunas, a shark or eagle ray. This sight will keep you in awe!
ACCOMMODATIONS: EMPEROR DIVERS –SNEFRO CROWN BOAT OR SIMILAR  (B, L, D)

Day 11 – Monday – May 2 – Thistlegorm
Early this morning you will arrive at the famous wreck of the Thistlegorm. There is so much to explore so you will have a minimum of 2 dives. The first will be a complete overview and the second a penetrating one. For the third dive your oat will sail to Small passage where two channels cut the reef system of Shaab Mahmoud and connect the sheltered lagoon to the open sea.  A night dive inside the lagoon is optional.
ACCOMMODATIONS: EMPEROR DIVERS –SNEFRO CROWN BOAT OR SIMILAR (B, L, D)

Day 12 – Tuesday – May 3 – Ras Mohammed National Park/Dahab
Your first dive today will be to the historical wreck of the Dunraven which sank in April 1876. The Dunraven is an old wooden wreck with plenty of room for passing through thousand of glassfish that live in the shade of the wreck. Afterwards return to Ras Mohammed National Park to dive some of the most popular sites including Shark and Yolanda Reef, the southernmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula with an endless wall unique to the Red Sea.  Sailing back to ward Sharm El Sheikh you will have your third dive at Ras Zatar, Ras Ghazlani or possibly Ras Um Sid. Upon arrival at the port you will be met and transferred to Dahab. Dahab was originally a Bedouin fishing village that today is world-renowned for its many reefs immediately adjacent to the waterfront hotels.
ACCOMMODATIONS:  HILTON DAHAB HOTEL OR SIMILAR (B, L, D)

Day 13 – Wednesday – May 4 –Dahab
Dive Dahab today including the dive sites of The Canyon, The Blue Hole and The Bells. Following are sites that may be visited. The Canyon: The closest dive site up the road from Dahab and also the most accessible for divers.  The dive operation parks their truck and divers gear and get in the water right at the dive site entrance.  The site is famous for a large crack in the sea floor starting at 40 feet and going down to 90 feet that is accessible by divers who wish to swim through the “Canyon.”  The dive site is also known for colorful hard and soft corals and schools of colorful reef fish. Rick’s Reef – situated on the north of the Canyon dive site, this is a perfect place to make a drift dive from this location toward the lagoon of the Canyon when a mild current is present. This is a very relax dive, excellent for photography. Octopus, Scorpion fishes, Morays, school of Red Sea Goatfishes fish and Fusiliers are always around on the sandy plateau patches with coral heads. The sandy bottom often hosts Bluespotted Stingray and amazing Napoleon Wrasses can always surprised you from the blue. The sloping coral garden stretches form the entry of the dive site to the fishbowl of the Canyon of beyond. The Blue Hole: A couple of miles up the road from the Canyon are a small Bedouin village of restaurants surrounding a coral peninsula called the Blue Hole.  The Blue Hole is a submarine pothole (a kind of cave), around 400 feet deep. There is a shallow opening around 30 feet deep, opening out to the sea and a 90 foot tunnel, known as the arch, the top of which is 170 feet. The hole itself and the surrounding area have an abundance of coral and reef fish.  Deep descents into the Blue Hole or through the tunnel are only for divers with proper technical diving training and equipment. A CAMEL DIVE IS INCLUDED ON ONE OF THE DAYS (TO BE ADVISED ON SITE)
ACCOMMODATIONS:  HILTON DAHAB HOTEL OR SIMILAR (B, L, D)

Day 14 – Thursday – May 5 – Petra, Jordan [OPTION]
This morning you will leave Egypt by fast ferry over to Jordan where you will visit the ancient city of Petra.  Climb atop your horse for a ride to the main entrance to the “lost city of Petra”.  Much of Petra’s appeal comes from its spectacular setting deep inside a narrow desert gorge.  From the main entrance, you walk into the siq, which ripped through the rock in a prehistoric quake. As you make your way through the cliff walls, you will pass inscriptions in ancient languages. Petra’s most famous monument is the Treasury (the final scene of Indian Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed here). You will also see a 3,000-seat theater from the early 1st Century, tombs baths, and funerary halls temples. Return to Egypt for overnight.
ACCOMMODATIONS:  HILTON DAHAB HOTEL OR SIMILAR (B, L, D)

Day 15 – Friday – May 6 – Dahab/Sharm El Sheikh/Cairo
Return to Sharm El Sheikh where you will take a flight to Cairo. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner.
ACCOMOMDATIONS: FAIRMONT HELIOPOLIS HOTEL OR SIMILAR (B, D)

Day 16 – Saturday – May 7 – Departure
Farewell to Egypt as you transfer to the airport for your return flight to New York. Arrive home your hearts and minds filled with happy memories of ancient and modern day Egypt. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS (TENTATIVE)

• International Air New York/Cairo/New York
• Domestic Air Cairo/Aswan-Luxor/Sharm El Sheikh-Cairo
• 3 nights accommodation in Cairo at the Mena House Oberoi Hotel or similar
• 5 days/4 nights 5-star deluxe Nile Cruise
• 4 day/3 night mini-safari from Sharm El Sheikh
• 3 nights accommodation in Dahab at the Hilton Dahab Hotel or similar
• 1 night accommodation in Cairo at the Heliopolis Fairmont Hotel or similar
• All transfers: Cairo/Aswan/Luxor/Sharm El Sheikh/Dahab
• Sightseeing and transfers by deluxe motor coach
• English speaking guide throughout Egypt
• Full day sightseeing Pyramids (entrance into 1 pyramid)/Sphinx–Memphis/Sakkara
• Full day sightseeing Egyptian Museum of Antiquities including entrance into the Mummy Room-Citadel, Mosque & Bazaar
• Transfer of dive equipment from Cairo/Sharm El Sheikh/Dahab/Cairo
• 4 1/2 days of dive excursions (2 dives per day – 3 or 4 if possible while on live aboard and in Dahab)
• Camel Safari Dive
• Marine Park Fees
• Egypt and Jordan Visa Fees
• All entrance fees and shore excursions on Nile Cruise
• 14 breakfasts, 11 lunches and 12 dinners
• Hotel taxes and service charges
• Porterage
• Luggage Tags, Travel Bag, Passport Wallet and First Aid Kit

Popular Options

• Abu Simbel Excursion
• Full day tour to Petra, Jordan
• Sound & Light Show Presentation at Karnak Temple
• Sound & Light Show Presentation at The Sphinx-Giza

NOT INCLUDED

• U.S. Departure Taxes & Airport Security ($285.00 subject to change)
• Domestic air within the U.S.
• Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, internet services, dive equipment, soft drinks, coffee, tea (except at breakfast), mineral water, alcoholic beverages, passport fees, gratuities for drivers, guides, transfer personnel, travel insurance, etc…