THE "BUS TOUR" is back. The term "bus tour" is very familiar to travellers who used to travel Egypt in the 1980s. At that time, there was a real craze for touring the country's main sites by coach. The trip used to start from Cairo and travel to Aswan, passing through Middle Egypt (Minya, Assiut and Sohag) en route. Travellers would stop in each and every governorate, visit its ancient sites and spend one or two nights in each town, until they reached their final destination. A tour would take anything between 10 and 15 days, and would allow travellers to get acquainted with many different aspects of the land: its culture, its flora and fauna, its natural beauty, and its people. Unfortunately, in the early 1990s the bus tour trend came to an abrupt halt, and travellers were forced to travel direct to Upper Egypt by either train or plane. The only margin for manoeuvre was that provided by the Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan. Now, some travel agencies, at the request of travellers and tour operators, have revived the coach tour tradition. Escapade Travel is one agency currently offering a 10-day/nine-night bus tour of Egypt. Day 1 : Arrive Cairo, transfer to hotel. Check-in and overnight in Cairo. Day 2 : Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Full-day tour of Cairo, including the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum and Khan Al- Khalili bazaar. In the evening, a cruise dinner on the Nile with oriental and belly dance show. Day 3 : Buffet breakfast. Check out from the hotel and board the bus, heading for Minya (180kms). On the way, stop to visit the Pyramids of King Senefro, and the Pyramids of Dahshour and Meidum. Then continue on to Minya and check-in at the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Minya. Day 4 : Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Drive from Minya to Beni Hassan (30kms) on the other bank of the Nile, to visit the necropolis. Proceed thence to Tuna Al-Gabal (545 kms) and visit the tombs there. Return to Minya. Dinner and overnight in Minya. Day 5 : Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Drive from Minya to Tell Al- Amarna to visit the palace of Akhenaton and his beautiful wife Nefertari. Drive on to Assiut. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Assiut. Day 6 : Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the city of Assiut and then drive to Abydos (130 kms) to visit the temple of Seti I. Continue on to Dendera (100kms) to visit the Temple of Hathor. Drive to Luxor (80kms). Check-in and dinner at hotel in Luxor. Day 7 : Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Cross to West Bank of the Nile and visit the valleys of the Kings and Queens, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Return back to the east bank at noon time. Visit the Karnak and Luxor Temples in the early afternoon. It is also possible to attend the Sound and Light show at the Karnak Temples in the evening. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Luxor. Day 8 : Buffet breakfast at the hotel, then check-out. Drive by bus from Luxor to Aswan (210kms). Stop en route to visit the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo. Arrive in Aswan and check-in at the hotel. Visit Kitchner Island by felucca in the afternoon and view the Aga Khan Mausoleum. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Aswan. Day 9 : Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Visit the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and the Temple of Philae. Return to the hotel for free afternoon: optional visit to the souq of spices. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Aswan. Day 10 : Buffet breakfast and check-out from the hotel. Transfer to Aswan Airport to fly to Cairo, or to Aswan station for overnight train to Cairo. For more information, contact Escapade Travel (+202) 417 0311/ 417 8409.
