Egypt Tours can be an enlightening experience, putting back your faith in humanity; they can also leave you feeling like a walking cash point machine in a very tight T shirt.
95% of Egyptians are wonderful, trustworthy, genuine people, like any country. Due to tourists, not the people in the tourist business, the tourists over the years have tipped guides often way way too much. This doesn't help anyone. All it does is help the myth in Egypt that ALL foreigners are very rich and are OK with being charged too much for everything, even if it is a quick opening of the door.
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The tipping culture has been with Egypt since Byzantine times and is a way of life. I tip people all the time, who deserve a tip and I (try to) tip the correct local amount. The tour guide who starts off his or her career with all good intentions is one day given a $50 tip for an hours work. His or her life has changed in a moment.
Imagine if you had someone come and visit your local pub and casually offer to pay for everyone's drinks and meals for the entire evening and leaves £1000 on the bar; just because the barman brought his drinks over to his table. What would you think, "rich", "rich bastard" no, be honest, you would probably think "rich stupid bastard".
It's not the people in the tour business in Egypt's fault, but over the years, time and time a again, a tour guide learns that they can tell a tourist who have come straight off the plane, pretty much anything they want and one in five people will fall for their commission based scams persuading them to leave a months wages on the table smiling, happy in the thought they have been treated well.
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I am not knocking the tour business in Egypt. There are many tour guides out there that are brilliant at their jobs and find the whole baksheesh, commission thing an insult and know that if they take care of their guest; more happy recommended guest will follow. I have been in Egypt for four years and these good highly trained guides, if you know where to look, are everywhere. The problem is they are busy and due to having repeat business have no need to seek out any more, it comes to them.
The guy who makes a living from taking commissions and twisting the truth with costs, adding in a 100% or more at the end of the tour knows he will never be recommended and so has to seek out new guests every day. That's the difference, find you, not you find them. |
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Tour operators that offer 'cheap deals' and promise the world for a few hundred dollars are often using their guides to get their real profits from taking up to 65% commissions from their guest from papyrus shops, carpets shops, restaurants, hotels, right down to the laundry bill. You name it, there is a commission opportunity. I am offered commission from restaurants and bazaars all the time when traveling with our guest in Egypt.
You can think "This is no bad thing, the guide has to make a living, the tour was cheap so I have no problem" and to be fare your right. Somewhere Different charges in a different way, We show all our costs up front but we are probably still more expensive than a lot of tours even when you add in the extra costs from the commissions. The point is, I want my guest to come to Egypt and enjoy Egypt, enjoy the culture and enjoy the restaurant they are eating in because the food is good and the view is great, not because the owner will give me 20% of the bill. |
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For me personally, and it's only a personal opinion, but for me, if i am on holiday I want to know where I am going and and the options offered to me are genuine and in my best interest. If I smell that the reason why we are going to x or y is not in my interest but for other hidden agendas my holiday take on a different feel and , well it's not a holiday any more.
The point I am trying to make here, is choose your the company or person who is going to organise you tour of Egypt well, it will make all the difference. We are one of many offering tours of Egypt and I am in no way saying you should come along with us because you will get ripped off by the others, you won't if you do your home work.
If, having looked at what we offer Somewhere Different you would like to do your home work and check us out. Get in contact or look at all inclusive holidays to Egypt here
Enjoy your tour of Egypt! |
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