Amazing 2 Days Luxor West&East Banks with Hot Air Balloon&Tours from Hurghada

Posted By : Daniel_G
On the first morning of this trip we were collected from our hotel and taken to downtown Hurghada in a private taxi to catch the 8:30am GoBus to Luxor. We arrived into Luxor around 14:30 the coach journey was ok but longer than we had anticipated 5.5hrs is a long trip but there was a comfort break at the half way point. We were met at the Luxor bus station and taken directly to our hotel where we had an hour to freshen up and settle in which was welcome after the long drive. Around 15:30 our guide Hatem met us at the hotel, he and a driver took us that afternoon to the temples of Karnak and Luxor. Hatem’s explanations of the temples and the history behind them was very informative and bought the subject to life. We were dropped back to the hotel at around 18:30. The hotel was fine for one night and we had a nice view of the Nile from our balcony. The following morning we had to be in the hotel reception for 04:40 for collection by the hot air balloon company. This part of the trip was relatively well organised and the flight it’s self was a really peaceful and beautiful experience. After the flight we went back to the hotel for breakfast and we were picked up again by Hatem around 8:30am who took us the valley of the kings and another temple. Again this was a really interesting and informative part of the tour that we both enjoyed. In the afternoon we had the chance to ride a camel and sail a boat on the Nile n stop for some lunch. We were dropped back to the bus station in Luxor at 15:45 but the coach was not until 17:30 so we had 1hr45mins to sit in Luxor bus station, we could have explored Luxor a little more on our own but decided it was too much hassle with suitcases. Up until leaving Luxor I would say our experience had been a good one. The coach ride back to Hurghada can only be described as the coach trip from hell! We were both very tried from being awake at 4:00am for the hot air balloon and looking forward to getting some shut eye on the coach. No chance! The music of the coach was far too loud, it was not background noise, more like a loud Egyptian wailing sound that persisted for the full 5hrs+ in addition, the driver found it necessary to sound his horn 3/4 times at every car he passed for the full 5hrs.
His driving style could only be described as that of a lunatic, driving right up behind cars and flashing his lights until they pulled over, dangerous over taking and driving at speed. I don’t know if it was the turbulence from the dangerous driving, the heat (33degrees), the noise or maybe a combination of all three that triggered the lady two seats behind us to profusely projectile vomit into the aisle of the coach. This being about 1hr into the journey meant that the smell of warm vomit filled the air of the coach for the next 4hrs. We arrived back into Hurghada around 10:45 exhausted. We just wanted to get back to our hotel and into bed but the tour operator forgot that we needed picking up so we had to wait another 30mins for a taxi. All in all the the time we spent in Luxor was very good and our guide and driver were excellent. The tour operator needs to reconsider using GoBus for this excursion as our return trip was close to unbearable.

Rating :
Posted On : 2022-03-11 12:37:33

Posted By : Gaspar_R
Ghada kamel, our your guide in Luzor was great, helpful, made us a small present. Helpful, asked for my future wife, to have a breakfast somewhere where we could not get if it wasn't for her. We were really happy with this experience.
Rating :
Posted On : 2021-07-21 05:53:58