THE TRIP:

After arrival into Egypt we will start our journey in Cairo, the capital and heartbeat of the country. Our first stop is the Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza where you can watch an optional light show at night for a different perspective. We will have four days to roam the ancient ruins and markets of this bustling city. Visit Alabaster Mosque, the largest mosque to be built in the first half of the 19th Century-an iconic site in Cairo. Next it is off to Coptic Cairo to walk amongst the beautifully crafted churches, this area is considered the Christian stronghold of Egypt. One has not experienced Cairo until you have perused the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, the market that has established Cairo as a major centre for trade, a great opportunity to photograph the colours and different walks of life that merge in the market.

We leave the chaos of Cairo for Aswan, home of the Nile. Here we will soak up the Nile culture and ancient ruins, on a relaxing day sail down the river on an authentic felucca. A flight to Abu Simbel gives us the chance to visit Temple of Ramses II, the famous temple carved out of the natural rock formation. From here we will cruise down the Nile to Luxor for three nights. On the journey we will stop in a Nubian village where you will get a glimpse into the lives of a people that have been revered for thousands of years for their wealth and military techniques.

Our Nile cruise will take us to our third city, Luxor, considered the greatest open air museum in the world. Here you can take a donkey ride through the Valley of the Kings-a trip highlight and visit the Colossi of Memnon. You will have a full free day to explore the many ancient ruins and monuments in the area. There is also the option to take an early morning hot air balloon ride to see the sweeping landscape of the area, and practice new photo skills.

After an overnight sleeper train we will arrive into Cairo for our Alexandria transfer. Here we will have a full day guided tour through the Catacombs, one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. We will visit Pompey's Pillar and learn about the conflicting history behind the monument. Our final stop will be Fort Qaitbay Citadel. The Citadel is the most important defensive fortress in the Mediterranean sea coast. After breakfast we depart for the Western Desert and Al Alamein, site of the WW2 battles between Rommel and the Allies. We visit the war museum and the Allied cemetery, then continue to Cairo via the Desert Highway where our tour finishes.

trip highlights:

• Historic sites and architecture such as Abu Simbel, Coptic Churches and the Sphinx - Learn professional techniques to shooting architecture

• Sail the Nile by felucca -fine art photography of a timeless classic landscape. Use of filters

• Nile cruise. Allowing for relaxed photographic workshops on camera handling, post production techniques and other workshops.

• Experience village lifestyle along the Nile in the Nubians. Photo reportage style. How to shoot unobtrusively and with discretion

• Capturing as images the different people and cultures that have settled in Egypt over thousands of years

• Visit the many Mosques and Churches - the techniques and equipment for low light photography

• The Western Desert landscapes and Al Alamein. Where the tide of WW11 turned in favour of the allies. -use of light, shadows and textures

• Adventure through all these different sites by the array of transport: Camel, Felucca, Donkey, road, trains, planes, on foot

ITINERARY:

• DAY 1     Cairo Arrival

• DAY 2     Pyramids and Sphinx

• DAY 3     Cairo

• DAY 4     Old Cairo

• DAY 5     Aswan

• DAY 6     Temple of Ramses II Abu Simbel

• DAY 7     Aswan

• DAY 8     Nile Cruise

• DAY 9     Nile Cruise

• DAY 10   Luxor

• DAY 11   Luxor

• DAY 12   Al Alamein-Alexandria

• DAY 13   Alexandria

• DAY 14   Cairo

• DAY 15   Departure

INCLUSIONS:

• 14 nights Accommodation including the Nile cruise

• All airport/hotel/cruise transfers in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria by private modern A/C coach suitable for group size with English speaking guide/s and trained Egyptologist

• Full day tours in Cairo visiting: Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara, Egyptian Museum, Citadel, Alabaster Mosque, & Khan El

• Khalili Bazaar, Old Cairo (Islamic & Coptic Cairo)

• Tour in Alexandria visiting National Museum, Catacombs, Pompey's Pillar, Qaitbay,Fortress and Roman Amphitheatre

• Tours in Aswan visiting Nubian Museum, Nubian village, High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple Guided tour to Temple of Ramses2 at Abu Simbel

• Tours in Luxor visiting Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple & Colossi of Memnon, Luxor & Karnak Temples

• Tours to Edfu Temple & Kom Ombo Temple

• Visit to the War Museum at Al Alamein and visit to the Allied Cemetery

• Entry visa to Egypt for Australian/New Zealand/ UK passport holders

• Tips and portage at the sites and hotels in the itinerary (additional tipping at your discretion)

• Egypt Air flight Cairo-Aswan

• Overnight Sleeper Train Luxor-Cairo

• Return road transfers Cairo- Alexandria - Cairo .

not included:

• Personal expenses such as phone calls, beverages, laundry, etc

• International Airfares

• Any other services have not been mentioned in our offer

• Travel insurance

• Airport taxes (approx AUD$150)

tour style:

Visiting regions of the world famed for their culture, antiquities, history, art, architecture and capturing both the ancient and modern way of life. Egypt is a ‘classic photography tour’ in the truest sense of the word . We control the agenda, the pace, the itinerary - so we can take the best photographs, seek out the hidden gems, or wait for the perfect light. These tours are not just for expert photographers. In fact, we attract an eclectic mix of people who blend other interests with photography - the lover of wildflowers, the birder, the naturalist, the antiquities buff, the painter, the wine and food lover - the normal traveller looking to expand their horizons. During the tour, beginners learn technique and camera handling, composition, lighting and much more. Serious amateurs will revel in the fantastic photographic situations throughout Egypt. There is literally something for everyone on this tour....people, landscapes, architecture, cities, deserts.

instructor(s):

Andrew Thomasson- the Director of Focus 10 will be your instructor throughout. You will be picking up invaluable tips and technique from a master trainer and a professional travel and commercial photographer.  Andrew has led many photographic tours to all corners of the world over the last 20 years for leading travel companies such as Real Travel.
Andrew is a fun loving trainer who can assess and sniff out great photographic opportunities anywhere, anytime and create the dynamics and control the shoot so you get those brilliant photographs. We will also have a local expert English speaking guide and trained Egyptologist with us throughout.

departure date:

Departs 16 January 2011 (ex Cairo)
Real travel can organise any flights from Australia. We generally use Etihad and Emirates and can add extended stop- over stays or connections with other tours.

tour cost:

Land arrangements: Minimum 8 persons, Maximum 15 persons
$4980 (ex Cairo) per person sharing twin/double

Airfares from Sydney/ Melb return are approx. $2000 to $2500 extra
$620 Single Room supplement (subject to availability)

TOUR OPERATOR:

Focus 10 actively researches and seeks out those operators who have the experience, great knowledge of the region, are passionate and are the ‘on the ground’ local operators (not just travel agents or 3rd party wholesalers) We also select companies who have a passion for photography and understand that photography tours have a be custom tailored to meet our special requirements. This quite simply means a strong commitment to our clients, the little extras and input which makes the tour special, knowledgeable pre- departure expertise (such as detailed trip notes) from our operators and overall a better deal and more exclusive experience.

We use Real Travel for our Croatia sailing photography tour (http://www.realtravel.com.au/)

WHAT THEY SAY...:

What Real travel has to say for itself

‘Our escorted tours are especially intended for people who want good accommodation, a cultural understanding of the country or countries visited, fun, and reliable services while on holiday. To provide this we research each country and tour before writing the itinerary. We often even inspect the kitchens of hotels and restaurants used to ensure hygienic conditions. Then we include more leisure days, so that our clients have time to make their own discoveries in the exotic places visited. All of the above, the additional care we take, and the comprehensive pre-tour information we provide, makes REAL TRAVEL special’

What Focus 10 and Andrew Thomasson says:
I have know and dealt with Real Travel for over 20 years now. This company has an excellent reputation and will go that extra mile to make our tour special. I am a personal friend of the Director Riche DuPlessis. Riche leads several tours each year. He has travelled widely on all continents and has developed many of the programs offered by Real Travel and in the Study-Abroad Program offered by Warnborough University. He is a keen photographer and a published author. Riche and I have run many specialized photographic workshops in Australia together notably on the NSW South coast.

MORE INFO:

For further information, please contact FOCUS 10 on info@focus10.com.au or call +61 407 278 809

TO BOOK:

Please email Riche at
REAL TRAVEL travel@realtravel.com.au/