Last month I had the opportunity of a lifetime to visit Egypt. I, along with 22 others (6 which were SPIN members), were the guests of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt and were treated to an experience that I find hard to put into words. But, in this article I will attempt to do just that. I must take the time to thank Karim El Minabawy and Emeco Travel, our Destination Management Company, for putting together such a lovely trip that showcased so many great features in Egypt. I also need to thank Jeff Canham at Prestige Resorts for coordinating our participation in this trip. At first, I was very anxious about going to a country in the Middle East, but my anxiety disappeared quickly as I stepped off the plane to smiles and warm welcomes from the Egyptian people. The smiles and warmth continued throughout the trip. At each place we stopped, people were friendly and helpful - even when they couldn't fully understand us due to the language barrier. Throughout the trip, I was amazed by the contradictions I saw. We were in the modern city of Cairo with shopping and restaurants yet we saw sites like the Citadel of Salah el Din that were constructed in 1183 AD. Just a short ride through the green farming region around the Nile brought us to desert and the pyramids of Sakkara and Giza. While at the pyramids I truly got an appreciation for the amazing engineering of the ancient Egyptians. While the trip inside the Pyramid of Khufu took some work, a good stair step workout, I was rewarded to stand where King Khufu was ultimately buried. The King's Chamber is remarkable as the walls and ceiling are made of large blocks of red granite. The amazement I felt at the pyramids continued to follow me as we traveled to Luxor and saw the Valley of the Kings and both Karnak and Luxor temples. The amazing colors inside the tomb of Tutankhamun looked as though they had been painted just a few years earlier when really, they were painted around 1325 BC. While the pyramids, tombs, and temples were all sites I expected to see in Egypt, I was not expecting such a beautiful seaside like we saw on the Sinai Peninsula. We were treated to a day on a schooner in Sharm el Shiekh. Between the cooler weather and the crystal clear water, the day spent on the Red Sea was perfect. The snorkeling was incredible. Little is said about the experience one can have at the beach when in Egypt. In planning a meeting or incentive trip to Egypt, I would suggest following an itinerary similar to the one below. I have included extra time so that your attendees would be able to relax and take pictures or shop at the local markets near the sites. You could even build in a day for golf or the spa at one of the hotels in which you stay. Day 1 Arrive in Cairo Transfer to hotel for free time and lunch Dinner at one of the amazing restaurants Overnight at a Cairo hotel Day 2 Sightseeing at the Sakkara step pyramids Sightseeing at the Giza pyramids (camel ride for the brave) Dinner at another amazing restaurant Overnight at a Cairo hotel Day 3 Flight to Luxor Visit the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple Overnight on one of the Floating Hotels Day 4 Visit Karnak Temple Visit Luxor Temple via horse carriage (great way to see the streets around the temples) Overnight on one of the Floating Hotels Day 5 Flight to Sharm el Shiekh Check in and relaxation at a resort Dinner at one of the area restaurants Overnight at a Sharm el Shiekh hotel Day 6 Sea Safari, Snorkeling and Lunch on board a sailing ship Dinner in the desert next to the Sinai Mountains Overnight at a Sharm el Shiekh hotel Day 7 Flight back to Cairo Visit to Sultan Hassan Mosque Shopping at an area bazaar like Khan el Khalili Bazaar Dinner at a Cairo restaurant Overnight at a Cairo hotel Day 8 Flight from Cairo to home If you plan to bring a group to Egypt, contact Karim El Mindabawy at Emeco Travel at +20 2 2577 4646 (ext. 411) or karimm@emeco.com - mention that you are a SPIN member when you call. Our group was made up of Planners and Media and we had the opportunity to visit some lovely hotels and restaurants. Below is a brief listing and description of those hotels and restaurants we visited. For information or to arrange an event/meeting at any of the hotels below, please contact Jeff Canham at Prestige Restorts - 206.313.5986 or jcanham@prestigeresorts.com.
Click here to read another review by travel writer Susan Farewell, a fellow traveler to Egypt. This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar. Thanks for visiting neXt! Please stay tuned for exciting announcements and new developments as we grow. Welcome to your neXt network! When I founded SPIN (the Senior Planners Industry Network) in 2008, I never dreamed that it would today serve 1400 members worldwide, or springboard into The Planner Networks, with three distinct groups serving all experience levels in our industry (IN for emerging planners, neXt for established planners, and SPIN for senior-level planners). By creating three unique groups based on experience levels, we can create peer-to-peer networking and targeted discussion opportunities directly related to their current challenges. We're also unique in that The Planner Networks are free to join, membership is strictly limited to planners, and our gatherings are low cost due to the involvement of a limited number of sponsors. In this way, we keep the focus on the planners and the financial investment minimal. If you're a planner with 5-9 years of full-time experience, we hope you'll join and help us spread the word. Please refer your colleagues with 0-4 years' experience to IN (www.inplanners.com) - the Industry Network for emerging planners, or for those with 10+ years: SPIN - the Senior Planners Industry Network (www.spinplanners.com). | AuthorTracey Smith, CMP, CMM, is the Executive Director of neXt. ArchivesOctober 2010 Categories |
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