After Egypt: What 'Expedition' Means to Me

For many people, the word "expedition" is often associated with extreme adventures. As a kid, I used to imagine multi-day backpacking trips involving long hikes and sleeping in tents. Although this can certainly be considered an expedition, Lindblad Expeditions offers a whole new perspective on the concept. Their itineraries perfectly blend exploration and luxury, all with a strong focus on responsible tourism. To me, an expedition means stepping out of your comfort zone, encountering new experiences, and cherishing each moment.

When you look Lindblad Expeditions up online, odds are you’re going to find primarily content about destinations like Antarctica and the Galápagos. While it’s not their typical wildlife-based trip, the Passage Through Egypt expedition is no less spectacular! After expressing to friends, family, and clients that I’d be traveling to Egypt in March, I was met with some polarizing responses. While some were thrilled that I would get to experience a destination they considered to be so “exotic,” others were deeply concerned about how unsafe it might be due to its proximity to Israel. I wanted to see for myself.?

After experiencing Egypt first-hand, speaking with many locals, and our professional guide, I can honestly say that I felt confident in how secure the whole trip was. Egypt has seen a significant decline in tourism, and it felt great to be able to support those in need of our economic assistance. One of the best things about traveling with Lindblad Expeditions to Egypt is that the entire trip is fully escorted - from the moment you touch down at the airport to the moment you walk through customs on your way home. I was never left questioning what I should do, where I should go, or what the process was at any point in the trip. By law, the Egyptian Tourism Police must escort all tour groups as well, so you have multiple layers of security and Lindblad Expeditions ensures that nothing is left to chance.?

Over 12 days, we explored more than 21 different temples, museums, mosques, and markets as a small group, starting in Cairo, followed by a cruise along the mighty Nile River. While the itinerary doesn’t have the usual focus on wildlife, there is certainly no shortage when it comes to culture, history, and architecture. To give you an idea, the youngest temple we visited was built in 180 BC – over 2,000 years old!

While the age and scale of Egypt certainly speak for itself, the reason Lindblad Expeditions shines is because of the quality of guiding you receive. Throughout the trip we were escorted by a certified Egyptologist – Michael, who has over 30 years of guiding experience. Not only did he give context to the temples and art we were viewing, but he ensured that our trip ran like clockwork, always providing guidance on security expectations, what the local vendors would be like, how much on average popular items cost so that you knew how to barter, and how much time would be spent in each location. Our Certified Photo Instructor, Brooke, was also an invaluable resource when it came to finding creative angles or lighting, and learning how best to use your equipment (even if it was just an iPhone!). She met each guest on their own level. Each day brought new adventures, new pieces of history to explore, and built upon the information the guide had given you the day prior. Without their exceptional knowledge, you would never understand the depth of what you were viewing.

There are a few huge advantages that Lindblad Expeditions has over the competition when it comes to sailing the Nile. The first, and one of the best in my opinion, is that Lindblad Expeditions has private docking slips. Most other ships dock side by side, sometimes up to 7 ships deep. If you are docked like this, you are forced to walk through other ships to get to your own, you likely won’t have a view from anywhere on the ship aside from the sun deck up top, and you’ll have the noise/fumes from the other ships engines to contend with.?

In addition, Lindblad Expeditions is also part of about 20% of Nile cruises that travel “off-peak.” 80% of the ships on the Nile follow the same schedule every day so you’re traveling around like a big pack. By traveling off-peak, we had less noise/diesel fumes while sailing and fewer crowds in each port because of the timing of our visits on land. We experienced no vendors at the Luxor Locks because we were the only ship passing through at the time and were the only group who were visiting when we arrived at Kom Ombo - great for photography with no people in your shot!?

Because there were so few ships around ours, we had such an authentic view of local life along the shores of the Nile. While answering emails on my laptop and enjoying some sunrise tea from the top deck of the ship, it was a common occurrence to find friendly fisherman giving us a wave as they rowed out to start their days. Children would run along the shoreline, jumping and waving their arms frantically to say hello while their parents were hard at work harvesting crops like barley, wheat, and rice. It’s these small interactions with the local people of a destination that always stick with me the most.

I’ve always had a passion for adventure travel and exploring destinations that might be more difficult to get to or are challenging to experience on your own. Being able to help my clients visit a new destination authentically, with a company that gives back to local communities, respects the wildlife of our planet, and wants to make the world a better place, is one of the easiest choices I can make as a travel advisor.

Ready to start exploring? Shoot me an email at [email protected] and let’s start planning your next adventure!

- Annie Jones , Avenue Two Travel, a Luxury Travel Agency