A trip of a lifetime

TRUE STORY

A trip of a lifetime.

Watching House of Travel’s latest advertisement, which was based on their holiday, took Mandy and Colin back to the bustling streets of Giza.

By MANDY PARTLETON

ON OUR FIRST MORNING IN EGYPT, I drew back the curtains of our hotel room to reveal the view we had been too exhausted and too late to admire the night before: the Pyramids, lit by the rising sun, right there in front of my eyes. When we’d seen the hotel in a brochure, I’d just assumed the Pyramids had been photoshopped into the image — I never dreamed that we would be able to stay in that very room with that very view, but this was just one of the incredible, memorable moments that were made possible by Kim, our wonderful travel consultant at House of Travel Ferrymead.

When I was eleven, my family travelled all the way from Greymouth to visit the Wellington Museum and I fell in love with all things Egypt. Seeing the Pyramids that morning came with the realisation that I was finally fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, and the tears I shed as I gazed out at that incredible sight were the first of many during our time in this wonderful country. I think the locals were shocked to see me crying all the time — they were so kind and welcoming everywhere we went — but I was happy to reassure them that they were tears of utter joy and disbelief.

The travel bug bit us both hard in Egypt: we met wonderful people, both locals and fellow travellers, and since then we have not stopped travelling. We work hard, save hard and then we’re off again, often visiting friends we’ve met on our travels. The House of Travel team is always on hand to ensure that each trip is as memorable as the last. And now we’ve seen our adventure brought to life in a TV commercial — maybe it will inspire another little girl from Greymouth to fulfil her travel dreams. ■

Want to do your own Egyptian adventure? It’s easier than you think. Pop over to page 24 for our itinerary ideas.