MIDDLE EAST | 2015-2016
18 F E AT U R I N G
AMAZING
A DV EN T U R E S
FO R 1 8 -30 S O M E T H I N G S
EX PLOR E
Prices & itineraries valid until 30 April 2016
EGYPT MOROCCO JORDAN ISRAEL TURKEY & UAE
19
INSIDE
EPIC FACTS ABOUT THE
MIDDLE EAST
FES | MARRAKECH | CASABLANCA | ESSAOUIRA | CAIRO | DAHAB | LUXOR | ABU SIMBEL | PETRA | WADI RUM | JERUSALEM | TEL AVIV | DUBAI | ISTANBUL AND MORE
Stories P04. The Amazing Middle East
Bucket list
Your roadmap to adventure.
P06. 19 epic facts about the
Middle East
Naming your daughter Facebook is a thing.
P08. Eat your hummus
And make a mezze.
#DRE
P10. Go, explore, stay, play
It’s your trip, your way.
P13.
Your crew
Trips P14. Egypt
Bring on men in bandages, 4,500 year old archeological wonders and some of the best diving in the world. HIGHLIGHTS
++ ++ ++ ++
he pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx T Explore the temples and tombs of Luxor and Abu Simbel Diving and snorkelling in the Red Sea Felucca sailing or 5-star cruise on the Nile
P28. Morocco
Nomad desert camps, foodie vibes and goats climbing trees. Yep, Morocco is pretty awesome. HIGHLIGHTS
++ ++ ++
Overnight in a Berber desert camp Guided tours of Marrakech and Fes Surfing and chilled out vibes in Essaouira
P36. Jordan & Israel
Go Indiana Jones in lost cities, party in Tel Aviv and eat lots of falafel. Sounds like a plan. HIGHLIGHTS
++ ++ ++
Explore the ancient Nabataean city Petra Visit the epicentre of three of the world’s biggest religions Swim in the Dead Sea
P42. Turkey
Home to sticky ice cream, ancient ruins and epic kebabs. Also the perfect place to board a boat. HIGHLIGHTS
++ ++ ++
Gulet sailing in Fethiye Ruins, bazaars and cultural heritage Did we say kebabs?
Reference P46. P47. P49. P50. P51.
Stopover Dubai Stay & play Terms & conditions How to read our itineraries Maps
EAMBIG WE ARE TOPDECK We do epic road trips through USA & Canada, Big Game safaris, Eurotrips, pyramid expeditions, surf camps and other awesomeness around the world for travellers between 18-39. We realise that everyone’s different, which is why all our trips include heaps of free time to play and explore. It’s your trip, your way. Your trip includes all the must-see, must-do activities and top-notch local fare to recharge those batteries between stops, which means you can spend your money where it matters and we’ll take care of the rest. In the Middle East, you will hit the road in minibuses, feluccas and 4WDs, stay in unique accommodation and hang out with other young explorers bent on seeing the world. And that’s just how we got started. We had a group of mates, some wheels and enough wanderlust to make most mothers worried. Forty years into it, we’re still discovering new places to see and unforgettable travel experiences to make our passengers’ trips just that little bit more awesome. That’s us, but this is about you. It’s time to live large, dream bigger and squeeze life for all it’s worth. The rest can wait. Ready to pack your bags? Let’s talk.
OUR FAMILY IN THE MIDDLE EAST When you’re off the beaten track, local advice is essential. All our Middle East trips are run with local partners to give you the insights and experiences of each destination through the eyes of a local. You wouldn’t want to have it any other way.
What’s this? New Zealand Trip Australia Trip Read More
Fes Medina
Once were nomads
01
02
It’s a Moroccan state of mind. For a city that was founded in 789, Fes is not
The ancient Greeks called them barbarians. Then again, they called
in a hurry to go anywhere. Get lost in the 9,500
everyone that. With origins tracing back to
alleys and lanes of the old medina, then go local
10,000 BC., the Berbers have seen the rise and
with almond and chicken couscous or hit up a
fall of more civilisations than one-hit-wonders
fast food joint for a camel burger and fries in
on a ‘90s radio station. Embrace the life of an
the best-preserved old city in the Arab world.
ancient nomad tribe in the Sahara Desert for
Survival tip: if you hear the word “Balak!” you’re
a night of campfire tagines served up under a
about to get run over by a mule.
blanket of starry skies.
31
35
31
33
35
Ait Ben Haddou
The Great Pyramids
03
04
You know it from Game of Thrones. But the fortified slave city Daenerys
The shape of a pyramid is the ultimate representation of PI + FI. Perfectly
Targaryen laid siege to is far from a new film
lined up at the centre of earth’s land mass and
location. This old trading stop between Sudan
aligned with the Belt of Orion, the pyramids
and Marrakech has been featured in a number
were built with such precision that they can’t be
of films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator,
replicated even with modern technology. Get
The Mummy and Prince of Persia. Take that as a
the backstory with a qualified Egyptologist and
vote of confidence.
explore the 100,000 relics left behind by ancient civilizations at the Egyptian Museum. Also: old men in bandages.
31
33
35
16
18
20
23
27
Diving the Red Sea
Nile High Club
05
06
It might be the fiery sunsets. Or the 1,200 fish species, visibility that can
Camels ain’t for everyone. With more Indiana Jones experiences than you can
reach 200 metres, and steep walls, pinnacles,
crack a whip at, we won’t blame you for wanting
wrecks, and coral gardens teeming with life. With
to kick back between adventures. Board a 5-star
dive sites ranging from reefs just off the beach
cruise ship and take on the Nile in style. Cue
to high-adrenalin drift dives with big pelagics,
golden sunsets, comfy cabins and a swimming
Jacques Cousteau rated this place so much he
pool fit for a pharaoh. Yep, life’s pretty good.
decided to go and live underwater for 30 days. 17
19
21
22
39
16
17
Bedouins & hammocks
Abu Simbel
07
08
Dahab means gold. Like a shining beacon of relaxation on the Sinai
Nothing says I rule the world like a good statue. Witness the legacy of
peninsula, Dahab is one of the few remaining
King Ramesses II and his wife and children at the
hippie outposts in the Middle East. Being far away
twin temples of Abu Simbel. The temples were
from the hustle of Cairo has its advantages. Lap
built in 13th century B.C. as a tribute to Ramesses
up the sun, kick back in a hammock and explore
II himself as a deified ruler and his queen
some of the best diving and snorkelling spots
Nefertari. Check out the rock carvings depicting
in the world. Got sunscreen? Pick your ride and
the battle of Kadesh and get lost in a time of
explore the Sinai desert by quad bike or camel.
pharaohs, mummies and men who did not want to be forgotten.
19
21
23
25
27
16
18
20
24
27
Petra
Take me to Tel Aviv
09
10
Indiana Jones was here. Carved out of the face of Mount Hor by the
AKA where Israel goes to party. What Tel Aviv lacks in cultural heritage,
Nabataeans around 300 BC. and lost to the
it makes up for in youthful vibrancy and a
Western world until 1812, Petra rocks enough
hedonistic round-the-clock nightlife so good
archeological swag to earn a spot among the
Lonely Planet ranked this place as one of the
New 7 Wonders of the World. Make your way
world’s top ten party cities. In other words, if
through the Siq canyon to explore a maze of
you’re bored, you’re doing something wrong.
palaces, temples, tombs and stables worthy of a
Taste note: Abu Hassan’s hummus is supposedly
last crusade. Ask Indy.
world-class. Check it out.
27
39
41
39 THE AMAZING MIDDLE EAST BUCKET LIST | 05
19
EPIC FAC ABOUT T MIDDLE
PYRAMID SCHEME
“TRUST IN GOD BUT TIE UP YOUR CAMEL” ARAB PROVERB
01.
It took 20 years and 2,300,000 blocks of stone weighing 2-30 tonnes each to finish the Great Pyramid of Giza.
02.
It’s also the only structure on earth aligned with the exact centre of earth’s landmass and facing true north with only a 3/60th degree of error.
03.
The indoor temperature of a pyramid is a balmy 20C with special vents pointing to the constellation of Orion to ensure a safe passage to the other side.
04.
The Great Pyramid was the world’s largest structure for nearly 4,500 years.
05.
The French were the first ones to catch up in 1889 with the Eiffel Tower.
CTS THE EAST
ANIMAL ANTICS 06.
If 16 goats climb up into a tree, it’s just another day in Morocco.
07.
Hippos were considered a bad omen in ancient Egypt and associated with the evil god Seth. They also like to flip boats over.
08.
09.
The Arabic language has more than 160 words to describe camels depending on colour, disposition and how often they drink water. The humps are not actually water reservoirs, but fatty mounds of meat strategically placed to cope with the desert heat.
AS YOU DO 10.
TABLE MANNERS
An Egyptian man named his daughter Facebook after the role it played during the 2011 revolution. Like.
14.
Baba ghanoush means ‘pampered papa’ or ‘coy daddy’ in Arabic.
15.
11.
Most of the world considers the heart to be a symbol of romance. In Morocco it’s the liver.
EVERYONE eats couscous on Fridays in Morocco. Don’t be rude.
16.
12.
Israeli scientists have developed a cure for bad breath. Time to put away those mints for good.
If you order a Moroccan whiskey, expect mint tea with loads of sugar. LOADS of sugar.
17.
13.
Jordanians believe praising children excessively will bring bad luck to the family. They’re probably on to something.
Tel Aviv has more sushi shops per capita than anywhere else in the world except Tokyo and NYC.
18.
They also make perfect, mouthwatering, scrumptious falafel.
19.
Must. Eat. One. More. Falafel.
WHY CHOOSE TOPDECK? •
See the world and make friends for life
•
We stay where the action is
•
Crew with a real passion for travel
•
More free time to do what you want
•
Lots of included experiences
•
We don’t ask for tips. Ever
•
All our travellers are 18-30 somethings
•
More included meals 19 EPIC FACTS ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST | 07
MOROCCO
TAGINE TEMPTATION Prepared in a conical clay pot over hot coal and served with a carafe of mint tea and lashings of Berber hospitality, this is a dish you wish mum could make. Expect savoury lamb, chicken or seafood mixed with dates, apricots and lots of cumin slow-cooked to perfection then scooped onto a heap of couscous. Yum. FILL ME UP: MOROCCO
EGYPT
MAKE A MEZZE The biggest problem with the Middle East’s answer to tapas is where to start. Hummus or baba ghanoush? Olives or white cheese? Decide quickly or get left with the crumbs. #YOLO. FILL ME UP: FELUCCA CRUISE, EGYPT
E V E RY W H E R E
J O R DA N
FRIED FALAFEL
BEDOUIN BBQ
The deep-fried brother of hummus is arguably the best
The recipe for a desert feast is simple: dig a pit, fill it with
thing that ever happened to a can of chickpeas. Have it
hot coal, and slowly roast succulent lamb with potatoes,
Middle Eastern-style in a pita bread or go Israeli
vegetables and desert spice in a drum until tender. Then
fusion with french fries. Either way, you win.
add star-lit skies and a dash of local entertainment for a
FILL ME UP: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
night to write home about. FILL ME UP: WADI RUM, JORDAN EAT YOUR HUMMUS | 09
EXPLORE
GO Hit the tarmac
Stories worth sharing
The best things in life are handcrafted. All our experiences have
There are two kinds of stories emerging from the road. The first one
been perfected over time with you in mind. We know a good road
is about places, food and good times. These are the stories you tell
trip should be more like Indiana Jones than that tacky movie with
your Facebook friends, but they’re not the ones that matter.
Britney Spears. It’s adventure with style. Our recipe is simple: A coach (or minibus) built for comfort, a group of young explorers and handcrafted itineraries designed to mix freedom with epic experiences.
Real stories are shared with the people you meet - bonds created between people who truly lived and friendships forged in the most unlikely places. These are the stories we have been creating for over forty years.
PLAY
STAY No more FOMO
Just press play
Let’s face it, variety matters. There’s a certain kind of feeling that
We were born to fly and we dare to soar. We were born into a world
comes with being able to ninja roll straight into the hustle and bustle
where change is the only constant and we don’t like living our lives
of Cairo one day and into the tropical waters of the Red Sea the next.
on repeat.
Say sayonara to the bland and boring, you won’t miss it. Hello
All our trips are designed to let you roam free while keeping things
Moroccan kasbah, desert camps and cruising like a pharaoh on the
hassle free. We’ve got the bucket list sorted, the accommodation
Nile. We know the power of FOMO and have handpicked all our
booked, and enough time built in to let you do your thing. Press
accommodation to make sure you can make the most of your trip.
pause or play and explore the world at your own pace.
GO, EXPLORE, STAY, PLAY | 11
“CLIMB MOUNTAINS NOT SO THE WORLD CAN SEE YOU, BUT SO YOU CAN SEE THE WORLD.” DAVID MCCULLOUGH JR.
YOUR
CREW WILLIE (WALEED) TRIP LEADER, EGYPT There are 1,200 species of fish in the Red Sea and Willie is scared of all of them. When you don’t find him showing our travellers the best nooks and crannies of Egypt, Willie can be found throwing lines into the sea (it’s complicated, we know) or cheering for his local football team El Ahly FC. INSIDE TIP: For a truly memorable experience, nothing beats sailing into the sunset on a felucca outside Aswan. If you want to go local, a dinner at the market stalls in Luxor is just what you’re looking for.
ALI G (EL-HOUSSINE) TRIP LEADER, MOROCCO A good Trip Leader talks the talk and walks the walk. As an aspiring lawyer and former mountain guide, our man in Morocco ticks both boxes with ease. Eager to share his local culture with #topdeckers from around the world, Ali G will happily tell you where to get the best Tanjia in Marrakech and how to score a bargain on carpets in Tinghir. INSIDE TIP: If you’re a foodie, you don’t want to miss the Berber pizza in Merzouga. It’s like a Moroccan version of Calzone filled with lamb, coriander, garlic and a range of yummy local herbs and spices.
MULTI TRIP DISCOUNT* SAVE 5% off the cheapest trip price when you book 2 trips at the same time. Book 3 at the same time and SAVE 7.5% off the second, and SAVE 10% off the third.
EARLY PAYMENT OPTION*
SAVE 5% off the trip price when you book and pay in full 6 months in advance of your trip departure date.
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS*
LOCAL PAYMENT To offer you the best value, the cost of your trip is broken up between a trip price payable at the time of booking and a local payment payable to your Trip Leader on your first day*. Your Trip Leader uses it to pay local guides and suppliers, cover cash-only expenses and pay for some meals. Breaking these costs out allows us to maintain transparency with our suppliers and travellers as well as making sure the money goes directly to the people who have earned it. You will find the local amount payable listed next to the price for each itinerary in this catalogue.
SAVE 5% off the trip price for 4 friends who book and travel together. SAVE 7.5% for 7 friends, and SAVE 10% for 10 friends!
PAST PASSENGER DISCOUNT* SAVE 5% off the trip price if you’ve travelled with Topdeck before. * All above discounts apply to the trip price only, and do not apply to Local Payments, Stopovers, any pre & post accommodation or nonincluded transfers. Only 2 discounts can be combined to a maximum value of 15%. For ‘Friends & Discounts’ all passengers must be booked on the same trip at the same time. Only one ‘Friends & Discounts’ can be used. For ‘Multi Trip Discount’ all trips must be booked at the same time. All discounts are subject to availability.
*Local payment amount is subject to change.
YOUR CREW | 13
8-19 DAYS
COUNTRY: EGYPT
HOTELS & BOATS
TWINSHARE
TRIP LENGTH
FROM
40
£
PER DAY
DAY PRICE
FOLLOW THE SUN Equal parts archeological wonderland and palmfringed beach resort, Egypt rocks enough swag to keep you coming back for a lifetime. Explore tombs dating back to 3,000 BC, check out the world’s biggest collection of men in bandages, kick back in style on a 5-star Nile cruise and dive some of the world’s most famous dive sites in the Red Sea. Wherever you go, Egypt’s there to make you feel welcome, sunburnt and ready for another falafel.
HIGHLIGHTS: ++
The pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
++
Qualified Egyptologist at all major sites
++
5-star Nile cruise and felucca sailing
++
Temple and tomb exploration in Luxor, Karnak and Abu Simbel
++
Diving and snorkelling in the Red Sea
TRIP
PAGE
8 DAY
| Nile Discovery 16
10 DAY
| Spirit of Egypt 17
9 DAY
| Egypt Express 18
15 DAY
| Pyramids & Beaches 19
8 DAY
| Essential Egypt 20
9 DAY
| Sinai Horizons 21
9 DAY
| Learn To Dive 22
14 DAY
| Egypt Explored 23
13 DAY
| Pharoahs’ Footsteps 24
19 DAY
| Ultimate Egypt 25
19 DAY
| Egypt, Jordan & Israel 27
ALEXANDRIA DAY TRIP TRIP CODE: MSADCC Expand your horizons with a day-trip to Egypt’s second largest city. Check out the Roman catacombs, chow down some seafood and get the full tour of this bustling metropolis. *This excursion needs to be booked in advance. See www.topdeck.travel for more information.
16 Egypt
8 DAY Nile Discovery
Bling
CAIRO
1
STOP & STAY DAY STOP
On the bucket list (included) ++ 5é Cruise on the Nile
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included) ++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau ++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum ++ Temples of Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo & Edfu ++ Luxor, Karnak & Valley of the Kings
More inclusions
++ 7 breakfasts (B), 3 lunches (L), 3 dinners (D) ++ 2 nights twin-share in 4é hotels, 3 nights 5é cruise in cabins, 2 nights aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus & boat cruise as per the itinerary ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader TRIP PRICE OF £455 + US$220 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £499 + US$220 LOCAL PAYMENT
based on twin-share
8 days from
455
é
4 STAR HOTELS
13
MEALS
5é NILE CRUISE
DAY 1 Cairo. Welcome to the city of a thousand minarets. Get your body clock in sync seeing the pyramids and Sphinx lit up in all their glory at a sound and light show or just watch the madness of Cairo’s traffic jams from a kahwas (coffee shop). DAY 2 Cairo to Aswan. Before Bieber fever there was Tutmania (Google it if you want to cringe at Steve Martin dancing the ‘funky Tut’). King Tutankhamun was so adored, in fact, he was buried in a solid gold coffin. Like a boss. Head straight for the (air conditioned) room in the Egyptian Museum that houses his flashy gold burial mask. (B) DAY 3 Aswan to Cruise Boat. Remember the time of ancient Nubia sailing along the Nile on a felucca sailboat and later, a culture lesson in a brightly coloured traditional village. Then, climb aboard your five-star chariot (replete with rooftop pool, sun lounges and belly dancing) for a taste of life finer than the pharaohs could have ever imagined. (B,L,D) DAY 4 Cruise Boat. Come face to face with vanity at its best at Abu Simbel, presided over by four gigantic statues of Ramesses II – pioneer of the ancient Egyptian #selfie. What’s cooler than Kom Ombo temple? The fact 300 mummified crocodiles were found nearby. (B,L,D) DAY 5 Cruise Boat. The eye of Ra is watching you today as we ride by horse and carriage to the Temple of Edfu. Get acquainted with the falcon-headed sky god Horus. After that, kick back on deck and drink in the beauty of the Nile. (B,L,D)
G = Guaranteed Departure Price
CAIRO
£
per person
+ US$220 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
DAY 6 Cruise Boat to Luxor. Mummy making 101: Keep the heart. Ditch the brain. Pretty symbolic, no? Walk through the shadow of the Valley of Kings (Coolio style) and go for a Temple trifecta before heading back to Cairo. (B) DAY 7 Cairo. Today’s highlight reel in the Arab city that never sleeps: Necropolis of Saqqara, Coptic Cairo and Khan el Khalili market. How’s your haggling skills? (B)
£
om fr y g a tin /d ar St 75
DAY 8 Cairo. Shisha! Is the trip over already? If your inner explorer has been stoked, stay on to uncover more of Cairo’s coolness. (B)
Dates & Prices 2015/16 GBP
TRIP CODE: MXEVCC START
FINISH
2015 08 15 22 29 05 12 19 26 03 10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 05 12 19 26 02 09 16 23 30 06 13 20 27
15 22 29 05 12 19 26 03 10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 05 12 19 26 02 09 16 23 30 06 13 20 27 04
MAR MAR MAR MAR APR APR APR APR MAY MAY MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUN JUN JUL JUL JUL JUL AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG SEP SEP SEP SEP
MAR MAR MAR APR APR APR APR MAY MAY MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUN JUN JUL JUL JUL JUL AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG SEP SEP SEP SEP OCT
G
G G
G
G
START
FINISH
04 11 18 25 01 08 15 22 29 06 13 20 27 2016 03 10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 06 13 20 27 03 10 17 24
OCT OCT OCT OCT NOV NOV NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC DEC DEC
11 18 25 01 08 15 22 29 06 13 20 27 03
OCT OCT OCT NOV NOV NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC DEC DEC JAN
JAN JAN JAN JAN JAN FEB FEB FEB FEB MAR MAR MAR MAR APR APR APR APR
10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 06 13 20 27 03 10 17 24 01
JAN JAN JAN JAN FEB FEB G FEB FEB MAR MAR MAR MAR APR G APR APR APR MAY
G
G
G G
10 DAY Spirit of Egypt
DAY 2 Cairo to Aswan. Think the Louvre in Paris is big? The Egyptian Museum trumps it by about an extra 90,000 pieces. Lucky you’ve got an Egyptologist (read: walking encyclopedia) to show you the highlights reel. Later, go supersize at the pyramids of Giza. (B) DAY 3 Aswan to Cruise Boat. Set sail on a traditional felucca sailboat – the design hasn’t changed since the time of the pharaohs so you’re basically royalty. Then switch the sails for a motor and step into a traditional Nubian village, with its colourful houses spilling into the Nile. (B,L,D) DAY 4 Cruise Boat. Twice a year, a natural spotlight illuminates the statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II inside Abu Simbel temple. But even if you miss the light show of ancient Egypt’s answer to Kanye, the temple is epic enough in itself. Maybe almost as epic as our five-star boat floating hotel! Welcome to the Nile High Club. (B,L,D) DAY 5 Cruise Boat to Luxor. The Temple of Edfu was abandoned in 391 AD and lay buried in sand until the 1860s. Now? It’s one of the most pristine ancient monuments in the world. It’s also dedicated to the falcon-headed sky god, Horus. #birdistheword (B,L,D) DAY 6 Luxor. Take seven-metre-high seated kings, a three-kilometre alley of sphinxes, 63 tombs (and counting) and you’ve basically got every archaeologist's fantasy at the end of your selfie stick today. Start with a guided tour of the Valley of the Kings and go double or nothing with Karnak and Luxor temples in the afternoon. (B) DAYS 7-8 Hurghada. Sure, this Red Sea resort town is pretty from above but it’s what lies beneath the piercingly aquamarine water that matters. Rated in the world’s top three dive destinations it’s an amphibious utopia. You’ve got two days to swim, snorkel, dive, sunbake, swim some more... and if you get too salty, swap to sand on a quad bike desert safari. Or take a day trip to Giftun Island aka Paradise Island for your own Castaway moment. (B,D) (B,D)
é
4 STAR HOTELS
17
MEALS
5é NILE CRUISE
1
STOP & STAY
On the bucket list (included) ++ 5é Cruise on the Nile
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included)
DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16 START
FINISH
++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum
2015 08 15 29 05 19 26 03 10 24 31 14 21 05 12 26 02 16 23 06 13 27
17 24 07 14 28 05 12 19 02 09 23 30 14 21 04 11 25 01 15 22 06
++ Excursion to the Temples of Abu Simbel ++ Excursion to Kom Ombo & Edfu Temples ++ Temples of Luxor & Karnak ++ Visit historic Valley of the Kings ++ Relax on the Red Sea in Hurghada
More inclusions
++ 9 breakfasts (B), 3 lunches (L), 5 dinners (D) ++ 5 nights twin-share in 4é hotels, 3 nights 5é boat cruise in cabin accommodation, 1 night aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus & boat cruise as per the itinerary ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader
MAR MAR MAR APR APR APR MAY MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL JUL AUG AUG AUG SEP SEP SEP
MAR G MAR G APR APR G APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG AUG SEP SEP SEP OCT
START
FINISH
04 18 25 08 15 29 06 20 27 2016 10 17 31 14 21 06 13 27 03 17 24
OCT OCT OCT NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC DEC
13 27 03 17 24 08 15 29 05
OCT G OCT NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC DEC JAN G
JAN JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR MAR APR APR APR
19 26 09 23 01 15 22 05 12 26 03
JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR MAR APR G APR APR MAY
TRIP PRICE OF £550 + US$285 LOCAL PAYMENT
DAY 9 Hurghada to Cairo. Squeeze in another swim before making like Moses and crossing the desert back to Cairo. (B) DAY 10 Cairo. Trip’s over. #sadface. Carb up on kushari, head to a bar with an oud player and push that FOMO aside. (B)
GBP
TRIP CODE: MXEFCC
++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau
TRIP PRICE OF £595 + US$285 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
10 days from
550
£
per person
+ US$285 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
DAY 1 Cairo. Pulsating traffic and the heady scent of incense, combined with pyramids jutting from the skyline and a thousand spice sellers will send your senses into overdrive. Welcome to Cairo.
CAIRO
£7tarti 4/ ng f da rom y
CAIRO
Egypt
Bling
17
18 Egypt
9 DAY Egypt Express
Budget
CAIRO
1
CAIRO
STOP & STAY DAY STOP
On the bucket list (included)
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included) ++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau ++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum ++ Excursion to the Temples of Abu Simbel ++ Visit historic Valley of the Kings ++ Overnight Felucca sailing on the Nile
More inclusions
++ 8 breakfasts (B), 2 lunches (L), 2 dinners (D) ++ 3 nights twin/triple-share in 3é hotels, 1 night twin/triple-share in tourist class hotel, 2 nights aboard a felucca sailboat, 2 nights aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader
TRIP PRICE OF £330 + US$145 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure based on twin-share
12
MEALS
FELUCCA SAILING
DAY 1 Cairo. Take 17,190 people per square-kilometre, traffic jams on steroids and of course, pyramids, and you’ve officially arrived in Umm al-Dunya aka ‘the mother of the world’. DAY 2 Cairo to Aswan. Take a whirl through 5000 years of Egypt’s past and see King Tutankhamen’s treasures at the Egyptian Museum. Then, have a Giza at the ancient pyramids and play ‘got your nose’ with the Sphinx. Never gets old. (B) DAY 3 Aswan. Wake up in Aswan with a free day ahead, or opt to visit the Philae Temple. The shrine to the goddess Isis had to be moved and reassembled like a jigsaw puzzle in the ‘70s due to the rising Nile… kinda similar to how Isis reassembled her brother/ husband’s body parts and conceived their son Horus. #truestory (B) DAY 4 Aswan to Felucca. Celebrities may have the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but in Ancient Egypt, Abu Simbel was Mann’s Chinese Theatre and Pharaoh Ramesses II was bigger than Brad Pitt. After a templefilled day, climb aboard a traditional felucca sailboat. The adventure’s just beginning! (B,L,D)
DAY 6 Felucca to Luxor. The split personality of Kom Ombo temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and falcon god Horus. Who do you reckon would win in a fight? We’re stepping off in Luxor aka the world’s largest open-air museum. See also: ridiculous beauty. (B)
9 days from
295
2-3 STAR HOTELS
DAY 5 Felucca Journey. Imagine: The sun on your back, the wind in your cotton sails and the best people you could ever hope to meet sharing stories, food and music in one cushion-strewn love-in. Sail like a Nubian into the sunset after a full day of doing not much at all. (B,L,D)
TRIP PRICE OF £295 + US$145 LOCAL PAYMENT
Price
é
£
per person
+ US$145 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
DAY 7 Luxor to Cairo. Unwrapped, the bandages of a mummy could stretch for 1.6 kilometres. Wouldn’t want to have to roll that up again! Get inside the Valley of the Kings then give a silent high five to Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled ancient Egypt for 20 years. (B)
Dates & Prices 2015/16 GBP
TRIP CODE: MXEECC START
FINISH
2015 03 07 14 21 28 31 04 14 18 25 28 02 09 16 23 30 06 13 20 27 04 11 18 25 01 08 15 22 29 05 12 19
11 15 22 29 05 08 12 22 26 03 06 10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 05 12 19 26 02 09 16 23 30 06 13 20 27
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26 03 10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 05 12 19 26 2016 02 09 16 23 30 06 13 20 27 05 12 19 26 02 09 16 23 30
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04 11 18 25 01 08 15 22 29 06 13 20 27 03
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DAY 8 Cairo. Spend your free day chilling out or head to Khan el-Khalili market. Famished? Hit up a kushari vendor for Egypt’s version of fast food. It might start with ‘K’ but there’s no fried chicken in sight. (B) DAY 9 Cairo. Just getting into the groove of this 24-hour city? Make like Indiana Jones and keep on seeking. (B)
£
om fr y g a tin /d ar St 44
Please note: a sleeping bag is required for the felucca sailing portion of this trip.
15 DAY Pyramids & Beaches
DAY 1 Cairo. Get smacked with a high-voltage dose of mosques, churches, palaces and papyrus sellers as you make your way through Cairo, the City of a Thousand Minarets. DAY 2 Cairo to Aswan. Remember the Time of ancient Egypt filled with jewels, King Tutankhamen’s tomb haul and of course, mummies, at the Egyptian Museum. Then, witness the last survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—the Great Pyramid of Giza—and snap a sphinx selfie. (B) DAY 3 Aswan. Recover your strength in laid-back Aswan. Opt to visit the Philae High Temple and check out the Nubian’s roofless houses in one of the driest inhabited places in the world. (B) DAY 4 Aswan to Felucca. Kanye may think he’s a god and have a wife that #breakstheinternet, but Pharaoh Ramesses II had way more swag in ancient Egypt. His four statues flanking the entrance to Abu Simbel mean he’ll be remembered long after Yeezus. And the Temple of Hathor proves his wife, Queen Nefertari, didn’t have to keep up with anyone. After doing the rounds, fling your gear onto a felucca for the next life-changing chapter. (B,L,D) DAY 5 Felucca Journey. Sail down Egypt’s ancient trading highway, where chilling out and eating traditional Nubian dishes is the order of the day. #bliss (B,L,D) DAY 6 Luxor. Lose yourself in Luxor’s 200-acre sprawl of ridiculously opulent temples, tombs and... mummified crocodiles? Yep, for real. (B) DAY 7 Luxor to Cairo. Watch your step on a guided tour of the Valley of the Kings. With 50 new mummies discovered in 2014, who knows what else lies beneath. (B) DAY 8 Cairo. Back in the Big Mango, see Christianity’s ancient influence in Coptic Cairo, haggle your way through Khan el Khalili market or just join in a game of backgammon at Fishawi’s cafe and keep the mint tea flowing. (B) DAY 9 Cairo to Dahab. Dahab (meaning gold) has the midas touch for divers, windsurfers and real-world defectors. Y’all ready for this? (B) DAYS 10-13 Dahab. Wake up to the blinding beauty of Dahab’s coral reefs, turquoise water and Bedouinstyle cafes lining the sand. Strike diving gold at
é
2-3 STAR HOTELS
18
MEALS
FELUCCA SAILING
1
STOP & STAY
On the bucket list (included)
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included)
DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16
++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau
TRIP CODE: MXEPCC
++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum
START
FINISH
++ Excursion to the Temples of Abu Simbel
2015 03 07 21 31 04 14 18 28 02 16 30 13 27 11 25 08 22 05 19
17 21 04 14 18 28 02 12 16 30 13 27 11 25 08 22 05 19 03
++ Visit historic Valley of the Kings ++ Overnight Felucca sailing on the Nile ++ Relax on the Red Sea in Dahab
More inclusions
++ 14 breakfasts (B), 2 lunches (L), 2 dinners (D) ++ 9 nights twin/triple-share in 3é hotels, 1 night twin/triple-share in tourist class hotel, 2 nights aboard a felucca sailboat, 2 nights aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader the Blue Hole or see what legends are made of at Thistlegorm—one of the world’s most famous wreck dives. When you get bored of sun, swimming and snorkelling, slap on some sunscreen and make your way to the top of Mt Sinai for sunrise and mingle with the monks at St Catherine’s Monastery. Then, saddle up for a camel ride or sate your inner Indiana Jones exploring the desert by quadbike. After four days here the only thing you’ll wish for is at least four more. (B) (B) (B) (B) DAY 14 Dahab to Cairo. Commit the scene of Dahab to your memory bank as we carry your salt-soaked bones back to Cairo. Tonight, get down and Dervish on a dinner cruise to watch the hypnotic traditional dancers. (B) DAY 15 Cairo. All good things must come to an end. Even that bowl of kushari. Don’t cry, it’s only hot sauce! And you’re in the best position to keep on exploring. (B)
Please note: a sleeping bag is required for the felucca sailing portion of this trip.
MAR MAR MAR MAR APR APR APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP
MAR MAR APR APR APR APR MAY MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP OCT
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FINISH
03 17 31 14 28 12 26 2016 09 23 06 20 05 19 02 16 30
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G
TRIP PRICE OF £450 + US$210 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £495 + US$210 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
15 days from
450
£
per person
+ US$210 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
CAIRO
£4tarti 0/ ng f da rom y
CAIRO
Egypt
Budget
19
20 Egypt
Comfort
8 DAY Essential Egypt CAIRO
1
STOP & STAY DAY STOP
On the bucket list (included)
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included) ++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau ++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum ++ Excursion to the Temples of Abu Simbel ++ Temples of Luxor & Karnak ++ Visit historic Valley of the Kings
More inclusions ++ 7 breakfasts (B)
++ 4 nights twin-share in 4é hotels, 1 night twinshare in 3é hotel, 2 nights aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader TRIP PRICE OF £345 + US$190 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £380 + US$190 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
é
3-4 STAR HOTELS
7
MEALS
DAY 1 Cairo. Slip into the rhythm of 6.76 million bodies, join in a game of backgammon and find out why the Egyptians call this place Umm al-Dunya or ‘the mother of the world’. DAY 2 Cairo to Aswan. Walk like an Egyptian into King Tutankhamun’s treasure chest at the Egyptian Museum – home to over 160,00 relics – then gain some perspective at the base of the 138-metre Great Pyramid of Giza. This hunk of ancient architecture could be remodelled into 30 Empire State Buildings. The Sphinx is its big-ass guard dog (or should that be lionman?). (B) DAY 3 Aswan. Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Lord Byron... They’ve all done it. Go low tech with a ride on a felucca sailboat down the Nile. Switch to a motor boat to take in views of the Mausoleum of Aga Khan and Tombs of the Nobles before we jump ship at a Nubian village. (B) DAY 4 Aswan. Kanye may lyricise that he is a god, but the great Pharaoh Ramesses II apparently bedded 1000 woman and fathered 90 children in his time. His four colossal statues at Abu Simbel are probably what Kanye has in mind when he looks in the mirror each morning. Yeezus! Visit the Temple of Hathor – built in honour of his wife, Queen Nefertari – then drink in the magic of the Nile at sunset. (B) DAY 5 Aswan to Luxor. G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S. today we’re travelling first class (in an air-conditioned mini bus) to Karnak for a touch of Luxor. Once the capital of ancient Egypt, its now a history-strewn landscape of souks and temples. (B)
based on twin-share
8 days from
345
CAIRO
£
per person
+ US$190 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
DAY 6 Luxor to Cairo. Walk into the Valley of the Kings—aka the place everyone in ancient Egypt was dying to get into, then fly the flag for girl power at the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. (B) DAY 7 Cairo. There’s old, and then there’s the necropolis of Saqqara. Soak up some ancient history, get your haggle on in Khan e Khalili market, grab a mint tea and fall under the spell of whirling Dervish dance on an optional dinner cruise. (B)
Dates & Prices 2015/16 GBP
TRIP CODE: MXETCC START
FINISH
2015 08 22 08 22 29 05 12 19 26 03 10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 05 12 19 26 02 09 16 23 30 06 13 20 27 04 11
15 01 15 29 05 12 19 26 03 10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 05 12 19 26 02 09 16 23 30 06 13 20 27 04 11 18
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18 25 01 08 15 22 29 06 13 20 27 2016 03 10 17 24 31 07 14 21 28 06 13 20 27 03 10 17 24
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25 01 08 15 22 29 06 13 20 27 03
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DAY 8 Cairo. The trip ends here but pop on that fedora and keep on exploring, Indy. New York may tout itself as the city that never sleeps but it’s got nothin’ on the Big Mango. (B)
£
om fr y g a tin /d ar St 59
9 DAY Sinai Horizons
DAY 2 Cairo to Dahab. The Sinai Peninsula is like the Koh Samui of the Middle East. Pyramids and desert make way for coral reefs and insanely turquoise water. Set your hippie heart alight with trekking, diving, camel riding, cheap eats and a mellowness that makes Byron Bay look like Bangkok. (B) DAYS 3-6 Dahab. Diving the Red Sea is not just bucket list material, it’s more lusted after than a new iPhone release. Plunge yourself into the underwater wonderland of Ras Mohammed National Park or go back to WWII days, diving the SS Thistlegorm – considered one of the best wreck dives in the world. Snorkel with 1,200 species of fish at the seemingly bottomless Blue Hole, climb Mt Sinai for a sunrise of biblical proportions and visit the Monastery of St Catherine. When you’re done with swimming, snorkelling, kitesurfing and quad biking, throw in some seafood barbecues and plenty of mint tea at the bedouin cafes lining the sand and you’ll soon see why leaving here hurts more than a bareback camel ride. (B) (B) (B) (B) DAY 7 Dahab to Cairo. Take one last salty plunge in the ocean before you’re back on the bus and back into the madness of Cairo. Hungry? Try the stuffed pigeon. It’s allegedly an aphrodisiac. (B) DAY 8 Cairo. Go large or go home with over 100,000 relics to uncover in the Egyptian Museum, including King Tut’s burial mask. Then, see why the Great Pyramid of Giza took 20 years to build. That’s a huge pile ‘o’ bricks! (B) DAY 9 Cairo. Like sand through the hourglass, our time together has come to an end. Why not make like a camel and keep on roamin’? (B)
é
4 STAR HOTELS
8
MEALS
1
STOP & STAY
On the bucket list (included)
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included)
DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16
++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau
TRIP CODE: MXESCC
++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum
START
FINISH
++ 4é Red Sea resort in Dahab
2015 14 28 14 28 11 25 09 23 06 20 04 18 01 15 29 12
22 08 22 05 19 03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09 23 06 20
More inclusions ++ 8 breakfasts (B)
++ 8 nights twin-share in 4é hotels ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader
FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG AUG SEP
FEB MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP
G G G
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GBP START
FINISH
26 10 24 07 21 05 19 2016 02 16 30 13 27 12 26 09 23
SEP OCT OCT NOV NOV DEC DEC
04 18 01 15 29 13 27
OCT G OCT NOV NOV NOV DEC G DEC
JAN JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR
10 24 07 21 06 20 03 17 01
JAN G JAN FEB FEB G MAR MAR APR APR MAY
TRIP PRICE OF £299 + US$140 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £340 + US$140 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
9 days from
299
£
per person
+ US$140 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
DAY 1 Cairo. Step off the plane into the glorious chaos of one of the world’s most ancient civilisations and the largest city in North Africa. Hope you like the heat.
CAIRO
£4tarti 4/ ng f da rom y
CAIRO
Egypt
Comfort
21
22 Egypt
9 DAY Learn to Dive
Comfort
CAIRO
1
STOP & STAY DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16 GBP
TRIP CODE: MXEDCC START 2015 14 28 14 28 11 25 09 23 06 20 04 18 01 15 29 12
FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG AUG SEP
FINISH
START
FINISH
22 08 22 05 19 03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09 23 06 20
26 10 24 07 21 05 19 2016 02 16 30 13 27 12 26 09 23
SEP OCT OCT NOV NOV DEC DEC
04 18 01 15 29 13 27
OCT OCT NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC
JAN JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR
10 24 07 21 06 20 03 17 01
JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR MAY
FEB G MAR MAR APR G APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP
TRIP PRICE OF £555 + US$190 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £610 + US$190 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
9 days from
555
£
per person
+ US$190 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
CAIRO
é
4 STAR HOTELS
8
MEALS
DAY 1 Cairo. Join the everyday traffic rave and find your own rhythm in this city of 6.76 million where they’ve been writing on walls and worshipping cats for centuries (sorry Facebook). DAY 2 Cairo to Dahab. Dahab, meaning gold in Arabic, is a blissful little slice of paradise bridging Africa and Asia. The bedouin fishing village turned dive mecca is your home for the next five nights. Let the Instagramming begin! (B) DAYS 3-6 Dahab. You’ll be equalising before we can finish this sentence... leap from the desert into the warm waters of the Red Sea and kick off your four-day dive course in one of the top three dive destinations in the world. Sure, there’s some theory involved, but you’ll get schooled faster than a barracuda in hot pursuit. With five-star visibility, shipwrecks, the Blue Hole and over 200 species of soft and hard coral and 1,200 fish species of fish making you feel you’re in the world’s greatest aquarium, the Red Sea’s inclusion in the Seven Wonders of the Underwater World is a no brainer. Need a break from the neoprene? Saddle up for a camel ride or quad bike safari, or take a trip to climb Mt Sinai and lose yourself in one of the world’s oldest working monasteries at St Catherine’s. Then, chill out at one of the cushion-filled cafes that line the sand, order a cup of karkade (hibiscus tea) and play backgammon with the bedouins. (B) (B) (B) (B) DAY 7 Dahab to Cairo. By now you’ll be a Dahab hand at diving. Take one last dip before we make our pilgrimage back across the mountains to Cairo. Tonight, find out why the Big Mango rates as one of the world’s most 24-hour cities. (B)
£
om fr y g a tin /d ar St 76
DAY 8 Cairo. The Egyptian Museum is like a One Direction fan’s bedroom, housing a shrine of memorabilia from King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Also: Mummies. Get the grand tour with an Egyptologist then stand at the foot at what was once a blinding beacon of light that could have been seen from space. (The Great Pyramid was covered in polished limestone!) (B)
On the bucket list (included)
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included) ++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau ++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum ++ 4é Red Sea resort in Dahab ++ 4-day open water Dive Course in Dahab (including all equipment but not dive book)
More inclusions ++ 8 breakfasts (B)
++ 8 nights twin-share in 4é hotels ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader DAY 9 Cairo. The trip ends here but down another tiny cup of Arabic coffee. There’s so much more to explore! (B)
14 DAY Egypt Explored CAIRO
4 STAR HOTELS
13
1
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included)
TRIP CODE: MXEXCC START
FINISH
++ Excursion to the Temples of Abu Simbel
2015 08 22 08 22 05 19 03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09 23 06
21 07 21 04 18 02 16 30 13 27 11 25 08 22 05 19
++ Temples of Luxor & Karnak ++ Visit historic Valley of the Kings ++ 4é Red Sea resort in Dahab
++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel
DAY 8 Cairo to Dahab. The Sinai Peninsula has all the hallmarks of a mirage. Except it’s real. The fishing village of Dahab was overtaken by amphibious travellers lured by the Red Sea’s treasure trove back in
Dates & Prices 2015/16
++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum
DAY 4 Aswan. Set your alarm for sunrise with the biggest pharaoh since the invention of toothpaste (the Egyptians were behind this, BTW). Abu Simbel is a rock of (a thousand) ages, presided over by not one but four statues of Ramesses II. Tonight, dine on the banks of the Nile. (B)
DAY 7 Cairo. You don’t need a DeLorean, just one day in Cairo and you can travel back to 27th Century BC and Egypt’s first pyramid – the Step Pyramid of King Djoser. Spend the afternoon in a haze of spices, rose petals and wooden cats in the Khan el Khalili souk. (B)
DAY STOP
++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau
More inclusions
DAY 6 Luxor to Cairo. Tomb raiders before Angelina’s time may have helped themselves to all the treasure, but the Valley of the Kings is rich in history. Take in a few of the 63 tombs on a guided tour (keep an eye out for ancient graffiti) before heading back to Cairo. (B)
STOP & STAY
On the bucket list (included)
DAY 3 Aswan. In a country where only one inch of rain falls per year, the Nile is pretty popular. Sail away on a traditional felucca then jump ship for a motor boat and a cruise past Elephantine and Kitchener Islands before noshing with the Nubians. (B)
DAY 5 Aswan to Luxor. Egypt’s former capital is Luxor by name, luxurious by nature. The 200-acre sprawl of ruins, sacred lakes and chapels of Karnak and Luxor Temples collectively makes up the largest religious site in the world. (B)
MEALS
++ 13 breakfasts (B)
++ 10 nights twin-share in 4é hotels, 1 night twin-share in 3é hotel, 2 nights aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader
DAY 13 Dahab to Cairo. After four days of solid gold beach action, nap off that sun exposure on the way back to the city of a thousand minarets. Tonight, opt in for a dinner cruise with a side of belly dancing. (B)
FEB MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP
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G
FINISH
20 04 18 01 15 29 13 27 2016 10 24 07 21 06 20 03 17
SEP OCT OCT NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC
03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09
OCT G OCT OCT NOV NOV DEC G DEC JAN G
JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR
23 06 20 05 19 02 16 30
JAN FEB FEB G MAR MAR APR APR APR
TRIP PRICE OF £499 + US$290 LOCAL PAYMENT
the late ‘80s. They found more than they could have ever dreamed of. (B) DAYS 9-12 Dahab. Dahab might be Arabic for gold but the beaches here are like a diamond in the desert. Take the warm Red Sea, prime windsurfing conditions and some of the world’s most epic dive sites and throw in a blissed-out hippie vibe and, well, we think you’ll be pretty happy here. Check out thousands of tropical fish species while snorkelling at the Blue Hole or equalise your way to one of the world’s best wreck dives at Thistlegorm—a 128-metre WWII ship that was sunk in 1941 after a German air attack. Saddle up for a camel desert safari, then kick back at one of the bedouin-style seafood restaurants. (B) (B) (B) (B)
FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP
GBP START
TRIP PRICE OF £560 + US$290 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
14 days from
499
£
per person
+ US$290 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
DAY 14 Cairo. As a 3,000-year old mummy would say, that’s a wrap! Where to next? (B)
S
DAY 2 Cairo to Aswan. Da Vinci Code? Pfft. Twenty years of construction, 2.3 million stone blocks that weigh up to 50 tonnes each and mysterious mortar... Giza’s pyramids will have you stumped. Get that photo and explore the Egyptian Museum with an Egyptologist who knows a lot more than Brendan Fraser. (B)
é
£5tarti 0/ ng f da rom y
DAY 1 Cairo. When Chuck Norris visits Egypt the sand doesn’t burn his feet; his feet turn the sand to glass. Follow in his footsteps, or at least have fun trying, when you touchdown in Cairo.
CAIRO
Egypt
Comfort
23
24 Egypt
Comfort
13 DAY Pharaohs’ Footsteps CAIRO
1
CAIRO
STOP & STAY DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16 GBP
TRIP CODE: MXEGCC START 2015 03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09 23 07 21 04 18 01 15 29
FINISH
MAR MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP SEP
15 29 12 26 10 24 07 21 05 19 02 16 30 13 27 11
MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG AUG SEP SEP OCT
START
FINISH
13 27 10 24 08 22 2016 05 19 02 16 01 15 29 12 26
OCT OCT NOV NOV DEC DEC
25 08 22 06 20 03
OCT NOV NOV DEC DEC JAN
JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR MAR APR APR
17 31 14 28 13 27 10 24 08
JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR MAY
TRIP PRICE OF £470 + US$300 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £525 + US$300 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
13 days from
470
£
per person
+ US$300 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
é
3-4 STAR HOTELS
18
MEALS
FELUCCA SAILING
DAY 1 Cairo. Cairo will embrace you like a steaming hot cup of mint tea, laced with copious amounts of sugar. Drink it in. Tonight, meet your group and prepare to walk like an Egyptian. DAY 2 Cairo. Cleopatra will be comin’ atcha this morning with an Egyptologist-guided tour of the Egyptian Museum, aka the world’s largest mummy’s club. Later, bathe in the shadows of the Great Pyramid and the mighty Sphinx. (B) DAY 3 Cairo to Aswan. Free day = How many papyrus prints, lanterns and silver teapots can you fit in your backpack at Khan el Khalili market? Or get a backstage pass to the city on an optional walking tour. Then flock to a kushari vendor for the ultimate Egyptian fast-food fill of pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas, fiery tomato sauce and fried onions. Tonight we roll on to Aswan. (B) DAY 4 Aswan. Embrace a slower pace on the banks of the world’s longest river. An afternoon boat cruise will deliver a real-life History Channel feast past Elephantine and Kitchener Islands. Take a trip to Philae, throw a leg over a camel and step through the brightly coloured stucco entryway of a Nubian village for a traditional feast with the locals. (B) DAY 5 Aswan. The ancient Egyptians had gods for everything, but Pharaoh Ramesses II thought himself so important he had four 20-metre statues of himself commissioned for the Abu Simbel temples. The whole thing had to be relocated in the ‘60s. Monster Moves eat your heart out. (B) DAYS 6-7 Felucca Journey. There’s only so much of the Nile’s 6,853 kilometres that can be covered in two days. This is a pretty decent slice of the action. Swim, try your hand at sailing and nosh on traditional Nubian dishes. (B,L,D) (B,L,D) DAY 8 Luxor. Pay respects to the sun god at Kom Ombo temple before we arrive in the world’s greatest open-air museum to soak up some of ancient Egypt’s ridiculous beauty at Karnak and Luxor Temples. Squash the urge to carve your name in stone here!. (B)
£
om fr y g a tin /d ar St 52
DAY 9 Luxor. With 500 new mummies discovered in 2014, you can only wonder what else lies beneath your feet in the Valley of the Kings. By the end of the day you might be a bit pharaoh’d out, so get your haggle on at Luxor Market. (B)
On the bucket list (included)
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included) ++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau ++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum ++ Excursion to the Temples of Abu Simbel ++ Excursion to Kom Ombo Temple ++ Temples of Luxor & Karnak ++ Visit historic Valley of the Kings ++ Overnight Felucca sailing on the Nile ++ Relax on the Red Sea in Hurghada
More inclusions
++ 12 breakfasts (B), 2 lunches (L), 4 dinners (D) ++ 7 nights twin-share in 4é hotels, 2 night twinshare in 3é hotel, 2 nights aboard a felucca sailboat, 1 night aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader DAYS 10-11 Luxor to Hurghada. Ermahgerd it’s Hurghada. This tiny fishing village turned Red Sea resort town offers quad biking across desert sand dunes by day and diving an ocean littered with shipwrecks by afternoon. Pull up a cushion and order a karkade (hibiscus punch) or take an optional snorkelling trip to Giftun Island. (B,D) (B,D) DAY 12 Hurghada to Cairo. Soak up some more Red Sea sun before heading back to Cairo. Get dizzy watching hypnotic belly and Dervish dancers on an optional dinner cruise. (B) DAY 13 Cairo. Time to say salām (peace). Or maybe time to buy another suitcase and head straight back to Khan el Khalili? (B)
Please note: a sleeping bag is required for the felucca sailing portion of this trip.
19 DAY Ultimate Egypt
DAY 1 Cairo. Vegas may be the city that never sleeps but Cairo has 10 times the population, drive-through everything and a real-life Cats musical playing out on its streets. Prepare to get sweaty. DAY 2 Cairo. No need for ABCs at the Egyptian Museum. There are 700 hieroglyphs, but never fear, your Egyptologist will translate. Then get your Sphinx selfie and check out the Great Pyramid. (B)
é
3-4 STAR HOTELS
24
MEALS
1
++ Fully-guided tours of all major sites with Egyptologist (entrance fees not included)
TRIP CODE: MXEUCC START
FINISH
++ Temples of Abu Simbel
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++ Excursion to Kom Ombo Temple
++ Relax on the Red Sea in Hurghada
DAY 9 Luxor. The who’s who of ancient Egypt were buried in the Valley of the Kings – after having their brains removed and their entire body wrapped in 1.6 kilometres of bandages, Take the highlights tour then haggle your heart out in Luxor Market. (B) DAYS 10-11 Hurghada. Hurghada looks like a mini Dubai from the sky (hello, beach resorts!) but all you should care about is how many steps you need to take from your lounge to the glassy aqua water and the treasures to be found in the Red Sea. Then burn through the desert on a quad bike safari. (B,D) (B,D) DAY 12 Hurghada to Cairo. Time to shed the dive tank and put your feet back on solid ground in Cairo. Having withdrawals? Join a dinner cruise for belly dancing and meet the whirling Dervishes. (B)
Dates & Prices 2015/16
++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum
DAY 4 Aswan. Nubian civilisation predates Egypt’s by thousands of years, so prepare for plenty of stories when we motor down the Nile to visit a Nubian village and break (shamsi) bread. (B)
DAY 8 Luxor. From tombs to colourful hieroglyphicsplashed walls and mummified crocodiles (yep, really), this ancient city knows how to impress. Tick ‘em off: Kom Ombo, Karnak and Luxor Temples. (B)
DAY STOP
++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau
++ Temples of Luxor & Karnak
DAYS 6-7 Felucca Journey. Turn off your phone, take off your watch and put your schedule at the whim of the Nile’s southerly winds, sailing downriver on a traditional felucca. (B,L,D) (B,L,D)
STOP & STAY
On the bucket list (included)
DAY 3 Cairo to Aswan. Explore Cairo Indiana Jonesstyle (el solo), or team up with a human GPS to show you the secrets of the city. (B)
DAY 5 Aswan. Just in case you weren’t sure who wore the pants in 13th Century BC, Pharaoh Ramesses II had Abu Simbel constructed with four colossal statues of himself guarding the entrance. Check it out. (B)
FELUCCA SAILING
++ Visit historic Valley of the Kings ++ Overnight Felucca sailing on the Nile ++ 4é Red Sea resort in Dahab
More inclusions
++ 18 breakfasts (B), 2 lunches (L), 4 dinners (D) ++ 13 nights twin-share in 4é hotels, 2 night twin-share in 3é hotel, 2 nights aboard a felucca sailboat, 1 night aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus
DAY 18 Dahab to Cairo. Rumi is not just the guy behind all those poetic quotes on Pinterest, he’s the godfather of ancient trance dancing. Watch them tonight over dinner. (B) DAY 19 Cairo. The ancient Egyptians claimed to have invented the clock, so time is on your side. Why not stick around a little longer? (B)
Please note: a sleeping bag is required for the felucca sailing portion of this trip.
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JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR MAR APR APR
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TRIP PRICE OF £645 + US$370 LOCAL PAYMENT
++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader
DAYS 14-17 Dahab. Mark a big tick off your bucket list snorkelling the Blue Hole then run yourself aground for banana pancakes and Bedouin hangs (not necessarily in that order!). (B) (B) (B) (B)
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FINISH
TRIP PRICE OF £580 + US$370 LOCAL PAYMENT
++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel
DAY 13 Cairo to Dahab. Get down and soak up the sun and treasure trove of dive spots in this hippie outpost. With virtually 365 days of sunshine each year… make sure you bring a hat. (B)
MAR MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP SEP OCT
GBP START
G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
19 days from
580
£
per person
+ US$370 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
CAIRO
£4tarti 4/ ng f da rom y
CAIRO
Egypt
Comfort
25
19 DAY Egypt, Jordan & Israel CAIRO
DAY 1 Cairo. Touch down, be whisked to your hotel then kick that body clock into overdrive with Cairo’s nocturnal lifestyle. Shopping at 2am? Why not. DAY 2 Cairo to Aswan. How do you use an ancient Egyptian doorbell? Toot-and-come-in! Yeah. We went there. Check out King Tutankhamun's treasures (amongst 160,000 relics and mummified remains) at the Egyptian Museum then snap your Sphinx and pyramid selfie in Giza. (B) DAY 3 Aswan. There’s no crappy Enya soundtrack or polo-and-deck-shoes uniform required when you’re sailing on the world’s longest river. Just a gorgeous old felucca, the breeze in its cotton sails, and a chance to get up close and personal with the Nubians who have called this place home for thousands of years. (B) DAY 4 Aswan. The Nile is so badass, it takes down everything in its path. Which is why Abu Simbel temple was sliced into 1,015 pieces and relocated in the ‘60s. Don’t worry, Pharaoh Ramesses II, you’re still looking good. All four of you. (B) DAY 5 Aswan to Luxor. Start the day on a Luxor note with an air-conditioned mini bus and plenty of time to soak up the world’s largest open-air museum of temples and tombs. The writing’s on the wall… but that’s a good thing here. (B) DAY 6 Luxor to Cairo. Get down and deity on a guided tour through the Valley of the Kings where anyone who was anyone was wrapped and packed for all eternity, including King Tut. (B) DAY 7 Cairo. Khan el Khalili market not only drips with silver lanterns, scarab pendants and incense, it’s cloaked in ancient history. The site was originally a mausoleum dating back to 970AD known as the Saffron Tomb. Some of the people playing backgammon at Fishawi's could very well have been in the same spot since then. (B) DAY 8 Cairo to Dahab. Start slapping on the sunscreen – we’re off to the Red Sea! (B) DAYS 9-12 Dahab. Four days, 30 dive sites, perfect kite-surfing conditions and camels – welcome to Dahab, Egypt’s 24-carat dive destination (it means ‘gold’ in Arabic, FYI). Snorkel, swim or just soak up the beauty of the Blue Hole, catch a ride to a nearby shore dive and tick off the Red Sea’s long list of endemic fish species while diving arguably the best wreck site in the world – the S.S. Thistlegorm – from Sharm El Sheikh. Balance bubble-blowing with a burn through the desert on quad bikes and get closer to heaven with a hike to the top of Mt Sinai for sunrise. Hungry? Forget farm to table. Here the fish almost leap out of the ocean onto your plate. (B) (B) (B) (B) DAY 13 Dahab to Jerusalem. Cross the Israeli border into the holy land for a salty dip. Sitting at 427 metres below sea level, 306 metres deep with 9.6 times the salinity of the ocean, the Dead Sea will float your boat body. You can't fight it; it’s science. (B) DAY 14 Jerusalem. This is the definition of ‘soulstirring’—at just one square kilometre in size, the Old City jams in 4000 years of history and a trifecta of Jewish, Muslim and Christian sacred sites. See the Wailing Wall, Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified) and then head to Mt Zion. (B)
AMMAN
é
3-4 STAR HOTELS
19
Egypt & more
Comfort
27
MEALS
On the bucket list (included)
++ Guided tours of all major Egyptian sites (entrance fees not included) ++ Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza Plateau ++ Guided tour of the Egyptian Museum ++ Excursion to the Temples of Abu Simbel, Luxor & Karnak ++ Visit historic Valley of the Kings ++ Felucca Sailing on the Nile ++ 4é Red Sea resort in Dahab ++ Guided tours of Jerusalem & Bethlehem ++ Float in the Dead Sea ++ Discover the ‘Lost City of Petra’ ++ Wadi Rum 4x4 Excursion & Desert Camp 1
STOP & STAY
More inclusions
++ 18 breakfasts (B), 1 dinner (D) ++ 9 nights twin-share in 4é hotels, 6 nights twin-share in 3é hotels, 1 night in a Bedouin desert camp, 2 nights aboard overnight coach or first class train ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transfer - Eilat to Jerusalem & Jordan border to Amman ++ Transportation in air-conditioned coaches or minibus ++ Excursions as per itinerary. (Entrance fees are included in Jordan & Israel but not in Egypt) ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader in Karak and check out Jordan’s version of the Grand Canyon before arriving in the Lost City. (B) DAY 17 Petra. Petra is not just one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, this rose-red city of 80 metrehigh twisting sandstone tunnels, palaces, temples, tombs and Indiana Jones flashbacks is a real-life movie set and today you’re the star. Life = made. (B) DAY 18 Petra to Wadi Rum. Bed down for the night like a Bedouin amongst the glowing desert landscape of Wadi Rum. The traditions here remain unchanged since the time of Lawrence of Arabia. We won’t blame you for not wanting to move on. (B,D) DAY 19 Wadi Rum to Amman. Say bye, bye Bedouins after breakfast and return to Amman. If you’ve become more of a fan of Jordan than Nike, why not extend your stay? (B)
DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16 GBP
TRIP CODE: MXEJCC START
FINISH
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TRIP PRICE OF £1675 + US$370 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £1745 + US$370 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £1845 + US$370 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £1885 + US$370 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
19 days from
1675
£
per person
+ US$370 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
DAY 16 Amman to Petra. Bible studies 101 today as you listen to history’s whispers in Madaba amongst intricate Byzantine mosaics, storm a Crusader castle
£1 tart 01 ing /d fro ay m
DAY 15 Jerusalem to Amman. You don’t need flowers to pay your respects at the Mount of Olives —a stone placed on top of a tomb will let them know you stopped by. You’ll also get epic #pano views over Jerusalem. Then, travel into the real-world nativity scene in Bethlehem and onto Amman. (B)
10-17 DAYS
COUNTRY: MOROCCO
HOTELS & MORE
2–4 SHARE
TRIP LENGTH
FROM
66
£
PER DAY
DAY PRICE
BERBER BLUES Like a good tagine, Morocco is an eclectic melting pot of Berber, Arab, French and Spanish influences topped with lots of cumin. From the nomadic desert camps in Sahara to the maze-like medina and up-and-coming foodie scene in Fes, this place rocks historical cool wrapped up in a robe of bohemian vibes. Expect goats climbing trees, Saharan sand dunes towering 60 metres above the ground and a who’s who of World Heritage sites you’ll recognise from Game of Thrones.
HIGHLIGHTS: ++
Spend a night in a Berber camp in the desert
++
Guided tours of Marrakech and Fes
++
The world’s tallest minaret in Casablanca
++
Feed the monkeys in the Atlas Mountains
TRIP
PAGE
10 DAY
| Moroccan Explorer 31
10 DAY
| Sahara Adventure 33
17 DAY
| Morocco Unplugged 35
HALF-DAY TRIP TO OURIKA VALLEY Don’t miss the chance to kick off your trip with a half-day excursion to kick it with the Berbers among the waterfalls of Ourika Valley. See your Trip Notes for more information. *This excursion needs to be booked in advance.
31
MARRAKECH
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G
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3 STAR HOTELS
13
DAY 1 Marrakech. Ditch the map, turn off your phone and get hopelessly lost in a maze of mosaics and souks in the Red City – the best surprises are waiting around every corner.
MEALS
1
STOP & STAY DAY STOP
On the bucket list (included)
DAY 2 Marrakech. Be glad you’re not shooting on film when you do the Saadian Tombs on a halfday tour. The detail in the doors and arches could #breakinstagram. See the Bahia Palace, visit the local medina, then work your way past the snake charmers and sip fresh juice in Djemma el-fna square. (B)
++ Guided tours of Marrakech & Fes
DAY 3 Rabat. Check out the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca – bearer of the world’s largest minaret (210m), with a frickin’ laser beam on top—then head to the World Heritage capital Rabat. (B)
++ Entrance fees to all sights in the itinerary
DAY 4 Fes. Live la dolce vita at the ruins of Volubilis, or at least get a good idea of what it was like during Roman times. Then, walk through Meknes and go into pattern overdrive in Fes. (B) DAY 5 Fes. Mausoleums, mosques and (funky cold) medinas are in order today on a full-day whip around the city with a local guide. Lose yourself in the 9000 narrow cobbled streets of the world’s largest car-free urban area. (B,L). DAY 6 Errachidia. Adjust to the altitude in Alpinefresh Ifrane, then carve back through cedar forests to Midelt for lunch and head south to Errachidia. (B) DAY 7 Merzouga. Pull up a pool lounge and savour the view before setting off on camel to get Berber fever in a traditional desert camp. Climb the dunes and watch the sky melt into a blanket of diamonds. Epic doesn’t even cut it. (B,L,D) DAY 8 Dades Gorge. With a 3D landscape of imposing orange sandstone peaks, streams and the odd camel playing outside your window, the trip to Dades Gorge will seem quicker than a coyote. (B,D) DAY 9 Marrakech. Step onto the set of Game of Thrones, Lawrence of Arabia, and Gladiator. Aït Ben-Haddou is UNESCO World Heritage and ‘Desert Hollywood’ beauty combined on an old caravan route between Sudan and Marrakech. (B) DAY 10 Marrakech. Don’t cry into your couscous. The trip might be over but your adventure doesn’t have to be. (B)
++ Rock the Kasbah in Rabat ++ Get lost in the Medina of Fes ++ Visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis ++ Overnight in the Sahara Desert in Berber tents
More inclusions
++ 9 breakfasts (B), 2 lunches (L), 2 dinners (D) ++ 8 nights twin-share in 3é hotels, 1 night in a desert camp ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader TRIP PRICE OF £535 + US$185 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £555 + US$185 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
10 days from
535
£
per person
+ US$185 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
GBP
TRIP CODE: MXMEMM START
é
£6tarti 6/ ng f da rom y
Dates & Prices 2015/16
MARRAKECH
Morocco
10 DAY Moroccan Explorer
33
MARRAKECH
DAY 3 Marrakech to Tamnougalt. The High Atlas Mountains separate you and the Sahara like Tom Selleck’s moustache separates his mouth from his face. Prepare for some of the most epic scenery to be burned into your retinas as we cross the Tizi n’Tichka pass. Alpine-esque fields of grazing sheep clash with unforgiving rocky terrain, mud-brick houses and some of the most nerve-shredding hairpin bends... this ain’t no drive for Miss Daisy. Tonight, sleep it off in a Kasbah. (B,L,D) DAY 4 Tamnougalt to Sahara Desert. Leaving snowcapped mountains to go boarding on a sand dune makes as much sense as Mariah Carey acting, but it’s happening. Blast across sand flats, wind between (and bulldoze over) desert dunes and rattle your bones over the dry Draa River to reach our camp on the edge of the Erg Chigaga dunes. Board till sand fills every orifice then feast on tagine around the fire. This is glamping, desert style. (B,L,D) DAY 5 Sahara to Tamalakoute. Lake Iriki is the bane of desert survival, unless you’re a Berber or Bear Grylls. Its mirages can fool you into thinking this is the coast and it’s time for a cocktail. Either that, or it’s 2007 and you’re competing in the last Paris-Dakar Rally. Shack up for the night in a small village as a local Berber family welcome you into their home. (B,L,D) DAY 6 Tamalakoute to Taroudant/Oulad Brahim. As far as road trips go, crossing the otherworldly volcanic landscape of the Jebel Siroua Mountains by 4x4 bats well above average. Expect endless twists through rock-strewn desert vistas, climbing to an elevation of 2500m with a window-slideshow of deep valleys, barley and saffron fields. Keep watch for blinkand-you’ll-miss-it villages where the Ait Ouaouzguit Berbers herd donkeys and cut weave a rug like no other. (B,L,D)
3 STAR HOTELS
18
MEALS
1
STOP & STAY
On the bucket list (included) ++ Marrakech horse & carriage ride ++ Guided tour of Marrakech
DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16
++ Rock the Kasbah in Tamnougalt
TRIP CODE: MXMSMM
++ Off-road & overnight in the Sahara Desert
START
FINISH
START
FINISH
++ Hit the beach at Essaouira
2015 13 27 10 24 08 22 05 19 03 17 31 14 28 11 25
22 05 19 03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09 23 06 20 04
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++ Entrance fees to all sights in the itinerary
More inclusions
++ 9 breakfasts (B), 5 lunches (L), 4 dinners (D) ++ 6 nights twin-share in 3é hotels ++ 1 night in a kasbah, 1 night in a desert camp, 1 night in a Berber house ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in 4WD vehicle ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader
DAY 9 Essaouira to Marrakech. Wash the last of that desert sand off before we head back to the Red City for some medina meandering in Marrakech. ‘Our last night in Morocco’ sounds like a cheesy romance novel, but it’s true. (B) DAY 10 Marrakech. Write your own ending by spending a few more days (or weeks) in this sensory overload of a land. (B)
MAR APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN G JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP OCT
TRIP PRICE OF £555 + US$235 LOCAL PAYMENT
DAY 7 Taroudant to Essaouira. In the Argan Forest there are goats that live in trees. How awesome is that?! Spend some time staring at them, then we’re off to the beach! (B,L) DAY 8 Essaouira. Hop on, and more importantly hang on, as you windsurf across the waves faster than a seagull after a dropped falafel. Take the opportunity to be beached as before squeezing in some market shopping. Then, dine at the open-air fish stands for some essence of Essaouira. Mmmm. (B)
MAR MAR APR APR MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP
GBP
TRIP PRICE OF £575 + US$235 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on
2-4
share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
10 days from
555
£
per person
+ US$235 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
DAY 2 Marrakech. Giddy-up, pilgrims and hop on a horse-drawn carriage before a guided tour around the city ending in Djemaa El-fna – a town square that houses snake charmers, Barbary apes, singers, dancers, drummers and even a dentist. Its like Mardi Gras every day. (B)
é
£7tartin 1/ g fr da om y
DAY 1 Marrakech. Get your first taste of Morocco’s delicate dance of old and new world in the 18-plus souks that fill the city streets and prepare to bend it like the Berbers.
MARRAKECH
Morocco
10 DAY Sahara Adventure
35
MARRAKECH
DAY 1 Marrakech. Marrakech will sucker punch you with its sensory overload of colours, scents, sights and sounds. Grab a mint tea and find your groove in the chaotic rhythm of life before meeting your Moroccan Explorer* group. DAY 2 Marrakech. Take a roll around the medina in a calèche (horse-drawn carriage) and experience mosaic madness at the Saadian Tombs and Bahia Palace on a guided tour. Then, plan your attack on Djemaa el-fna Square—once a trading post for slaves, ivory and gold; now home to anything you could need from snail soup to a dentist check-up. (B) DAY 3 Marrakech to Rabat. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship – you + Casablanca, immortally romanticised by the Humphrey Bogart film. Six thousand artisans worked for five years to create the intricate mosaics of Hassan II Mosque. Take the tour then continue to Rabat to lose yourself in the Santorini-esque Kasbah des Oudaias. (B) DAY 4 Rabat to Fes. Remember the Romans on a visit to Volubilis – less Gladiator battle ground, more 3rd Century township of pristine mosaic floors and regal columns, sitting pretty within a rolling green landscape. (B) DAY 5 Fes. A labyrinth of souks and monuments in the most intact medieval city in the Arab world, Fes has been virtually unchanged since the ninth century. Riad between the lines on a full-day guided tour then shed your dignity and a few layers of dead skin in a hammam.(B,L) DAY 6 Fes to Errachidia. Rolling green mountains, alpine ski slopes... picturing Morocco? Nope? Welcome to Ifrane, aka the Switzerland of Morocco. After a quick stop, fill your memory bank with vistas of the Middle Atlas mountains and cedar forests on our way to Errachidia. (B) DAY 7 Errachidia to Merzouga. There’s camping, and then there’s camping in the Sahara desert with one of the world’s most ancient tribes: the Berbers. Expect camel rides, campfire tagines and more stars than Chris Martin can croon about in 4:35 mins.(B,L,D) DAY 8 Merzouga to Dades Gorge. Farewell your nomadic desert kin and travel the road of a thousand kasbahs towards Dades Gorge. Witness the hypercolour sandstone canyon walls of Todra Gorge, aka rockclimber paradise. (B,D) DAY 9 Dades Gorge to Ait Ben Haddou. Game of Thrones fans, rejoice. Today you’ll step onto the real-life film set of Ait Ben Haddou (aka the fortified slave city Daenerys Targaryen besieged) after rolling through ‘Ouallywood’ in Ouarzazate where films like Babel, The Mummy and Gladiator were shot. (B,L,D) DAY 10 Ait Ben Haddou to Tamnougalt. Use this morning to take stock of what you’ve seen so far (and back up that memory card). Or set the alarm and climb to the high point of the ksar to see the sunrise. The Sahara Adventure* starts this afternoon. (B,L,D)
MARRAKECH
é
3 STAR HOTELS
31
Morocco
17 DAY Morocco Unplugged MEALS
On the bucket list (included) ++ Guided tours of Marrakech & Fes
++ Rock the Kasbahs in Rabat & Tamnougalt ++ Get lost in the Medina of Fes ++ Visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis ++ Off-road & overnight in the Sahara Desert ++ Hit the beach at Essaouira ++ Entrance fees to all sights in the itinerary
More inclusions
++ 16 breakfasts (B), 8 lunches (L), 7 dinners (D) ++ 11 night twin-share in 3é hotels ++ 1 night in a riad, 1 night in a kasbah, 2 nights in a desert camp, 1 night in a Berber house ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus & 4WD vehicle ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader
1
STOP & STAY DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16 GBP
TRIP CODE: MXMCMM DAY 13 Tamalakoute to Taroudant/Oulad Brahim. From dry white lakes to a topographer’s field day, tackle the imposing volcanic landscape of the Jebel Siroua Mountains by 4x4 and gain a new appreciation for the Berbers and their donkeys who have been travelling these roads without air con for thousands of years. (B,L,D) DAY 14 Taroudant to Essaouira. Dana Lyons sang about cows with guns, but today you’ll see goats in trees. Seriously. Google it (then laugh ‘til you cry). Destroyed by an earthquake in the ‘60s, Agadir is modern Morocco on the beach. Check it out then blow into the Windy City of Africa. (B,L)
START
FINISH
2015 20 03 17 01 15 29 12 26 10 24 07 21 04 18 02
05 19 03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09 23 06 20 04 18
DAY 15 Essaouira. Once a haven for the likes of Cat Stevens and Jimi Hendrix, this fishing village retains its traditional charm (and eau de Essaouira) and laid-back vibe while still sating adrenaline junkies with windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking and horse riding. (B)
MAR APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP OCT
APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN G JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP OCT OCT
FINISH
16 30 13 27 11 25 2016 08 22 05 19 04 18 01 15
OCT OCT NOV NOV DEC DEC
01 15 29 13 27 10
NOV G NOV NOV DEC DEC JAN
JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR
24 07 21 06 20 03 17 01
JAN G FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR MAY
TRIP PRICE OF £965 + US$330 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £995 + US$330 LOCAL PAYMENT
DAY 16 Essaouira to Marrakech. Arriving back in Marrakech, the night is yours. Why not top off the day with a sweet ‘Whisky Marocain’ (mint tea) and a peek at the cacti of Majorelle Garden (where Yves SaintLaurent’s ashes are scattered). (B)
G = Guaranteed Departure
DAY 17 Marrakech. Time to tuck into one more tagine and contemplate your next move. Here’s lookin’ at you, kid. (B)
£
*This trip is a combination of the Moroccan Explorer on P.31 and the Sahara Adventure on P.33. Note that you will be unaccompanied by a Trip Leader for about 24 hours between Days 9 & 10.
START
Price
based on
2-4
share
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH TOPDECK And save between 5-10% off your trip.
10 days from
965
per person
+ US$330 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
DAY 11 Tamnougalt to Sahara Desert. Stock up on water and board your four-wheeled camel (aka 4x4)— we’re going deep into the desert to sand board the Chigaga Dune then glamp like the Berbers. You’ve never seen a sunset like this before. #lifechanger (B,L,D)
S
£7tarti 0/ ng f da rom y
DAY 12 Sahara Desert to Tamalakoute. Lose all semblance of where earth ends and sky begins as we burn across the shimmering white rockbed of Lake Iriki like a Paris-Dakar Rally driver, blinking away mirages while wanting the drive to never end. Tonight, emulate the want-for-nothing attitude of traditional Berber life with an overnight stay in a family home. (B,L,D)
8-10 DAYS
COUNTRY: JORDAN & ISRAEL
HOTELS & DESERT CAMP
TWINSHARE
TRIP LENGTH
FROM
87
£
PER DAY
DAY PRICE
HOME OF HUMMUS Hot, exotic and far from deserted, Jordan and Israel dish up off-the-beaten track experiences of biblical proportions. Watch old meet new at the historical intersection of religion and dive into an eclectic mix of ancient ruins, buzzing nightlife and cultural experiences served up with lashings of hummus. Camp out in the desert with the Bedouins at Wadi Rum, go Indiana Jones in Petra and eat your way through the falafel stalls of Amman. You can sing my humps now.
HIGHLIGHTS: ++
Explore the ancient Nabatean city Petra
++
Camp with the Bedouins in Wadi Rum
++
Visit the epicentre of three world religions in Jerusalem.
++
Live it up in Tel Aviv AKA where Israel goes to party.
++
Swim in the Dead Sea
TRIP
PAGE
10 DAY
| Jordan & Israel 39
8 DAY
| Jordan Adventure 41
39
DAY 2 Amman. Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad empires have all had their two cents when it comes to Amman, creating a melting pot of ancient historical sites. From Roman theatres and citadels to the ruins of Jerash, it’s like Christmas morning for archaeologists. (B) DAY 3 Amman to Petra. Madaba is home to a mosaic map of the Holy Land so detailed it’s like an ancient Navman. From there, take in views of Moses proportions from Mt Nebo and explore Karak Castle where the Crusaders ruled over the valley below. (B) DAY 4 Petra. ‘Historic’ is a word that doesn’t even come close to describe a city that was founded around 312 BC. Petra stands as a testament to man’s ability to create beauty from nothing with 80-metre high red sandstone tunnels and a facade made famous by Indiana Jones. (B) DAY 5 Petra to Wadi Rum. Traversing the desert used to be done on camels – these days you get a Jeep. Same same but with more horsepower. Spend a night with one of the world’s most ancient nomadic tribes in a Bedouin camp and learn what it takes to survive in the harsh Sahara desert. Hint: Trust in God, but tie up your camel. (B,D) DAY 6 Wadi Rum to Aqaba. Aqaba was founded around 4000 BC and there’s little wonder why. It’s Jordan’s only coastal city and sits smack bang in the middle of everything that is the Red Sea. Take the option to (wet)suit up and see what all those ‘top dives in the world’ lists are on about. Or swim, snack on knafeh and get scrubbed down in a hammam. (B) DAY 7 Aqaba to Jerusalem. First stop in the Holy Land: Jericho. Founded around 9000 BC, this might be the oldest inhabited city on the planet, making those European ‘old cities’ seem like pre-teen wannabes. (B)
é
3 STAR HOTELS
10
MEALS
1
STOP & STAY
On the bucket list (included) ++ Discover the ‘Lost City of Petra’
++ Float in the Dead Sea - lowest point on earth
DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16
++ Guided tours of Amman & ancient Jerash
TRIP CODE: MXJIAA
++ Wadi Rum 4x4 Excursion & Desert Camp
START
FINISH
++ Relax on the Red Sea in Aqaba
2015 21 04 19 03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09 23 06 20 04 18
29 12 28 12 26 09 23 07 21 04 18 01 15 29 13 27
++ Wine tasting in Israel ++ Guided tours of Jerusalem, Bethlehem & Tel Aviv ++ Entrance fees to all sights in the itinerary
More inclusions
++ 9 breakfasts (B), 1 dinner (D) ++ 8 nights twin-share in 3é hotels, 1 night twinshare in a Bedouin desert camp ++ Arrival transfer from the airport to the hotel ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus or coach
DAY 9 Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. Step into the real-life nativity scene of Bethlehem before swapping the religious sites for a winery visit and taking your pick of 16 beaches in Tel Aviv. Wander the chilled-out seaport of Old Jaffa then see why Lonely Planet ranked this place amongst the top ten party cities in the world.(B) DAY 10 Tel Aviv. The trip might be over but don’t leave until you track down Abu Hassan for hummus that will haunt your dreams (it’s that good). (B)
MAR APR APR MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP SEP OCT OCT
G,S G,S
G G
FINISH
01 15 29 13 27 2016 10 24 07 21 06 20 03 17
NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC
10 24 08 22 05
NOV NOV G DEC DEC JAN G
JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR
19 02 16 01 15 29 12 26
JAN FEB G FEB MAR MAR MAR G APR APR
G
TRIP PRICE OF £855 + US$280 LOCAL PAYMENT
++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader DAY 8 Jerusalem. Christianity, Islam and Judaism all consider Jerusalem a holy place; it’s kind of a big deal. You’ll go to: Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, King David’s Tomb, Wailing Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified), just to name a few.. (B)
MAR APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP OCT OCT
GBP START
TRIP PRICE OF £945 + US$310 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £995 + US$310 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure S=9
day trip.
Price
based on twin-share
Finish Amman. Details @
topdeck.travel.
9 or 10 days from
855
£
per person
+ US$280 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
DAY 1 Amman. Founded in 7000 BC, Amman has seen it all. Get to know one of the oldest cities in existence before getting to know your group.
TEL AVIV
£1 tarti 15 ng /d fro ay m
AMMAN
Middle East
10 DAY Jordan & Israel
41
DAY 2 Amman. Today we crank the history knob up to 11 and take you through Amman and Jerash – home to Greco-Roman highlights, including a hippodrome which was used for chariot racing, not hippos. Then visit Ajloun Castle aka the Jordanian telco of the 1200s – once an important pigeon post to help get messages from Damascus to Cairo in a single day. (B) DAY 3 Amman to Petra. Go old school in Madaba, the site of an ancient Holy map that’s so detailed it’s like Google Maps for theologists. Then, soak up views of the Promised Land from the top of Mt Nebo, storm a giant Crusader castle in Karak... and we haven’t even gotten to the Lost City yet. (B) DAY 4 Petra. Chiseled from sheer cliffs of rose-red stone and named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, Petra’s existence seems impossible. Grab your satchel and don’t forget your hat, Indiana Jones has nothing on you today as you wander through the Siq and catch your first glimpse of the Treasury. (B) DAY 5 Petra to Wadi Rum. Like Mini Me to Doctor Evil, Little Petra will feel a little familiar this morning – that façade! After an off-road desert drive and the option to throw a leg over a camel, spend the night in a Bedouin camp and feast on a traditional fire-pit dinner with one of the world’s most ancient nomadic tribes. Also realise you’ve never really seen stars before. (B,D) DAY 6 Wadi Rum to Aqaba. Aqaba is Jordan’s only coastal city so take the option to dive the Red Sea. Jacques Cousteau called it home (literally living underwater for 30 days) for good reason—over 1200 fish species make this one of the top dive spots on earth. Not a keen diver? Take a windsurfing lesson, head to the hammam or gorge yourself on knafeh in a coffee shop. (B) DAY 7 Aqaba to Amman. At 427 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea is so salty you can float like a cork in a badly opened bottle of wine. Time to enjoy one of the world’s oldest health resorts. (B)
é
3 STAR HOTELS
8
MEALS
1
STOP & STAY
On the bucket list (included) ++ Discover the ‘Lost City of Petra’
++ Float in the Dead Sea - lowest point on earth
DAY STOP
Dates & Prices 2015/16
++ Guided tours of Amman & ancient Jerash
TRIP CODE: MXJAAA
++ Wadi Rum 4x4 Excursion & Desert Camp
START
FINISH
++ Relax on the Red Sea in Aqaba
2015 21 04 19 03 17 31 14 28 12 26 09 23 06 20 04 18
27 10 26 10 24 07 21 05 19 02 16 30 13 27 11 25
++ Entrance fees to all sights in the itinerary
More inclusions
++ 7 breakfasts (B), 1 dinner (D) ++ 6 nights twin-share in 3é hotels, 1 night twin-share in a Bedouin desert camp ++ Arrival & departure airport transfers ++ Transport in an air-conditioned minibus or coach ++ Awesome English-speaking Trip Leader DAY 8 Amman. Fill up on fuul; the trip’s over after breakfast. Where to next? (B)
MAR APR APR MAY MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG SEP SEP OCT OCT
MAR APR APR MAY MAY JUN JUN JUL JUL AUG AUG AUG SEP SEP OCT OCT
GBP
G,S G,S
G G
START
FINISH
01 15 29 13 27 2016 10 24 07 21 06 20 03 17
NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC
08 22 06 20 03
NOV NOV G DEC DEC JAN G
JAN JAN FEB FEB MAR MAR APR APR
17 31 14 28 13 27 10 24
JAN JAN G FEB FEB MAR MAR G APR APR
G
TRIP PRICE OF £545 + US$200 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £545 + US$230 LOCAL PAYMENT TRIP PRICE OF £595 + US$230 LOCAL PAYMENT G = Guaranteed Departure S=7
day itinerary.
Price
based on twin-share
Details @
topdeck.travel.
7 or 8 days from
545
£
per person
+ US$200 LOCAL PAYMENT All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out. Price per day based on USD1=GBP0.65 for Local Payment portion which must be paid locally in USD. Exchange rate subject to currency fluctuations.
S
DAY 1 Amman. Amman is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, so you’re a little late… but welcome! Head to a shawarma stand or grab a falafel because the food here is off the hookah.
AMMAN
£8tartin 7/ g f da rom y
AMMAN
Middle East
8 DAY Jordan Adventure
8-12 DAYS
COUNTRY: TURKEY
HOTELS & BOATS
2–3 SHARE
TRIP LENGTH
FROM
44
£
PER DAY
DAY PRICE
SAY SHEESH Home to a capital straddling two continents, a mezze platter of leftovers from great empires and the world’s most epic kebab, Turkey is a melting pot of things that were, things that will be and things that are just straight up delicious. Go maze running in the Grand Bazaar, explore ancient ruins and rock the turquoise (see what we did there) waters of the Aegian Sea like an Ottoman king. Also: sticky ice cream. Like, really sticky.
HIGHLIGHTS ++
Gulet sailing in Fethiye
++
Dinner in a Turkish family home
++
Sticky ice cream, big ruins, epic kebabs
++
ANCAZ Cove & Gallipoli
TRIP
PAGE
12 DAY
| Turkey Explored 44
8 DAY
| Blue Lagoons 45
44 Turkey
12 DAY Turkey Explored ISTANBUL
1
STOP & STAY
Dates & Prices 2015 GBP
TRIP CODE: EXTUII FINISH
START
FINISH
26
APR 07
MAY
18
JUL
29
JUL
02
MAY 13
MAY
25
JUL
05
AUG
16
MAY 27
MAY
01
AUG 12
AUG
23
MAY 03
JUN
08
AUG 19
AUG
30
MAY 10
JUN
15
AUG 26
AUG
06
JUN 17
JUN
22
AUG 02
SEP
13
JUN 24
JUN
29
AUG 09
SEP
20
JUN 01
JUL
05
SEP
16
SEP
27
JUN 08
JUL
12
SEP
23
SEP
04
JUL
15
JUL
19
SEP
30
SEP
11
JUL
22
JUL
G G
G
G G G G
G
COUNTRY
16
MEALS
DAY 2 Istanbul to Ankara. This morning should be called the great Istanbul bucket list: the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome. Then: time to see a man about a kebab. (B)
TRIP PRICE OF £680 TRIP PRICE OF £730 G = Guaranteed Departure Price based on per person twin-share/double 5% reduction for triple-share EARLY PAYMENT Book & pay in full 6 months in advance and we’ll knock 5% OFF the price.
12 days from
£
per person
All items listed within the Bucket list and More inclusions are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out.
On the bucket list (included) ++ Traditional dinner in a Turkish family home ++ ANZAC Cove in Gallipoli ++ Welcome & farewell dinner in Istanbul
More inclusions
DAY 3 Ankara to Cappadocia. On to Anıtkabir to check out the mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk—the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey. Next stop: off the beaten track in Cappadocia for a traditional dinner in a local family home. (B,D)
++ 11 breakfasts (B), 5 dinners (D)
DAY 4 Cappadocia. A full day exploring the fairychimneys of Devrent Valley. (B)
++ Sightseeing tours of all major cities
DAY 5 Cappadocia to Konya. Go Indiana Jones in the underground cities where the early Christians hid to avoid persecution from the Romans. Then a stop at the ancient trade stop of the Sultanhani Caravanserai before we touch down in the spiritual centre of Turkey. (B)
TRIP PRICE OF £595
595
1
DAY 1 Istanbul, Turkey. You could cross two continents in half an hour, but that’s before dinner. Start off with a baklava, this is going to be epic. (D)
DAY STOP
START
ISTANBUL
DAY 6 Konya to Fethiye. Locals call this place a paradise granted to earth by God. When you see the beaches, you’ll know why. Hot tip: keep your camera charged for Saklikent Gorge, Turkey’s longest and deepest canyon. (B,D) DAY 7 Fethiye. Like most rivieras, this place doesn’t lack options to worship the sun. Cruise around the islands or check out Oludinez beach. This is the good life. (B) DAY 8 Fethiye to Kusadasi via Pamukkale. On to the cotton castles of Pamukkale for a dip in the best natural hot tubs in Turkey. Then a tour of the ancient Roman city of Hierapolis before we roll into Kusadasi in the early evening. (B,D)
£
om fr y g a tin d ar 0/ St 5
DAY 9 Kusadasi. Bring out more of your inner Indiana Jones today as we check out the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus. Built around the 10th century BC, the stunningly-preserved front façade of the Library of Celsus takes centre stage – as can you in the old amphitheatre. (B)
++ 11 nights hotel accommodation (twin or double) ++ Smaller group size ++ Air-conditioned vehicle ++ Experienced English-speaking guide
DAY 10 Kusadasi to Canakkale. Keep your eyes out for Brad Pitt today as we hustle our way into Troy. Before that: Bergama and the epic ruins of Acropolis. (B) DAY 11 Canakkale to Istanbul. On to the WW1 battlefields of Gallipoli for a guided tour of one of the most significant memorial sites in Australia and New Zealand’s history. Pay your respects at the Australian Memorial at Lone Pine, the New Zealand Memorial at Chunuk Bair, ANZAC Cove and the Turkish Memorial. Lest we forget. (B,D) DAY 12 Istanbul. You can never have enough baklava. Eat yourself into a food coma this morning, we wrap this trip after breakfast. (B)
45
DAY 2 Tarzan Bay to St Nicholas Island. There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing. Next up, the Blue Lagoon. It’s officially the most photographed beach in Europe = perfect opportunity for some travel FOMO. Another cheeky sunset shot at St Nicholas Island and you’ll have no Facebook friends left. (B,L,D) DAY 3 St Nicholas Island to Kas. First stop: Aquarium Bay (expectations set) then on to Kas to check out the local markets before our on-board dinner extravaganza. (B,L,D)
7
STOPS
20
MEALS
1
STOP & STAY DAY STOP
Inclusions ++ Local captain & crew ++ 7 breakfasts (B), 6 lunches (L), 7 dinners (D)
Dates & Prices 2015 START
++ Afternoon tea (coffee, tea & snacks)
30
MAY 06
JUN
++ Snorkelling equipment, board games & cards
06
JUN 13
JUN
13
JUN 20
JUN
20
JUN 27
JUN
27
JUN 04
JUL
04
JUL
11
JUL
11
JUL
18
JUL
18
JUL
25
JUL
25
JUL
01
AUG
++ Harbour/marina fees ++ Sound system & iPod dock
DAY 6 Gokkaya Bay to Fırnaz Bay. Set sail towards Hidayet Bay this AM and be rewarded with hidden treasures and a well deserved swim. Final destination today: Fırnaz Bay for a night to remember. (B,L,D) DAY 7 Fırnaz Bay to Fethiye. Rub shoulders with the jet-setters at Gemiller Beach or recreate the Blair Witch Project with an optional trip to the ghost town Kaya Koy. Jump on dry land for some fresh gozleme then back on board to get ready for the night. (B,L,D) DAY 8 Fethiye. Grab breakfast and pack your bags/ togs/swimmers. Say arrr one last time or find a ship and do it all over again. (B)
FINISH
START
G G G G G G G G G
FINISH
01
AUG 08
AUG
08
AUG 15
AUG
15
AUG 22
AUG
22
AUG 29
AUG
29
AUG 05
SEP
05
SEP
12
SEP
12
SEP
19
SEP
19
SEP
26
SEP
G G G G G G G G
TRIP PRICE OF £345
DAY 4 Kas to Aperlai Bay. Bring on next level relaxation. Today we crank on some island hopping tunes and check out the waters around Limangazi and Ucagiiz, before an evening chill session at Aperlai Bay. (B,L,D) DAY 5 Aperlai Bay to Gokkaya Bay. We were going to wander the streets of Kekova, but turns out it’s been underwater for a few centuries. All good— new plan. Float past that deal and keep your eyes out for turtles. Totally. Next up, Simena to sink your teeth into some castle vibes before a full on pirate party at the Smugglers Inn, should you want to get your timbers shivered. (B,L,D)
GBP
TRIP CODE: EXTGFF
++ 7 nights twin/double/triple-share cabin accommodation on motor cruising boats
TRIP PRICE OF £385 TRIP PRICE OF £485 TRIP PRICE OF £545 G = Guaranteed Departure Price
based on twin-share/double.
EARLY PAYMENT Book & pay in full 6 months in advance and we’ll knock 5% OFF the price.
8 days from
345
£
per person
All items listed within the Inclusions list are included within the price of your trip. Other activities mentioned are optional (and so may cost extra) but too awesome to miss out.
S
DAY 1 Fethiye to Tarzan Bay. Today is officially speak like a pirate day. No swabbing the deck today me hearties, just lots of planking (well, walking it at least). Soak up the rays of the Mediterranean on the way to our first anchorage in Tarzan Bay. (D)
FETHIYE
£4tarti 4/ ng f da rom y
FETHIYE
Turkey
8 DAY Blue Lagoons
LANDING IN ABU DHABI? Dubai is just around the corner. Talk to us for transfer information.
DUBAI
TAKE IT TO THE TOP
If you’re looking for mundane, look elsewhere. Glittery, oil-fuelled and larger than life, Dubai is a living testament to the fact that money can buy almost anything. Futuristic skyscrapers meet traditional markets and shopping destinations tailor-made for a short stint of retail therapy. Need a place to park your Lamborghini? No problem. Coming by camel? You’re sorted. Want ATMs spitting out 24-karat gold (why wouldn’t you)? This is the place. Get on top of the 163-story Burj Khalifa, for the world’s highest city views, cross endless sand dunes on a desert safari then kick back in man-made luxury at Palm Island. You’re just getting started. Note: These packages are unguided and designed to let you roam free and explore on your own. Included activities are not restricted to 18-39s.
3 DAY Dubai
4 DAY Dubai
Inclusions
Inclusions
++ 2 breakfasts + 1 BBQ dinner in the desert
++ 3 breakfasts + 1 BBQ dinner in the desert
++ 4x4 desert safari
++ 4x4 desert safari & Dubai city tour
++ Meet & greet service + return airport transfers.
++ Meet & greet service + return airport transfers.
++ 2 nights in a 3é hotel
++ 3 nights in a 3é hotel
MAY TO SEP
MAY TO SEP
Twin/Double* From £
135
Single From £ GBP per person
215
Twin/Double* From £ GBP per person
OCT TO APR
Single From £ GBP per person
305
GBP per person
OCT TO APR
Twin/Double* From £
145
190
Single From £ GBP per person
235
* Must be booked by 2 people travelling together
Rates may vary during blackout periods. Contact us for up-to-date prices.
Twin/Double* From £ GBP per person
210
Single From £ GBP per person
* Must be booked by 2 people travelling together
330
GBP per person
PRE & POST ACCOMMODATION. ARRIVE EARLY. STAY LATE CAIRO
CAIRO
SWISS INN
CAIRO
TIBA PYRAMIDS HOTEL
PHARAOHS’ HOTEL
Single from
Twin/Double from
Single from
Twin/Double from
Single from
Twin/Double from
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
36
£
28
£
36
28
£
£
24
£
18
£
Triple from
Triple from
Triple from
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
Twin/double and triples must be booked by two or three people travelling together
Twin/double and triples must be booked by two or three people travelling together
Twin/double and triples must be booked by two or three people travelling together
MARRAKECH
TEL AVIV
AMMAN
Single from
Twin/Double from
Single from
Twin/Double from
Single from
Twin/Double from
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
25
25
£
HOTEL AKABAR
42
£
15
£
30
£
£
SEA NET/JERUSALEM GATE
111
£
AL FANAR PALACE
66
£
Triple from
Airport Transfer from
GBP per person
GBP per person
Twin/double and triples must be booked by two or three people travelling together
Twin/double and triples must be booked by two or three people travelling together
28
£
42
£
23
£
24
£
Twin/double and triples must be booked by two or three people travelling together
ISTANBUL
GOLDEN HORN SIRKECI HOTEL Single from
Twin/Double from
Triple from
GBP per person
GBP per person
GBP per person
140
£
100
£
90
£
Twin/double and triples must be booked by two or three people travelling together
STAY & PLAY | 47
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TERMS & CONDITIONS It is our intention to set out clearly and simply the responsibilities which we at Top Deck Tours Ltd, Level 1, 107 Power Road, Chiswick, London UK, (company registration number 04905253) (hereafter referred to as “Topdeck, us or we”) have to You, your heirs, executors and assigns and any member of your party and their heirs, executors and assigns (“You”) and which You, in turn, have to us when a contract is made between us. You should therefore read and understand the contents. All trips featured in this brochure are sold by Top Deck Tours Ltd as an agent of local Tour Operators. We sell trips to Egypt as an agent of Top Deck Egypt , Cairo, Egypt; to Morocco as an agent of Mountain Safari Tours, Marrakech, Morocco; to Jordan and Israel as an agent of Al-Thuraya Travel and Tours, Amman, Jordan: The Turkey Explored as an agent of New Faces Travel and Tourism, Istanbul, Turkey; and the Gulet Cruise as agent of AlaTurka Yachting and Travel, Fethiye, Turkey. Your contract will be with Topdeck as an agent of these Tour Operators. All trips are sold subject to the following conditions. We are a member of ABTA which means you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance and Code of Conduct. Many of the travel arrangements that we sell are protected in the case of the financial failure of the travel company. Please ask us about the protection that applies to your booking. Topdeck’s trips are sold subject to the following conditions (“these Conditions”). 1. (a) Please note that our trips are designed for young people between the ages of 18 to 39 years. We may in special circumstances approve persons outside this range. If You are 17 years of age and wish to book on one of our tours, please contact us before making a booking as we will require the written consent of your parent or guardian. We reserve the sole right to decline a booking request from You should we think our trips are not suited to You. (b) A contract between You and us will exist as soon as we issue an invoice in response to your request for a booking and the deposit has been paid to your travel agent or us. BOOKING YOUR TRIP 2. Bookings can be made either through your local travel agent or with us direct and must be secured with a deposit of £60 per person paid at the time of booking. This deposit is non-refundable unless we cancel your trip. If You are making a booking within 42 days of departure, then full payment is required PROVIDED HOWEVER that if the trip comprises a special offer we may require full payment including any pre and post accommodation and sundry service charges to be paid at the time specified in the offer. Your booking is taken to be confirmed, and accepted when we issue an invoice. If your booking is made through a travel agent, we will address all correspondence to that travel agent. All monies paid by You to the travel agent will be held by them on behalf of Topdeck. If You arrange your trip direct with us, all correspondence and communications will be sent to your address in our booking file unless You specify otherwise. Balance of all payments is required at least 42 days prior to your trip departure date. If You do not pay within this period we may deem your booking cancelled and your deposit forfeited. 3. Alterations or cancellations by You after your booking has been accepted will be effected subject to the provisions of clauses 5, 6 and 7 of these Conditions. 4. Prices quoted in our brochures are calculated on costs and exchange rates at 01 December 2014. These prices may increase or decrease and we reserve the sole right to alter prices and other particulars contained in our brochures and on our website. Price changes in trips featured in subsequent brochure versions will supersede the prices in this brochure. (The version date is indicated on the back cover of this brochure). Before You make a booking we will provide You with details of the current price of your chosen trip This will also be displayed on the website. Once You have accepted this price and your booking has been confirmed in accordance with clause 2 that price will remain fixed and will not be subject to surcharges.
consider a change of accommodation, or transport style a material change. Please note that in Egypt because of demand for train tickets we often use our own vehicles for overnight journeys. 10. We will endeavour not to materially modify or cancel the trip within 42 days of the date of the scheduled departure unless compelled to do so because of circumstances beyond our reasonable control . If a material modification or cancellation is made by us within six weeks of the scheduled departure date for reasons other than Force Majeure in accordance with clause 20 You will receive compensation as stated in the scale below. Period before scheduled departure date that we notify You or your travel agent together with the compensation offered. Over 42 days 42 to 29 days 28 to 14 days 13 to 7 days 6-0 days
Nil £20 £30 £40 £80
11. Topdeck reserves to itself the sole right to require a minimum number of participants for certain trips and in the event that there are insufficient bookings recorded by not later than 42 days before the scheduled departure date we will be entitled to cancel the scheduled trip, whereupon all monies paid by You for your Topdeck trip shall be refunded but no further compensation will be paid and You and Topdeck hereby agree to mutually release each other from any further obligations which would have been enforceable had the trip not been cancelled. 12. We reserve the right to alter or substitute the type of vehicle or style of transport mentioned in the brochure, depending on the number of passengers carried, which can vary from trip to trip. The average group size is 10. Please note that we often use coaches for overnight journeys instead of trains. OUR LIABILITY TO YOU 13. Save where the provisions of Force Majeure apply, in the event that the trip does not reasonably comply with the description in the brochure, Topdeck may compensate You to a maximum value equal to twice the price of the trip but excluding insurance premiums and amendment fees AND Topdeck will only be liable to pay the maximum amount of compensation where there has been a total failure of consideration for your payment. Where the failure to provide such trip is not caused by any fault of Topdeck, its agents or suppliers or is caused by or contributed to by You, Topdeck will not be liable to pay any compensation. 14. If You are killed, injured or become ill during or as a result of, carriage by ship, train or coach forming part of the trip in circumstances where such death, injury or illness is not caused by or contributed to by You our liability to pay damages and/or the amount of compensation we will be liable to pay is limited in accordance with the liability of a carrier under any international Convention applicable to such events, including, but not limited to: • In respect of carriage by sea: the Athens Convention 1974; • In respect of carriage by rail, the Berne Convention 1961; and, • In respect of carriage by road, the Geneva Convention 1973. 15. The terms of these Conventions are incorporated into and form part of our contract with You. You should know that the carrier will rely upon its ‘conditions of carriage’ which may limit or remove the carrier’s liability to You and limit compensation under any international Conventions. 16. In the event that Topdeck (or its insurers) make any payment to You for death, personal injury or illness, You must give us or our insurers all and any rights You may have to take action against the party responsible for causing the death, personal injury or illness and You must co-operate fully with us in seeking recovery of any payment we may make from such party.
5. You must clearly state all your requirements at the time of booking. Please note that any dietary requirements will be a request only. We cannot guarantee special dietary requirements nor will we assume any responsibility or liability if your special requirements cannot be fulfilled. If You want to change any aspect of your booking including but not limited to a change to a trip of shorter duration or different departure date You must notify us as soon as possible in writing. We will do our best to accommodate your requested changes but You will be required to pay an amendment fee of £25 (£15 for preor post-accommodation within 42 days) per person per change. If a request is made less than 42 days before departure, normal cancellation fees will apply in accordance with clause 7 unless the transfer or change is to an earlier departure of the same trip. In the event of a request for a change to be made a new invoice will be issued by Topdeck and cancellation charges/amendment fees will be shown. All amendment fees are payable within 7 days of the issue of a new invoice or on the date of departure, whichever is the sooner.
17. Your booking is accepted on the understanding that You appreciate the possible risks inherent in adventure travel and that You undertake the trips featured in this brochure of your own volition. Every effort will be made to operate all trips featured in this brochure but because of the number of countries visited on trips there may be a necessity to vary the itinerary from that stated in the brochure, and delays may occur for a variety of reasons beyond our control. The need for a flexible attitude to this type of travel is stressed in our publication. The final decision on the itinerary and the content of the trip will be taken by the Trip Leader, as appointed by us in the interest of the group as a whole. Please note that due to Public holidays some sights or activities may not be available on a particular trip.
6. If You are prevented from travelling as a result of illness, the death of an immediate family member, jury service, or other reason beyond your control which we consider significant, we will agree to your booking being transferred to another person who satisfies all the conditions applicable to the trip, subject to You and the other person accepting liability for full payment of the trip cost and any additional costs arising from the transfer PROVIDED THAT we must be given at least 21 days written notice of the proposed change.
19. During Your trip You will be offered the chance to purchase various optional excursions and activities. Topdeck does not own, operate or control any of the companies or individuals which provide the optional activities or excursions. Some of the optional activities and excursions are inherently risky. If You want to take part in such optional activities or excursions You must be fit enough to do so and must follow all reasonable instructions. The standards of health and safety which will be adopted by the company or the individual providing the optional activity or excursion will be those of the country where the optional activity or excursion takes place. Please note that these standards may not be the same as You would find in the UK, or in Your home country. If You wish to book any optional excursion or activity, You may do so subject to the operator’s terms and conditions. Your contract will be with the operator of the activity or excursion and will be governed by local law. Topdeck acts only as their agent. Topdeck’s Tour Leader will have further details and additional information can be found on our website. Topdeck accepts no liability for any act or omission of any operator, its employees, agents or sub-contractors.
CANCELLATION BY YOU 7. Cancellation of a booking by You must be made in writing. We will not regard a booking as cancelled unless and until written notice is received by us. On cancellation the following charges will apply:
Days before Departure
% of trip cost forfeited
Pre/post accommodation
Over 42 days Deposit Nil 42 to 29 days 40% 40% 28 to 14 days 60% 60% 13 to 7 days 80% 100% 6-3 days 90% 100% 2-0 days 100% 100%
CANCELLATION OR MODIFICATION BY US 8. Every effort will be made to operate all trips as advertised but it must be remembered that our trips are planned up to eighteen months in advance. We therefore reserve the sole right, at our discretion, to modify or cancel any trip, accommodation or arrangement at any time. We will notify You as soon as possible of any changes and they will form part of our contract with You. In the case of any material modification or cancellation, we will, if possible, provide You with three alternatives: (1) a trip of an equivalent or closely similar standard and price, if available; (2) a trip of a lower standard together with a refund of the difference in price; or (3) cancellation with a full refund of all monies paid. 9. A material modification is one which has a serious effect on your trip and includes a change of departure date, departure point or airport, or change of departure time of more than twelve hours, which would cause substantial inconvenience to You. We do not
18. No refund will be made for services made available by Topdeck but which for whatever reason are not used by You once the trip has departed. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND EXCURSIONS
EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY – FORCE MAJEURE 20. We do not accept liability for any loss, damage or expense resulting from war or terrorist activities threatened or actual, civil unrest, industrial action threatened or actual, weather conditions, fire, flood, drought, closures, unforeseen alterations to public transport schedules, rescheduling of aircraft or boats, epidemic or outbreaks of illness or any other event outside our control which either delays or extends or reduces the trip, or compels a change in the trip arrangements after departure. CONTRAVENTION OF LAW We will not be responsible for any loss or damage sustained by You as a result of a contravention of any law or regulation of any of the countries visited while on the trip. HEALTH AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS 21. If You have a medical condition or disability which may affect your trip, we ask that You inform us in writing at the time of booking the trip of any special arrangements required by You so that we are able to advise as to the suitability of those arrangements. If we reasonably feel we are unable to satisfactorily accommodate your particular needs, we reserve the right to decline the booking or ask for You to be accompanied by a person who is able to provide full assistance to You throughout your trip. YOUR LIABILITY TO US 22. You will not be permitted to embark or continue on the trip if your mental or physical condition is, in the reasonable opinion of any representative of Topdeck, such as to render You incapable of caring for yourself, or whereby You become objectionable to other
passengers, or You become a hazard to yourself or other passengers. We will not be responsible for expenses resulting in You being precluded from completing the trip for any reason, nor will we refund You any part of your trip cost. In all cases we will notify You of the reasons why we have taken this action. We will have no obligation to arrange for your return to the point of the trip departure where your condition manifests itself after the trip departure. Further, if the trip involves travel by air, the captain of your aircraft can refuse to allow You to fly on the aircraft if he believes that You could be dangerous or disruptive to other passengers on the flight. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS 23. Please ensure You carefully read your invoice, tickets and all other documents we send to You as soon as You receive them, and contact your travel agent, or us immediately if any information appears to be incorrect. We will not accept any liability if You fail to notify us of any inaccuracy in any document within 14 days of us sending them to You or your agent. While we will do our best to rectify any changes made outside this time, it is your responsibility to meet any additional costs which may be involved, except in the case of an error made by Topdeck and where there is reasonable justification for You not contacting us within the specified time. You are responsible for ensuring that all necessary travel documents including, but not limited to, passports, visas and vaccination certificates are valid and subsisting. We strongly recommend that You verify current documentation requirements and all other relevant protocols and procedures associated with your trip with your travel agent or us. Please note requirements change and you must check with your Consulate for the most up to date information, including, but not limited to Visa requirements for te countries visited on Your trip . Passports must have an expiry date of at least six months after completion of the trip. INSURANCE 24. You must take out comprehensive travel insurance before You travel on your trip. Your insurance protection must include cover for cancellation, medical and repatriation expenses, personal injury and accident, death and loss of personal baggage and money and personal liability insurance. Evidence of such insurances must be produced to Topdeck on request, normally on day one. Insurance cover offered by credit card companies or reciprocal medical cover agreements are often not comprehensive. 25. You hereby indemnify us against all third-party actions taken against us for loss or damage caused by You or arising from your participation on the trip. 26. In the event of You making a claim against Topdeck arising out of the trip, You hereby assign to us, any rights to take action against any third party supplier or any other person or party that Topdeck reasonably considers to be a party to the action and to co-operate fully with Topdeck should Topdeck or its insurers wish to enforce those rights which have been assigned to Topdeck. 27. In the event that You make a claim against us which is covered by your insurance policy, You agree to pursue the claim through your insurer either in addition to, or in substitution for, your claim against us (if any). We agree to indemnify You in respect of reasonable expenses incurred in successfully pursuing such a claim and acknowledge that any settlement made by the insurer shall not prejudice your rights against us. 28. In the event of You not making a claim before 5 working days of the maximum length of time permitted by your policy, You must assign, by letter sent by courier delivery to Topdeck not less than 5 working days prior to the said specified time, the benefit of the policy and give immediate notice of such an assignment to your insurer. COMPLAINTS 29. In the event of any dissatisfaction with the accommodation or any other service provided by Topdeck, You must report it immediately to the Trip Leader so that action can be taken to remedy the problem. Failure to notify the Trip Leader of any problem immediately may prejudice Topdeck and may result in your ability to claim compensation from us being extinguished or reduced. Any complaint made to Topdeck following the conclusion of the trip should be made in writing within 28 days of completion of the trip. In the event that You do not notify us in writing within 28 days, Topdeck’s ability to investigate the complaint may be prejudiced and may extinguish your claim. As Members of ABTA, (membership number L8291/Y2992), we are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of, or in connection with this contract. The arbitration scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently by IDRS, part of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. DATA PROTECTION 30. Topdeck has measures in place to protect the personal booking information held by it. However, in order to make your booking and ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly, we need to use the information You provide and pass it on to other relevant suppliers who are responsible for parts of your travel arrangements. In making this booking, your consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons is deemed to be given unless You object and advise Topdeck of your objection at the time of booking. The information may also be provided to public authorities such as Customs or Immigration if required by them, or as required by law. This consent applies to any sensitive information that You give to us such as details of any disabilities or dietary/religious requirements. SMOKING 31. Topdeck operates a non-smoking policy on our coaches (although we make frequent stops for breaks), and in most of our accommodation LUGGAGE 32. There are strict weight limits for coaches when fully loaded. Therefore You are only entitled to have one piece of main luggage of standard size (see the pre-departure information or our website for size limits), and not weighing more than 20kg. In addition You may bring a sleeping bag (where required) and a daypack. GENERAL 33. You understand that future Topdeck advertising and publicity material may include statements made by passengers, or their photographs, and You consent to such use of your comments or photographic/video likeness. 34. No servant, agent, employee or representative of the Company has any right to alter, vary or waive any of these Conditions, nor undertake any activity likely to lead to increased liability whatsoever on behalf of Topdeck unless such be in writing and signed by a duly authorised person. 35. All contracts for bookings made with Topdeck, for trips in this brochure, are governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts, should any dispute between us not be otherwise amicably agreed. 36. Interpretation • In these Conditions, any words importing the singular or plural numbers shall include the plural or singular number respectively or words importing a particular gender shall include all genders. • Notice required to be given in writing in these Conditions may be given by mail, facsimile transmission or email. Selected images used in this brochure are courtesy of Brett Edmonds Photography.
TERMS & CONDITIONS | 49
HOW
TO READ OUR ITINERARIES
We’ve created this handy reference to help you understand the ins and outs of our itineraries and make an educated decision on the best trip for you. Go forth and explore, grasshopper!
01
The basics
Where you start, finish and top line inclusions.
01 02
Bucket list (inclusions)
This is where the fun starts and it’s all included. Compare bucket list items, highlight inclusions for each trip.
03
Itinerary
A magical string of words that gives you the lowdown on where we go, what we do and the awesomeness you will encounter on the way. Things not mentioned on the bucket list may not be included, but are too awesome to leave out.
04
04
05
Icons 02 06
FELUCCA SAILING
03 5éNILE CRUISE
05
Map
06
Trip code
07
Everyone’s favourite way to visually make sense of the world since 600 B.C. Also super useful to get the lay of the land and understand what regions you will cover on your trip.
Use this to book a trip through our website or when you talk to your travel agent. Not useful for Scrabble so don’t even go there.
07
Travel dates
08
Price
09
Local Payment
Planned departure dates for the upcoming travel season. Trips marked with a ‘G’ are guaranteed, which means just that. Check our website regularly for updated departures.
The starting price of your adventure and goal amount for your piggy bank, excluding add-ons and optional activities.
This part of the price is payable to your Trip Leader at the start of your trip and covers costs such as local guides & suppliers, meals and other cash-only expenses.
50 | HOW TO READ OUR ITINERARIES
08 09
EGYPT
14
EGYPT
8 DAY Nile Discovery MXEVCC
10 DAY Spirt of Egypt P.16
MXEFCC
9 DAY Egypt Express P.17
MXEECC
P.18
HOTELS & BOATS
8-19 DAYS
TWIN-SHARE
TRIP LENGTH
15 DAY Pyramids & Beaches MXEPCC
8 DAY Essential Egypt P.19
MXETCC
14 DAY Egypt Explored MXEXCC
13 DAY Pharaohs’ Footsteps P.23
MOROCCO
MOROCCO
9 DAY Sinai Horizons P.20
MXEGCC
28
9 DAY Learn To Dive P.21
19 DAY Ultimate Egypt P.24
10 DAY Moroccan Explorer MXMEMM
MXESCC
MXEUCC
MXMSMM
P.22
19 DAY Egypt, Jordan & Israel P.25
10 DAY Sahara Adventure P.31
MXEDCC
MXEJCC
P.27
17 DAY Morocco Unplugged P.33
MXMCMM
P.35
HOTELS & MORE
10-17 DAYS
2 – 4 SHARE
TRIP LENGTH
JORDAN & ISRAEL
JORDAN & ISRAEL
HOTELS & DESERT CAMP
36
10 DAY Jordan & Israel MXJIAA
8 DAY Jordan Adventure P.39
MXJAAA
P.41
TURKEY
TURKEY
8-10 TRIP LENGTH
HOTELS & BOATS
8-12
DAYS
TWIN-SHARE
42
DAYS
3 – 4 SHARE
TRIP LENGTH
MAPS | 51
GBP
Europe
Festivals NZ & a i l a r t s u A & Events
Europe USA & Winter Canada
Exclusive Agent:
Africa
Ph 0845 257 5420 www.topdeck.travel res@topdecktravel.co.uk Level 1, 107 Power Road Chiswick, London W4 5PY United Kingdom
Design by Topdeck. Printed January 2015 Š Topdeck.
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L8291 / Y2992