tucantravel.com

Has anyone ever taken a tucantravel.com trip? I want to take the Egypt Encompassed trip next year, but after reading the description, it seems very basic. Like one night you sail down the Nile in a felucca, but you have to bring your own sleeping bag, and if you have to pee they have to stop the whole boat so you can pee in a bush. Has anyone ever done this trip, or a trip from this company? Just wondering. It's cheap, but you get what you pay for.

I haven't used Tucan Travel, but I took a look at the initiary. You are right, this is a basic trip taking in all the backpacker highlights. That the trip includes Dahab and a 2-day felucca sailing is a very good clue that it is quite basic and catering to a younger crowd. Turkey has Sultanahment area in Istanbul and Göreme, Bangkok has Khao-San-Road, Morocco has Marrakech and Egypt has Dahab. This means that Dahab it is a very popular hangout with the low-budget crowd. It is known for basic accomodation and a laid-back lifestyle, good diving and the availability of recreational herbs. In contrast to that the 3-star package crowd all gravitates towards Sharm-el-Sheikh. Similar for the felucca sailing - all the backpackers on a budget sail on a felucca, while the package crowd uses one of the big 4- or 5-star Nile cruise ships.

I couldn't see the price of the tour, but if I was you I would recommend that you try go for 3 weeks and do the initiary suggested by the "Egypt Encommpassed" on your own. From what I saw mentioned under "Exclusions" I think the price for everything will be roughly 60 % cheaper that way. Grab a Lonely Planet Egypt and start planning or ask questions here.

@Kekate: I know Tucan Travel, I went on a tour with them in Argentina and Chile in 2007 and had a great time. I can truly recommend Tucan Travel, but mine was an entirely different tour from the one you are interested in (different continent, of course, but also different travel style - mine was one of their "Discovery Tours" and we travelled in one of their private vehicles and stayed at comfort hotels). Everything was fine and I would travel with Tucan again if I had a chance.