Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival, Ancient & Modern Cairo, 3-Day Nile Cruise, More!
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Please note: You must book your own flights to/from Cairo, Egypt. I can help you
book your flights if you like. .An Ahlan Wa Sahlan Travel agent will meet you at the Cairo
airport and assist you with passport control, luggage and customs clearance. Then the agent
will take you to the Mena House Oberoi hotel where you will meet me for our orientation
meeting. An AWS Travel agent will take you back to the airport and assist you on your
departure day.
Amenities included in both packages
"Have it All! (2 Weeks)","Cairo, AWS Festival Only (9-10 Days)"
Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival, centerpiece of the tour ~ June 27 - July 4, 2012
Learn shaabi and sharqi as done by the people, dancing along at our
exclusive hafla with one of the best non-professional dancers in town!
Ancient and Modern Cairo
4-Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor, **Abu Simbel**, Valley of the Kings
and sites between with on-board evening parties. No time for cruising? Cairo and
AWS, without the 4-day cruise is available, see Packages and Prices below.
Optional side trips for dancers and non-dancers:
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Please note: You must book your own flights to/from Cairo, Egypt. I can help you
book your flights if you like. .An Ahlan Wa Sahlan Travel agent will meet you at the Cairo
airport and assist you with passport control, luggage and customs clearance. Then the agent
will take you to the Mena House Oberoi hotel where you will meet me for our orientation
meeting. An AWS Travel agent will take you back to the airport and assist you on your
departure day.
Amenities included in both packages
"Have it All! (2 Weeks)","Cairo, AWS Festival Only (9-10 Days)"
- Accommodations in Cairo at the AWS Festival hotel, the luxurious Mena House, in the
shadow of the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, bed/breakfast basis. - While cruising between Luxor and Aswan, 5-star accommodations and all meals on board
the river boat. - All transportation inside Egypt .
- Air conditioned tour buses or taxis with English speaking guides.
- I will assist you before and throughout the tour ~ what to pack, what to eat and not eat,
Egyptian customs and culture, choosing classes at the festival, shopping and bargaining
in the souq (both at the festival and in Khan El Khalili), how to cross a busy Cairo street
and how to stay safe. - Traveling alone? Leyla will be happy to help you find a roommate if you wish, plus single
occupancy pricing is available.
Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival, centerpiece of the tour ~ June 27 - July 4, 2012
- Opening Night Gala with top Egyptian and international stars performing for you.
- Closing Night Gala with more top Egyptian and international stars performing for you.
- Registration fee for the festival.
- Personal interaction all week with the best Egyptian & international dancers & teachers!
- Six days of classes ~ PLEASE NOTE: The cost of dance classes is NOT included in the tour
price. On registration day, you choose and pay for classes you want to attend. It is
required by AWS management that you sign up for a minimum of $200 worth of classes. - Nightly free shows featuring fabulous live music and an opportunity for you to perform or
participate in nightly competitions. PLEASE NOTE: There is an added cost to perform on
the stage or to participate in the competitions at the nightly shows. - Costume and gift shopping at the souq that is set up in the hotel for your convenience.
Learn shaabi and sharqi as done by the people, dancing along at our
exclusive hafla with one of the best non-professional dancers in town!
Ancient and Modern Cairo
- Take a "Palace Walk" and shop 'til ya drop in Khan El Khalili (historic market area).
- Visit the Sphinx (and his shadow, of course), Pyramids (a lot of them!).
- See the Raqs Tannoura (secular, fascinating, entertaining whirling dervish) show.
- Enjoy a 5-star dinner cruise on the Nile Maxim or Pharaon, and see a top Cairo dancer,
maybe even Randa Kamel, folklore dancers and a top singer, each act with live band and
fantastic music. - PLEASE NOTE: At this time (February 19, 2012), a visit to the Egyptian Museum, located
next to Tahrir Square, will be optional and not included in the tour. If you wish to visit
the museum, AWS Travel will have a desk at the festival where you can book a museum
tour if conditions are favorable.
4-Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor, **Abu Simbel**, Valley of the Kings
and sites between with on-board evening parties. No time for cruising? Cairo and
AWS, without the 4-day cruise is available, see Packages and Prices below.
Optional side trips for dancers and non-dancers:
- Spend an evening at a traditional music venue.
- Buy musical instruments on Mohammed Ali
- Street where Egyptian professional musicians
buy theirs.
- Book tours to Cairo’s many ancient, old, and
- modern sights not included in itinerary.
- Book a professional photo shoot.
- Tour a music studio owned by two
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Two Weeks in Magical Egypt in 2012
with Leyla Lanty June 24 - July 10
Come with me on this tour of a lifetime to the land of pyramids,
fabulous music and dance! We'll stay at a real Egyptian palace
at the foot of the pyramids while we tour Cairo and attend Ahlan
Wa Sahlan, Raqia Hassan's fabulous dance festival. Then we'll
travel south to Aswan, where we'll see Abu Simbel and Philae,
then board a 5-star Nile River cruise boat for a 4-day cruise,
making stops along the way to visit major ancient temples,
culminating with the stunning temples of Luxor. Read more
about the tour below. Last update: 2/20/12
with Leyla Lanty June 24 - July 10
Come with me on this tour of a lifetime to the land of pyramids,
fabulous music and dance! We'll stay at a real Egyptian palace
at the foot of the pyramids while we tour Cairo and attend Ahlan
Wa Sahlan, Raqia Hassan's fabulous dance festival. Then we'll
travel south to Aswan, where we'll see Abu Simbel and Philae,
then board a 5-star Nile River cruise boat for a 4-day cruise,
making stops along the way to visit major ancient temples,
culminating with the stunning temples of Luxor. Read more
about the tour below. Last update: 2/20/12
| Traditional music venue |
Packages and Prices
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"Have It ALL!" - Cairo, Ahlan Wa Sahlan, 4-Day Nile Cruise
15 days - $2295 per person double occupancy, $545 Single room supplement
"Cairo & AWS Festival" - Cairo, Ahlan Wa Sahlan
10 days - $1475 per person double occupancy, $375 Single room supplement
Includes everything in the "Have It ALL!" package except the 4-Day Nile Cruise.
PLEASE NOTE that this option may require that we have at least 5 people in the group who DO
want to take the 4-day cruise.
Deposits & Deadlines:
$700 per person deposit will hold your place. Deposits are refundable minus a $100 fee. All
payments due on May 1. No refunds after May 1. Be sure to book your round trip air to Cairo
so that you will arrive in Cairo international Airport before 5 p.m. on June 24 and inform me as
soon as you have your tickets so I can send your arrival and departure dates/times to AWS
Travel.
Leyla Lanty
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"Have It ALL!" - Cairo, Ahlan Wa Sahlan, 4-Day Nile Cruise
15 days - $2295 per person double occupancy, $545 Single room supplement
"Cairo & AWS Festival" - Cairo, Ahlan Wa Sahlan
10 days - $1475 per person double occupancy, $375 Single room supplement
Includes everything in the "Have It ALL!" package except the 4-Day Nile Cruise.
PLEASE NOTE that this option may require that we have at least 5 people in the group who DO
want to take the 4-day cruise.
Deposits & Deadlines:
$700 per person deposit will hold your place. Deposits are refundable minus a $100 fee. All
payments due on May 1. No refunds after May 1. Be sure to book your round trip air to Cairo
so that you will arrive in Cairo international Airport before 5 p.m. on June 24 and inform me as
soon as you have your tickets so I can send your arrival and departure dates/times to AWS
Travel.
- Personal checks, cashier's checks, credit card checks accepted for payments within the
USA. - Sorry, no credit cards or PayPal.
- For international payment, please contact me.
- Trip insurance is highly recommended. Airlines, hotels and tour companies are very
strict about refunds and travel insurance will help prevent major losses in the event of
illness or an emergency that would cause you to have to cancel your trip. - Contact me for information about where to send payments or any other questions you
may have.
Leyla Lanty
- Teacher 2006-2009 at Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival, Cairo
- More than 15 independent trips to Egypt to explore the country, study dance and teach at
Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival - Creator of DVD “Habibi, You Are My ... WHAT?! Leyla Lanty's Essential Arabic for Dancers
- Volume 1” - Creator of Egyptian music CD “Golden Days Enchanting Nights”
- Writer for Gilded Serpent www.gildedserpent.com
- President San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of MECDA
In the Shadow of the Sphinx - 2012
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What makes this tour different from the rest?
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What makes this tour different from the rest?
- Exclusive hafla and lesson to learn sha-abi and sharqi as done by the
people. The lady who will lead us is the best dancer I have ever seen while
dancing along with ordinary Egyptians at numerous family parties and social
occasions. - "Palace Walk" in Khan el Khalili to see historic sights often featured in Nobel
Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz's novels. This will be a guided walk. - Abu Simbel in southern Egypt, Ramses II's spectacular monument to himself
and his favorite queen, Nefertari, is included in the 3-day Nile Cruise. - Optional side trips to buy musical instruments, visit a studio owned by one of
Egypt’s most famous musicians and more.
| Leyla with Azza Sherif at Ahlan Wa Sahlan |
| Instrument Shop on Mohammed Ali Street |
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A few words about current conditions in Egypt ~
>>> As of February 17, 2012, my friends living in Cairo tell me that areas
outside of the exact locations of demonstrations are safe for foreigners. The
luxurious hotel where we will be staying and where the festival will be held as
well as the ancient sites we will be visiting are far away from where
demonstrations have taken place. In southern Egypt ("Upper Egypt"), the
famous ancient sites we will be visiting are far away from the areas where
demonstrations have taken place.
.
>>> For an January, 2012, update on travelers' experience in Egypt, there's a
note from an experienced American tour guide on Facebook here. If you would
like to read this but you are not a Facebook user, contact me.
>>> I'm a frequent traveler to Egypt and I will be available to you every step of
the way for advice and wisdom on traveling safely in this glorious country. Read
more about my experience and qualifications at the bottom of this page.
>>> As of February 17, 2012, my friends living in Cairo tell me that areas
outside of the exact locations of demonstrations are safe for foreigners. The
luxurious hotel where we will be staying and where the festival will be held as
well as the ancient sites we will be visiting are far away from where
demonstrations have taken place. In southern Egypt ("Upper Egypt"), the
famous ancient sites we will be visiting are far away from the areas where
demonstrations have taken place.
.
>>> For an January, 2012, update on travelers' experience in Egypt, there's a
note from an experienced American tour guide on Facebook here. If you would
like to read this but you are not a Facebook user, contact me.
>>> I'm a frequent traveler to Egypt and I will be available to you every step of
the way for advice and wisdom on traveling safely in this glorious country. Read
more about my experience and qualifications at the bottom of this page.