Zoom Vacations’ Joel Cabrera is currently escorting our second of two tours to Egypt, as well as one to Jordan. We know a lot of you are curious to know what it is like to travel during this time. We Zoomed ;) with Joel in Cairo, Egypt, and this is what he had to say.
Bryan: You have been going to Egypt for a number of years. What was different about going during the pandemic?
Joel: The biggest difference is that there are less crowds at the sites.
Bryan: We are requiring that everyone is vaccinated to go on a gay group tour currently. What were the feelings from the group about this practice?
Joel: Most of our group had the booster. So they felt glad. Also all of the local staff staff assisting our group is fully vaccinated. We travel in a bubble.
Bryan: You said there are smaller crowds than usual at the main sites, have people there said whether they see this changing?
Joel: Yes, for sure. Things are already getting busier. So it’s a great time to be here.
Bryan: How was the procedure of getting everyone their Covid test for reentry to the United States?
Joel: Easy. We arrange the testing folks to come our your hotel based on flight departure dates and it takes a few minutes. Results are back within 24 hours.
Bryan: Are fellow tourists at the outside venues wearing masks or not?
Joel: Tourists are required to wear masks at museums but less so at outside venues like temples and such. Also, not really at restaurants.
Bryan: How about safety protocols? Did you and our group feel safe?
Joel: Well we travel in a bubble. All our local team is fully vaccinated, and they take pcr tests on a regular basis. Also all our guests are fully vaccinated and most have taken the booster. Plus we use private forms of transpiration including our spacious busses and our private Nile yacht. So we travel in our own safe bubble, and don’t deal with crowds for the most part.
Bryan: Are there any new Covid related rules in place while seeing the main sites like the Pyramids?
Joel: Pretty much what you would expect everywhere else. Temperature checks. Mask requirements.
Bryan: You were also visiting Jordan. How did the safety protocols in Jordan compared to those in Egypt.
Joel: They were about the same, and the handling of the coronavirus seemed similar in Egypt and in Jordan in general
Bryan: Did taking this trip give you any ideas of tips or suggestions that you have for people thinking of taking a trip right now?
Joel: Travel now is very manageable with advance planning and assistance. We are happy to provide guidance to our guests before they arrive at the destination so that they have the required entry health declarations, visas and tests. The main thing is knowing when, where and how to take pcr tests before leaving a foreign country, and we work with local providers who take the guessing out of that and make it smooth and easy for everyone.
Especially if visiting a destination with famous sites that may be known for having crowds, there’s never been a better time to travel. Once things get back to “normal” in a few years there will be more crowds to deal with and less exclusivity to enjoy the sites.
