Verified Mixed feelings
I recently traveled to Egypt with my family and booked private tours through Sand King Tours. Our experience was a mix of positives and serious disappointments.Experience with the agency:Communication with the agency could have been much better. The payment process was poorly handled — we had to carry large amounts of cash, which could have been avoided with more professionalism. Additionally, there was a lack of transparency, with some false promises made (such as the assurance of exclusive tours and certified, Portuguese-speaking guides, which was not fulfilled).The coordination to meet a Sand King representative in Cairo was also disappointing; although we were told this would happen upon arrival, it only occurred on the third day. Positive points was the flexibility of the agency to adjust plans and easy interaction through whatsapp.In Cairo:Our guide Ahmed was excellent — very knowledgeable, honest when he didn't know an answer, and extremely patient with our children. He managed everything efficiently, from entrance tickets to ensuring the driver was ready after each visit. Exploring Cairo with Ahmed was a highlight of our trip, and the driver in Cairo was also great.In Luxor:Unfortunately, the experience in Luxor was disappointing. Although Omar, Sand King’s representative there, welcomed us warmly and was flexible when plans needed to change, the guide assigned to us (Walid) was not a certified guide. His explanations were often historically inaccurate (for example, he claimed Cleopatra lived around 1000 BC), and he lacked the historical knowledge we expected. It was trully a fake tour guide without certification from egypt government.This was especially frustrating after our excellent experience with Ahmed in Cairo.Safety Concerns:During the transfer from Luxor to Hurghada, we had a worrying moment when the driver appeared extremely tired and at one point seemed to fall asleep while driving. We had to intervene to ensure everyone's safety, which was alarming. We start our tours sooner to avoid extreme heat and it is comprehensive that the drive would be tired. Another person should have been requested for this transfer by the agency.In Hurghada:We had arranged a one-day scuba diving trip and an airport transfer through the agency, and everything in Hurghada went smoothly.Summary:We had a good time in Egypt overall, but based on our agreement with Sand King Tours (expecting exclusive, certified, and knowledgeable guides), we felt misled, particularly in Luxor.I would highly recommend Ahmed as a tour guide. However, I strongly advise future travelers to insist on receiving confirmation of guide certifications in advance (I requested this, but Abdoz refused to provide any information about the guides).Caution is advised, and I recommend requesting clear confirmations about both guides and drivers for all destinations.
