First an foremost, I’m quite surprised with the amount of negative feedback here. This review I am about to share is totally unbiased and based on my true experience.
Pre-tour experience:
We were interested in a package best suited for the winter season - with Europe trip in mind. However upon learning about the prevailing weather conditions, we decided to go to Egypt.
After visiting the Hyderabad Office(in Lakdikapul) - we were directed to the concerned representative, who did walk us through the package details, however at the same time displayed a vibe of bossy / domineering attitude, which one wouldn’t vouch for. Therefore, an improved stakeholder management is definitely needed - to raise the bar on customer engagement.
The full and final payment was settled for "Egypt Extravaganza". The Visa Process was fairly simple - the passports were collected - dispatched for VISA issuance and returned at my doorstep within the specified timeframe. The flight details were tentative and kept as a secret, until the final few days prior to departure.
On Tour:
Our Departure city being Hyderabad - we were booked Hyderabad - Bahrain - Cairo on Gulf Air. The airline was surprisingly good - supplied good Indian food onboard(the meal preferences were provided beforehand by Thomas Cook), along with an entertainment system. Although the timing was a bit inconvenient, we decided to rest it out in the air.
Having Landed at Cairo - we were greeted by the local tour manager(wearing an airport-authorized id-card) who was kind enough to direct us to the nearest SIM card outlet(within the airport), as well as facilitated in having the luggage transferred to our coach(tour was outsourced to the local "leading" travel agency Travco). After all the group members assembled(~1.5 hours post our arrival) - we made a move for lunch, followed by check-in at the Hotel.
The Hotel in Cairo(Le Méridien Pyramids) impressed us, being in close proximity to the Great Pyramids - however to add to the disappointment, we were allocated rooms facing the "Garden" area instead of the Great Pyramids(probably cost-cutting).
We were offered 1 bottle of 1.5L per person on a daily basis. Daily B’fast, Lunch and Dinner were taken care of at all times. All tourist spots mentioned in the itinerary were covered as promised.
The only complaint I would have here whilst on tour would be the inconvenient timing - and Thomas Cook should realize that we’ve come on a vacation, and not on a strenuous army camp that we need to be waken up long before dawn to accommodate the tightened itinerary.
We were extremely delighted with the provisions made by Thomas Cook to bring a smile to our face - be in Packaged Breakfast/Lunch or a surprise ice-cream cone after being exhausted in the hot sun!
The river cruise - in one word was "fabulous"! Courtesy - The Crown Empress. No stone was left unturned in addressing even the smallest of requests - making us truly feel like an Emperor - be it dining / accommodation / in-cruise events.
The local guides had remarkably excellent knowledge about the local attractions - which made us engrossed with the deep-rooted histories of each site. Mr. Ravindra Chaure(our tour coordinator) certainly made every possible effort to ensure the entire group is well organised and addressed everyone’s needs. Certainly, this trip wouldn’t have been memorable without him.
The return trip was fulfilled by Egypt Air and Etihad Airways(Luxor - Cairo - Abu Dhabi - Hyderabad) and we ended the trip after bidding farewell to our group - wishing that we had stayed back for some more time!
In all, I would definitely recommend Thomas Cook for my future holiday bookings - you certainly cannot go wrong with them!