Marianne has heard about the travel experiences at Zoom Vacations for years from friends and family. We assured her that as an accepting, open-minded straight woman she would feel welcome on our tours. In fact, we have long believed that the more diverse our groups are, the better the trip becomes. One of the most important tenants of Zoom Vacations tour is that all guests feel comfortable being themselves. Marianne is the perfect example of someone who is most happy when she is connecting with those around her, and encouraging others to live their best life. She recently spoke to us about her experience in Egypt with Zoom Vacations.

Zoom: How was it, traveling as a straight woman with a bunch of gay men?

Marianne: I LOVED being one of two women on this trip.  Such a diverse group of men from various places including London, Canada, New York and Atlanta to name a few.  All professional with great personalities.  

Zoom: Did you feel welcome?  

Marianne: Absolutely.  Everyone was extremely friendly.  We all got along.  I made new friends and am looking to connect with a few when I’m visiting their city.

Zoom: What made you want to go to Egypt?

Marianne: I knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Going with Zoom Vacations is like traveling with the stars…everything is top notch, plus having an Egyptologist with us to educate us on everything we saw was amazing.  

Zoom: What was your highlight of the trip to Egypt?

Marianne: This is such a hard question to answer because every day I felt like I needed to pinch myself.  Staying at the beautiful Four Seasons, being on a private yacht with an amazing crew and chef that should be working in a Michelin star restaurant, plus everything we explored every day was amazing.  

Zoom: Did you feel safe traveling through Egypt?

Marianne: Definitely. I flew in on my own and having a Zoom representative waiting to greet me was wonderful.  I keep hearing that there are more people traveling to Egypt and I saw tons of Europeans, Asians as well as Americans. I’m  glad I was able to experience it before it gets super congested with tourists.

Zoom: What was something you learned about Egypt or its history or culture, that you didn’t know before?

Marianne: I traveled to Greece and I was amazed at how old some of the buildings were BUT some of the temples and pyramids we saw in Egypt date back to 2600 BC!!!  How impressive.

Zoom: What were your impressions of Cairo?

Marianne: The locals were friendly, and there was an ease of getting around in a cab. Also, I was blown away by how close the pyramids are to central Cairo.   When we were staying at the Marriott the backdrop was the Giza pyramids.  That was so amazing.

Zoom: You mentioned our own private Zoom Vacations boat on the Nile. Can you share more about that experience?

Marianne: It was, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  The crew was amazing, our chef prepared so many delicious meals every day and even provided a cooking class.  We ate fresh fish they caught daily and so many delicious entrees.  

Zoom: Did the rest of the hotels live up to your and everyone else’s expectations?

Marianne: Yes, loved the Four Season’s pool and their breakfast buffet.  

Zoom: Is there anything about the trip that you would change?

Marianne: No, you guys have it down to a T.  

Zoom: Was there anything about Egypt that surprised you or was different than what you would expect?

Marianne: I thought the weather would be much warmer the time we went but I was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t scorching hot. Also, I loved how cool it got at night.

Zoom: When you returned home, what did your friends and family want to know about Egypt?

Marianne: My friends and family were curious about the culture and what I ate. I mentioned that the food is very much like Mediterranean food. Also, it was my first time in a Muslim country and people were extremely nice and I loved it. Can’t wait to do more vacations with Zoom.