Ann Morin Yulee, FL Travel Agent | Vacation.com

Ann Morin

Yulee, FL Travel Agent

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Ann Morin

Ann Morin

Yulee, FL Travel Agent

Ann C Morin-Your Dream Vacation LLC

CALL ME
25+ Years of Experience
Additional Languages
English
Egypt and the Nile cruise Tomb -Valley of the Kings Luxor

Egypt and the Nile cruise

This was an adventure of a lifetime!

I booked our trip with Avalon Waterways, it was wonderful being met at the airport by their staff, we were whisked through customs and immigration and the visa process while other people stood in long lines. 

Avalon did a great job with inclusions, we only had to pay for one optional excursion and saw just about everything there is to see from Cairo to Aswan and in between.

Fair warning..this is not a trip for someone looking to relax we were on the go constantly!

We started off with a visit to the pyramids. Standing at the base gazing up I felt the same sense of awe I did when stood before the Taj Mahal. I was witnessing something greater than myself, and incredibly fortunate that I was able to be here. We were an intimate sized group, there were 13 of us in total which was a perfect size. We checked out the Sphinx, which was smaller than I had imagined it, and headed to Sakkara (Saqqara) where I had my first step inside a tomb, it was so exciting!

Our wake up call for the flight to Luxor came well before sunrise!

I am not a morning person, especially a very early in the morning person, but for this adventure I learned to adapt. We all managed to make it to the minibus and board our flight to Luxor. Upon arrival our luggage was strapped to the roof of a minivan ala the Flintstones and we headed off to explore Karnak Temple.

I thought the pyramids were amazing, they were nothing compared to the Karnak temple - it was simply jaw dropping! My sleepiness quickly disappeared, I felt dwarfed by the colossal statues! There was so much to see in this former city, I could have spent hours exploring! We were on a time line however, and at the appointed hour we headed to our Nile Cruise ship to check in and have lunch. After a brief respite we headed back out to the other side of Ram’s Road to the Luxor temple. Workers were putting the finishing touches on the famed pathway for the inaugural celebration of reopening the road between the two temples.Sadly I missed the party by just a week.. Although Luxor temple is smaller it still had lots of interesting treasures to discover.Walking along I tried imagining everything when all the paint was still in place, it must have been just magnificent walking through there!

My favorite day of the trip came next, it was jam packed with drama!

We visited the Valley of the Kings which is another place that one could spend an entire day, really several days. There are 62 tombs in all, we were each given tickets that allowed us to select independently three tombs that we would like to visit plus King Tut’s tomb. All the mummies, except Tut, have been removed, I saw them at the National Museum in Cairo, Tut lays in a glass case in his tomb. Entering the tombs is very dramatic, I can’t imagine the excitement for the archaeologists who found them! There were people actively digging and working while we were there as it is certain there are more to be discovered. My husband and I looked at the map trying to remember history and the mummies we saw at the museum in Cairo. Carefully we selected our three, I think we made good choices as they all had great paintings inside. It was quite the experience walking down further underground and looking around seeing even the ceiling was decorated.

King Tut’s tomb was much smaller than the others, his mummy is encased in glass on one side of the room.On the other is a golden wall and a stone box with the Eye of Horus on it which had a cracked lid.I wish they had put replica treasures in there just so we could get the experience of what it would have been like 99 years ago when it was discovered.

We visited Queen Hatshepsut’s massive mortuary temple which looks quite modern, almost like an office building built into the cliffs.A stop at the huge Colossi of Memnon stirred my imagination, I could picture the massive guardians coming to life, getting up from their seats and walking the valley. 

Early the next morning I took an optional excursion that was fantastic, we boarded a plane and flew over to AbuSimbel.This gigantic dual temple complex had to be disassembled and moved to higher ground to avoid being submerged when the Aswan dam was built. The great temple was reassembled with such precision that the sun still illuminates the statues in the inner most sanctuary twice a year on February 22nd and October 22nd.The significance of the dates are Pharaoh Ramses II birthday and coronation date.It is mind boggling when you think of it that thousands of years ago they could align these massive statues to the sun’s rays without any modern surveying equipment.We headed to Edfu for the Temple of Horus dedicated to the Falcon God and then on to KomOmbo a twin temple.The right side is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek-Ra, while the left side is dedicated to the falcon god Horus.

I am out of space, to read my full blog please see the page below -

https://www.dreamvacation.cc/travel-blog/travel-blog--escape-to-egypt-and-jordan.aspx

 

Areas of Expertise

My Travel Specialties

Reviews

260 Reviews
Patient and doesn’t nickel and dime you
We originally booked a two week Italy tour with Ann for April 2020 to celebrate our 30th anniversary. The Covid virus came along so we cancelled that and booked a river cruise for July instead. Guess what? Covid still here and cancelled again. Ann patiently booked us a third time for April of 21 back to the Italy plan. Not once did she change us a change fee or complain about the extra work. Our friends agent charged them a $75 “service fee” each time to change theirs. We will always use Ann as she doesn’t nickel and dime you.
Paula - Omaha,NE - Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
30 of 35 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
Tracing family roots in Italy
Ann custom built a two week trip for my son and I tracing our family roots in Italy. It was a great experience filled with history, great food, and even some days at the beach. It was really nice working with someone who understood what it meant to me to show my son where he came from. It is a trip I will never forget!
Gino - Walpole,MA - Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
31 of 37 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
Best travel agent ever!
Ann has gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 crisis in keeping us informed about our cruise, which just canceled. She is the BEST travel agent we have ever worked with and are really upset that she is really taking a huge economic hit. When it is safe to travel we will definitely be using Ann again.
Mike - Acworth, GA - Traveled to Europe
30 of 38 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

Certifications & Awards

asta awardbwC award
AMA Academy
AMA Academy
World Azamara Academy
World Azamara Academy
Holland America Line Academy Specialist
Holland America Line Academy Specialist
Oceania Certified Specialist
Oceania Certified Specialist
Oceania Certified Travel Advisor
Oceania Certified Travel Advisor
Regent Seven Seas Luxury Cruise Expert
Regent Seven Seas Luxury Cruise Expert
Seabourn Academy Graduate
Seabourn Academy Graduate
Viking Expeditions Expert
Viking Expeditions Expert
Viking Expert
Viking Expert
Windstar Star Specialist
Windstar Star Specialist

Additional Certifications

  • Certified Travel Counselor
  • Certified River Cruise Specialist
  • Certified Italy Specialist

My Travel Stories

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Journey to Jordan, Petra, the Dead Sea and Jerash

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Egypt and the Nile cruise

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The Sicilian 10 day tour from Globus

The Sicilian 10 day tour from Globus

Sicily is my favorite place on earth!           For an island the size of the state of Vermont, Sicily is extremely diverse with varied micro c...

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The Delightful Danube -river cruise with Avalon

The Delightful Danube -river cruise with Avalon

      I adore the Danube River!           I have sailed it four times and will probably sail it many more.  There is nothing like gliding ...

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Italian Treasures, Tuscany, Cinque Terre

Italian Treasures, Tuscany, Cinque Terre

Italy is my favorite place in the world!           Each year I visit, exploring new areas and returning to others I especially enjoyed.I like ...

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The Gems of Umbria and Tuscany

The Gems of Umbria and Tuscany

  I like going off the beaten path...                If you have been to Italy once you surely visited the “big three” Rome, Florence, a...

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Meandering the Mekong River Angkor Wat to Thailand

Meandering the Mekong River Angkor Wat to Thailand

Asia is a fascinating place!       It is so different than the western world in a multitude of ways. When you visit places such as Cambodia, Viet...

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Find Romance while cruising the Rhine River

Find Romance while cruising the Rhine River

     The Rhine River is considered one of the most romantic stretches of water in the world.  Cruising along past castles and vineyards is sure to...

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Incredible India -gliding the Ganges with Avalon

Incredible India -gliding the Ganges with Avalon

"Why India?"       I was asked that question from half the people that I told I was heading there on my next adventure.  My answer was simple, I...

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Down the Danube to Dracula with Avalon Waterways

Down the Danube to Dracula with Avalon Waterways

     I adore the Danube river!           I have sailed it several times and never grow tired of the cobblestone lined streets and quaint vill...

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