Egypt | Owner Nubia Tours, Haytham Atwan

December 11, 2020

Our guest today is my friend Hytham Atwan, owner and CEO of Nubia Tours in Egypt – probably the preeminent tour operator for sophisticated travelers in the country.

Egypt is certainly not a destination that needs an introduction, but if you haven’t thought much about it – I want you to know that it’s more than the pyramids of Giza and getting your Insta photo air kissing the sphinx. It’s a complicated country – where to see it RIGHT, you need to have relationships on your side. Otherwise you’ll miss that dinner in the home of a local and access to otherwise “roped off” areas of the pyramids, or find yourself on a crowded Nile cruise being herded around vs a private experience. And to top it off, many of the best tour operators here in Egypt and elsewhere only work with travel advisors – hence our ability to provide these ungoogleable experiences.

Hytham is a little shy, but I draw out some interesting tidbits on insider experiences you can have in Egypt, why it’s such an important destination, some Celebrity guests Hytham has entertained, and how the country is a microcosm of our wider world.

Listen to hear:

02:18 – What Haytham’s favorite spot in Egypt is
04:06 – How Haytham started his career in the hospitality business
05:15 – How to have hassle-free experiences in Egypt
07:00 – Why Nubia Tours handpicks the tour guides through a rigorous process
10:44 – About the new way to cruise the Nile River
11:40 – How working with an advisor and Nubia Tours can lead to an elegantly planned trip
14:16 – Why you cannot afford to miss the rich Egyptian food
17:40 – Which celebrities Haytham has hosted
18:56 – About Katy Perry’s 35th birthday celebration in Egypt
20:45 – About the rise of Egypt as a tourist destination after the Arab Spring
22:15 – What the up and coming trends in Egypt are
23:08 – What will you learn about the world after visiting Egypt