Long fascinated by ancient civilisations, meet the Australian couple who took a tailor-made Egyptian honeymoon.
Self-proclaimed lawyer-turned-funtrepreneur Sarah Davidson – AKA Spoonful of Sarah – and her partner Nic recently returned from their honeymoon in Egypt. And it wasn’t just any honeymoon; Sarah got in touch with Intrepid’s Tailor-Made team about curating the perfect Egyptian experience. We sat down for a chat to see how it all went down.
What made you choose Egypt for your honeymoon?
My husband, Nic, and I have separately been fascinated by Ancient Egypt since we were kids. Travel has been one our biggest shared passions and we realised early on that Egypt was high on both of our dream destination lists.
We had our dream wedding in 2019 and hoped to have our honeymoon a few months later, but then COVID came along! But the three-year wait made the trip all the more sweet because we both had a new appreciation for the ability to travel freely and see the world again.
We did consider the more conventional “romantic” destinations for our honeymoon, but we had longed to visit Egypt for so many years and were thirsty for a transformative adventure. So, the honeymoon seemed the perfect time to visit, and it was so worth the wait!
What was involved in organising a Tailor-Made trip with Intrepid?
We leaned very heavily on Intrepid’s travel experts – we barely had any input into the itinerary (although we could have if we’d wanted to). We opted for a private tour (only because it was our honeymoon and we really wanted to maximise our time as a couple); we basically turned up on day one and sat back to enjoy.
It was quite different to how we’d usually approach a trip, but in a place like Egypt – where there is SO much to cover and appreciate – nobody could have put it together better than the team at Intrepid. Every detail of the itinerary was seamless. The planning and stress was removed entirely, and we got the benefits from the deep relationships Intrepid has long been nurturing with locals. And the peace of mind of knowing everything is guided by B Corp principles relating to sustainability, human and animal welfare is unmatched.
Did your expectations of Egypt live up to reality?
Egypt is one of those destinations you have a lot of exposure to long before visiting, especially from movies and TV. It did cross my mind that we might arrive at some sites and have that “oh it’s smaller than I expected”-type experience (like some people have about the Mona Lisa). But from the very first stop at the Pyramids of Giza, our experience was precisely the opposite. I am still not sure my brain has processed the sheer scale, integrity and significance of each structure we saw – pictures and videos will never do the relics of Ancient Egypt justice. Every day was magic in a different way.
Tell us about your local leader, Dalia.
We couldn’t have wished for a better guide than Dalia and we all cried at the end of the trip. She is a Giza local and a trained Egyptologist, so her knowledge of the ancient sites and hieroglyphics was extraordinary.
Everything came alive with her passion and background briefings as we walked around – our experience would have been nowhere near as rich without her. Plus, we had SO much fun in the down time between activities, like trying out Egyptian food, sharing stories and photos of our families, and comparing our lives and aspirations. It was so special!
What were some of the highlights from your adventure?
The Pyramids of Giza were a huge highlight, because they are so quintessentially Ancient Egyptian. It’s strange to let it sink in that they have been exactly where they are now for 4,500 years. The fact that we don’t fully understand how they were built is quite magical and shows just how advanced the Ancient Egyptians truly were.
Sharing a meal in a local’s home was such a uniquely special part of our itinerary, and seeing a snippet of a local’s daily life was an enriching experience – the Egyptian people are lovely and proud of their culture.
Any advice for other travellers who might want to organise their own adventures but don’t know where to start?
Consider Intrepid before you do anything else; it’s such an effortless, conscious and comprehensive way to travel. You can take the very best bits of an already amazing itinerary, and then tweak it either by making it private, taking a small group of friends, or modifying the itinerary. It’s the best of both worlds.
All images C/O Spoonful of Sarah. Sarah travelled as a guest of Intrepid, however all opinions remain her own.
