A keen traveler and foodie, Jocelyn Uygongco recently joined Insight Vacations on one of our trips to Egypt. Accompanied by eight of her girlfriends on their annual holiday, it was their first time traveling with us. We caught up with her to find out more about their experience.
My love for travel has taken me from the Philippines across the world and to all seven continents. On our annual school reunion trips, my friends and I have been to Spain, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and the Mediterranean.
Jocelyn was joined by eight close school friends on her trip to Egypt.
It was my friend that organized this trip and the destination. Both turned out to be fantastic choices for our whole group. Growing up I had always loved hearing stories about Ancient Egypt, its myths, legends and tales of its iconic rulers. Our Travel Director Hazem, has a background in archaeology and brought these stories and monuments vividly to life. His in-depth knowledge has reawakened my desire to learn more about Egyptology and he really made our vacation an unforgettable experience. Educational, interesting and fun, Hazem truly immersed us into the local culture and taught us what life was like in Egypt, then and now, including the importance of women in Egyptian culture, and more about the roles of Queen Nefertiti and Cleopatra.
As a keen food blogger I was also delighted with the menus I was presented with throughout the trip. Though I enjoyed tasting all the local cuisines, my favourite dining experience was an afternoon tea at the Cataract Hotel. Its old-world charm and decadent ambience were beautiful, and as a group we thoroughly enjoyed sitting down and getting to know our fellow travelers for the afternoon.
Afternoon tea at the Cataract Hotel.
Our last dinner at the local outlet of Cairo Marriott was also a special experience. We ordered Egyptian specialties like fattah with lamb mozah, hamam mashi (stuffed pigeon), mulukheyyah with chicken and a wonderful Egyptian custard pudding for desert – it was simply delicious.
Inspired by a family we met, who had pulled their four children out of school to travel for three months, we have decided to dedicate more time to exploring the world and seeing the commonality between different cultures. I plan to take my next trip with Insight to Croatia and look forward to being joined by another knowledgeable, efficient and friendly Travel Director.
If you would like to see more of Jocelyn’s adventures, you can follow her on Instagram – @thewingedpalette
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