Winner of our Tour Guide of the Year award in 2016, Momo has received countless Trip Advisor reviews praising his wonderful tours of Egypt. Now, after nearly 13 years of guiding for On The Go Tours, we thought it was only time you should find out a little more about him.
I had the good fortune of exploring Egypt with Momo on our King Ramses group tour. Between sailing the Nile on a felucca, snorkelling off the Red Sea coast and plenty more incredible experiences, I was able to take advantage of some free time to ask him a few questions…
“My dream came true”
Momo’s passion for his country and its history was clear at every site we visited. From explaining the theories behind how the Pyramids of Giza were built to the hieroglyphics of the Karnak Temple Complex. Talking to him, it was clear that guiding had been in the pipeline for a long time.
“Since I was a child I always dreamt of being a tour guide – and it came true. I used to pray in an old mosque near my parent’s house and every time I went there I saw tour guides taking people around. That gave me the sense that I wanted to be a tour guide. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was five years old.”
With so many incredible sites to see in Egypt, I wondered if Momo could possibly pick a favourite?
“Philae Temple. Every time I go there it feels so peaceful as I show people around. It’s also got a beautiful location on an island on the River Nile.”
Discover Egypt: Egypt tours
“Egypt through my eyes”
For me, part of the fun of travelling Egypt on a group tour was that I had a ready-made set of friends to explore and share experiences with. Turns out, meeting new people is a highlight for Momo too.
“Meeting new people is the best part of my job. I get to show them my beautiful country and show them Egypt through my eyes.”
And working as a tour guide certainly hasn’t stopped Momo from doing his own bit of globetrotting…
“So far, the most beautiful destination I have visited was Vietnam. The people are very friendly there and the country is full of incredible history. I would love to go to Turkey to see their sites and because of their delicious food.”
“Accept the cultural differences”
While I would return from Egypt with plenty of traveller tips, these tended to focus on what to pack or the tipping culture. It was Momo’s advice that really struck me the most.
“The most important tip I have for travellers coming to Egypt is to accept the cultural differences. We all have different cultures and the most important part of travelling is to experience these and enjoy them to the most.”
Like most travellers, safety had been one of my concerns when travelling Egypt. So before rejoining our group for the next bit of sightseeing, I asked Momo for his final thoughts on safety and tourism in Egypt.
“It’s the media that draws a different picture of other countries. Egypt is generally safe and tourism is progressing and doing well at the moment. This is all thanks to the government and the people working in the tourism sector. So hopefully things will keep getting even better. Especially by 2020 when we hope to open the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which we are all really looking forward to.”
