Viking Cruises

viking.com | 25 S U M M E R I S S U E 2 9 Q. HOW DID INTER ACTING WITH LOCALS SHAPE THE WAY YOU VIEWED THE STORIES WE SEE ON SCREEN? I think the modern culture is just as fascinating as the ancient. Being able to immerse yourself into Egyptian culture thanks to Viking's focus on bringing a real understanding of the day-to-day life of the locals, is incredibly insightful and rounding. It leaves you so much richer. Food is always a great way to immerse yourself into local life and there are so many opportunities to taste local delicacies as a result of the excursions offered with Viking and places you visit. We loved the food we got exposed to. Q. MANY OF THE TEMPLES AND PLACES YOU VISIT IN THE SERIES WERE DESIGNED AROUND LIGHT AND SHADOW. DID THAT CHANGE HOW YOU EXPERIENCED THEM OR FILMED THEM? As a filmmaker, the chance to work in these incredible temples, some 5,000 years old, simply blew my mind. My role as a communicator is to share the experience and to do it justice. To be completely honest, this was actually a challenge. There's a lot going on as you walk in the footsteps of such a deep-centred ancient culture, so trying to show everything and explain the complex messages they left for us is almost impossible. These people told their story through an elaborate mix of hieroglyphics and demonstrative carvings that talk through the relationship they had with their own people, environment they were living in, and the complex spiritual world they existed in. We've given a glimpse into something truly amazing, and I hope I have done it justice enough to inspire people to elevate this destination to the top of their travel list. I can guarantee it will be life-changing. Q. CAN YOU SHARE A FUNNY BEHIND THE SCENES MOMENT FROM YOUR TIME FILMING? There's always a lot happening as we travel. My team is well travelled and highly experienced but trading with floating vendors as they threw packages three stories high onto our deck was hysterical—and trying to capture this is always a challenge. My team went into this part of the cruise experience with cocktails in hand, only to see three glasses of wine taken out by flying packages as they crashed onto the top deck of the ship. It's difficult to describe accurately—you need to see the footage as we haggled and purchased the finest Egyptian Cotton tablecloths with floating traders. It's an experience you will never forget. Q. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A FIRST-TIME TR AVELLER TO EGYPT WITH VIKING? I think I need to be honest—Egypt is completely mad! The idea of travelling by bus, trying to make your way through this frenetic and sometimes stressful environment is not ideal. Egypt is crazy busy and you need to do it the right way. Cruising the Nile is the best way, and Viking, as always, makes the experience stress-free. Viking also enriches the journey with expert guides who in most cases are fully-fledged Egyptologists. This makes the joy of learning and understanding so much better and I wouldn't ever dare recommend another way of doing Egypt. I have already sent friends there with Viking and their return comments are amazing. They loved it. Q. JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA BRING A VERY DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE TO THE SERIES. WHAT STAYED WITH YOU MOST ABOUT THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY? Wow, Jordan. I'm not sure what I was expecting beforehand, but after exploring it on the 4-night extension, I was absolutely blown away. It was so well organised, had an incredible history and felt safe. It all added up to an experience I am coming back for. Petra is incredible, but throw in soaking in the Dead Sea, the resorts there, the history and the people who are so beautiful... Jordan is the surprise bonus that will leave you wanting more. QUICK QUESTIONS 1. ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE EGYPT Mind-blowing (is that 2 words? I joined them for that answer). 2. A SOUND YOU STILL REMEMBER The bustle of the traffic in Cairo. It's crazy and exciting all at the same time—horns, cars, people. 3. MOST IMPRESSIVE SIGHT The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are incredible, but the Karnak Temple is something else. It's an unforgettable experience as you walk in the footsteps of ancient genius. 4. A PLACE YOU'D RETURN Jordan—I'm coming back. I loved everything about Jordan. The people, the modern and ancient history, the food, the music and the environment. It was all incredible.

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