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CNN Live Today
Getaways: Dream Trips
Aired February 23, 2004 - 11:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, we're giving you permission to go anywhere in the world without breaking the bank, a dream trip for you. Where would you go? Our guest has some first-class ideas in our Monday's "Getaways" segment.
Reid Bramblett is an associate editor for "Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel," and he joins us from New York this morning.
Good morning.
REID BRAMBLETT, "FROMMER'S BUDGET TRAVEL": Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's get right to it. You're talking about the pyramids, that it's not that expensive to go.
BRAMBLETT: No, actually it's not. The amazing thing about getting to Egypt is that you can fly on Egypt Air through a package with a company called Mizer Travel (ph). And it costs $899. You fly all of the way to Cairo. You get five nights in town, or you can stay at the Nile side Hilton or -- and this is incredible -- you can stay in the Mena House Oberoi, which is a former royal palace at the foot of the pyramids. You open up your window and there are the pyramids.
You get a tour of the pyramids. You get to go to the Khan el- Khalili Market, the large bazaar that fills downtown Cairo, and a tour of the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, all for $900.
KAGAN: Wow! Such a deal. How about the Taj Mahal, one of the most grand homes -- what was a home -- in the entire world, a shrine?
BRAMBLETT: Yes, actually it was a tomb...
KAGAN: Yes.
BRAMBLETT: ... from the 17th century. The shah was so shook up by the death of his young bride that he spent 22 years and most of his empire's fortunes building this incredible mausoleum.
And it's actually a lot easier than you might think. It only cost about $900 from major North American cities to fly into New Delhi. From there, it's an easy train ride, about two and a half hours to Agra, and that only cost $10. You get a rickshaw to the Taj Mahal. You've done the whole thing. You can stay in town for $20 for a double with air conditioning.
KAGAN: And don't forget to check on the air conditioning, especially at certain times of the year. BRAMBLETT: Definitely at certain times of the year.
KAGAN: Absolutely. How about Red Square?
BRAMBLETT: The Red Square in Moscow, something interesting to say about that. Of course, the Red Square is gray and rectangular, but we're not going to take them on that. It's got Lenin's tomb. You can see the embalmed leader of the former Soviet Union. And the onion domes of St. Basil are in the Kremlin itself.
It's a lot of paperwork to get to Moscow these days. You've got to pay $100 for your visa. You have to pay $50 for a visa letter. And they just announced that and men between 18 and 46, I believe, have to fill out this long sort of resume of their life experience and where they've worked and whether they have military training. It's a little intimidating.
So, if you go with a company like Eastern Tours, it actually costs a lot less. You can go for about -- I have it written down here -- 699, and you get five nights -- four nights in St. Petersburg, three nights in Moscow, and a train in between the two. So, you get to see the treasures at Hermitage in St. Petersburg as well.
KAGAN: Oh.
BRAMBLETT: And you can get the visas taken care of and everything.
KAGAN: I have done St. Petersburg and the Hermitage. It's beautiful. Absolutely.
BRAMBLETT: Yes.
KAGAN: Thanks for the tips. There are more in "Budget Travel." Reid, thanks so much.
BRAMBLETT: Oh, yes, and we have seven in the current issue.
KAGAN: Great. Well, we've got to give people a little leftover so they have a reason to go and check it out.
BRAMBLETT: Yes.
KAGAN: Thanks so much.
BRAMBLETT: Well, thank you, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 23, 2004 - 11:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, we're giving you permission to go anywhere in the world without breaking the bank, a dream trip for you. Where would you go? Our guest has some first-class ideas in our Monday's "Getaways" segment.
Reid Bramblett is an associate editor for "Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel," and he joins us from New York this morning.
Good morning.
REID BRAMBLETT, "FROMMER'S BUDGET TRAVEL": Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's get right to it. You're talking about the pyramids, that it's not that expensive to go.
BRAMBLETT: No, actually it's not. The amazing thing about getting to Egypt is that you can fly on Egypt Air through a package with a company called Mizer Travel (ph). And it costs $899. You fly all of the way to Cairo. You get five nights in town, or you can stay at the Nile side Hilton or -- and this is incredible -- you can stay in the Mena House Oberoi, which is a former royal palace at the foot of the pyramids. You open up your window and there are the pyramids.
You get a tour of the pyramids. You get to go to the Khan el- Khalili Market, the large bazaar that fills downtown Cairo, and a tour of the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, all for $900.
KAGAN: Wow! Such a deal. How about the Taj Mahal, one of the most grand homes -- what was a home -- in the entire world, a shrine?
BRAMBLETT: Yes, actually it was a tomb...
KAGAN: Yes.
BRAMBLETT: ... from the 17th century. The shah was so shook up by the death of his young bride that he spent 22 years and most of his empire's fortunes building this incredible mausoleum.
And it's actually a lot easier than you might think. It only cost about $900 from major North American cities to fly into New Delhi. From there, it's an easy train ride, about two and a half hours to Agra, and that only cost $10. You get a rickshaw to the Taj Mahal. You've done the whole thing. You can stay in town for $20 for a double with air conditioning.
KAGAN: And don't forget to check on the air conditioning, especially at certain times of the year. BRAMBLETT: Definitely at certain times of the year.
KAGAN: Absolutely. How about Red Square?
BRAMBLETT: The Red Square in Moscow, something interesting to say about that. Of course, the Red Square is gray and rectangular, but we're not going to take them on that. It's got Lenin's tomb. You can see the embalmed leader of the former Soviet Union. And the onion domes of St. Basil are in the Kremlin itself.
It's a lot of paperwork to get to Moscow these days. You've got to pay $100 for your visa. You have to pay $50 for a visa letter. And they just announced that and men between 18 and 46, I believe, have to fill out this long sort of resume of their life experience and where they've worked and whether they have military training. It's a little intimidating.
So, if you go with a company like Eastern Tours, it actually costs a lot less. You can go for about -- I have it written down here -- 699, and you get five nights -- four nights in St. Petersburg, three nights in Moscow, and a train in between the two. So, you get to see the treasures at Hermitage in St. Petersburg as well.
KAGAN: Oh.
BRAMBLETT: And you can get the visas taken care of and everything.
KAGAN: I have done St. Petersburg and the Hermitage. It's beautiful. Absolutely.
BRAMBLETT: Yes.
KAGAN: Thanks for the tips. There are more in "Budget Travel." Reid, thanks so much.
BRAMBLETT: Oh, yes, and we have seven in the current issue.
KAGAN: Great. Well, we've got to give people a little leftover so they have a reason to go and check it out.
BRAMBLETT: Yes.
KAGAN: Thanks so much.
BRAMBLETT: Well, thank you, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
