West can still meet East in Egypt

While most travel companies are scrambling to cancel or postpone tours to the Middle East, one tour operator is organizing a late-March trip to what it calls the "New Egypt." Stops will include protest sites in Cairo and Alexandria, and meetings with people who were at Tahrir Square during the days leading up to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

Rita Zawaideh, owner of Caravan-Serai Tours, a company specializing in Mideast travel, is organizing the 11-day trip, March 26-April 5. It will include visits to the usual tourist sites and a Nile cruise. Jordanian-born Zawaideh founded the Arab-American Community Coalition of Seattle after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and is often recognized for her relief and humanitarian work with Middle Easterners living in the United States.

A U.S.State Department travel warning is still in place, advising citizens to avoid nonessential travel in Egypt.British officials lifted their advisory recently, saying it's now safe to travel to Cairo, Alexandria and other parts of Egypt.

Caravan-Serai's tour will be led by Maha Sarhan, an Egyptian who has lived in the U.S. since the 1990s, and leads the company's tour groups in Egypt, Jordan, Libya and Israel.

Cost of the land portion of the tour is $975 for two sharing ($1505 for single occupancy), plus airfare. Details at caravan-serai.com.