Checking off a big travel wish list item for us, we took a cruise down the Nile over Thanksgiving week. It was as fabulous as we expected, and fascinating to see the Pyramids and Temples of ancient Egypt. We booked our Egyptian Nile Cruise through Memphis Tours, on a recommendation from a friend. There are a number of tour companies offering the Nile Cruise package in Egypt, but we found Memphis to be best for flexibility and smaller tour group sizes. They put together a tour itinerary for us that was spot-on perfect; we saw so many highlights, had a variety of experiences, and felt like we were in good hands the whole time.
Cairo
On our one-day whirlwind tour of Cairo, we saw the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Egyptian Museum. We rode camels, which is an experience not to be missed! Our tour guide Kadria is a bundle of energy wrapped in a smile, she was one of our favorite things about Cairo.
We visited a shop to learn how papyrus is made, and also shopped at a cartouche shop. Still shopping, we ended the day finding treasures in the market streets of Old Cairo.
Being driven around Cairo was part of the adventure, as the highways are crowded with cars, vans, buses, motorbikes, all taking the lane markings simply as a suggestion. Horns are honking endlessly, from a gentle reminder of “I am here” to a louder “watch out!” Meanwhile, there are no crosswalks, and pedestrians are crossing between moving cars anywhere they see an opening. Somehow, it all seems to work. Whole families crowd onto motorbikes, we saw 4 people on one bike. We even saw a little child sleeping on a moving motor bike, wedged safely-ish between his parents.
Egyptian Nile Cruise
The next day, we flew to Luxor to start our cruise south down the Nile. Our riverboat, named ‘Esmerelda,’ held 80 passengers, and included a dining room, a lobby, a lounge, and a sundeck. The sundeck covered the entire top of the boat, with a small pool, deck chairs, and canopy-covered seating. This was our favorite space on the boat, relaxing and watching the scenery slide by. Our spacious cabin exceeded our expectations, especially with a large window that opened for fresh air and views.
At stops along the river, we toured temples, markets, tombs, and the Aswan High Dam, built in the 1960’s. Lake Nasser is a result of the High Dam construction, a massive reservoir that looks like one of the Great Lakes, or the ocean, but with calmer waters. Tour guide Hazem led all of our riverboat stops, and we learned about the ancient gods and Egypt in general. He shared excellent knowledge about all of the sites, and was also considerate about giving us free time to explore on our own. He led a fabulous tour and also took many fantastic photos of us. 😊
One early morning we took a motorboat across the river for a hot air balloon ride. Seeing the Nile and surrounding desert from above was an amazing experience.
Our last tour was to Abu Simbel, the southernmost point in Egypt of our trip. A 3+ hour van ride brought us to two huge temples, worth the long drive.
TOURISM IN Egypt
Tourism is a huge business for Egypt, and it is managed very well. Children learn English in school, along with another language like Spanish or French. Most of the tours were in the cooler mornings or evenings, and there were crowds of tourists at every site. Still, we were able to come away with a huge appreciation of seeing these UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The amount of organization to keep tens of thousands of tourists moving smoothly through sites each day must be incredible. Our tour manager Kero did a magnificent job keeping us on track. There was always someone to greet us, meet us, drive us, feed us, and make sure we were where we were supposed to be at the right times.
On our last morning, back in Cairo before flying home, we rambled through the markets of Old Cairo. These stalls are full of the type of treasures we love to collect. From alabaster goblets to basalt cat statues, artwork on papyrus, and many amulets and symbols of strength and good luck. Prices are good, and vendors appreciate payment in US dollars. We were welcomed to browse in many a market stall, but felt no pressure whenever we kept moving.
Conclusion of egyptian nile cruise
Our Egyptian Nile Cruise exceeded our expectations and gave us experiences to treasure for a lifetime. Seeing history that dates back 5000 years, mummies, ancient treasures, temples, and pyramids was a dream come true.
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