Nile Cruise Egypt | Sail along and be amazed

I have never been in before Egypt but I knew I would most like to discover the country through a Nile cruise. Now the time had finally come. I went out with Corendon to experience the Nile cruise for myself. Read about the Nile Cruise in this blog luxor to Aswan past ancient temples and the most beautiful places on the banks of the Nile. Will you travel with me?

About the Nile Cruise Egypt

With a Nile cruise you are transported across the Nile by a river cruise boat. Our boat (named MS Egilkia) or a similar boat, has everything you need on board.

Sailing hotel

It is actually a floating hotel. There are rooms with bathrooms in them. Below deck there is a lobby and dining room. On the upper deck you will find a bar, sun beds and a swimming pool.

When you're not docked for the sights or activities, you'll be on the boat. Read on for a description of the sights and activities during the Nile Cruise and read at the bottom of the blog under 'activities on board' how your time can be spent on board during a Nile cruise.

Dutch speaking guide

Another important additional feature of this Nile cruise is that there are Dutch-speaking guides on board. One of the guides will accompany you and your group (part of the Nile cruisers) to the various sights and activities. The guides are from Flash Tour, with which Corendon collaborates. They have good quality guides and they will guide you expertly through this part of Egypt.

Personnel on board

Besides the tourists, there are plenty of others on board. The staff who do everything they can to make your experience as good as possible, for example. Think of waiters, cooks, cleaners, receptionists, sailors and more. You will soon notice that Egyptians value hospitality. They are all extremely friendly and helpful.

A nice example: one of the guests asked for a certain cocktail, for which they did not have the ingredients on board... A few days later, this cocktail was suddenly offered to the guest. The waiter had left the ship to buy the ingredients himself!

The sights

There is a lot to tell about the history and details of the various temples. I will give you a small impression of this through the descriptions below. If you want to know more about the different sights, I recommend that you look it up or even better, wait until the guide provides you with detailed information during your Nile cruise in Egypt!

Karnak temple complex near Luxor

Karnak (Location here) is located north of Luxor and is the largest temple complex in Egypt. It is a complex because it consists of four parts. A different god was worshiped in each part.

The Amun temple was surrounded by large walls. At the front you get an impression of how grand these walls once were. You can also see part of the impressive view at the front avenue of sphinxes, which once stretched all the way from here to the Luxor Temple.

There is also a sacred lake, several smaller temples and many pillars, pylons, statues, obelisks and sphinxes. Although the photos give you an impression of what it looks like, they do not match the feeling of seeing it with your own eyes.

There is of course a lot to tell about the temples and their history. The basis is that the temples are dedicated to the god Amun (sun god), his wife Mut and their son. To give you a small impression of how old it is, construction started approximately in 1400 BC. Over 3400 years ago!

The Temple of Luxor

This temple (location here) was built, like the temples of Karnak, to honor the god Amon, goddess Mut and their son Khonsu.

The temple is special because it houses multiple contemporary faiths. Like drawings of Christians. And when the temple was still buried, a mosque was built on top of it. This has been preserved and is therefore still visible in the temple.

We visited the temple in the evening. That was nice for the experience, because it was cool. But it was also busy and the large amount of bright lights unfortunately did not make for the best photos…

The Valley of the Kings near Luxor

On the west side of the Nile, on the other side of the city of Luxor, is the Valley of the Kings (Location here). The burial chambers of a number of pharaohs can be seen here. Not all graves are well preserved. Some have been looted. The graves that remained untraceable for a long time are well preserved.

They suspect that there are many more burial chambers in the valley, more than the sixty that have already been discovered. Ten of the burial chambers are open to the public. A long corridor, often deeper into the ground, leads to the rooms.

The most famous and special tomb is that of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. This was discovered in 1923. His mummified body can even still be seen here. I thought it was very special to be able to see with my own eyes how he is buried here in the tomb.

Queen Hatshepsut's Temple at Luxor

The temple of Hatshepsut (Location here) is located at the foot of a cliff and has a huge terrace. Upon arrival you immediately have the best view of this impressive structure.

A female pharaoh called queen Hatshepsut, had this temple built. She is special because she was one of the few female pharaohs and the woman who ruled the longest, namely 22 years. In her seventh year of reign, she ordered the temple to be built. There was once an avenue of sphinxes leading to the temple.

The temple is located on the sacred site The sea and from the terraces of the temple you have a wide view towards the Nile.

The Colossi of Memnon near Luxor

Not far from the Hatshepsut temple the Colossi of Memnon (Location here). They are two huge statues. This was once the temple Amenhotep the third. The temple was very large, but little remains of it. The statues stood at the gate of the temple. The area where the temple was located is now an open-air museum.

The Kom Ombo temple in Aswan

De Kom Ombo temple is Aswan (Location here) consists of two parts. In one section the falcon god is depicted Haroeris worshiped and the other, the crocodile god Sobek. Mummified crocodiles were found in the temple and are on display in the adjacent museum.

We visited the temple just after sunset. That gave a beautiful image and the hieroglyphs were clearly visible due to the lighting on the ground. These tell, among other things, about the customs, rituals and sacrifices.

The construction of the temple started under Ptolemy VI Philometor, but construction and decoration continued for a long time. The temple has suffered a lot from natural disasters, but is nevertheless well preserved.

The Philae temple near Aswan

The Philae temple (location here) is located on an island in the Nile near Aswan. The temple was moved in its entirety because it was under water. UNESCO saved it from destruction in this way. From the island you can still see where it was originally located.

We visited the temple at sunrise. It was therefore not very busy when we arrived and the rising sun made for beautiful photos. There were also many cats walking around.

Temple of Esna

Little is left of the temple of Esna (Location here), only the colonnaded hall built by the Romans. At that time there were more buildings, avenues of sphinxes and gardens. The stones from the temples were reused to build the houses in the city Esnawhich now surround it.

The outside of this temple does not look special. However, once inside the temple, you will be surprised by many details. What's nice is that the constellations can be found in the hieroglyphs. The hieroglyphs and colors were well preserved when the temple was still underground. These aspects also make the temple very photogenic, so I even had my picture taken.

Abu Simbel

From Aswan it is still at least four hours of driving before you reach Abu Simbel arrives (location here). It was therefore an optional tour, which you can book during the Nile cruise. You leave very early in the morning, so you can have lunch on the boat late in the afternoon.

This temple was cut into the rock walls, commissioned by Ramesses the second to honor himself and his queen. It is the oldest monument in Egypt. The statues you see in the image below are no less than 22 meters high.

Activities on board

While you are on your way to the next beautiful sight or fun activity, there is plenty of time to rest and have fun.

Rest, sunbathe and swim

You can rest in your room or on the deck. The temperatures and bright sun in Egypt also offer you the opportunity to add some color. Be careful, because there is a pleasant breeze while sailing, so you won't notice if you are burning. You can cool off in the swimming pool or with a drink at the bar/on the terrace. And all this while you see the banks of the Nile in the background.

Food and fun

Meals and snacks

You are welcome in the dining room three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The buffet is incredibly extensive and varied, so you don't have to eat the same thing every day or be afraid that you won't like anything.

If that's not enough, you have the chance to eat something on deck twice a day. At 11.00am it is time for snacks and at 17.00pm for tea with mainly sweet treats.

They take your program into account during the Nile cruise, so you don't have to go hungry. Are you unable to be on board for your meal, for example because you are going to Abu Simbel? Don't worry, they will make sure you can take it with you.

cosiness

The deck is fun almost every evening, and the staff will take care of that. They organize something different every evening, such as a Cocktail Party and an Egyptian evening. Many evenings the feet left the floor.

Enjoy your surroundings

If you lie or sit on the deck, this is something you should not forget. The banks of the Nile pass you by and that is so special, you should enjoy it. Here you see 'the ordinary Egyptian' in everyday life, at work, as a farmer or fisherman.

In my opinion, the surroundings became more and more beautiful the further south we sailed. Greener, but also with sand dunes or mountains in the background. If you are awake at sunrise or on the deck at sunset, this environment becomes extra special.

Activities

In addition to the usual sights, we also undertook some other activities during our Nile cruise in Egypt. For example, I went in a hot air balloon for the first time in my life, we sailed with a traditional Felucca and we visited a Nubian village.

Boat trip with Felucca

Aswan is very recognizable because of the many Feluccas that sail on the Nile. It is a traditional wooden sailing boat. This is an activity that should not be missed when you are in Aswan. The best time for this is of course at sunset.

The Felucca takes you into waters where the cruise boat cannot take you. Here you are surrounded by small islands, rocks and birds.

Boat trip to Nubian village

Not only feluccas can be seen on the Nile near Aswan. Also motor boats, which take tourists and other people to the other side or a little further up the Nile. With such a motorboat, which also looks cozy, you can reach a traditional Nubian village (location here).

These villages have many colorful houses and street art. Walk through the streets, take Instagrammable photos and buy souvenirs or spices.

The Nubian people have a darker skin color than other Egyptians and are therefore easy to recognize. They first lived a little further south, but due to the construction of the dam just south of Aswan, they were forced to move.

Unfortunately This place also has a less pleasant side. The Nubians missed the crocodiles that they encountered every day on the Nile in the south. That's why they keep them as pets nowadays. In the cafes they lie in cages that are much too small and their mouths are tied shut. Tourists can have their picture taken with the animals for a fee. We strongly advise against this! We also advise against taking a camel ride. This is also offered in the village.
If you want to ensure that you do not indirectly contribute to animal suffering, do not take photos of the camels and crocodiles. If you don't want to be confronted with animal suffering, it is better not to go to the village, because at least you will see it.

hot air balloon ride

Luxor is the only place in Egypt where it is possible to take a hot air balloon ride, but it is also a unique place. The activity can be booked with the Nile Cruise. It turned out to be a great experience!

We were supposed to take to the air just before sunrise, but the wind wouldn't let that happen. Fortunately, safety came first. Safety advisors were busy determining whether or not we could leave safely. We had to wait on the ground for almost two hours, but it was worth the wait!

Buy souvenirs

In every city and at every attraction, shops with sellers are ready to help you. Be prepared to be approached and if you want to buy something, the game of haggling begins.

The souvenirs are not expensive for us Dutch. A seller will start by quoting a very high price for his merchandise. The intention is that you will arrive at approximately between a quarter and a half of the stated amount when you start haggling.

You would think that at times like this it would be useful to have a guide with you. Yet guides refrain from getting involved in haggling. They are held responsible by the sellers, after which they hear unpleasant statements. Moreover, the sellers remember the guides and the next time they are there, it will happen again.

If you find all this too much hassle and difficult, do it as I do and thank the sellers kindly.

Extra holiday in Hurghada

Your Nile cruise starts in Luxor. Your plane will probably land elsewhere and in my case in the seaside resort Hurghada (Location here). Flash Tour takes care of your transfer to Luxor. Bee Corendon you have the option to extend your trip with another stay in the seaside resort of Hurghada.

Hurghada has more than two thousand accommodations, including even the most luxurious all-inclusive resorts. Corendon gives you several options for resorts, something for everyone.

I stayed at Pickalbatros Jungle Aqua Park Resort, with a bizarre amount of swimming pools and water slides.

Also read: Hurghada Egypt | The resorts of Pickalbatros

Conclusion

The Nile cruise is a special way to discover Egypt and with Corendon it is especially comfortable, because everything has been thought of. You will be well looked after in your sailing hotel and once ashore you will be taken to the most beautiful sights and best activities. Where you can also find out everything about Egypt, because your Dutch-speaking guide from Flashtour will tell you about it in smell and color.

Of course I have done my best to give you an impression of the Nile Cruise, with my photos and text in this blog. However, it cannot match the real experience. You really have to see the grandeur and details in the temples with your own eyes. So my conclusion is: go and be amazed!