The Nile is, without a doubt, one of the top things on many people's bucket lists and what better way to see it than cruising down it in a traditional Egyptian sailing boat?
There are many wonderful hour-trials on offer in Luxor, but if you want to make it really special, then take a ship from Aswan up to Kom Ombo. The journey takes 3 days and is one of the most relaxing experiences ever. This trip will also give you a chance to see a different, more rural Egypt, away from the big cities and modernity.
The cooking on board is extremely basic, as is the shore break bathroom breaks, but this hardly matters and would detract from the natural spectacle all around you. As you wake up to the Egyptian dawn on-deck, it is an absolute, spiritual experience like no other.
Feluccas were originally made to transport goods up and down the Nile, but are now almost exclusively touring boats. Watch faithful Muslims pray on the banks at sundown and tiny, country villages drift past. There is literally nothing to do while onboard except lie back on the deck mattress beneath a shade, so if you have trouble relaxing anywhere else, you may be in luck.
Each night, the boat will dock at an isolated part of the Nile, the cook will cook dinner and the captain will sit at the campfire telling stories and singing traditional songs. The stars you can see here are absolutely incredible and worth the trip alone. You will sleep here until the morning, under a blanket or sleeping bag, again waking up with the dawn stretching in over the horizon.
To do this tour, take a flight to Aswan (Egypt Air fly to Luxor, Cairo and Aswan)
Experience Egypt arrange excellent, tailored tours and can also arrange stayovers in Cairo to see the pyramids?
If you will be out for more than a few hours, check the Felucca has a sunshade in it.
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