A visit to Egypt is not complete without a cruise on the Nile River, the world’s longest river and a source of life for Egypt and its ancient civilization. We knew we had to do it, but not aboard a regular cruise ship. Instead, we sailed the Nile on a Felucca, the traditional Egyptian wooden sailboat that has been around for centuries.
In total, we spent three days sailing the Nile on a Felucca, a totally new experience for us. A serene and enjoyable journey along the Nile which allowed us to get to know a bit more about Egypt.
ASWAN
Our journey started in Aswan, where we had been staying for a few days while exploring the south of Egypt, including the temples of Abu Simbel.
The typical route for cruising the Nile River is between Aswan and Luxor. However, because a Felucca is a sailboat that requires either wind or favourable currents to work (no engine!), this route is only doable for longer trips.
For our three-day trip, the plan was to sail down the Nile as far as we could towards Luxor. The Nubian crew of our Felucca told us all about the boat and, with the help of our guide, the detailed plan for the next few days.
In short, on the first day, we were going to sail to a Nubian village on the bank of the Nile for a meal and to sleep. The second day, a full day of sailing. And the third day, a quick early morning sail to the place where the mini bus would be waiting for us to continue our journey to Luxor.
