Charming cruise on the Nile
The charm of the Dahabeya
After the arrival at Louxor, a ten minute drive by car is all that is needed to meet her majesty the Nile, one of the longest river in the world (6,500 km). Its silver ribbon stretches from the heart of ancient Egypt. Like a background canvas, the three Dahabeyas idle playfully, nonchalantly swaying to the rhythm of the water while awaiting their guests for a cruise through time. The library room and the six cabins proudly display an Anglo-Egyptian style, with high backings of flowered curtains, varnished panels and moucharabiehs with aged windows and brass work. An exquisitely old-fashioned atmosphere emanates from this charming boat. Old photographs, black and white portraits of Egyptologists or well-known writers, earthenware plates, soft Chesterfields, all this converge to create an atmosphere that is evocative of the famous Agatha Christie novels. The magic takes effect. Hercules Poirot is not far away!
Cabins with famous names
The upper deck or solarium also offers the elegance of the end of the 19th century. It is pleasant to have breakfast or buffet style lunch sheltered from attention. Everyone eats at his/her own rhythm and in his/her own time without any constraints. A real pleasure. Each of the six 12 m2 cabins bears the name of a famous man: Omar Sharif, Youssef Chahine, Mohamed Al Barao... Inside, a row of three windows enriched with moucharabiehs and an attractive, well-lit little shower also with an opening refreshes the cabin. After a short night the braying of a little donkey and the murmur of the muezzins' prayers interrupt the early morning calm.
First stop, Louxor
For passengers who are still sleepy it is a real joy to emerge from the cabin and discover the light which little by little enwraps nature and the river The Nile undulates from North to South with the grace of an Egyptian dancer. The first imperative stop, modern Louxor. It was born from the ruins of Thebes which used to be the capital of the new empire (1550-1069 BC). After a short nocturnal visit to the imposing Temple with its lightings and the discovery of the surrounding tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the cruise continues at an idle pace. Most luxurious of all, an on board guide allows travellers to get to know Egypt better.
A nonchalant rhythm
Our Dahabeya, christened “El Bey” approaches the banks and famous archaeological sites according to the desires of each person. Our programme: laze in the shadow of the canopy, sip a fruit cocktail, lunch leisurely without loosing a morsel of the spectacle on the riverbanks milling with life. Scenes of men in fields, of children running after goats and pulling small stubborn donkeys, or of women scouring cans and bowls in the river, file past before our eyes. In the distance is the golden Thebes Mountain where Amenophis, Seti, Ramses, Horemheb and Nefertari sleep forever. But Medinet Habou created by Ramses III, the most attractive and the most colourful temple of the west bank, not very touristy, leaves you stunned some three thousand years later.
From Horus to Kom Ombo the magic takes effect
Then the palm trees on the banks give way to fields of sugar cane and banana plantations. Edfou approaches. Inescapable, the Horus temple in Edfou is one of the best preserved in Egypt. With its 15 meter gates, its oversized hypostyle hall, and its saint of saints, the Naos leaves you dreaming. The journey continues with El Bey casting off into the night. The magical mildness of an oriental dinner on board, the magic of a night rocked by the murmuring waters under the hull of the boat. The following day, the Ptolemic temple of Kom Ombo dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek awaits us. Already in the 19th century it did not leave Gustave Flaubert indifferent and in 1850 he wrote “The ruins of the temple have descended all the way to the Nile; from there the river bends to the left."
The charming Assouan
Drawing near to Assouan and its famous feluccas at full sail remains a timeless moment. Having tea at the Old Cataract and playing Agatha Christie heroines is an obligatory passage. Misplaced modernism in the new extension of the hotel will be avoided in these places. Comfortably seated with a cup of earl grey you can take time to appreciate the view of the timeless magic of the Elephantine Islands. At sunset a captivating light flows over the temple ruins and the marabou of Mohammed Ali. But the key to the spectacle, the grand finale of this natural scenography remains along the river, the marriage between the Nile and its banks.
