This is Part 4 of the series “Middle East 2024” which took place in Aswan and the Nile cruise in November 2024.

Introduction to the Nile Cruise

I booked a 4D3N Nile Cruise on TourRadar from Aswan to Luxor. I was looking for a cruise that would not be too expensive for solo travellers (often, the cost for solo travellers is almost the same as the combined cost for two travellers). Some of the tours also allow you to choose add-ons such as a visit to Abu Simbel and the hot air balloon ride in Luxor. They may either charge on TourRadar or offline.

I paid US$650 for the cruise and US$95 for the hot air balloon ride on TourRadar. I paid US$125 for the Abu Simbel half-day tour physically via card to the tour operator.

General Itinerary

This was the itinerary, it is similar to most Nile cruises:

• Day 1: Half-day visit (either morning or afternoon, depending on when you reach Aswan) to:
  • Aswan High Dam
  • Philae Temple
  • Unfinished Obelisk
  • An optional visit to Nubian Village
  • FYI: The boat will be docked in Aswan so you can leave the boat to visit some Aswan attractions (e.g. Nubian Museum, Old Cataract Hotel, Elephantine Island).
• Day 2:
  • Optional early morning trip to Abu Simbel (one should definitely visit!)
  • The boat will then sail to Kom Ombo (where you can visit Kom Ombo Temple and the adjacent Crocodile Museum)
  • The boat will sail again to dock at Edfu. There isn’t much in the area so I didn’t disembark, in fact there may not even be an option to disembark.
• Day 3:
  • Early trip to Edfu Temple on a horse carriage ride
  • The boat will then sail to Luxor while passing by Esna Lock
  • Depending on what time the boat reaches Luxor, you can visit Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. The boat will be docked in Luxor so you can walk around the town.
• Day 4:
  • Optional hot air balloon ride in the morning
  • Check out of the cruise
  • West Bank (Valley of the Kings, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon)
  • The tour ends in the middle of the day

General Inclusions & Exclusions

Do note the general inclusions and exclusions of Nile cruises, always read the details carefully in the information sheet and clarify accordingly:

Inclusions ✅	Exclusions ❌
All meals from lunch in Day 1 until breakfast in Day 4 Guide Transport between attractions and to & from accomodation Motorboat transport to Philae Temple Horse carriage ride (aka hantour) to the Horus Temple in Edfu	Entrance fees to attractions (I bought most of them online to save time and minimise scams) Drinks on the cruise Wi-Fi Tips and gratuities

Tipping on the Nile cruise

Egypt is generally huge on tips (sometimes known as baksheeh) with many not being shy to solicit for tips. The tour company gave us the following guidelines, just convert to Egyptian pounds:

• Driver: US$3-5 per day per couple
• Guide: US$6-8 per day per couple
• Cruise ship: US$3 per person per day 

As I did not share the driver and guide with anybody else during the trip, I just gave the couple rate despite being a solo traveller. Don’t feel pressured to give more, give what you feel they deserve (although it’s definitely easier said than done)!

Starting the day tour

My guide Mohamed picked me up from my hostel at around 8am to start our half-day Nile Cruise tour. In the afternoon after lunch, we could either go for an optional excursion to the Nubian Village or just rest. Mohamed then started telling me about Egyptian mythology which was a great introduction to what I will be seeing on the tour. I admittedly did not read up much about Ancient Egypt before this trip oops…

Aswan High Dam

Aswan High Dam is one of the largest embankment dams in the world at 111 metres tall and 3.83km in length. It was a 30-minute drive from the city and was close to the airport.

This engineering marvel was built in the 1970s to control the flow of the Nile, store water and generate hydroelectric power. Gone are the days of unpredictable floods or droughts! This also created Lake Nasser, one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. There were plenty of efforts to rescue the ancient sites from being submerged by Lake Nasser. Well, this isn’t a surprise from the country that built the Pyramids millennia ago.

We passed by the Soviet-Egyptian Friendship Monument and saw Temple of Kalabsha from afar, it would have been nice to visit them too! We spent around 15 minutes at the dam.

Philae Temple

Our next stop was Philae Temple which is on an island that required a motorboat to go to. It was carefully relocated stone by stone from the original Philae Island (now submerged due to the dam) to the current Aglika Island in the 1960s.

Mohamed pointed out the sign that stated that the boat ride was 391 EGP that was to be paid by me. Wasn’t this already included in the tour price? I didn’t think too much so I just paid the boatman 400 EGP.

This temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis with a blend of Egyptian and Greco-Roman architecture with many intricate carvings. The story of Osiris is depicted richly in the temple complex. It was one of the last places where the ancient Egyptian religion was practised. We spent around 1.5 hours at the temple.

Unfinished Obelisk

The Unfinished Obelisk was the final stop of our half-day Nile Cruise tour where the largest obelisk that was supposed to be built 3,500 years ago was still lying down. Each obelisk can only be cut from a single block of stone. As this block of stone had cracks, it was abandoned. If completed, it would have been 42 metres tall and weigh 1,090 tonnes. The logistics to move it would have been another wonder on its own…

We spent around 30 minutes at the site. Frankly, the story behind the Unfinished Obelisk is much more interesting than well, the stone.

Onboard M/S A Sara Cruise

I finally boarded the long-awaited Nile cruise! I carried my luggage down from the road to the cruise and did all the check-in procedures. My room was on the same floor as the reception.

I wanted to bring my own luggage to the room but Mohamed insisted that the porter should do so even if it was just a few steps. It seemed that Mohamed just wanted me to give tips to everybody which he kept talking about throughout the tour which was not a comfortable feeling.

Room

Despite me being a solo traveller, I still got a room with two smaller beds rather than one large bed. The mobile signal in the room could be weak at times. I am not sure if paying extra for the onboard Wi-Fi would work. The room and toilet were clean and maintained every day while we were out on our tours. I could enjoy hot showers too. Overall, it was a comfortable experience.

Meals

I then got lunch at the dining room. Every group of guests will have an assigned table. As I was the only member of my group, I had a table to myself. In each meal, there will be a salad bar, a bread bar, a dessert bar and of course a buffet for the mains. For early days, you will receive takeaway breakfast instead which will have bread, jam, fruit and a packet of juice.

The food was generally decent (although I’m more of the “eat to live” type of person). I was very satisfied that the food was at least hygienic (no stomach upsets!) and that they tried to vary the dishes.

The waiters were generally friendly although it was mostly pleasantries such as “how is the food” and them trying to practise basic Mandarin phrases with me.

Mohamed asked if I wanted to visit the Nubian Village. I declined since I got a glimpse of it yesterday and felt that it would be too touristy. I decided to walk around Aswan on my own instead.

Nubian Museum

I walked all the way from the docked boat to Nubian Museum. The sun was intense but I did not perspire, likely because it was not humid. Still, going into the air-conditioned museum was a welcome respite.

I went to the temporary exhibition hall which showcased the findings from excavating Qubbet el-Hawa (where I visited yesterday). There were also photos of the relocation of the many ancient temples when Aswan High Dam was built. It mentioned the Temple of Debod which was given to Spain for their efforts in this relocation. Wow, it turned out that my first interaction with an ancient Egyptian temple was in Madrid back in 2021, not in Egypt!

The main hall provided more insights into the history of the Nubian region from early settlements to the efforts taken to relocate the temples. The heritage of the Nubianb people can be seen too. It was wonderful to walk around the compound where we saw replicas of a prehistoric cave and some Nubian architecture in the midst of a beautifully landscaped garden. The empty canal was a mystery though.

Overall, I spent a relaxing 1.5 hours at the museum.

Old Cataract Hotel

I then walked to the nearby Old Cataract Hotel. At the reception, I paid 1,000 EGP for the teatime voucher. After asking quite a few staff on where I could sit for the tea, I sat at the terrace which had a decent view of the Nile.

I ordered hibiscus tea, a bottle of beer and some dessert to spend as close to 1,000 EGP as possible. The descent of the golden sun casted a warm glow over the tranquil waters of the Nile where the feluccas glided gracefully. This was paradise.

Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of the Archangel Michael

When the sky turned dark, I headed back to the Nile cruise. I popped by the cathedral for around 15 minutes. Archangel Michael’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral is the second largest Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Egypt. As the upper floor was closed, I could only explore the lower floor which had the shrine of Anba Hedra who is buried there.

I ended the day with dinner on the cruise and slept earlier. I need all the energy to wake up really early for Abu Simbel!