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Jun
5
From the ancient days of the Egyptian pharaohs, river Nile has been a top destination in Egypt travel. Luxury cruises in the Nile are today among the most enjoyable activities while on holiday in Egypt. The cruise affords you the chance to see most of the historical sites of ancient Egypt along the banks of the Nile, while enjoying your Egypt vacation in a relaxed manner. Fully equipped with restaurants, discotheques, lounge bars, shops and swimming pools, the Nile cruise ships are in actual sense floating hotels.
A typical luxury cruise ship in the Nile has air-conditioned rooms, though the rooms are slightly smaller than those of ordinary Egypt hotels based on land. The rooms have adequate space for twin beds, a private shower, nightstand and dresser, and a television. Like hotels and lodges, the cruisers are star graded according to their quality. Most of the top rated (5-star) cruisers are nearly as equipped as the luxury ocean cruise ships. Many travelers to Egypt agree that the Nile cruisers’ romance setting is superior to that of any other riverboats in the world.
Nile cruises normally take three, four or seven nights. During the cruise visitors see the most important and interesting monuments of ancient Egypt on the shorter and more popular cruises that ply between Luxor and Aswan. The more adventurous travelers or those on a tight budget avoid the luxury cruisers in favour of fellucas- the traditional Nile sailboats. The amenities on fellucas are very basic but are still a good option for budget visitors.
Aswan is arguably the best place to start your Nile cruise. At Aswan, the calm and deep Nile river is at its most glorious. For long, Aswan was Egypt’s main gateway to other parts of Africa. The Nile region from Aswan and areas upstream of the Nile is often called upper Egypt. From Aswan and further downstream, there are several rapids and cataracts as the river passes through hard rock surfaces.
Aswan is the home of a dark-skinned people, the Nubians, who are related to the people of Northern Sudan. The Nubian museum is one of the historical attractions in Aswan. The museum highlights the culture of Nubians from ancient days. At Elephantine island, you can also see a number of traditional Nubian villages.
About 48 km north of Aswan lies the historical Kom Ombo, home to the famous Graeco-Roman temple. Ptolemy VII is credited with having started the construction of this temple in the early second century BC. A number of his successors continued the work. This includes emperor Augustus in around 30BC.
The Graeco-Roman temple is in fact two separate temples, each dedicated to a different god. The southern temple is in honor of the crocodile god ” Sobek, while the northern temple is dedicated to Horus, the falcon god. Each temple has its own sanctuary, entrance, colonnades, and hypostyle hall. You get a chance to see mummified crocodiles in the Sobek temple.
Another travel destination you must visit during you Nile cruise is Luxor. No other site in Egypt can rival Luxor’s magnificence, diversity, and range of monuments. The city was also known as Thebes by the Greeks. Around 2040 BC, Luxor was Egypt’s capital. In the seventh century BC, Luxor survived an attempt by the Assyrians to destroy it. However, its stature slowly declined from then, till the first century BC when it was finally destroyed by the Romans.
Among the celebrated monuments dating from Luxors heydays are the necropolis complexes at the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Tombs of the Nobles. You will also come across some outstanding temples scattered in the region. The Egyptians buried their dead in the direction of the setting sun and the west bank at Luxor was the final resting place of royalty and high officials.
The best time to take a Nile cruise is over the cooler months of November to March. These are also the peak months and it is advisable to start out early each day to avoid crowds. When visiting the monuments, you are advised to hire a guide who will explain the historical context at each site. The services of a guide are usually included on a Nile Cruise package.
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