Egypt - skip Nile cruise...a mistake?????
 

I am planning a trip to Egypt, I will have about 10 days there and I am debating if I should book a Nile Cruise or stay in Luxor at a hotel and explore the tourist sights as day trips from Luxor. I am interested in the West Bank, the East Bank, Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples.

I would also like to go to Abu Simbel, from Aswan, I know most Nile cruise offer Abu Simbel as an option.

What are the pros and cons?

Am I making a mistake by not taking a Nile Cruise?

My wife and I did a tour of Egypt in January 08. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would have been quite disappointed had we not done a cruise. There is just something about watching life on the banks of the Nile that shouldn't be missed. Definitely go to Abu Simbel if you have the chance. Upon our return I posted a trip report about our adventures with some information regarding the drinking water, the importance of proper hygiene, etc.

Edfu and Kom Ombo are located between Luxor and Aswan. If not on the cruise, you have to arrange road trips thru the hot desert to visit these. Cruises are available 3 and 4/days departing either Luxor or Aswan... either direction, same temple sites along the way. There are some longer cruises, but don't think that's what you're considering.

We too truly enjoyed the Nile Cruise and visited Abu Simbel which was amazing.

You can train or fly to Aswan. If wanting to visit Abu Simbel, can go by road thru the desert early early to Abu view site and return by desert, to board cruise boat and head to Luxor on the water. If flying, can continue to Abu Simbel, view site, fly back to Aswan and board cruise onto Luxor. All depends on your budget for the boat and whether train/drive or fly/fly.

most of those temples are on the Nile Cruise itinerary...you may be more of an "Egyptologist" than I, but the temples can begin running together a bit (Abu Simbel to me was well worth the trip) but life along the Nile is great to experience from a cruise...we took a dahabia which is a little different take on the cruising (smaller sailing vessel) and it was a great highlight of the trip...

I wouldn't have missed the cruise for anything. There is indeed something about sipping a Gin & Tonic on the deck as the Nile slips past and the sun goes down that shouldn't be missed.

I agree that the temples do "run together" in the memory, but the ones that are by the Nile are best visited that way. When we went, the lock at Esra was closed and we went to Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Queens, by coach. We did get fed up with Egyptian roads!

There's nothing better after a hot temple visit, instead of a long coach ride,than a shower and a drink, any order, just close together!

My opinion: DO NOT skip the cruise. It was my favorite part of my trip to Egypt last month, and an easy way to visit sites up and down the Nile.

Oh, and you might know this already, but I feel compelled to share my hard-earned wisdom here. Plan on having some degree of "Pharoah's revenge." I did, but sadly I only brought Imodium with me, which was almost useless. Wiser people in my group brought Cipro (you need a prescription from your doctor). Those who used Cipro were better in no time. I had several days' worth of problems. Luckily my P-R was fairly slight and happened at the end of the trip.

Poohgirl, How sad that you weren't told by qnyone that you could have gotten Cipro over the counter at ANY Pharmacy in Egypt for a fraction of the cost you pay for it in the states... and you don't need a prescription. :(

Have to add one more comment about the mummy tummy -- Antinal, cheap and easy to get in Egypt (most guides probably carry it with them for their people) works very fast. Next time I go I'll be picking some up in the Cairo airport to have with me just in case.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I will include a Nile Cruise in my itinerary.

Also, I'll buy some Cipro or Antinal when I arrive in Egypt.

Yes, Casual-in-Cairo, that is sad! I knew I should have been on the Africa-Middle East page before my trip more than I had been. Thanks, though - I'll definitely remember next time!

RJames,
Excellent decision !!! Like you I was hesitant about going on a Nile River "cruise". After all I'm a very independent traveler and I've been to a lot of countries but I've never thought that a "cruise" was for me. Boy was I wrong, both Egypt and the Nile River Cruise were the highlights of my last trip which included Turkey, Greece, Italy, and France. You can see some of my photos at:
http://gatorbill.zenfolio.com/

Have a great time in Egypt,
gatorbill
http://www.gatortravels.com/

I am on the fence on whether to take a Nile Cruise or not while on my Egypt and Jordan vacation in December. I keep reading that the boats are tied up alot and that most of the sailing is during the day so you don't really see alot unless you stay up. Is that correct?

Also, have read that when all of the boats are tied up there are tons of passengers all lined up for the temple tours and it is a major headache-is that correct?

How much extra should one allow for the tipping of everyone on the ship?

Did you fly or drive to Abu Simbel?
Did you feel as though you missed alot of seeing the markets and museums in Aswan and Luxor by going on the cruise? Thanks everyone-

Sorry to get off the track of the original question....Poohgirl... I won't make any puns about your name! I dread the "mummy tummy" too. This is another reason I took a private tour so can go at my own pace if I am feeling ill.

I have a 3 or 4 day cruise in my itinerary and I am glad that everyone thinks it is really worthwhile.

Dutyfree, I think you have it wrong. Most boats dock quite early and you are off sightseeing after breakfast. We spent most of each day out at the various sites and returned to the boat for dinner. Our cruise group of 16 avoided lines and were admitted to temples and tombs without any wait at all. Being on a cruise avoided all the headache, gave us preferential treatment, and provided excellent connections to the various locations. No lines, no wait, no headache and majestic views.

I am curious whether any of you who suffered from "Pharoah's revenge" or traveler's diarrhea took the vaccine Dukoral before traveling to Egypt. Robin

Although there is a terrific amount to see in Luxor, the town itself is not appealing and is full of touts who will hassle you continuously. Not a very relaxing place to stay or from which to organize many days of sightseeing. In contrast, Aswan is a rather pleasant town but there is less sightseeing in the region. I am planning my 2nd trip to Egypt and definitely will prefer a cruise this time.

Don't miss the "cruise". It's really more of a transportation option rather than a cruise. For me, it was the perfect alternative to car, bus, or plane.

Canadian_robin, we can't get Dukoral in the US but I ordered it from a Canadian pharmacy before traveling to India. However, I didn"t before going to Egypt. Did you? How did it work for you (if you did). I had no problems in India but did in Egypt. So I guess that is sort of a testimonial. :)

The Nile 7 day cruise is a must. It will allow you to see all of the sites that you require and so much more. We have been on the Emelio Domina Prestige for the last 4 years. It has a friendly atmosphere and is very clean. You will find this the cheapest and easiest way to see as many sights as is possible. The quality of guided excursions is excellent. The Abu Simbel excursion may cost around an extra £70 per person and means that you have to get up at around 3 in the morning to travel 3 hours by coach into the Sahara desert but, you will be greatful of the early start to avoid the crouds and the heat of the midday sun. I would recommend that the last 3 days you spend in Luxor and go to the mummification and the luxor museums. Take a day to visit to Habu temple, the valley of the nobels and artisans. I would also recommend a trip to dendara (the temple of Cleopatra) and Abydos but you may consider a trip by road taking around 40 minutes rather than an arduous full day boat trip.

Flying to Abu Simbel is for us, the only option. The road trip is long, early and boring. The flight is relatively cheap, easy and you can get breakfast at a decent time.

Don't forget that by road, it's 3 hours each way--far too long if the weather's hot.

Fly to Abu Simbel and enjoy the time when the tour buses leave at 930am-it is magical being alone there with just the guards.
I would definitely take the Nile Cruise -the 3 night/4 day was just perfect.