Can anyone reccomend a good Nile Cruise for the more independantly-minded traveler with a wife who is not an independantly-minded traveler? If it is with a guide, fine. Also some of the more exotic (if possible) areas in Egypt?

I think that you can take a Nile Cruise & hire your own guide or you can take one & use the guide provided the cruise ship company. I could be wrong. I'm not sure that a private guide is worth the money on the Nile. The cruise ship line determines the stops.

I used private guides in Cairo, Alex, and the Western Desert. I was made a part of group of independent English speaking travelers on the Nile Cruise. It was fine.

The Nile cruises go as far south as Siwa. After that you can take a cruise on Lake Nasser which will end up in Abu Simbel. These cruises are less traveled than the Nile Cruise.

For more exotic places, you can go into the Western Desert, to Siwa or to the Sinai. All are desert areas.

And if you want to be really exotic, you can take a 10 to 14 day camping trip to Gilf Kabir which is where the prehistoric swimming petroglyphs from "The English Patient" are located. You have to trek in all your water.

Sunshine, do yu have any info on the Lake Nasser cruises? Thanks. Jane

Sorry I don't. You could try running Lake Nasser on this site & see what comes up. Or go to the internet & run "lake nasser" and "cruise ship." Something along those lines. I've got insomnia, I'll look & see what I can find.

I think there was an article in the NYTimes Travel archives on renting a very nice boat & traveling on Lake Nasser. , but it was very expensive.


Also twofortheroad had this advice in 2005.

"There are 6 boats that sail on Lake Nasser from Aswan to Abu Simbal, leaving on various days. You will have to plan your itinerary fitting in these specific days and also plan a Nile cruise which will end when the Lake Nasser begins"

Insomnia still reigns, so I'll try the web.

Get onto google egypt (http://www.google.com.eg) and run "Lake Nasser" and cruise and you will find a number of sites that talk about Lake Nasser cruises.

Happy hunting!

Wow, Sunshine. 'Thanks for all your efforts. I'll do as you say and report results.
Jane

we were in egypt in may and did the nile cruise from luxor to aswan. you can do that or take one from aswan depending on your itinerary. i recommend a 3 day on a five star cruise.you dont really need a guide as practically everything is chalked out while on the cruise. there is the 'disco' night which is fairly tame and then the galibya night. do you galibya shopping (the outfit) for the party at edfu where it docks.do the felucca ride in late afternoon when you can get to see the sunset.
for other exotic places, i would recommend hurghada or sharm el sheik. you can do the snorkelling and scuba here.

Egypt is exotic, but for some different experiences, you may want to visit the camel market (in Birqash, outside Cairo) or the Cities of the Dead in Cairo. I visited both on my first trip, and I was the only tourist at both places during my visits. I have visited Cairo three times (its one of my favorite cities), but the mainstream places can be overrun by tourists.

Please elaborate on the Citues of the Dead In Cairo...I have not heard about it before! We leave Oct. 10th.

City of the dead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

City of the Dead (Qarafa, Arafa) is a cemetery in Cairo, Egypt. It is a four mile long cemetery located on the eastern side of Cairo. It is home to nearly a million people, many of whom were forced from crowded ghettos in Cairo. Others came from the villages simply looking for work.

To the people of Cairo, and other Egyptians, it is simply the cemetery. It is a bustling grid of tombs and mausoleums where people live amongst their dead ancestors.