DESTINATIONS EGYPT | CRUISE


Rebirth


on the Nile y


Egypt’s ancient waterway is back in vogue, finds Jane Archer on a Luxor-Aswan sailing


alla, yalla, Ramesses,” calls our guide, Medhat, hurrying us along as we race around Luxor Temple – a group of nine Nile newbies taking our first lesson in the lives and loves of the


gods and pharaohs of ancient Egypt. There’s a lot to see and Medhat is keen to show us it all, and where better to start than with the greatest of them all, Ramesses II? This ancient pharaoh is more than a little admired in Egypt because he was not only a prolific builder, especially when it came to giant statues of himself, but also found time to father more than 200 children with a variety of wives and lovers. “He was very important so I am calling my group


Ramesses because you are all VIPs,” Medhat announces as we drive to the temple from the Nile Adventurer, our home for the next four nights and one of four vessels Sanctuary Retreats operates on the Nile. I doubt I look very VIP after a combination of


late-night and early-morning flights to get to Luxor from the UK, but the ship, which is fresh from a four-month refurbishment, certainly looks the part (Tried & Tested, page 56). We’re sailing from Luxor to Aswan on a journey that


will tick off the temples of Luxor, Karnak, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae, but still give us time to relax on the sun deck and watch the banks of the Nile go by. Not that many other passengers are joining me there. I love the heat but Egypt’s early October weather is a bit steamy for most – an average of 39C by day and beautifully balmy after dark. Come the end of the month, things start to cool down and high season kicks in.


² travelweekly.co.uk 24 OCTOBER 2019 55


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