River cruising
ship, sets sail on its maiden cruise this winter. All of this gives the impression that things on the Nile have been plain sailing, but the pandemic did have a notable impact. From 22 March, Cancino was forced to cancel cruises until the preceding September as Covid-19 began to spread, meaning Nour El Nil lost a good chunk of business that summer. Even so, Cancino generally advises against cruising the Nile from June to August as daily temperatures can reach 43ºC. “It was not a terrific year, but was it was okay. It was down from what I would call a normal level prior to the pandemic when were just doing really, really well,” Cancino says. “We started again in the winter and carried on until May this year. It was not horrible. It was okay. But of course, it was down.” Despite the challenges induced by the pandemic and the spectre of increased competition, Cancino remains buoyant about the future of Nour el Nil. While others come and go, his company will continue to do things just as they have always done, touring the river in wooden vessels like the ancient Egyptians once did. “[We provide] luxury from a service point of view,” he says. “You have these other boats that may have all the bells and whistles and this or that, or they have a swimming pool or whatever. However, there is a difference between us and everybody else. “This goes back to what I would call our philosophy,” Cancino adds. “The predominant Nile winds go north to south, but the current is south to north. So my thing is, if you buy space on a sailboat, part of the thing is that you want to sail, so we are the only ones that do the Luxor to Aswan direction by sailing the river the old fashioned way.”
‘The Nile is Egypt’
What is it, then, that keeps bringing travellers back to this part of the world and back to this sacred river? “It’s the people, it’s a countryside, the history itself. One has to know that all of Western civilisation came out of Egypt. All Western religion comes out of Egypt. Judaism, Catholicism, everything came from here.
Some want to wander the valley of kings to gaze upon its preserved relics and reconnect with the elusive mystique of a lost civilisation. Even so, what people really come for is this mystical river steeped in history. As an old advert for Cooks’ Nile streamer puts it: “The Nile Is Egypt”. ●
To me that’s fascinating,” Cancino says. “The other thing is that I love the people, I love the countryside. And being on the river, for me is [also about] the Egyptian people, who are so welcoming and friendly.” Just as hordes of Victorian travellers once did, contemporary visitors to the land of the Pharaohs still come in search of many things: the chance to tick off another bucket list destination, or ride camels through the sand-baked desert perhaps, or to sample fresh Dolma and drink thick black coffee in Cairo’s bustling street markets.
Above: Meroe, an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile, at sunset.
Below: Egypt is rich with historical tourist attractions, including the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx.
“You have these other boats that may have all the bells and whistles and this or that, or they have a swimming pool or whatever. However, there is a difference between us and everybody else.”
2011
The start of a violent uprising in Egypt, damaging the country's reputation as a popular tourist destination.
Al Jazeera World Cruise Industry Review /
www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com 49
AlexAnton/
Shutterstock.com; Malouka/NEN
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