You will enjoy the best of Cairo and Gize , then embark on a romantic
six Days on the Nile in LUXURY : Now you can sail the great river
of Egypt and visit its ancient wonder in the most authentic manner
possible. Travel in Style has arranged Nile cruises aboard a traditional
dahabiya, the Flâneuse du Nil.
Dahabiyas
are the traditional sailing vessel used since Pharaonic times to
reach the farthest reaches of the empire, by river and canal. As
passenger vessels, freighters, floating royal courts and excursion
boats, they have long had an essential relationship with the land
and people. Our dahabiya is updated with non-traditional comforts,
including modern plumbing, cuisine, and a trained staff, while maintaining
the essence of the dahabiya experience in keeping with Egypt’s
traditions.
But
the Flâneuse du Nil is more than the most authentic conveyance.
It’s a different way of relating to the land you visit. You’ll
experience the trip of a lifetime with the comforting assurance
that you’ll leave hardly a trace of your presence on the environment.
You’ll be under sail power 70 percent of the time, leaving
a minimum of contaminants in the river. Water for washing and sanitary
purposes is drawn from the river, treated, and treated again before
being recycled. Bottled water is provided for drinking. All waste
is sorted. Crew members are dispatched to clean up wherever you
stop along the banks.
And
that’s not all. We work to ensure an equitable encounter with
Egypt and Egyptians. All of our food is purchased in the villages
we visit, and we pay our crew double the prevailing rates, and provide
health coverage.
.
Travel should be for the better . . . to better yourself, the places
you visit, the people you encounter. Travel in Style makes it all
happen with our Dahabiya voyage aboard the Flâneuse du Nil.
DAY
1 - CAIRO - Thursday - Weekly in Cairo
, year round
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your
hotel. Visa fee is included and will be issued upon arrival at Cairo
Airport for : American, EU , Canadian , Singaporean & Japanese
citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order
valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.
Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in
your room with our compliments.
Hotels
: Nile Hilton , Cairo Conrad - Club Level Room or Grand Hyatt -
Club Level Room or similar
Visa
will be issued upon arrival.
As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down
some stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty
free shops, at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security
officers. There you will be met by a local representative, who will
be holding a sign with the name you prefer to use for the sign .
Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain
a stamp from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with
the passport officer. He will escort you through another last check
on your passport as you exit the passport control, into customs
area, he will assist you in collecting your luggage and clearing
customs . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will
escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel
DAY
2 - CAIRO - Friday- Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle - Private Chauffeur
- Private Egyptologist (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum
including the " Mummies Room" , the Sphinx , the Pyramids
of Giza, complimentary short Camel ride is included, to allow
you a photo with the Pyramids in the background, time is limited
, so please do not go for what the camel driver tries to convince
you , i.e. go for a long ride around the Pyramids .
Lunch is included at a local restaurant . On
to the Citadel of Saladin, and Mohammed Ali Mosque,
made of alabaster.
A complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals,
you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family
( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town )
This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . .
. right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo l! You'll
be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked
specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations,
and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may
be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about
your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively
evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected.
Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions,
by letting us know your preferences.
Day
3– Cairo : Fly to Luxor and Embarkation - Saturday - Weekly
Year Round (BLD)
After
an early morning breakfast , we escort you in your private air-conditioned
vehicle, with your private chauffeur to Cairo Airport. Domestic
air fare is included between Cairo and the cruise ( in business
class ) , with all taxes ( subject to availability) .
Transfer is included from Luxor Airport to the Cruise , always
in a private air-conditioned vehicle. Get ready for
a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously appointed Dahabbiya.
We’ll meet up in the morning and explore the temples of Thebes,
the ancient capital of Upper Egypt, now known as Luxor. Our visit
will include the Temple of Amon at Karnak, the largest religious
complex in the world, and the impressive colonnades of the Temple
of Luxor. In the afternoon, we board our dahabiya, the Flâneuse
du Nil, and set sail upriver in a convoy for our home port, Esna.
We glide past timeless villages and fields of grain, nourished by
the waters of the great river. By late afternoon, we reach El Hegz,
where we tie up for the night and enjoy our dinner prepared on board.
The Legendary " Flâneuse du Nil" Dahabiya
The Ultimate Honeymoon on the Nile
Day
4 – El Hegz, El Kaab, Edfu, El Ramady - Sunday (BLD)
On our dahabiya, we’ll call at ports where larger cruise vessels
rarely appear. In the morning, we’ll visit El Kaab, built
within a mud-brick enclosure. Founded in the Neolithic era, it embodies
timelessness in its homes, its everyday crafts, and the rhythms
of daily life. Our visit will include tombs hewn into the sheer
rock at Ahmes and Paheri. Back aboard, we’ll resume our cruise
past feluccas, fishing vessels, and cargo boats loaded with freshly
cut sugar cane. We’ll stop at Edfu to visit the Temple of
Horus, one of the largest and best-preserved in all of Egypt. By
nightfall, we will have reached the island of El Ramady, where we
will tie up for the night.
Day
5 – El Ramady, Djebel Silsileh, Maniha - Monday (BLD)
In the morning we continue our cruise deeper into Upper Egypt. We’ll
reach Djebel Silsileh, where the Nile squeezes between steep cliffs.
On the western shore, we’ll espy a sanctuary dug into the
rock, dedicated long ago to the seven divinities of the south by
Pharaoh Horemheb. We’ll explore an ancient quarry where sandstone
was cut for temples, and tie up for the night at the island of Maniha.
Day
6 – Maniha, Kom Ombo, Daraw, Herdiab - Tuesday (BLD)
We cruise onward to Kom Ombo, with its unusually symmetrical temple
dedicated to both Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the falcon.
Back on board, we’ll continue to the village of Daraw, where
traders bring spices, perfumes and crafts from across the desert
and from the heart of Africa. Enjoy the opportunity to gaze at and
bargain for traditional wares and appreciate a way of life that
seems untouched by modernity. After a walk around, we’ll reboard,
and continue our cruise to Herdiab.
Day
7 – Herdiab, El Koubaniya, Aswan - Wednesday (BLD)
We sail onward to the village of El Koubaniya. Perhaps you’ll
note its Nubian character, in the faces of its people, the subtle
rhythms of their language, and graceful ways. Finally, we’ll
arrive at Aswan. But our adventure is not yet over. We’ll
visit the island temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis,
mother and wife of Osiris, and embodiment of fertility and motherhood.
Its reliefs and frescoes make it one of the most attractive temples
in Egypt. We’ll take our last dinner together on board our
Dahabiya.
Day 8 – Aswan /Cairo - Thursday (B)
We’ll disembark at Aswan after breakfast. You’ll continue
your travel homeward, or perhaps you’ll choose to linger for
a few days where royalty have traditionally spent a winter in the
fine, dry climate amid splendid dining and entertainment.
Private
transfer in a private Air-conditioned vehicle to the airport in
Aswan to board your flight back to Cairo, air fare is included back
to Cairo , with taxes , in business class subject to availability.
In Cairo we will assist with your transfer to the J. W. Marriott
- Club Level Deluxe Room, or similar
The Legendary " Flâneuse du Nil" Dahabiya
The Ultimate Anniversary Cruise on the Nile
DAY 9 - CAIRO/ Departure Sunday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward
flight. Bon Voyage
Year Round ( Except Holiday season)
Rates are per person in USD $
Rate per person in double : $ 4310
Rate per person in single : $ 5560
For
the one and only suite on board the Dahabiya : Please add % 20 to
the listed rates
Peak
Season :
Easter ( 2 weeks ) & Christmas and New Year ( 2weeks)
:
Rates are per person in USD $
Rate per person in double : $5250
Rate per person in single : $ 6420
For
the one and only suite on board the Dahabiya : Please add % 20 to
the listed rates
Price
includes:
On
the Nile in Royal Style Feluccas or Dahabiyas are the traditional
sailing vessel of much of the Mediterranean world, and the traditional
Nile felucca, or Dahabia, was the mainstay of travel in ancient
Egypt.
With
shallow drafts, sails, and oars, feluccas could navigate not only
the great river, but the maze of canals threading through its banks,
with or without wind, reaching every part of the kingdom.
Dahabbiyas
/ Feluccas long ago transcended their role as humble transports.
They held the ancient empire together, carrying troops, decrees,
and the very mystery of the pharaoh.
Add
Jordan and a Dahabiya Deluxe Sailing boat in Egypt
Click
here for the Dongola Photo Gallery and more images
Royal
feluccas and Dahabbiyas bore a larger-than-life image of the
pharaoh, seated on a throne, to be seen and venerated by inhabitants
even along the most remote canal. In turn, imbued with the same
"ka," or spirit, as the living pharaoh himself, it would
keep watch over his subjects and their activities.
In
later times, pashas, emirs, and sultans found that feluccas were
indispensable. When Napoleon invaded Egypt, the Mamluks rulers
observed the Battle of the Pyramids from their dahabeahs, and in
the wake of defeat, set them afire, still laden with treasures,
in the middle of the river. Always one to adapt to local practice,
Napoleon even had his own dahabeah, the Italy, which was used by
his officers to explore Upper Egypt.
