Alone on the Nile

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 12 years ago

Alone on the Nile

The Arab Spring badly affected tourism in Egypt but, there has never been a better time to visit.

By Fiona Duncan
The Pyramids of Giza.

The Pyramids of Giza.Credit: Getty Images

IN THE gilded, graciously old-fashioned surroundings of the Mena House hotel in Cairo, we sat almost alone at the sunken bar and watched the violinist stifle a yawn as he played. It's been a flat time for tourism in Egypt since the revolution of early last year but while visitors may well pause for thought before going, Egyptians themselves are intent on welcoming their guests with open arms and looking after them even better than before.

After a tiring day's travel, peace descended at Mena House, comprising the historic Palace and modern Garden wings, along with a feeling that we had been transported to a bygone age, reinforced by the knowledge that people such as Winston Churchill and Field Marshal Montgomery had slept in the vast, lofty and wonderfully retro rooms and suites upstairs.

Built as a royal hunting lodge in 1869 and a hotel since the 1880s, Mena House and its famously situated golf course stand in the shadow of the Pyramids of Giza, nowadays encroached on one side by the unsightly urban sprawl of greater Cairo, unfettered on the other by the vast Western Desert.

Alone in the desert ... visitors are few and far between at the Temple of Hatshepsut.

Alone in the desert ... visitors are few and far between at the Temple of Hatshepsut.Credit: Getty Images

Hazy in the evening light, the pyramids had momentarily appeared on the horizon as we crawled our way through the shambles that was Cairo's traffic system (and the near-shambles, frankly, that was Cairo itself), all the while listening intently as our tour manager described how he and his colleagues had calmly managed to evacuate 500 clients in four days when the revolution took hold. He talked of his pride in the peaceful uprising itself and his joy at being able, at last, to take part in the country's political process, sentiments echoed by everyone to whom we spoke.

By the time the Duncan family arrived, night had fallen. Next morning, the only surviving wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World made a startling appearance.

"Wake up," someone called, "there's a giant pyramid out there." The Great Pyramid of Cheops, framed by the bedroom window, was indeed a gripping sight and had all four of us instantly hooked. The story of ancient Egypt, its gods and kings, tombs and temples, hieroglyphic puzzles and stunning discoveries, is hardly a difficult one to sell, even to my offspring; when recounted by our academic yet communicative Cairo guide, it quickly came alive.

At breakfast in the hotel's splendid Khan al-Khalili restaurant we found plenty of fellow travellers but the crowds and the queues at the main sights were gone. It was a doddle, at the Great Pyramid, to be among the first 150 visitors a day allowed to penetrate the limestone monolith, then bend double and climb vertiginously upwards and into the tiny tomb at its core.

In the enigmatic, dusty Egyptian Museum - now firmly on every tourist itinerary - it took seconds rather than the usual 10 minutes to stand before the mask of Tutankhamun. In front of the Narmer Palette, carved in 3200BC to celebrate the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, we paused for thought. "We are valley people, not desert tribes like our neighbours," our guide said, "and we have been united as one country for longer than any other nation on Earth."

Advertisement

In the days of the Grand Tour, European travellers would take weeks to sail in dahabiyas along the Nile from Cairo to Aswan. Nowadays, trips are only available from Luxor, to which we flew, and most people spend three to seven days afloat, sharing one of 400 cruise boats - some huge, ugly and battered; others small, attractive and well kept but not small enough for a single group as on a charter yacht or a Turkish gulet.

Until now. The luck, not the curse, of the pharaohs was with the Duncans in Egypt. Like the Pyramids, Luxor and the Nile were as quiet and unhurried as they must have been in the 19th century. So quiet, in fact, that we found ourselves transferred from the cruise boat we had booked to something new to the Nile, and we had it to ourselves.

It was a modern-era dahabiya. These gaff-rigged craft, larger versions of the traditional felucca had all but disappeared but have been reintroduced in the past four years to suit private groups of family or friends. Altering the face of Nile cruising, they can be tied up in shallow places where conventional boats can't.

Thus we wandered around the fascinating dock and quarry, where the sandstone was mined for the temples, and an island, grazed by water buffalo, filled with groves of mango, lemon and banana and lost in time, where we barbecued by candlelight on the beach and the boys swam in the river.

Our dahabiya, the new Zein Nile Chateau, was an airy, glass-encased, creatively decorated delight, with five double bedrooms and the beautiful King Farouk suite (with parquet floor, crystal wall lights and framed old photographs of the deposed Egyptian king and his family). Towed by tugs when not under sail, it had no noisy engine but instead floated serenely on the carpet of blue water that bisects the green valley cutting dramatically through the yellow desert.

From the tiny, weathered rais (captain) in pale-blue gallibaya and snow-white turban, who could have navigated the quixotic waters of the Nile with his eyes shut, to the comic belly-dancing maitre d', there was the gentlest of crew, as well as exceptional food, a spa on the spacious roof deck, an elegant sitting room for evening games of cards and backgammon and a shaded terrace beyond.

Best of all, Bahaa, a hugely entertaining Egyptologist, popped up every time there was a pause and another entrancing ancient monument to visit along the way. "I always hated sightseeing," one son said, "until now." The combination of private and relaxing transport and some world-class sights was, we all felt, without parallel.

Days were spent drifting on the Nile, pausing to visit temples and do battle with the peddlers for whom "no thank you" is not an answer. But even that tiresome hassle was soon forgotten as we lolled on the rooftop watching the lush banks slip by.

At the principal Luxor sights, including the Valley of the Kings and Queens and the temples of Hatshepsut and Karnak, we were all but alone, coach parks deserted, guards dozing. Only Luxor Temple was packed - with a large, orchestrated group of Malaysians sprinkling water and waving their arms in some strange ritual.

In post-revolution Egypt there is a vast amount to tackle and doubtless there will be many pitfalls along the way. But tourism is vital in Egypt and we felt welcomed and safe; indeed, with new-found freedom of speech on every citizen's lips, Egypt has become more than just a classic sightseeing destination concentrating on the long-dead past. If you want a flavour of what we experienced, at knock-down prices, you should visit soon. Telegraph, London

Trip notes

Getting there

Emirates flies to Cairo via Dubai, emirates.com.

Getting around

The best guides to the sights are university-educated Egyptologists, who tend to be extremely knowledgeable and good communicators. Their fees vary but are not expensive and they can arrange transport as well. Two highly recommended guides are Bilal Sedky (for Cairo, +20 2 2507 3334) and Bahaa Gaber (for Luxor and the Nile, +20 1 0652 5860). Expect to pay about $185 a day for guide, driver and car.

When to go

High season is from October to April, when the weather is often perfect: warm, dry and insect-free, with sunny days and cool evenings. Check for travel warnings before departing.

Staying there

Semiramis InterContinental. If you are prepared to forgo a Nile view and make do with a city panorama instead, a top Cairo hotel becomes yours for an affordable price. Doubles from about $180 a night. +20 2 2795 7171, ichotelgroup.com.

Mena House. The historic Palace portion of this hotel is closed for refurbishment but you can stay in airy rooms in Mena House Garden. Doubles from about $235 a night. +20 2 3377 3222, oberoimenahouse.com.

Four Seasons at the First Residence. Hear the lions roar and spot the hippos in the zoo from your spacious room on one side, or look over the Nile on the other. Doubles from about $310. +20 2 3567 1600, fourseasons.com.

Eating there

El Fishawy. In the heart of the Islamic quarter of Cairo and open 24 hours a day, the city's oldest coffee house, founded in 1773, makes a wonderfully atmospheric place for tea and sheesha. Al-Hussein Square.

Abu El Sid. Smoke sheesha and drink beer while enjoying Egyptian dishes such as stuffed pigeon, all in Arabian surroundings. 26th July Street, +20 2 2735 9460.

The Moghul Room. Opt for some superb traditional Indian cooking. Mena House Oberoi, +20 2 3377 3222.

Five things to avoid

1 Black and white (unlicensed, non-metered) taxis. Only choose yellow ones, or white with a black chequered stripe.

2 Camel touts at the pyramids: It can cost £E1 (15¢) to be hoisted up and, once aloft, £E10 to be retrieved.

3 The awful sound and light shows at the Pyramids of Giza and major temples.

4 Gippy tummy: bring Bimuno powders and Pepto-Bismol; do not drink the tap water, use ice or eat unpeeled fruit or salad.

5 The traffic in Cairo. It's simply appalling.

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading