Investing In The Nile Cruise

In March Alejandro’s parents, Carmen and Juan, came to Egypt to #MeetTheWards. This was one of the first times they left the states so we wanted to make it an experience of a lifetime. While there is obviously no shortage of things to do in Egypt, we wanted to make sure they really got to see and experience this amazing country. What better way to do that than to visit some of the major attractions. While driving from point to point was an option Egypt is a huge country and one of the most efficient ways to explore it is to follow the Nile. Taking a Nile Cruise is the best choice.

There are many different Nile Cruise options depending on the amount of time, money, direction you want to travel, and stops you want to see. We choose to do the 4 Day Trip from Aswan to Luxor because it was one of the shorter and more economical options. It is also a nice direction to travel because it felt like the temples were getting nicer and nicer the further north we traveled.

I called this “Investing In The Nile Cruise” because it is an investment. An investment in broadening your knowledge of ancient Egypt. An investment in time and energy because this isn’t the easiest trip physically. And an investment in money because in all honesty, it was expensive.

Everything You Need To Know About The Nile Cruise

This is a really long post so if you want to jump ahead to get specific information go right ahead. 

Before Leaving Cairo

Living in Cairo has its advantages. One of them is the number of options we have available for travel directly from here. We used Samir, the owner of the company Over Egypt Tours, to book our cruise just the day before we left.

Day 1:

I stayed up all of the previous night packing my bag so I probably only got 1-2 hours of sleep. By the time we left the house in the morning, we weren’t technically late for our flight leaving Cairo. We were just running a little bit behind schedule. My mind wasn’t in the right place due to lack of sleep and I wasn’t quite paying attention the way I should’ve been.

While we were headed to our flight I decided that it would be so smart of me to run up a down escalator in order to give Juan his passport. That was a mistake. I tripped and fell as I was running up the escalator. Not only did I fall, but I also banged my shin on the grates of the escalator. Any sane person would’ve just stopped attempting to climb up the escalator and just ride it down. But no, I decided to stand up and try and run again. So, of course, I fell again. And painfully banged my bad knee. I ended up falling so hard that I broke the escalator. Clearly wasn’t my morning.

 

We flew directly from Cairo to Aswan on the morning of our cruise. The flight was a quick 45 minutes. Since we have never been to Upper Egypt a.k.a. the South of Egypt we really weren’t sure what to expect upon landing. Landing is my favorite part of flying. Disappointed, I was not. The ground there is still, in some places, black which is really interesting to see because the original name of Egypt is Kemet. Which means black. It’s believed it was named Kemet for either the land or the people.

 

Aswan

 

Our tour curator Samir had everything in place. When we landed in Aswan we had a tour guide that picked us up directly at the airport. As soon as we touched down we hit the ground running. The first stop would be the Aswan High Dam.

The Aswan High Dam

When we reached the Aswan High Dam I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Essentially it is a barrier between Upper Egypt and the remainder of the Nile. On one side you have Lake Nasser which is a man-made lake in order to control the amount of water flow to the entirety of Egypt. Lake Nasser reaches from Aswan all the way down to Sudan. It is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Construction on the Dam started in 1960 after the Old Dam could not support the amount of water capacity needed to regulate the flooding of the Nile.

 

The building of the Aswan High Dam was a difficult feat that took 11 years to finish. It was referred to as the Egyptian Challenge Against Nature. This Dam is one of the reasons for the lack of crocodiles and large fish in Northern Egypt that were depicted in hieroglyphs in ancient times. The building of this Dam also caused many issues with the displacement of Nubian people in both Egypt and Sudan and the flooding of many ancient sites.

 

On the bridge of the dam, there is also a friendship memorial. The USSR and Egypt built this memorial to commemorate their friendship. The USSR was one of the first countries to support Egypt in the building of this dam.

 

Old Dam

After the Aswan High Dam, we made our way over to the Temple of Philae. To get to the Temple of Philae we had to pass over the Old Aswan Dam. I could imagine that when it was built in 1902 this was probably something extremely amazing as it is huge and spans the entire width of the Nile.

Temple of Philae

The Temple of Philae is situated directly between the Old Dam and the High Dam. The Temple was almost completely submerged underwater due to the flooding from the Old Dam. Eventually, it was moved on to higher ground so that the temple would not be destroyed any further. A boat ride is necessary in order to reach it but the boat ride is not included in your entrance ticket.

 

On the short boat ride, you can see just how high the Nile actually reaches when it is flooding. Since we visited during the low season, the oxidized black rocks on the banks of the Nile gives a clear view of where the water reaches. Although much of the temple has been restored many stones are still black up until a certain point.

 

History Of Philae

Many of the temples built in antiquity were for certain deities. This temple is no different. As legend has it, Set killed his brother Osiris, because he was jealous of the marriage between Osiris and their sister Isis. Set chopped up and scattered Osiris’ body. Isis found Osiris’ heart in this place and she revived him and then made their son Horus. This temple was built in Isis’ honor in 690AD and it’s considered one of the last temples built during ancient times. Philae in Greek means beloved just like the city of Philadelphia means brotherly love so maybe there’s a connection there but I’m not entirely sure.

 

As you proceed throughout the temple complex you will notice a lot of the inscriptions and hieroglyphs are still present and for the most part completely intact. It plays out many battle scenes that happened between Horus and Set who is the person that killed Osiris.

One of my favorite parts that I found super interesting was the heads of Hathor. This deity has the head and face of a woman with the ears of a cow. She is the goddess of childbirth and fertility. Seven pillars in the courtyard depict Hathor’s face. Each pillar represents a day after childbirth. As the pillars continue her face is changing into happier and happier faces. On the seventh pillar she is sporting a full smile because it’s believed that if a child survives seven days they will live and at this point can be given a name. Egyptian culture still dictates that women hold their baby showers on the seventh day. Although many Egyptians still uphold this ritual some may not actually know the origins of how it started. 

Christianity in Egypt

When the colonizers came to Egypt they tried to take out the ancient religion and they forced the local people to be Christians. Throughout the temple so you will see crosses all over the place because it was converted into a church.

 

Ancient Egyptians willingly took to Christianity as they easily saw the similarities between both of the religions. There is a lot of research on this. Here is a quick article if you are interested. Ancient Egyptians noticed a lot of the stories are very similar. There was a big focus especially with the story of Virgin Mary and Isis. Since Egyptians saw Isis was so much like the Virgin Mary people went back to worshiping Isis. This angered the Christians, so they started to deface Isis in her own temple. The Christians believed if the people could not see Isis’ face they would stop worshiping her.

 

It was an overall beautiful complex.

After we finished exploring the island we took the boat back to the mainland.

 

Unfinished Obelisk

After finishing up at Philae we went over to the Unfinished Obelisk. This site is what Egyptians use to prove that they built these immaculate things themselves and not aliens. Unlike other sites throughout Egypt, this one has not only the tools that were used to build things but has unfinished pieces that were just left behind.

 

This quarry is basically a mountain of granite. The granite was chiseled to make certain objects. One of the objects left behind was this humongous Obelisk.

 

It is believed that the obelisk was ordered by Hatshepsut, the longest-reigning Queen (pharoah) in Egyptian history. Unfortunately for her, the obelisk got a huge crackdown the center of it. Everything at the ancient sites were perfect  so they could not use this obelisk and it was abandoned. If it were finished it would have been the largest obelisk in all of Egypt meaning the largest in all the world. It is believed to weigh somewhere around 200 African elephants.

 

When we visited this place I slipped and busted my ass on the slick granite. As soon as the guide said hey watch your step I slipped, banging the same knee from the escalator. If that wasn’t bad enough somehow I scrapped my fingers on the granite as well. If you’re counting that was the third time I fell on the same day. I swear I’m not usually this accident-prone.

We finished all of these tours before noon.

Board the Nile Cruise

After leaving the Unfinished Obelisk we headed to our cruise ship. When we reached the port we found out that we would be staying aboard the M/S Nile Dolphin.

 

Upon check-in, you handed over your passport and they kept them for the remainder of the trip. This is an important note because unlike other cruise ships you use your passport to check-in and out of the ship. That is not the case here so if you miss your departure time and the boat leaves you they will still have your documents.

The Ship

We were all pleasantly surprised by the size of the cabins. We choose not to upgrade our rooms but there honestly was no need to. The cabin was the size of a standard hotel room in the states. It contained two full-size beds, a large closet, a desk, a television, a mini-refrigerator, and a small 2 chair seating area.

 

The window in the cabin was to die for. Calling it a window does it a disservice as these were sliding glass doors. We were on the ground floor so if there wasn’t a rail we could have easily just walked out of the bedroom right into the Nile.

 

The bathroom en-suite was also a decent size. Much closer to the bathroom size in my house as opposed to the tiny bathrooms on cruise ships.

We had a little bit of time before lunch so we wandered the ship a bit. On the 2nd floor, there were a couple of gift shops. One sold regular trinkets like magnets and such. Another sold silver and other jewelry and the last one sold clothes. On the 3rd floor, there was a bar. And the top level of the boat had a pool and plenty of areas to lounge about. If we had gone during a warmer season we would have found our self upstairs on the deck more often but it was too cold to really enjoy it.

 

After Exploring

After we explored we had lunch on board. All of the meals were served on the bottom level of the ship. For lunch, they had a variety of food such as chicken, fish, rice, veggies, pasta, and a rather large salad and bread area. Remember drinks are not included so pay attention to what you are ordering as that could add up. All the staff who worked in the dining area were delightful and spoke great English and even attempted to teach people a little bit of Arabic.

 

I want to note that these ships are not handicapped friendly as I did not see any elevators on board. I’m unsure if all the ships are like this but I would guess so as most of them are extremely old. You should inquire directly before you pay.

After lunch, we all had a nap. We had been up since 4 am and we were all exhausted from the mornings sightseeing.

Once we woke up from our 4-hour “nap” we had dinner on board the ship. It was delicious and the fish was my favorite part.

Late Night Prowl

Since we would not be departing Aswan until late the next day we decided to go out and explore what was in walking distance from the port. We would soon discover that there was a market directly behind a small mall. The market mostly sold clothes and other knickknacks. We stocked up on drinks and snacks for the coming days so we wouldn’t have to purchase from the ship.

Since we live in Egypt we know that people trying to sell you things should be ignored if you are uninterested. Carmen, on the other hand, is very friendly and was surprised to see how many people spoke to her in Spanish. While impressive we know it’s just a trick to get you to buy something from them.

One of the people who sat outside the cruise ships waiting for tourists to purchase his horse and buggy ride got angry after we told him we didn’t want his service. We got into a huge argument shouting with him in the street and we walked off. He then chased us down on his horse telling me that my husband is a bad man and blah blah blah. He ended up hitting Juan with his cart which I’m sure wasn’t on purpose but I lost it on him. It was then he realized I probably wasn’t the one to fuck with. He apologized and rode off. It also helps that my limited Arabic can be used in these type of situations. Hahaha. Juan was okay though.

 

Day 2:

We got up the next morning at our leisure which was much appreciated as we just closed out a long semester. The boat stayed docked in Aswan. so we were free to come and go on and off the boat as we pleased. We opted to have breakfast on board and relax. Breakfast consisted of an assortment of things ranging from eggs, foul (traditional Egyptian food similar to refried beans), and cereal to sausage links and salad. There was no shortage of options which we were happy with.

We ended up staying on board the entire morning.

Sailing to Kom Ombo

After lunch on board, the ship set sail around 2 PM. We decided to hang out on the top deck of the ship so we wouldn’t miss any of the sights heading North. On the banks of the Nile, there was plenty of activity and sights to hold your interest for hours. Under the rays of the glittering Nile, we saw animals like cows, goats, camels, and horses. There was also shipwrecks and abandoned cruise ships.

 

What I like most about traveling within Egypt is witnessing the different terrains. I am never disappointed with the changes from desert to forests and mountains to valleys. If it had not been so cold out we probably could have stayed up on the deck all day but it was pretty chilly so we went back into our cabins after about an hour and watched from our windows.

We reached our next stop, Kom Ombo, just before 5 PM. It was perfect as it was almost sunset.

Visit Kom Ombo

We reached Kom Ombo by 5 PM just before sunset. What was cool about approaching this temple was that it sits up on a hill. From the bottom, you can’t actually see it until you start to climb the steps.

This location is unique because it was built for two gods Sobek and Haeroris. It has two of everything and is completely symmetrical down the center axis. From the entrance you can easily see the difference.

 

Sobek is the crocodile god. He is represented by a man with a crocodile-head. His figure is shown extensively throughout the temple.

 

Haeroris is actually Horus the elder, so you will see a hawk-headed figure also throughout the temple on the opposite side.

 

One of the features that make this temple unique is that there is a calendar that consists of 12 months grouped into three seasons of four months each. Sounds similar to our calendar but over time it became inaccurate and when the Romans came they stopped using it. Our tour guide showed us how to read it but of course, I can’t remember now.

On the back wall of the temple, there is an inscription that describes a lot of medical instruments and it also tells a woman how she should be giving birth. The instruments depicted are considered inventions of modern times. Clearly, that is not true as this temple is around 2,000 years old.

 

Crocodile Museum

Directly next door to Kom Ombo there is a small one-room museum for crocodiles. Legend has it that one of the King’s sons was eaten by a crocodile when he was playing by the Nile one day. The King was so heartbroken he ordered that all crocodiles be killed. Since the crocodile is one of the ancient gods, Sobek, all of the crocodiles were mummified. There were over 300 crocodile mummies found in this area.

The museum shows 22 various sizes of crocs from eggs and fetuses to full-grown adults. When you enter you can see the full-size crocs on a pile of sand so you can imagine how they looked back in ancient times. Throughout the museum most of the other crocodiles were still mummified. 

 

Although there were no pictures allowed in this museum there was a woman who was stealthily snapping away. Once we got outside I asked her to airdrop them to me.

 

Sail to Edfu

After everyone returned back to the cruise ship we set sail for Edfu. It was Egyptian Night on board so they went all out decorating the dining area. The workers dressed in traditional Galabyas and many patrons also decided to join in on the fun and dress up as well. The workers played traditional music and put on a show for the patrons.

There was supposed to be a party in the bar but when we got up there it was pretty empty. We stayed for a bit and decided to just go to bed since we had an early start the next morning.

If I was a solo person traveling I would have liked to know that this isn’t the type of cruise where you easily meet other people and have a lot of fun on the boat. It’s more like a means of transportation between all the different points.

Day 3:

Edfu

We arrived in Edfu sometime late in the night and just parked there until the morning. Our tour began early around 5:45 AM before the sun was even fully out. From the boat side, you get on a horse-drawn carriage. The carriage ride is about 10 minutes or so through the small town of Edfu. 

 

The Temple of Horus at Edfu

We arrived at the Horus Temple directly at sunrise. I think this became one of my favorite temples even before we walked inside. The view at sunrise was just amazing and I fell in love.

 

The Temple at Edfu was so well preserved, it has been a great assistance to previously unknown Egyptian history. Locals dismantled other temples to create other buildings, temples, and houses. Edfu was almost completely covered with sand and locals lived on top of the roof so it was mostly intact. The sand became compact and created these small mountains of rocks. Much of the area surrounding the temple is still unearthed. In recent years they have found sphinxes and other statues leading people to believe there is much more to be discovered under the rubble.

 

History of the Temple

 

Earlier, I explained how Set killed by his brother Osiris. Osiris’s son Horus wanted to avenge his father’s death so he battled Set many times in many different places. This temple was built in Horus’s honor to commemorate the location of one of those many battles.

Ancient Egyptians were great record keepers. The inscriptions on the walls inside the temple were so detailed and covered so many different topics. In one chamber there are recipes for various perfumes and medicines and how to administer them. There is even an inscription for what can only be described as ancient Viagra. We even found a dude trying to connect to some ancient Wifi. LOL

 

Unfortunately, Edfu was also a church at some point in history so many things have been defaced. Originally, the ceilings were intricately painted but now they are all black. It is believed that arson is to blame for its current state. In some places, throughout the complex, you can see some of the original paint colors on the wall.

 

Sailing To Luxor

After touring Edfu we returned to the boat around 8AM and had breakfast. Before departing from Edfu some business savvy men attached their rowboats to our cruise ship. This has to be the best hustle I have ever seen. The men attempted and succeeded to sell things from their sailboats to the people on the ship through their bedroom windows.

 

Alejandro’s parents had a great time negotiating with these men who wouldn’t take no for an answer. If you showed any interest in any of the things they were selling they would throw it in your window and say give me a price. It was genius and hilarious to watch. They ended up buying so much stuff we couldn’t fit it in our suitcases. Haha

On the way there the ship passes through the Esna Lock. Since the lock covers more than half of the ship people also hustled to sell souvenirs on the wall of the lock.

 

Luckily all the action died down and we were able to get in a good nap in before and after lunch. I am a BIG napper so downtown is super important to me. Sleeping is how we spend the majority of our vacations. hahaha

East Bank of Luxor

We arrived at the East Bank of the Nile in Luxor late in the afternoon, around 3 PM. It was here that we met with our local guide Romany Attalla. He is one of the best guides I’ve ever had in all my travels. Super informed, passionate, and delightfully funny. Our first stop with Romany was Karnak Temple.

 

Karnak Temple

Karnak is still the largest religious building ever made and it is truly impressive. The complex is somewhere around 100 hectares (100,000 square meters!) in the what was once the ancient city of Thebes. Over time the temple has been dedicated to many different gods, most notably Amun-Re. Although 80% of the temple has been destroyed, there is still an enormous amount of property open to the public. I could spend an entire day on this place alone. In the picture below, the miniature model represents Karnak in its original state.

It is believed that around 30 different Pharaohs contributed to its vast size over about 2,000 years, which accounts for the many different designs and styles of the temple.

Did you know that there are only 175 original Egyptian obelisks remaining in the world today? Out of that 175 only 16 are still in Egypt. Over our travels, we have seen the Karnak Obelisks in Rome, Turkey, and New York. Karnak currently houses two very large ones.

 

Pylons separate the complex into different sections. Pylons are the large gateway like structures that resemble a large wall. The different sections include but are not limited to The First Pylon, The Great Court, Ramesses III Chapel, Hypostyle hall, Tuthmosis III Hall, The Sacred Lake, Thutmose III Pylon, and Temple of Khonsu.

The First Pylon

Although this was the final addition to the complex it serves as the current day entrance. Upon approaching the first wall ram-headed sphinxes, that are all mostly intact, flank each side of the walkway.

 

Hypostyle Hall

This section is probably the most photographed section on Instagram. It features 134 magnificent papyrus columns, 12 of which are around 70feet tall, in neatly spaced rows. Originally this room was indoors and had an intricately painted roof. Clerestory Windows are believed to originate in this room.

 

Other Sections

While we were there we truly did not have enough time to really dedicate to this ginormous complex but I for sure want to return fully explore. Here are pictures from the other parts. 

Alley Of The Sphinxes

Outside what would have been the main entrance back in the day, there is a road that connects Karnak with the Luxor Temple. Around 1,350 human-headed and ram-headed sphinxes line the nearly 2-mile long alley. Once a year, during the Opet Festival, locals paraded statues of the gods Amun, Mut, and their son Khon down the alley.

Over time the road became covered and people built homes on top of it. In 2010 Egyptologists discovered more Sphinxes beneath the ground and they set to unearth them. In 2011 they completed the restoration of this alley. Upon arrival at the Luxor Temple, we took in the sights of the Alley of the Sphinxes. Although it was roped off we had a nice view of the walkway.

 

Luxor Temple

Prior to reaching the first Pylon of the temple, there are is a place for two obelisks. Today only one remains.

 

The twin resides in Paris on the Place de la Concorde. Known in France as Obélisque de Louxor. Egypt traded the obelisk for a clock that still resides in a clock tower in the Mohamed Ali Mosque in Cairo. Funny thing is, the clock itself never worked and remains broken until this day. We saw the obelisk in Paris in 2017 but had no idea of the historic significance of it.

 

We arrived at the temple during the golden hour (sunset). As we walk through the temple it became a bit darker. As we go through the first pylon you see what was the exterior wall of what was once a church. Once Romans brought Christianity into the country they built churches within the temple. Then when Islam came to the country they built on top of the church and built a mosque that is still in use today. We were there during the Adhan (Islamic call to worship) and it was nice to hear that sound of that calming sound while we were in the temple.

In Ramses’ court and pylon, you can find a lot of the same Hypostyle style columns just like at Karnak. And also many many statues in the columns.

 

One of the most interesting parts at the Temple of Luxor was an inscriptions on the wall in one of the back chambers. There is a detailed explanation for how women get pregnant. This temple is 3000+ years old yet they have exact drawings for semen and ovaries. Obviously a single semen can not be seen with the naked eye and according to Google the microscope was only invented 490 years ago. It’s mind boggling to say the least.

 

Overnight in Luxor

After we finished at Luxor Temple we went back to the boat and had dinner on board. They had a belly dancing show going on upstairs but we didn’t go. We were super tired from the long day and  went straight to bed. The boat stayed docked in Luxor on the East Bank of the Nile overnight.

Day 4:

West Bank of Luxor

Best Story You Will Read ALL DAY! 

Felucca On The Nile

Our final morning started off very early. By 5:30 AM we were walking down the bank of the Nile to catch a felucca (wooden boat) that would take us across from the East Bank of the Nile to the West Bank. We were finally crossing Hot Air Ballooning off our Bucketlist. THIS WAS NOT INCLUDED. WE PAID AN EXTRA $75 PER PERSON.

On the way across the river they gave us some tea and Twinkies (who eats this for breakfast?). I didn’t eat the Twinkies but I had the smallest sip o tea. THAT WAS A MISTAKE! The tea over here is super strong! I knew it was a mistake as soon as it hit my lips but alas it was too late.

Van Ride

After exiting the Felucca they had vans waiting to drives us the remaining distance from the Nile to the hot air balloon launch point. Some people were late arriving to the Felucca so the sun had already begun to rise. On the drive over you can see what looks like hundreds of ballons already in the sky. It’s mesmerizing or at least it would have been but the 10-15 minute van ride has my stomach on full rumble in the jungle.

 

Arrival At The Launch Point

 

By the time we reached the launch point, I’m nervous because they said the ride could be anywhere from 30mins to an hour. They taught us some safety drills to prepare us for emergency landings but in all honesty, I couldn’t concentrate on that or even do the moves in fear that I might shit myself. Lucky for me right before we are about to get on this angel shows up and asks if anyone has to go to the bathroom. I’m like YESSS cause I was two secs away from popping a squat on the side of the houses surrounding the launch area.

Trip To The Bathroom

Carmen and I are the only two from our group that decides to go to the bathroom. The man leads us toward a set of homes. I am unsure what I am expecting but when we arrive at the bathrooms it’s actually SOMEONE’S HOUSE! I’m like fuckkkk but fuck it I don’t have any other options. We walk in and the bathroom is smack dab IN THE FUCKING LIVING ROOM!!!

We get inside and I’m already breathing hard. So I see the setup and suggest Carmen go first. She makes it quick but tells me there is no toilet paper. WHYYYY?!? Luckily, she has a SINGLE nose tissue left. I get inside and peep all game before letting it loose. The hose to wash with (bum gun) is disconnected. There is no tissue. And the other hose looks broken. I’m sweating but there is no time to think about it

I pull down my pants and let it allllllll go in one quick shot. It’s like a Wendy’s frosty. 🤮 Lucky the other bum gun works. I spray and wipe with the single nose tissue. That works THEN I GO TO FLUSH!

Shit ain’t going NOWHERE!

 

I flush again. Takes a bit. Flush again. I’m too scared to try again in case the toilet decides to flood. Did I mention this is in the middle of someone’s living room and the residents are all sitting round?!?!?

I had to make a quick decision and leave what’s left. I washed my hands and exited. Just so happens a boy is after me. I QUICKLY said my thank yous and goodbyes in Arabic and scurried out of they house soooo ducking fast. I hope they never found out it was me. It would mortify me to represent black people that way 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hot Air Ballooning

Obviously, I feel so much better after that fiasco and we return in the nick of time to board the hot air balloon. Now that I no longer have stomach troubles I can properly pay attention to what exactly is going on around me. Let me tell you it is a lot of work to get this balloon in the air. It took a solid 10 minutes of the ground crew filling the actual balloon with air. After the basket and balloon were standing upright we climbed in.

The first time the captain released the flames from the burner I swear it felt like my head caught on fire. It was unexpectedly so hot. After a few minutes of rearranging the weight, we were off. It was pretty smooth sailing from the take-off.

 

On one side you could just make out the Nile through the low lying haze and on the other side was the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut’s Tomb. Just seeing the contrast between the differentiating landscapes was amazing.

 

We stayed in the air for nearly an hour. Every time you thought the captain was going to land he pulled up and kept soaring. When we finally did come down we accidentally hit a farmers tree. The ground crew arrived almost immediately and began to collect the balloon. They worked swiftly and awesomely in sync which made the job less than 5 minutes.

 

Last Return To The Ship

We returned to the ship on the East Bank of the Nile for our final time and had breakfast. We had the same wait staff in the dining hall for the entire trip so we made sure to tip them well. Everyone on board was super friendly and really took good care of us on our stay. We packed up our bags and set out to finish our last day of touring.

Return To West Bank

Our same tour guide from the previous day, Romany, picked us up by a van and we made our way back over to the West Bank. Since we were not traveling by the Nile but rather by van it took a bit longer than the first trek.

I appreciated this ride as it gave Romany the opportunity to explain some of the histories behind what we were about to see. The number of tombs situated in the mountainside between the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens is astonishing. Every single hole you see in the mountainside is an opened tomb. The number is about 450. Unfortunatly, not a single one is finished since all work stops as soon as workers received notification that the person died.

Once we reached the West Bank of the Nile we did a quick pass by at King Amenhotep III statues which once stood as guards to his temple. Floods and earthquakes destroyed his massive temple over time. The only things left are these two massive statues. The Romans named them Colossi of Memnon.

 

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

Our second stop was at the Temple or Tomb of Hatshepsut. This structure looks as though it is a house carved directly out of the mountainside. Hatshepsut is the most notable Queen in Egyptian history.

 

 

Quick History of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut’s story is long and filled with endless drama. She married her half brother Thutmoses II. It is believed that he is the Pharaoh mentioned in Exodus in the Bible. Anyway, Hatshepsut was unable to produce a male heir so Thutmoses II married again and produced a boy named Thutmoses III.

When Thutmoses III was a young boy his father died and Hatshepsut usurped him and took over the throne until the boy came of age. Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as Pharaoh for at least 18 prosperous years. She is one of the most successful Pharaohs in ALL of Ancient Egyptian history.

 

When Thutmoses III finally took the throne he was angry with Hatshepsut. He sought to erase her from history. He did such a “good job” destroying everything people later in time knew nothing about her and attributed the things she did to other Pharaohs. Hatshepsut’s was always depicted wearing men’s clothes and a fake beard. She wanted to look more masculine to get more respect. It made sense for her time but future historians were confused.

Due to Thutmoses III’s spite, much of Hatshepsut’s information is lost to time. Ancient Egyptians believed there were three ways to reach the afterlife. Your mummy, your cartouche (your name written in hieroglyphs), and your statues. Essentially, destroying her things means he was trying to block her from reaching the afterlife.

The tomb has been restored over time and truly beautiful. In some places, you can see the original colors used to paint the walls. Hatshepsut’s statues line the walls on the second level. The paint may be faded but it’s clear this woman was black, which is so dope to me. #BlackGirlMagic. 

 

Valley of the Kings

After we left Hatshepsut’s temple we went over to the Valley of the Kings. Egyptologists “found” 63 tombs here.

Your entrance ticket covers the entrance to three different tombs so it would be smart to do some research ahead of time or ask your tour guides which ones you should see and which ones you can skip. If you plan on taking pictures inside you can pay 300Le at the entrance and receive a special ticket to take endless pictures or you can pay off the men inside the tomb for a few bucks each and they will take pictures for you. I wish we paid for the photo ticket but we left all of our cash in the car. We didn’t really need any money until this point since our entrance fees were covered by the cruise.

History of the Valley

The Pharoahs sought a secret place to have their burials after the flashy pyramids were robbed and destroyed. This limestone mountain was the perfect site. The mountain is in an isolated location and the top of it is also shaped like a pyramid. El Qorn is the current name for the pyramid shaped peak. Although the location should have stayed a mystery, it was an honor to work on these so it didn’t stay a secret.

 

The workers dug deep in of the mountain to make these burial chambers. As you probably know pharaohs bring everything they own into a chamber so they could truly enjoy the afterlife. These tombs were already pillaged and mostly empty when the colonizers got here to do “research.” The only thing that remained were the actual mummies.

One of the most famous tombs, Pharaoh Tutankamun, was located in the mountain. King Tuts tomb is really famous for a couple of reasons.

1. A British man discovered this tomb in 1922. Most other tombs were discovered in antiquity.
2. The tomb was completely intact. All his gold and possessions were still inside giving a small glimpse as to what type of things were originally in pharaohs tombs.
3. The British guy went on tour in Europe and the United States sparking worldwide interest in Egypt.
4. A couple of people involved with the tomb died shortly after the opening, causing people to believe it was cursed.

In reality, King Tutankamun wasn’t that important during his life. We didn’t go inside since it was an extra 300 LE per person but we still got to take a peek in from the door.

 

Inside The Tombs

We did go inside the tombs of a couple of Ramses. There’s like 11 of them so I’m not really sure which ones. There is a fairly deep decline into the tombs so you really have to make sure you walk carefully. They are all mostly empty or they might contain the large sarcophagi that they were not able to remove.

 

Since we couldn’t purchase the ticket for pictures at the entrance, I tried to sneak some photos. Most of the pictures came out shaky. Carmen paid off one of the guards in one of the tombs and was able to get a couple of clear shots.

 

The amount of detail and color still visible is vibrant. It’s clear that these people were black.

 

Some tombs were not as lucky to stand the test of time as this was also once a church and there was a lot of graffiti.

Not that the Valley of the Kings wasn’t nice but it was actually my least favorite part of the entire tour. Next time we return to Luxor I would like to make sure we make time for the Valley of the Queens.

After we left Luxor we took a 4-hour car ride to Hurgada. After this trip we needed another vacation.

*Disclaimer – All information presented in this article was given to the writer directly from tour guides. If you feel any of the information presented is inaccurate please contact me directly so it can be rectified.

FAQ’s About The Nile Cruise

When is the best time to take the Nile Cruise?

As you will be outside all day you should probably take the cruise during cooler temperatures. Temperatures in Luxor are generally cooler from November to March. Since this is the preferred time to take the cruise prices may be higher. If you intend to take this cruise during the months of April through October be warned that temperatures could easily be over 100F (38C) in the day time!

What did we spend?

We spent about $500USD per person. Keep in mind that we were traveling towards the end of the high which could have a profound effect on the price.

Was it worth the price?

Yes. To me. With our package, we didn’t have to worry about anything for four days. Just waking up and going about our day. Sometimes it’s freeing to not have to think and stress on vacation.

Are there cheaper options available?

Yes, there are. You can get this same package a la carte. Meaning you pay for just the boat ride and everything else is an add on. If you are someone who does not want a tour guide this may be the option for you. I personally think the tour guide was invaluable. Obviously, he knew information about the sites but his contact with the boat insured we weren’t left behind.

Can I visit these sites without going on the cruise?

YES! Some people choose to get a driver and travel by land instead of by Nile between these points. Depending on the quote for a driver this option may be cheaper BUT you would have to find sleeping accommodations along the way. See all the places we visited below. 

 

Would you go again?

Absolutely! I had such a good time that when my parents return to Egypt I plan on doing this cruise again.

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