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Unlike the cruise ships, dahabiyas and Sandals can berth at any suitable place on the banks of the Nile. This allows for a more flexible itinerary and a more enjoyable exploration of the river.

The trips can be either for as few as 4 days or as long as 7 days, depending upon your preferences. The most popular itinerary is described below in a 6 day cruise.


Day 1
Arrive and board the dahabiya at around 11am and then set sail, sailing all day down to El Kab where we moor for the night.

Day 2
After breakfast we start the day visiting the village of El Kab where you will see the locals making bread and selling the baskets which they produce made out of recycled bags. Walking on to the Tombs around the great mud brick wall which encloses the now closed site of Nekbet, but you can still see the glory of the 3000 year old wall.

Returning to the boat late morning where we will continue to sail on to Edfu.

Edfu Temple

Edfu Temple is an ancient Egyptian temple situated on a mound on the west bank of Nile River in the city of Edfu, in between Luxor and Aswan. The city was formerly known as ‘Apollonopolis Magna’ during the Greco-Roman period, because the Romans associated Greco with their god Apollo. The city of Edu was a flourishing city during the Ancient Egyptian times, thus the Edu temple was an important symbol of power and influence the city had over the area. It is one of the largest and best preserved temples in Egypt. Edfu Temple was built during between 237 & 57 B.C., during the Ptolemaic period.

The temple was dedicated to Horus, the falcon headed god. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the temple was built on the site where the great battle between the gods Horus and Seth took place. Edfu Temple has some traditional Egyptian elements, along with a few Greek influences.

Mooring for the night just outside Edfu.

Day 3
A full days sail down to the Quarries at Silsila.
Plenty of birds to identify and watch the local fisherman in there colourful rowing boats.
Mooring at Silsila for the night.

Day 4
Gebel El Silsila Temple which is located not far from Aswan was rescued from Lake Nasser, but because of it’s location, it has remained largely out of reach to tourists.

Gebel El Silsila Temple

After breakfast visiting the site of Silsila with a small chapel dedicated to Horemheb.
During the 18th dynasty the Egyptians switched from limestone to sandstone. At this time the quarries at Gebelein were not yielding as much limestone as before. Gebel el-Silsila became a source of sandstone.
Many of the talatats used by Akhenaten were quarried from here, and used in buildings at Luxor and Amarna. A stela from the early part of Akhenaten's reign shows the king offering to Amun beneath the winged sun-disk. The inscription records that stone was cut for the great Benben of Harakhty in Thebes. Akhenaten's sculptor Bek oversaw the opening of a stone quarry here.
Returning to the boat where we continue our sail to Komombo, mooring at Manhea for the night.

Day 5
Set dramatically on the bank of the Nile, 47 kilometers north of Aswan and 168 kilometers south of Luxor, the soaring, chunky columns of the Great Temple of Kom Ombo are a magnificent sight as you arrive from the river.

Great Temple of Kom Ombo

In Kom Ombo, you will see a temple that aims to serve 2 sets of gods at the same time. The Kom Ombo Temple has a double design with 2 entrances and duplicate rooms. The south part of the double temple is offered for gods Sobek (crocodile god of fertility and creation), Hathor (goddess of love, joy and motherhood) and Knhonsu (moon god). The north part is dedicated to Panebtawy (lord of 2 lands), Tasenetnofret (Good sister) and Horus the elder (Falcon god). Dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris, the temple's finely carved reliefs give a sense of this area's prominence as capital over the surrounding region during the Ptolemaic era. Today Kom Ombo may be a sleepy agricultural backwater surrounded by sugar cane fields, but its prime position along the Nile once made it one of Upper Egypt's most important cities.

Continue our sail towards Aswan, where we moor at Companea Village, light permitting a member of the crew will walk you through the village.

Day 6
After breakfast and final packing say goodbye to the crew and transfer into Aswan.


What is included:
Transfers to the boat from Luxor • Transfer from the boat into Aswan • All meals, tea coffee and bottled water
A crew member will be on hand to take you to El Kab, Silsila and village walking.


What is not included:
Alcoholic drinks (available at an extra cost).
Entrance fees to the sites and transport if required (For Edfu only, you can walk or take a horse and cart).
Guide for the temples (this can easily be arranged if required).
Tipping for the crew.


Prices:
Africa leaves every Monday from Esna to Aswan for 5 nights.
Prices from 175 euros per person per night.
Africa on a charter basis 2000 euros per night.
Queen Sandy on a charter basis 3200 euros per night.
El Gourna Sandal charter only 1400 euros per night.

A deposit of 20% is required on booking.
 
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