Life in Upper Egypt is calm these days. As everywhere in this world there are recommendations and measures like masks and distancing rules; yet the Egyptians stay relaxed and trust life. Inshallah – God willing, as people say here. A relaxed attitude, perhaps more beneficial to health than fear and worries. Our family and our…
by guest writer Mina Megalla Alexander the Great’s legacy in Egypt is often remembered with the founding of the city of Alexandria, his trip to the Oracle Temple of Amun in Siwa and his crowning as a Pharaoh of Egypt in Memphis. But how about ancient Thebes? (todays Luxor) What connection did Alexander have with…
by Iris C. Meijer At Sail The Nile, we love offering our discerning guests unforgettable Nile cruises through Upper Egypt on our luxurious Dahabeya ABUNDANCE – or on our felucca A NEW LIFE for our more intrepid travellers: slow travel, off the beaten path, comfort, your own pace, delicious fresh food, amazing sights and fabulous…
A wonderful thing you see on the streets here at breakfast time during Ramadan are rows of tables set out every day, for people to come and eat their break-fast or ‘iftar’. Everyone can just go and join a table, and people eat together for free – all is donated by the businesses hosting this.…
Ramadan was ordained in the Koran and as such, is a duty for every Muslim who is old enough and healthy enough. Some people are exempt from fasting: for example, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with illnesses like diabetes that do not allow fasting, etc. Islam is a very practical religion like that, and does…
One of the most important periods in the Islamic calendar is the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and it has a huge impact on all of society. Working hours and opening times of shops and sites are adjusted, and families and communities draw together…
On our Dahabeeya Abundance, we like to immerse our guests in beauty and style as they enjoy the luxury only a voyage on a dahabeeya can give. One of the ways we love to do this is by displaying original artworks in our salon – we call it “Art on the River”. As a kind…
As we leave the shaded medieval alleys and magnificent Temple of Khnum in Esna behind us, Captain Mohamed unfurls the splendid sails of the Dahabeeya Abundance. Dahabeeyas need to be pulled by a strong tugboat when there is no wind. Captain Mohamed though is a traditionalist and a passionate sailor. He loves nothing better than…
After our first taste of the dreamy luxury of sailing on the Nile from Luxor on the beautiful Dahabeeyah Abundance, we pass through the powerful locks that regulate the strong flow of our eternal River Nile at Esna. There, we disembark for our first stop on our magical journey up the Nile.
Gone are the days of posh and garish exaggerations, of bigger, better, faster. The luxury we offer to our guests is authenticity, simplicity, time for reflection. Sailing on a dahabiya, a traditional Egyptian Nile sailing ship, is the ideal vessel to travel slowly and experience peace and tranquility.
The summer months in Luxor are very quiet. The mercury goes up to 40°C or more and not many visitors find their way to Luxor. The expats who live her travel to their home countries or other places where the temperatures are easier to take.
See how people describe their experience sailing the Nile with us!
Our guest Claudia Klein participated in the “Goddess Tour” of South African Michelle Leske and spent 9 days on Dahabiya ABUNDANCE. In this video she shares her memories of the ship, the delicious food and the excellent crew.
A travel experience by musician and songwriter Laurie Dameron I ended my “Green News” article on Cairo, Part One, sharing about how something healed in me while I was in Egypt. I still struggle to find the words to convey this. To be honest, part of it is that before experiencing a country like Egypt,…
Never in my life had I thought that I would ever own a sailing ship like the dahabiya, not even in my dreams. I used to travel on ships when I lived in the South Pacific, but that wasn’t always pleasant, because sometimes I get seasick. A sailing ship on the Nile is a different story.