Adventures on the Nile: Sail like an Egyptian


Ancient Egyptians’ lives revolved around the Nile, as it provided them with everything they had - even life itself. This river and its predictable floods allowed the Ancient Egyptian civilizations to thrive. Getting to travel the Nile, as many have for thousands of years before us, was a humbling and wonderful experience.

We started our river cruise journey in Aswan, on the Royal Ruby. Located in the south, Aswan was known as the “opening” in Ancient Egypt, as this was the beginning of their kingdom, and start of their portion of the Nile. It is still an important trading town, utilizing the Nile for transport.

Before leaving Aswan, we took an excursion on a traditional felucca sailing boat. Our sailors were very skilled at maneuvering through the busy waterway. We got our first glimpses of ancient hieroglyphics carved in the rocks along the water. What an incredible experience to sail the Nile, just as the ancient Egyptians did, going past their Pharoah’s signage - like elegant billboards on a busy highway!


Travel tip
Make sure to find out ahead of your trip who you will need to tip and how much. Many Egyptians depend on tips for a living and they are very friendly and helpful, but you need to know who you should tip - or you may end up giving out all your tipping money before your first day is over. For example, you should handle your own bags at the airport, even if someone is nearly forcing them out of your hands. We ended up paying someone just to put our suitcase on the security belt! You will need money to tip the following (and possibly more, depending on the services you use):

-Restroom attendants (who may or may not have toilet paper, so have a travel roll with you)
-Bellmen
-Drivers (including water taxis)
-Cruise staff
-Tour guides
-Anyone who offers to take a photo for you

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