Nubian Sailtrek in Egypt
| country: | Egypt |
| location: | Nile Cruises, Pyramids, Luxor |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 29 Nov, 13 Dec, 27 Dec 2010: 10 Jan, 24 Jan, 7 Feb |
| price: | From £288 (8 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 2 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
This trip offers an excellent opportunity to enjoy the Nile at its most beautiful – in Aswan. We sail around the islands by felucca, disembarking to visit a Nubian village where we enjoy dinner in a typical family house.
Moving on to Luxor we take horse drawn carriages to Karnak Temple and rise before the sun to ride donkeys to the Valley of the Kings.
This one week trip has some unique highlights and can be combined with other trips in the Sinai & Jordan.
Moving on to Luxor we take horse drawn carriages to Karnak Temple and rise before the sun to ride donkeys to the Valley of the Kings.
This one week trip has some unique highlights and can be combined with other trips in the Sinai & Jordan.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Cairo. Arrive and check into your hotel. No meals. |
| Day 2: | Cairo- Aswan. Guided visit to the Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza. Overnight train to Aswan. (B) |
| Day 3: | Aswan. A free day to explore this colourful and vibrant Nubian city. (B) |
| Day 4: | Aswan - Felucca cruise. A free morning when there will be an opportunity to visit the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel. In the afternoon we board our feluccas to sail around the islands of Aswan. Late in the afternoon we disembark to visit a Nubian village and have a typical Nubian dinner. Overnight on board the felucca. (BLD) |
| Day 5: | Aswan - Luxor. Drive from Aswan to Luxor visiting the riverside temple at Kom Ombo and the temple of Horus at Edfu en route. In the afternoon we take horse drawn carriages to Karnak temple and have a guided tour of this wonderful complex. (B) |
| Day 6: | Luxor. We get up before sunrise to ride sturdy donkeys to the Valley of the Kings. Our route back offers magnificent views of the Nile Valley and passes the Colossi of Memnon. This afternoon is free for you to venture into Luxor’s streets and its bustling bazaars. Overnight train back to Cairo. (B) |
| Day 7: | Cairo. Arrive in Cairo and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free. Later this afternoon there is an opportunity to ride camels or horses into the desert and enjoy sunset over the pyramids. (B) |
| Day 8: | Cairo. Tour ends. (B) |
travellers' tales
There were so many wonderful parts, Petra, the incredible meal at the Bedouin camp, the desert sky, snorkelling in Dahab, the Mt. Sinai sunrise and riding donkeys into Valley of the Kings. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Based around the lives of the Nubians this trip introduces travellers to both the ancient sites and the ancient cultures of Egypt. We spend one night aboard a traditional felucca crewed by Nubian villagers from the West Bank of the Nile with whom we have a very long standing relationship. After the cruise we visit a Nubian village to join a family for a traditional dinner and a relaxed evening. While in the village, the Nubian women generate revenue by selling jewellery and painting henna tattoos.
By working directly with the 'donkey men' and carriage drivers, our horse drawn carriage ride to Karnak and donkey ride to the Valley of the Kings involve no 'middle men' ensuring all revenue goes directly to the locals (who in both cases live in smaller villages outside Luxor). We also have long term relationships with some of the best local Egyptologists whose services are included at every ancient site on all Egypt trips. This provides long term employment (even during lulls in tourism) and fair wages. Our own tour leaders are a mix of foreigners and locals – who all receive the SAME wages for the same job. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |