River cruising travel guide

Shore excursions

You’ll have regular opportunities to go ashore, either as part of scheduled excursions or, such as with tailor made Kerala backwaters itineraries, these can be impromptu and arranged on the go with your guide. On the Mekong you may visit Buddhist temples and pagodas half-buried in thick jungle, while on the Nile well preserved ruins of ancient civilisations abound in sites such as Luxor, Kom Ombo and Aswan. In Kerala you might pause in riverside villages to wander local markets or visit handicrafts workshops, while in Senegal and the Gambia you can transfer to small pirogues to traverse the waterways of wetland national parks in search of colourful birdlife. Constantly shifting scenery, and cultural discoveries in places that few other travellers reach; these are the ingredients of any great river cruise.

“We particularly appreciated the houseboat in traditional style, unlike some of the more modern closed in boats with what we assume would be A/C and which were, as a result, not open to the surroundings. We didn't need A/C by day because of the style of the boat and the A/C at night was excellent. Our staff of 3 was excellent and non-intrusive and the food was spectacular.” – David Graham on a Kerala houseboat

“Every day was a new adventure. From the excellent food to the beautiful scenery and friendly helpful crew. Travel light, relax and enjoy. Take a good camera and binoculars. Our crew took us to various places where we could spend money but you get a real feel of local people when you have time to walk and talk to them which they are very keen to do. This was a thoroughly relaxing, enjoyable experience watching nature and dining on far too much food. Six days was a little too long but it enabled us to travel further to more beautiful places and travel along some of the smaller canals.” – Fran Griffin on a Kerala houseboat

“Accept the early starts they help you see things before it gets too hot.” – Caroline Hering on a Nile cruise

“Spectacular. Probably it is not for everyone. You need to want an authentic experience that will take you into a different world, out of your routine and comfort zone. It is well worth it.” – Jost Stollmann on a Nile felucca cruise

“Bring some mosquito repellent and a sheet or sleeping bag liner. The blankets provided are warm but you'd want something between you and them. Be prepared for plans to change slightly as wind and currents are your masters. You only need to watch the huge cruisers pass you by to realise how lucky you are to be sailing with no engine, no other tourists and local sailors/guides. Food is fresh and bought at markets as you travel. The money is going straight to the staff.” – Dominic Kelly on a Nile felucca cruise

“Our room was spotless, the living accommodation at the front of the boat was comfortable and spacious, the food amazing (we were offered and enjoyed all manner of Keralan dishes) and plentiful, the staff genuinely friendly and helpful - Nothing seemed too much trouble to them, and we were so glad we had two nights on the boat. They even arranged to have a couple of bird books delivered to us before our trip with them began, so that our days on the houseboat were made even more memorable by our attempts at identifying the myriad of birds we saw. The air conditioning in our bedroom on the houseboat was only on during the night, when we really needed, and they gave us candles in the evening when it was dark, so that we wouldn't attract insects with electric light and need to have the mosquito nets down, and that worked well.“ – Fran Smart on a Kerala houseboat holiday

“Don't forget repellant, binoculars and a torch light. Take with you some clothes to give away, they can be left for community projects.” – Laura Palmucci on a Senegal & Gambia river cruise