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Cruise
the Nile and Egypt
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Octavious
visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria just after
the Roman Emperor defeated Cleopatra & Marc Anthony. He
left his coat as a token of respect to Alexander the Great. The search continues for Alexander the Great's Tomb. |
DAY
12 - ALEXANDRIA / CAIRO - Monday (BL)
Breakfast , check out , proceed south towards Cairo , always in your
private air-conditioned vehicle, with your private chauffeur and private
guide . Midway between Alexandria and Cairo, we stop to visit the Wadi
El Natroun Monastery, one of the most important sites for the Egyptian
Coptic Church Establishment. Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel
: Grand Hyatt or the J. W. Marriott
Private
air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur, and private Egyptologist
DAY
13 - CAIRO -Tuesday (BL)
On
Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids
were old
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide):
Full day Fayoum Oases including:
Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun,
lunch is included at a local restaurant.
The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.
Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.
We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.
Then
it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure!
We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes,
and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales
( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once
thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands.
We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside
smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George
Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.
The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal
evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site.
It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have
helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan
discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary
feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi
-El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales
were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more
slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales
are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie
the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .
In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included
DAY 14 - CAIRO/ Departure - Wednesday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight.
Bon Voyage
Private
air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur

Please click here for the Dahabias Photo Gallery
Sample Deck plan for some of the Dahabbiya's - All are available for private charter
Year Round ( Except Holiday season)
Rates are per person in USD $
Rate per person in double : $ 5400
Rate per person in single : $ 8130
Peak
Season :
Easter ( 2 weeks ) & Christmas and New Year ( 2weeks)
:
Rates are per
person in USD $
Rate per person in double : $ 6100
Rate per person in single : $ 9300
Rate Does Not Includes:
Special Aswan to Luxor Cruise Itinerary
Cairo
portion remains the same .
For the cruise portion :
Saturday - Board Aswan
Embarkation in Aswan for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously
appointed dahabiyya. Overnight, the ship moors on the Nile banks of
Aswan
Sunday
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old
Dam (completed in 1902) and the ' unfinished obelisk', lying in situ
since the days of the pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple,
dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising
waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam's construction.
Overnight moored in Aswan.
Monday
Morning sail to Kom Ombo to see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to
the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning
sun.
Overnight moored beside a Nile island.
Tuesday
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved
Temple of Edfu.
Overnight moored beside an island.
Wednesday
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to
Esna, and onwards to Luxor, where your dahabiyya moors overnight.
Thursday
Excursion to the West Bank to visit the great burial places of the
Pharaohs - the Valley of the Kings - where Howard Carter discovered
the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of
the Queens, Medinet Habu Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.
Overnight moored in Luxor.
Friday
This morning you will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra
at Karnak, with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by
the imposing 28th Dynasty Luxor Temple.
Fly Back to Cairo
Add Jordan and a Deluxe Dahabiya Sailing boat in Egypt
The
Cabins:
Each boat has six delightfully appointed private cabins measuring
5.75 meters x 2.50 meters . The cabins (maximum occupancy two persons)
have private bathrooms of 1.25 meters x 2.50 meters with a wc, wash
basin, shower and hairdryer. Some cabins offer two single beds and
others have a double. Each Dahabia comfortably accommodates twelve
passengers sharing in doubles . Yet of course in a lot of cases we
have smaller parties that prefer to charter the boat for four, five
or six guests only .
The cabins are named them in keeping with the ship's theme. For example, on the Zahra ('flower') you will find the 'white lotus' cabin; on the Nesma ('breeze') you have 'the zephyr', each with tasteful, individualized embellishments.
The cabins are located towards the front of the boat on the starboard and port sides, separated by a central corridor. The communal lounge covers the width of the boat, and is a lovely setting for enjoying meals.
Engines will only be used if wind is insufficient to sail, but generators are available to provide electricity.
From
the bow, two staircases lead to the partially shaded top deck. Here,
guests can sunbathe or just enjoy the ride and spectacular views from
comfortable rattan deck chairs, or in oriental seating areas of colorful
cushions and carpets. Meals will also be served on the top deck, a
great place for cocktails and stargazing
A skilled river captain is on board at all times . A guide is at your disposal to plan your itinerary and escort you through the sites you choose to visit. The crew has completely separate quarters, to ensure your privacy.
