Ancient
Egypt
|
Royal Cleopatra is a modified felucca type vessel, officially called
a sandal , is modestly furnished and crewed by it's own private staff
of 5 members: Captain, Sailor, Chef, Housekeeper, and Resident Tour
Guide. There are exactly two cabins on-board the vessel, each with its
own bathroom.
Normally, we have the resident tour guide stay on-board with our guests,
in the rear guide's cabin. However, and upon your request , for added
privacy while you are on board , we would ask the resident tour guide
to meet you at all sight seeing excursions along the way.
In addition, the craft is powered by sails only. We have a private tug
boat (Called Garrar - In Arabic!) that would accompany you along the
way, in-case of wind loss.
Although a very ancient way of traveling the Nile (ie. Felucca Style)
- Felucca, Sandal, and Dahabia Private Charter has become a growing
trend for vacationing in Egypt. Especially for those repeat customers,
that want a new experience (rather than a typical Nile Cruise).
Day
1- LUXOR - Monday
Arrive early morning. Please
advise your arrival details at the time you make your booking.
We'll meet you at the airport or train station, and
escort you to your hotel .
Today We tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, including the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, stopping also at the Colossi of Memnon before heading back to Luxor This afternoon we stand in awe before the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor.
Day
2- LUXOR, ESNA-EDFU - ROYAL CLEOPATRA Tuesday (BLD)
Breakfast at the hotel. Board your private air conditioned van to Esna:tour
Esna Temple of Khnum, discovered in late in the 19th Century, it was
well protected & preserved , buried under the main village's square
for thousands of years. On to Edfu
:
Check-in , and board your Felucca the Royal Cleopatra ( rated:
modest 3 stars)
( Your crew of 5 will be available to welcome you : the captain, sailor,
chef, housekeeper and of course your Resident Egyptologist)
Welcome drink served upon arrival "Karkadeh - Local herb tea". Lunch will be served . Welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin, watch sunset as we dock north of Edfu and sip tea on deck. Dinner follows ) , then to bed, with the ripples of the Nile gently rocking you to sleep
Day
3- EDFU- Wednesday (BLD)
Breakfast in your cabin, or on the sundeck,As
sun rises we continue our sailing towards Edfu.
In Edfu, climb aboard your private horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best preserved.
Enjoy a grand afternoon of sailing on the Nile watching villages & scenery that changed little since Biblical times. We enjoy lunch at one of the small islands on the way. Dock at Elmerinat.
Day
4- GABAL ELSISILAH - FARES - Thursday (BLD)
Breakfast on board. We sail further upstream heading for GABAL
ELSISILAH
Enjoy lunch on board . We reach Gabal Elsisilah early afternoon and
tour the ancient sandstone quarries. A charming off the beating track
site that 's not yet overwhelmed with large groups of tourists.
Watch sunset as we sip tea on deck. Dinner follows, then on to Fares
where we dock for the night . Enjoy the Egyptian southern clear skies
with thousands of stars to watch ! A galabya will be delivered
to your cabin with our compliments.
Day
5- Kom Ombo - Aswan Friday (B)
After breakfast on board. We return to Royal Cleopatra to bid farewell
to the crew. We change our mode of transportation and board an air conditioned
van/car , we stop at Kom Ombo , visit its twin temple dedicated to the
crocodile god of the Nile, a true Greco Roman masterpiece.
Inspect the ancient wall carvings that documents the measurements and detailed description of the medical instruments available to the Ancient Egyptian.
Time permitting we 'll head for Draw for a quick tour of the Camel Market
We
enjoy a short walking tour thru the local village and souks of Kom Ombo,
before heading for Aswan's airport or train station, or one of the Aswan
Hotels.
End of our services. Bon Voyage. We'll be glad to assist with any additional
service or hotel nights in Aswan.
Add an extra night in Aswan ? Aswan Tour included
For your enhanced privacy and security, your sailing crew will spend the night on a small tug, which will always be at your disposal to assure your progress even on windless days. Your Egyptologist-guide will have his own quarters aboard the Royal Cleopatra, and can assist with your free-time activities. If you prefer, he can stay shore and be called upon only to accompany you during your daytime visits.
Rates per person in USD $
Rate are per person in USD $
| Individual bookings up to 6 guests |
|
| Triple | $ 1875.00 |
| Double | $ 1975.00 |
| Single | $ 3300.00 |
The
Cleopatra accommodates up to six guests comfortably. We will be pleased
to include a seventh family member on a complimentary basis in the
limited available space.
For private sailing for Honeymooners
We
can ensure that you and your new spouse would have the utmost privacy
and
you can request when and what you would like to tour along your
journey.
In addition, we have a wonderful chef to make your intimate dining
one to
remember, whether you want private dining in your cabin or one on
deck. This will be entirely up to you!
Flowers and other details can also be arranged for additional prices.
These are just some ideas we have for you.
As you can imagine, the Royal Cleopatra is in high demand, so please contact us as early as possible if you wish to reserve your yacht on a charter basis.
Regrettably, discounts are not available for children on this cruise/tour.
Please remember that we can also arrange a cruise for you on one of
our large, spacious, luxurious air-conditioned Nile cruisers with
all the conveniences: a different experience from the intimate ambiance
of the "Royal Cleopatra."
Rates are per person in US:
Itinerary
is subject to change without notice.
Included:
Not included:
Guide on board :
For your enhanced privacy and security, your sailing crew will spend the night on a small tug, which will always be at your disposal to assure your progress even on windless days. Your Egyptologist-guide will have his own quarters aboard the Royal Cleopatra, or, if you prefer, he can stay ashore and be called upon only during the day. He will accompany you during your visits and assist with your touring and free-time activities, always keeping to your sailing schedule. For the serious Egyptologists and devoted amateurs among our guests, we can even customize a private charter and schedule to allow you to spend extended time at selected sites with your guide.
Not included:
*
What to Pack:
Most of the year look forward to warm, even hot weather in Luxor &
Aswan, morning & evenings are cooler. For Shore excursions, we suggest
comfortable cotton & natural fabric lightweight clothing. Comfortable
walking shoes are essential. Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing.
Swimsuits, sun hat.
For men, suggest to bring a battery operated shaver.
Boat shoes are required on board the boat
* Please note that sailing boats are subject to delay , if there is no wind, itinerary is subject to change , we keep the right to use car between sites while the boat caches sup with us , in case the winds slows us down. If for whatever reason there is extreme delay , due to weather or traffic on the Nile through the different locks and/or other factors, our obligation is limited to accommodating you on a 5 star deluxe Nile Cruise instead of the Royal Cleopatra sailing boat.
Available on board :
*
Electrical shaver : 220 Volt / 110 Volt converter.
* Hairdryer. Shampoo, conditioner, soap.
* Music at the bar.
********
Feluccas are the traditional sailing vessel of much of the Mediterranean world, and the traditional Nile felucca, or dahabeah, was the mainstay of travel in ancient Egypt.
With shallow drafts, sails, and oars, feluccas could navigate not only the great river, but the maze of canals threading through its banks, with or without wind, reaching every part of the kingdom.
Feluccas long ago transcended their role as humble transports. They held the ancient empire together, carrying troops, decrees, and the very mystery of the pharaoh.
Royal feluccas bore a larger-than-life image of the pharaoh, seated on a throne, to be seen and venerated by inhabitants even along the most remote canal. In turn, imbued with the same "ka," or spirit, as the living pharaoh himself, it would keep watch over his subjects and their activities.
So integral was the Nile felucca to the ancient Egyptian way of life that it assumed legendary attributes. Even today, you can see the oldest known Nile felucca, the regal Pharaonic dahabeah of Cheops, the ruler immortalized by the Great Pyramid at Giza. Known as the Solar Boat, it was believed to sail through the skies carrying its royal passenger along sunbeams in his single cabin, the royal suite of its day.
In later times, pashas, emirs, and sultans found that feluccas were indispensable. When Napoleon invaded Egypt, the Mameluke rulers observed the Battle of the Pyramids from their dahabeahs, and in the wake of defeat, set them afire, still laden with treasures, in the middle of the river. Always one to adapt to local practice, Napoleon even had his own dahabeah, the Italie, which was used by his officers to explore Upper Egypt.
In the nineteenth century, the well-equipped Nile felucca was essential to the upper-crust adventurer. Lord Kitshner used several feluccas for his famous trip from Cairo to Khartoum.
It took from two to three months to ascend the Nile under wind power, and another month-and-a-half to float back downstream, stopping at the great temples along the way. King Farouk, Churchill, Montgomery, Mark Twain and others settled in for the journey, and a certain Lady Edwards even had a piano installed on her sailing vessel.
Eventually, steamers displaced dahabeahs, opening up an Egyptian adventure to greater numbers on Thomas Cook's tours, and trains nearly finished them off. But never completely. Even today, despite the inroads of rail, steam power, and highways, the graceful Nile felucca retains its place.
Now, Travel in Style and Nubian Nile Cruises re-create the grand era of Nile adventure. Through their special contacts, they have arranged cruises on private Nile vessels. Completely refitted, our craft will delight the discriminating traveller, with full amenities, and modern conveniences and safety features unimaginable by upper-crust visitors of old or even the ancient pharaohs.
Our private Nile cruisers are at your disposal to accommodate couples, honeymooners, families, children enjoy most this barging cruise on the Nile, and small groups, affording the unique experience of navigating the ancient river on your own.
The M/S Cleopatra is a lateen-rigged Nile sailing vessel, 62 feet long by 24-1/2 feet wide, with sleeping accommodations for two to six people.
Spacious quarters include a main salon, bar, and sun deck. Each of two staterooms has private sink, shower, and toilet, and may be configured for your voyage with a queen bed, a queen and single, or up to three single beds.
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.
Meals may be taken as you wish in your cabin, in the salon, or on deck while you watch the timeless way of life along the banks of the river, and villages twinkling at dusk. The temptation to spend at least one night gazing at stars and sleeping on deck may be irresistible. Enjoy luxury and unique adventure, made possible at a price delightfully within your reach through Travel in Style!
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The Royal Cleopatra is a traditional wind-driven sailing craft, and is subject to the uncertainties of wind, weather and riverine traffic conditions on the Nile. We will do our best to follow published itineraries, but they must be considered tentative in all cases. We reserve the right to modify or cancel any sailing itinerary as conditions warrant. In case of insufficient wind, weather danger or difficult riverine traffic conditions on the Nile or through the Nile locks, or other cause of cancellation, we reserve the right to accommodate Royal Cleopatra passengers aboard a deluxe Nile cruise vessel, and / or to transport passengers between some sites by motor vehicle along the Nile, to be able to keep up with the itinerary , at our option.
What other guests say about Royal Cleopatra ?
Wallace
Party - On the Royal Cleopatra - Private cruising on the Nile :
Hi,
I've been meaning to email you since we arrived home - the trip was Great!!! All the crew was helpful and friendly - they had their work cut out for them helping us with the old ladies, but they were fabulous with them .
everyone had a fantastic time-the accommodations were lovely and the food delicious. Id certainly recommend it to others!!
Finally, Ahmed, our tour guide was the best - again, friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to be with for 5 days - as much as we loved our guide in Cairo, we were sad to leave Ahmed!!
Thanks for everything
Jen
Royal Cleopatra is a modified felucca type vessel, officially called
a sandal , is modestly furnished and crewed by it's own private staff
of 5 members: Captain, Sailor, Chef, Housekeeper, and Resident Tour
Guide. There are exactly two cabins on-board the vessel, each with its
own bathroom.
Normally, we have the resident tour guide stay on-board with our guests,
in the rear guide's cabin. However, and upon your request , for added
privacy while you are on board , we would ask the resident tour guide
to meet you at all sight seeing excursions along the way.
In addition, the craft is powered by sails only. We have a private tug
boat (Called Garrar - In Arabic!) that would accompany you along the
way, in-case of wind loss.
Although a very ancient way of traveling the Nile (ie. Felucca Style)
- Felucca, Sandal, and Dahabia Private Charter has become a growing
trend for vacationing in Egypt. Especially for those repeat customers,
that want a new experience (rather than a typical Nile Cruise).
