Egypt is far too often seen through the lens of a tourists camera on a whistle stop tour of it’s major sites, before being whisked back to their air conditioned resorts and all inclusive drinks, but to truly see Egypt you have to match her pace.
Egypt is not a land that is prone to rush herself. She is as slow and relaxed as her antiquity demands. The Nile itself, a gushing, raging force of nature as it passes through Sudan and the Nubian desert, slows its pace as it reaches upper Egypt itself. Even Mother Nature is unable to withstand the command of the Egyptian gods to slow down, soak in the majesty of the country and truly savour its unique feel and flavour.
There Is Nowhere Else On Earth Quite Like Egypt.
Sailing down the Nile is one of my most memorable travel experiences, but I’m not talking about the usual floating hotels filled with package tourists from Thomas Cook, I’m talking boarding a traditional Fellucca and spending a day or two simply floating between one stop and the next, and then repeating the experience when I wanted to move on to somewhere new. No hurried itineraries, no organised excursions or activities, this was seeing a part of Egypt the way the ancient Egyptians would have seen it. Lazing on the deck of a wooden boat and occasionally dipping my hand in the warm water as I did nothing more than enjoy the fertile landscape around one of the most iconic rivers in the world, read a book or discover exactly why the ancient Egyptians revered the night sky so much as I slept on deck.
The simple pleasures of slowing down.
And all this took was heading down to the riverfront in Luxor, Aswan or any of the stops in between, and bartering passage with one of the boats captains. An easier, cheaper and much more responsible way to travel than getting a ridiculous package cruise from a travel company back home.
A Slower Pace Of Life.
Even when on land this new pace demanded to be kept up, the awe and majesty of the ancient ruins commanding attention beyond a quick photo stop tour. Visiting these ancient sites requires more than a quick stop and a photograph. You can’t just turn up, take a few snaps for Instagram and then be out again in five minutes. You will miss the very things, the very experiences that you have come here to see.
By turning up at each monument, at each temple and ruin and ancient site on your own, away from the tour groups and crowds and touts that inevitably follow them you get a truly special experience that is unique to you alone. You get a chance to see for yourself the splendour that once made Egypt the superpower of the known world, you get drawn into the romance of the mythology, the awe inducing magnificence of the sheer antiquity and the scale of the structures themselves.
I have always believed that slow travel is the best way to see the world, and nowhere is this more self evident than when passing through some of the greatest archaeological and cultural sites in antiquity.
Egypt has been one of the worlds greatest tourist destinations for over 3000 years, and nothing in all that time has done a single thing to reduce that reputation.
So ditch the tour groups and give it the time it truly deserves, Egypt will reward you tenfold.
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My Growing Anger And Frustration With Egyptian Tourism.
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The Ultimate Guide To Visiting The Pyramids Of Giza In Egypt.
Why Now Is The Perfect Time To Visit Egypt.
Michael Huxley is a published author, professional adventurer and founder of the travel website, Bemused Backpacker. He has spent the last twenty years travelling to over 100 countries on almost every continent, slowly building Bemused Backpacker into a successful business after leaving a former career in emergency nursing and travel medicine, and continues to travel the world on numerous adventures every year.
Bemused Backpacker 
Love this! Makes me want to head to Egypt right now. 🙂
What are you waiting for? ;D
This sounds awesome man. I haven’t made it to Egypt yet, but have seriously toyed with the idea of going this summer as I’ll be around the area, lol. WOuld love to do something like this.
You really should, it’s an amazing place! Thanks for the comment. 🙂
Mate this sounds absolutely idyllic! I’ve always wanted to cruise the Nile but never fancied getting one of those Thomas Cook cruise ships (the idea fills me with horror) so it’s good to hear there are alternatives.
Idyllic certainly covers it I think! And I know exactly what you mean about the traditional cruises.
I love the idea of this, just slowly ambling down the length of the Nile and really taking the time to get to explore Egypt!
It is an amazing experience, you should try it!
This is my dream! I would love to cruise down the famous Nile. I’m so jealous!
What’s stopping you? ;D
I would LOVE to spend a few days just lazing on the Nile!
I may join you! It’s an amazing experience!
Hi Id like to know how you hired the Fellucca did you find someone to take you for many days down the Nile? I was to do this similar experience this January. Help on how to negotiate hiring the Fellucca. Thank you!!!
Hi Stephen, I just went to the jettys/docks, spoke to a few captains and negotiated a price. That simple. There are plenty there who are ready to take tourists on everything from nightime excursions to full cruises to specific spots, and I ended up paying a feaction of the price of a ‘cruise’ too.