Cruising the Nile in style onboard SS Sphinx
As Egypt celebrates the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the release of movie Death on the Nile, Sara Macefield enjoys a history-filled luxury cruise-and-stay itinerary onboard Uniworld’s SS Sphinx.
As I drop to my knees to crawl into the 4,000-year-old temple crypt chiselled out of desert sandstone, it’s impossible not to feel like an extra from action movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The only thing that’s missing is whip-wielding adventurer Indiana Jones, who I’m half expecting to burst forth from behind the giant pillars with villainous tomb-raiders in hot pursuit.
Admittedly, our visit to Dendera Temple near Luxor isn’t quite that eventful, but it does mean we can fully appreciate this antiquity, regarded as one of Egypt’s best preserved ancient sites, with amazingly vivid hieroglyphic reliefs packed with warring gods and solar barges sailing to the after-life.
It’s the second day of our Nile cruise on Uniworld’s swanky new riverboat SS Sphinx, and I’m still trying to get my head around the immense scale of Egypt’s pharaonic history, reflected in the wealth of historic treasures along the Nile.
But I’m also surprised at how few tourists are here, underscored by lines of empty riverboats tied up along the banks, sometimes moored seven or eight deep.
Our guide tells me a record 362 riverboats are scheduled on the Nile this year, but only 55 are reportedly running so far, though during our 250-mile round-trip from Luxor to Aswan in mid-January, it feels like far less.
Despite expectations of 2022 kick-starting the recovery for Egypt’s beleaguered tourism industry, the year seems to be off to a slow start, but it makes this a prime time to visit before the masses return.
“After 2011 and the Arab Spring, it killed everything and stopped tourism here for nearly four years,” says our guide Hatem Abdl Aziz.
“Following the regime change in 2014, things were stable and business started to pick up. We were nearly back to 90% [tourist traffic], especially for cruise lines on the Nile, but Covid came and killed it.
“Now we just want this nightmare to end and we are optimistic for this year,” he adds.
Chris Townson, Uniworld’s UK & Ireland managing director, also feels Egypt is back on the map, with sailings selling strongly on SS Sphinx and sister vessel River Tosca.
“Egypt is bouncing back, but for now it is still relatively quiet, so the access is phenomenal,” he says.
“Since SS Sphinx launched last autumn, it has proved very popular and availability has been tight, but there is still plenty of opportunity to sail on her this year from spring.”
Townson adds: “I would remind agents that our Egypt itineraries are a combination of cruise and land, with four nights in Cairo exploring the city, the museums and the famous Pyramids of Giza.
“It ensures guests get to see Egypt’s must-sees and more, so part of the sell-in should also be the land experience.”
Year in the spotlight
The country is pinning its hopes on three events to help restore its fortunes to the heady heights of 2010 when it pulled in nearly 15 million visitors.
The first is the recently released Death on the Nile movie, directed by Kenneth Branagh, who plays Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.
This year also marks the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter and the anniversary on 4 November is the suggested date for the opening of the much-delayed $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum near the Pyramids on the edge of Cairo.
Among its 100,000-plus artifacts will be at least 4,500 from Tutankhamun’s tomb with the legendary gold death mask and his mummified body, the first time they have all been displayed together.
For the moment, the boy king’s body remains in situ in his tomb, meaning I’m lucky enough to see it on our visit to the Valley of the Kings, a short drive from where we’re moored in Luxor.
Before the pandemic, 1.5 million visitors thronged into the valley annually, with crowds and queues commonplace, but on our visit, visitors are sparse, giving us the luxury of space and time to absorb its secrets.
Tombs are still being unearthed here, with the most recent discovery in 2008, taking the total to 63 and the largest, devoted to Rameses II, stretching for a mind-blowing 150 rooms.
Only nine tombs are open at any one time and while Tutankhamun’s is the smallest, it is the ultimate draw.
Apparently, 60% of Egypt’s monuments have been discovered by donkeys or horses, though Hatem tells us Carter’s houseboy initially raised the alarm over the location of King Tut’s tomb after his tea-tray tipped up on an uneven slab of rock.
Reports say he alerted Carter, who ordered his men to start digging, which after 18 hours revealed the top of the staircase to the chamber – and the rest is history.
CREATURE COMFORTS
With such tales to digest and so many sights – from the 250-acre expanse of Luxor’s Karnak Temple to Aswan High Dam, stretching more than 2,000 square miles – SS Sphinx proves to be a very comfortable haven.
Holding 84 passengers and sumptuously furnished with local fabrics and hand-carved blonde wood ceilings giving an Egyptian flavour, it is more reminiscent of a floating boutique hotel.
Plush daybeds with tented drapes inspired by Egyptian barges line the top deck, where a mosaic-tiled pool make this an idyllic hangout, though there’s a small exercise room for anyone wanting to shed some pounds.
That would be understandable, because the cuisine is exceptional, ticking every box for its mix of Western and Egyptian dishes, from irresistibly gooey chocolate pudding, that has us going back for more, to delicious Egyptian breads and fish dishes, complemented by regional wines.
Such local flavours persist in Aswan, where we board one of the eye-catching felucca yachts that ply the waters of what is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Nile, dotted with lush emerald islands set against a backdrop of golden dunes that signal the start of the Sahara Desert stretching from here to the Atlantic Ocean.
But the icing on this desert cake is traditional afternoon tea on the waterside terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel. This stately pile oozes old-world ambience and colonial charm. The piece de resistance is the incredible vista across this legendary waterway.
Christie famously penned Death on the Nile during her six-month stay here in 1937. With views like these, I’m amazed she ever wanted to leave.
Book it: A 12-day Splendors of Egypt and the Nile cruise-and-stay, including four nights in Cairo and a seven-night round-trip cruise from Luxor to Aswan, costs from £3,999pp, including flights, drinks, excursions, onboard gratuities and Wi-Fi. Departures run until May and resume in September. uniworld.com
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
Currency: Egyptian pound, though US dollars are accepted.
Flight time: London to Cairo is around 4hrs 40 minutes; London to Luxor approximately five hours; Cairo to Luxor one hour.
Time difference: GMT+2
Entry requirements: Visitors must obtain a 30-day visa, either in advance or the easiest method is on arrival at the airport where it costs $25. Fully vaccinated travellers can enter Egypt without needing to test or quarantine.
EGYPT: Smarter, Better, Fairer
Smarter: Egypt’s climate can be scorchingly hot, particularly further south in Luxor and Aswan, but evenings can be cool so recommend that clients take light jackets/cardigans. January is the coolest month with temperatures normally around 25C, though on my visit last month daytimes were distinctly chilly at 16C/17C and evenings were 3C.
Better: While moored in Aswan, visit the Sharia as-Souk, a long street filled with stalls and shops selling everything from spices to pashminas. Evenings are more atmospheric when it is busy with locals.
Fairer: After such a prolonged downturn, the fairest way to help local traders is to purchase their wares, but be prepared to haggle. Don’t pay any more than $8 for pashminas and beware items made in China or statues made of resin.
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