I went on a Nile River cruise like Agatha Christie — here is what no person tells you

Drifting 1,500ft above Luxor’s lunar-like streets, I knew this sizzling air balloon trip was an expertise that may be onerous to beat.

It was calming to look down on the Valley of the Queens and the Temple of Rameses III with out the hum of a airplane’s engine in my ears, the tranquility interrupted solely by the roar of flames as our pilot Mahmoud adjusted our top.

This was my closing tour earlier than flying house after a week-long journey down the River Nile, a visit that felt many years within the making due to my lifelong obsession with historic Egypt.

The draw back to this dream, nevertheless, was that I might be staying on a ship.

Earlier than this, essentially the most crusing I had ever executed was crossing the English Channel on a college journey to France.

I feared relentless movement illness, being pressured to participate in cringeworthy leisure, feeling alienated because the youngest particular person for miles, and worst of all, being caught with horrible vegetarian choices.

But it surely solely took a number of hours on TUI’s new five-star Al Horeya to understand my fears had been unfounded. Dare I say, I’d even be a cruise convert.

A welcome revelation

The Al Horeya, that means freedom, is the newest providing from TUI River Cruises.

Crusing for the primary time in late 2024, it’s designed for Brits who need to take the guesswork out of exploring the Nile and its historic websites. Flights and excursions are included.

The primary a part of the Legends of the Nile itinerary that took me abruptly was that it didn’t contain a lot crusing.

In whole, the ship sails for round 74 miles (120km), from the historic metropolis of Luxor to historic Aswan, with stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo earlier than returning to Luxor once more.

We spent most nights docked, and though the 2 in a single day voyages could possibly be noisy, from the engine hum to the clacking sound of passing via the Esna Lock, I didn’t lose a lot sleep after getting settled into my cabin.

Gone had been my fears of being shut up in a darkish room with a porthole for a window. As an alternative, I stayed in a compact however snug third-deck cabin with a French balcony.

Whereas it was a case of luck whether or not the doorways opened onto the river or the dock, most of the time, I used to be capable of sit and watch the solar rise over the water whereas making use of sunscreen for the day forward.

The ensuite lavatory, whereas a little bit of a good squeeze, had a bathe with the choice of a rainfall head — a good way to unwind after a day of exploring.

Excursions or sunbathing

As an historic Egypt obsessive, I didn’t need to spend my journey on solar loungers, however there are many individuals who aren’t as fanatical about Khonsu and Hathor as I’m.

Every Al Horeya crusing consists of two excursions – the Temple of Horus at Edfu, and the Kom Ombo Temple – and so they’re each price going to.

The Temple of Horus is extremely effectively preserved, providing a snapshot of how it could have appeared 1000’s of years in the past, whereas the Kom Ombo go to after dusk had a unbelievable ambiance. Hardly anybody was there, which made for excellent photos.

In case your precedence is winter sun, it’s straightforward to go away the excursions at that and spend the remainder of your journey on the solar deck, basking in 20-25°C solar beneath cloudless blue skies and having fun with the all-inclusive drinks.

However if you wish to see extra wonders of the traditional world, reserving some further excursions is effectively well worth the cash.

Every tour was fascinating and gave us a digestible snapshot of 1000’s of years of Egyptian historical past.

On our first full day, we went to the Valley of the Kings and noticed the mother of Tutankhamen in his vacuum-sealed field. It was an actual pinch your self second, realising this boy – as he was solely 19 when he died – has laid on this tomb for greater than 3,300 years.

At Abydos Temple we noticed the one recognized carving of Queen Cleopatra, one in every of Egypt’s best-known historic figures.

There was no hint of her popularity as a femme fatale; as a substitute she shook a set of maracas for Hathor, the goddess of music, love, and sweetness.

And in Kom Ombo we noticed dozens of mummified crocodiles, which had been extremely effectively sorted in life as a part of the monks’ worship of Sobek, the crocodile god.

Conventional Egyptian delicacies

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are a mixture of conventional Egyptian and Mediterranean dishes alongside traditional British fare.

I beloved ordering a made-to-order cheese omelette at breakfast, watching the chef prepare dinner it and taking notes on his method.

Mixed with lightly-spiced Egyptian fava beans, herb-roasted potatoes and tacky courgette toast, I at all times had loads of vitality for the day forward.

Lunches often featured complete fish or grilled meats, flavourful rice and aspect dishes together with vegetable tagine – wealthy tomato-based stews – or baba ganoush, an aubergine-based dip served with herby flatbreads.

Felucca, the top-deck restaurant that seats 30 per night time, served a five-course menu that gave us a real style of Egypt, from richly spiced lentil soup to a baked pastry-based dessert not dissimilar from bread and butter pudding.

The magic of Egypt

Regardless of spending most of my downtime on the ship, it was straightforward to really feel immersed in Egypt’s tradition and historical past through the cruise.

Having two certified Egyptologists on board always meant we might ask questions on all sides of life, from Cleopatra’s reign to fashionable Egyptian politics.

The British have been fascinated by Egypt for hundreds of years, a lot in order that explorers introduced relics and mummies again with them to reside in our museums.

Katy Berzins, head of TUI River Cruises, instructed me why she thinks our curiosity in Egyptology has stood the check of time.

‘On the subject of Egyptology and historic Egypt, human curiosity piques as a result of curiosity of centuries of thriller, grandeur and cultural significance the nation has preserved,’ she mentioned.

‘Now we have curated a spread of excursions that enables prospects to expertise the temples that maintain centuries of tales, corresponding to Abu Simbel Temples and Valley of the Kings with ease.

‘For the extra cultural experiences, now we have immersive excursions that enables prospects to find new and thrilling items of Egypt such because the Nubian Village Tour.

‘With the richness of historical past and tradition which is so completely different to the UK, the awe of Egypt alone has made it final the check of time of being a rustic which has a lot to supply.’

I left Egypt feeling awestruck and very fortunate, but in addition like I might return subsequent week.

With a lot to see, do, and study, there are such a lot of prospects to actually immerse your self in Egypt’s intriguing historical past.

And if I’m ever fortunate sufficient to go to Egypt once more, I’m sure I’ll set sail on a Nile river cruise once more.

Katie Boyden was a visitor on a seven-night Legends of the Nile crusing on the TUI River Cruises new ship, Al Horeya.

A seven-night cruise begins from £1,799 per particular person, together with flights between London Gatwick or Manchester Airport into Luxor. Foods and drinks is all-inclusive besides between midnight and 8am, when prices apply. TUI Al Horeya sails between November and April every year.

This text was initially printed on 23 February 2025 and has been up to date.

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