NILE CRUISES

Nile cruises can best be described as a slice of heaven on earth; sailing down the blue waters of the river while viewing the sun rise and set over ancient ruins and magnificent sand dunes. Both my journeys to Egypt have included a Nile cruise and there was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting on the top deck watching the sun set over the dunes and farm lands.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Most tourists visiting Egypt go through a travel company and the majority of these companies incorporate a Nile cruise into the itineraries. The standard cruises are those that sail between Luxor and Aswan lasting 3 to 7 days; however, there are some cruises that last well over a week with those ships sailing from Cairo towards Aswan. And not all cruises sail the Nile, there are some ships that travel around Lake Nasser in Southern Egypt providing the opportunity to view and visit Nubian sites. My two trips to Egypt have been with travel companies that contract with Spring Tours and said company mainly utilizes the M/S line of ships. Spring Tours does have two specialty ships - the only operating steamboat on the Nile and a Dahabiyya (sailboat) - but those are generally not used on the routine trips scheduled via tour companies. In 2010, I sailed on the M/S Norma, which appears to be out of service, and my recent Nile cruise was on board the M/S Medea. My trip on the M/S Norma lasted three days as we sailed from Aswan to Luxor while my journey on the M/S Medea was 7 days, completing a round trip that started and ended in Luxor.

Tour companies list on their website the ship(s) that they use for the Nile cruise portion of the trip. This gives people the opportunity to do research to ensure that the rooms, amenities, and dining options on board the ship are in line with their tastes.

ROOMS

The rooms on the cruise ships can range from a simple cabin for one to a large suite built to accommodate a family. On my recent trip, I noticed that the M/S Medea had two of those suites with each having a door and staircase leading to the upper deck. My cabin was a decent size for one person and contained a queen sized bed, small table with two chairs, a writing desk with chair, luggage rack, TV, and a safe inside the closet. Interestingly, my married tour mates winded up in rooms with two twin sized beds. Since I was traveling solo and was not interested in a roommate, I did request ‘single accommodations’ which seemed to get me the big bed in the hotels and cruise. When doing research on Nile cruises, I notice that the more expensive tours use luxury ships which contain more suites, larger rooms and bathrooms, and balconies. Neither the M/S Norma nor M/S Medea had balconies but both had large windows that one could open.

My travel buddy Albert the Gator enjoying the comfy bed.

AMENITIES

In term of amenities, most ships have a lounge, gift stores, and a bar and pool on the top deck while the fancier boats also have gyms, spas, salons, etc. The M/S Medea had a small gym - one treadmill, one bike, some resistance bands - and a library, a few books one could borrow to read throughout the cruise. On the other hand, the M/S Norma just had the standard amenities. The lounge on the ships have a bar on one end and a dance floor in the middle for the evening shows and the Egyptian dance party, an event where guests dress in belly dancing outfits and galabayas, traditional robes worn by Egyptian men. This dance party is optional in terms of attendance and dressing-up. The two standard evening shows are the Whirling Dervish¸ a Turkish style performance that involves a man spinning while balancing and twirling colorful fabrics, and a belly dancing demonstration. I greatly enjoyed the two Whirling Dervish presentations I attended; however, I was not impressed with the belly dancing shows. In my most recent trip, the belly dancer went around the room selecting guests, of which I was one, to join her on the dance floor.

Lounge (M/S Medea)

Whirling Dervish (M/S Norma) (Photo by tour mate Jon)

DINING

The M/S Norma and M/S Medea served meals in an all-you-can-eat buffet style which provided the opportunity to sample a variety of cheeses, breads, salads, soups, sides, meats, and desserts. The 7 day cruises on the M/S Medea have one special evening where dinner is served via candlelight and there is a fixed menu. In my research of Nile cruises, I have noticed that many of the 'higher-end' ships do not offer buffets for lunch and dinner, just breakfast. Cruise meals are generally included in the trip cost except for beverages, sodas and alcoholic drinks, which are an extra charge. I never ordered beverages but my tour mates who did shared that the prices were very reasonable. I just enjoyed the unlimited free coffee and tea that was provided during meals and at tea time, of which I must have drank at least 30 cups during my 7 days on the M/S Medea.

Bread display on board the M/S Norma

Salads and cheeses, M/S Medea

Soups and entrees along with some of the amazing crew

Plenty of delicious desserts! 

NOTE While most ships provide Wi-Fi, the coverage area is very limited and not all tour companies pay for the service. On my last trip, when we were on board the M/S Medea, the cost of Wi-Fi was covered by Trafalgar, my tour company, but others on the ship had to pay a daily fee. Also, the Wi-Fi service was only available in the sitting areas on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of the ship.

NOTE Based on my two trips to Egypt and what I have come across in my research, most Nile cruise ships do not have elevators. One must be able climb stairs in order to access the dining area and gift shops (usually located in the bottom deck), cabins, and upper deck. Also, the walkway used to enter and exit the ship is rather narrow so that may pose a problem to some who have a mobility issue.

M/S MEDEA

Alicia, my tour mate, and I were very impressed with the M/S Medea; ship was impeccably clean, food was amazingly delicious, and service was top-notch. The boat has only 59 cabins (per the Spring Tours website) with a passenger capacity of approximately 118. The first three days on the M/S Medea were especially nice since there were only three very small tour groups on board the boat. On the fourth day, we had more folks join us and unfortunately, there were two rowdy boys that drove most crazy. Fortunately, Mohammed, the ship manager, did a wonderful job in handling the situation and by the second day, the boys were behaving a bit better. Another two outstanding staff members were Sayed, the dining manager, and Mahmoud, our waiter. These two gentlemen went out of their way to make the cruise feel like home and in the process, completely spoiled us. The rest of the cruise staff was also exceptional and extremely professional. Alicia and I greatly miss all of them and the 7 days on board the M/S Medea will always be a special memory we cherish and treasure.

KOM OMBO

HISTORY 

The Temple at Kom Ombo is unique amongst the hundreds found in Egypt since it is a dual temple - one structure dedicated to two deities. Kom Ombo, situated approximately 30 miles north of Aswan in Upper Egypt, is a Graeco-Roman temple built during the Ptolemaic Period between 332 BC and 395 AD. Construction on the temple was started by Ptolemy VI Philometer and a number of his successors, such as Ptolemy XII and Ptolemy XIII, added to the site.

The Temple at Kom Ombo is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon-headed god. Sobek is associated with Seth, the god who murdered Osiris, god of the underworld and father of Horus. In the myth, those who allied with Seth made their escape after the murder by turning themselves into crocodiles, creatures that once were prevalent in the Nile River. 

FAST FACTS

Each side of the temple has its own respective component - gateway, chapel, court, colonnade, hypostyle hall, and sanctuary. The gateway consists of a low-screen wall, five columns, and the two doorways. Before the gateway, one sees the fragments of the first pylon and the remains of the 16 columns that comprised the courtyard. Throughout the temple, column capitals are decorated to represent the lotus flower, palm trees, and the papyrus plant. 

In the middle of the picture, we see three center columns holding a portion of the roof
and on either side is the low-screen wall which contain portions of the other two columns. 

The southern portion of the temple is dedicated to the triad of Sobek, god of fertility, Hathor, the goddess of love and joy, and Khonsu, god of the moon. This section of the temple is referred to as “House of the Crocodile”.

My travel buddy Albert the Gator with
his ancestor Sobek, the crocodile god. 

The northern portion of the temple is dedicated mainly to Horus, the sun god, and it is referred to as “Castle of the Falcon”. Also depicted in this portion are Tasenetnofret, The Good Sister, and a manifestation of Hathor and Panebtaway as Lord of Two Lands.

Ancient Egyptians believed Horus also assumed the role of a doctor. As such, the Temple at Kom Ombo was believed to have healing powers with Ancient Egyptians making pilgrimages to the site in the hopes of being healed from their ailments. 

The Temple of Kombo is special in that on the back wall we the first depictions of several surgical instruments - suction caps, scalpels, bone saws, dental tools, medicine bottles, forceps, birthing chairs, and forceps.

On the left, you see the goddess Isis on a birthing chair. 

Carvings depicting surgical instruments. 

At the site, hundreds of crocodile mummies were discovered and they are now in display at the Crocodile Museum next to the temple.

Towards the end of its history, the Temple at Kom Ombo was converted to a Coptic Church and that was the point when many of the carvings were defaced. 

VISITING KOM OMBO 

The Temple of Kom Ombo is a standard item on most Nile Cruise itineraries since the site is located between Luxor and Aswan and the fact the temple is walking distance from the dock. This lends to the temple having a steady stream of tourists and generally being crowded, regardless of the day or time. The proximity of the site to the docks also means one catches a glimpse of Kom Ombo while sailing the Nile which is a unique experience in that most temples are a bus ride away from the boats. 

Kom Ombo in the evening (2010 trip)

I have been to the Temple of Kom Ombo twice and both experiences were vastly different given the time of day we visited the site. My first trip to Kom Ombo was in the evening which is unfortunate because the temple did not have proper lighting. Many of the areas were rather dark so one could not see the carvings on the wall let alone see where one was walking. On my second journey to Egypt, we were able to visit the temple during the afternoon which afforded the opportunity to see the interesting architecture and artwork, to visit all sections of the temple, and to take in the beautiful view of the Nile from on top the hill. The only great part of visiting Kom Ombo in the evening is seeing the temple facade lit up atop the hill as your cruise approaches the dock. 

View of the Nile from Kom Ombo

One negative aspect of visiting Kom Ombo is the crowds. As previously stated, Kom Ombo is on most cruise itineraries therefore the site is always filled with tourists. Something that contributes to the crowded feeling is the size of the temple; Kom Ombo, compared to other temples throughout Egypt, is rather small so you have less space for the crowds to gather and move. On the other hand, the Temple at Karnak generally has larger crowds but given its large size, tourists are more dispersed. My tour mate and blog consultant Alicia shared that she felt Kom Ombo was the most crowded of all the sites we visited.

This view shows the small size of the temple. 

Next to the Temple at Kom Ombo is the Crocodile Museum - a small but very interesting collection of mummified crocodiles and other artifacts pertaining to the site. When I first visited Kom Ombo, my tour guide did not mention this museum so I am figuring it was closed during our night time tour. On my second tour of the site, I had the opportunity to visit the museum where I was very fascinated by the extensive collection of crocodile mummies. A visit to the museum should take about 20 to 30 minutes. 

For those that are not interested in a Nile Cruise, Kom Ombo is approximately one hour north of Aswan and per various travels sites, one can easily arrange a day trip to the temple through their hotel or a local travel company. 

Detailed carvings in the hypostyle hall

Vibrant colors found on the roof

Beautiful carvings of a harvest offering

Roman artifacts found at Kom Ombo

Albert sitting on the altar where crocodiles were worhshipped

EXPENSE REPORT

After my two visits to Egypt, I prepared reports that list 97% of the expenses associated with my trips. My first trip was from October 30th through November 7th in 2010, a few months before the Egyptian Revolution. On that trip, the exchange rate of the US Dollar ($) to Egyptian Pounds (LE) was approximately $1 to 5.8 LE. For my second journey, January 6th through the 21st 2018, the exchange rate was $1 to approximately 17.6 LE. Egypt has always been an inexpensive destination but now with the devaluation of the currency, travel is a lot more affordable. During my 2018 trip, we lodged at two 5 star hotels and dinner at both was less than $10.

As a guide, as of May 19th, 2018, 100 LE is the equivalent of $5.60.

NOTE This post will just provide a general sense of expenses associated with a trip to Egypt. I will not be providing extensive reviews concerning the sites, tour companies, hotels, flights, etc. Those reviews can be found in blog posts I have published and ones that I will be publishing in the coming weeks. However, I will provide some feedback on certain activities that don’t merit a full blog post.

NOTE The black, white, and red colors used in the tables are a reference to the Egyptian flag.

MAJOR EXPENSES

When traveling to Egypt, the biggest expenses will be associated with the tour, flights, and lodging. Most tours include accommodations; however, if you arrive before the start of the tour or decide to stay a few days after, those additional nights will be an extra expense.

First Trip with Contiki (2010)

Pre-Trip Payments
Passport	$ 217.00
Egypt and the Nile	$ 1,269.00
Tour Processing Fee	$ 8.00
Extra Hotel Night (Victoria Hotel)	$ 55.00
Travel Insurance	$ 129.00
Airfare	$ 1,219.50
Total	$ 2,897.50

The tour price included 2 nights of lodging at a mediocre hotel, 4 nights onboard a Nile cruise, 2 evenings onboard the overnight train from and to Cairo, the majority of meals, 12 admission tickets, and ground transportation. Since I was traveling to Alexandria after the tour, I needed to pay for an additional night at the Victoria Hotel. My flight was with Delta Airlines departing from Miami International Airport with a connection at JFK International Airport in New York City. I flew ‘economy’ and there were no extra charges for selecting your seats prior to the travel date.

NOTE In 2010, I paid $217 to renew my US Passport. It was that expensive since I had to pay additional fees for “expedited passport services” and the overnight delivery charge. According to the US Department of State website, for adults, the cost of a passport is $110 with first time applicants having to pay a $35 execution fee. The expedited service fee is $60 and does not include the cost of overnight delivery.

Second Trip with Trafalgar (2018)

Pre-Trip Payments
Egypt and the Nile	$ 2,750.00
Extra Hotel Night	$ 181.00
Travel Insurance	$ 209.00
Airfare	$ 1,311.13
Airfare	$ 282.00
Luggage	$ 50.00
Total	$ 4,783.13

The Trafalgar tour was more expensive but it was 4 days longer, included much better hotels and a nicer Nile cruise boat, the internal flight to and from Luxor, more admission tickets, and ground transportation. On this trip, I decided to arrive a day before the tour started so I needed to pay the extra night at Le Meridien in Giza. That was the downside in selecting Trafalgar, the better hotels meant an expensive extra night of lodging.

The first airfare listed was for the international flight with Lufthansa from Miami International Airport to Egypt connecting in Frankfurt, Germany. The flight itself was $1,219.13 but I paid an additional $92 in order to reserve my 4 seats prior to departure. The $282 airfare was for the flight out of Gainesville Regional Airport to Miami and since it is a domestic flight, American Eagle charges $25 for luggage, or $50 roundtrip. I booked the flights 4.5 months in advance which may have contributed to the airfares being ‘more expensive than average’.

SPECIAL ADMISSION TICKETS AND PHOTO PASSES

Some activities, such as entering a pyramid or King Tutankhamun's tomb, are an extra fee as are the photo passes for certain museums. The following are the extra activities I did during my two trips to Egypt.

I discussed the Solar Boat Museum and entering the Pyramids in the “Pyramids at Giza” post and I will be sharing more information on the Royal Mummies Hall at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and Valley of the Kings in a later post.

Extra Tickets - 2010 Trip

Extra Tickets
Royal Mummies Hall	100.00
Enter Khafre's Pyramid	30.00
Tomb of Ramesses VI	50.00
Tomb of Tutankhamun	100.00
Total (LE)	280.00
Converted	$ 48.36

Extra Tickets - 2018 Trip

Extra Tickets
Enter Menkaure's Pyramid	60.00
Solar Boat Museum	80.00
Royal Mummies Hall	150.00
Museum Camera Ticket	50.00
Total (LE)	340.00
Converted	$ 19.19

NOTE The 2010 extra tickets today will be worth $15.73 because of the devaluation of the Egyptian Pound.

NOTE When visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, I highly recommend that one purchases the museum camera ticket. During my 2010 trip, pictures were not allowed so I was very happy when I found out that the museum was now offering photography passes. The only two areas that do not permit photography are the Royal Mummies Hall and the Treasures of King Tut exhibit, the room that houses his golden mask, jewelry, and other more valuable artifacts. Right outside the Treasures of King Tut there are tons of other items belonging to the boy king - sarcophagi, golden throne, sandals, chariot, canopic jars, etc.  

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Most tour companies offer additional excursions that are not included in the package price with the most popular optional tour being the journey to Abu Simbel. This optional tour includes a flight to Abu Simbel from Aswan International Airport via EgyptAir, shuttle ride to the site, and an admission ticket to enter the temples.

Optional Activities - 2010 Trip

 

Optional Tours/Items
Abu Simbel (Ticket: 80LE)	$ 264.00
Sound & Light Show (Giza)	$ 28.00
Tip	$ 25.00
Resort Dinner	$ 11.00
Group Picture	$ 11.00
Camel Caravan	$ 15.00
West Nile Village	$ 20.00
Alexandria	$ 99.00
Total	$ 473.00

Optional Activities - 2018 Trip

 

Optional Tours/Items
Abu Simbel	$ 295.00
Sound & Light Show (Karnak)	$ 38.00
Refund for Sound & Light Show	$ (38.00)
Total	$ 295.00

The Sound and Light show is an evening show where the Sphinx narrates the history of Ancient Egypt while various scenes are displayed on the surface of the pyramids with color lasers. The sound quality and light displays are not the best but I do recommend attending as it is awesome seeing the pyramids light up against the dark desert sky. During my first trip to Egypt, I had to pay for the ticket to attend this show; however, in my recent trip, my tour mates and I did not have to pay to attend. I am assuming that since we were such a small group, only 8 people, that Trafalgar/Spring Tours paid for our tickets. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were not able to attend the Sound and Light show at Karnak.

The West Nile Village tour unfortunately was not worth the $20. Essentially, my tour mates and I rode either camels or donkeys into a village where we then walked through a dirt road and visited a local family. It was interesting in that we got to enter the home and see how some Egyptians live but overall it was not worth the cost. I have noticed that several companies offer this additional tour while the Nile cruise boat is docked in Luxor. Trafalgar offered this activity during my 2018 trip but no one in my group was interested in it.

Most travel companies seem to offer excursions to Alexandria as an extra activity before or after a tour. I have come across very few tours that include the trip to Alexandria as part of the itinerary. When I traveled to Egypt in 2010, I stayed an extra day after the tour to take part in Contiki’s trip to Alexandria with the $99 cost covering ground transportation, tour guide, and 5 admission tickets. The trip was rather rushed, just 6 hours in Alexandria, and to be honest, I wasn’t that impressed with the sites. The only site I enjoyed was the museum and unfortunately, we only spent about 40 minutes there. Also, three of the sites were Roman - catacombs, an amphitheater, and a pillar - with only the catacombs being a bit interesting.

The camel caravan was worth it since the group got to ride into the desert which afforded the opportunity to take a beautiful panoramic picture of the Pyramids, the three great pyramids with those of the queens in front. In the “Pyramids at Giza”, I provide more information on camel rides at Giza. Trafalgar does offer this as an optional activity; however, the camel ride from 2010 was enough to last a lifetime.

I did not find the group picture or the resort dinner to be worth the money. The group picture is nice in that all 40 plus tour mates are in the same photograph but it is not worth the cost. During my first trip to Egypt, our tour guide Sherif took us to this “resort” before boarding the overnight train; however, it was not a “resort” and the food was questionable (that was the meal that got me beyond sick). I paid $11 for a slice of pita bread, two pieces of falafel, rice, french fries, and some veggies.

MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES

The majority of miscellaneous expenses stem from souvenirs and random food purchases and activities.

IMPORTANT NOTE Egypt is a country where tipping is not only highly encouraged but at times, feels mandatory. I have no issue tipping drivers, guides, and any other individual that provide assistance especially since I know many are living in poverty. However, I do have an issue with the bathroom attendants constantly asking for tip when many do not provide a service. As for how much to tip, your tour guide will constantly provide guidance on who to tip and how much. I am a generous tipper, particularly in Egypt, so I tend to give more than the suggested amount.

All my 2010 miscellaneous expenses were paid in Egyptian Pounds while during my recent trip I used a mix of Pounds and American Dollars. In 2010, my miscellaneous expenses totaled $411.10; however, using today’s currency exchange rate, those expenses will equal $133.63.

The best souvenir you can purchase in Egypt is a papyrus painting and between my two trips, I have bought 3. Both my tours stopped at the Isis 2 Papyrus Museum and Store in Luxor which has an amazing selection of paintings. Be careful when purchasing papyrus paintings from street vendors since they were probably created using banana leaves, not papyrus.

If you enjoy books, the American University in Cairo has an outstanding store in Aswan at the site of the Unfinished Obelisk. Between both trips, I have purchased 10 books both in English and Spanish. And some of the books sold at the store are only available in Egypt.

Miscellaneous Expenses - 2010 Trip

Miscellaneous
On the Run Convience Store	40.45
Falafel Sandwich	3.00
Camel Caravan Headpiece	15.00
Picture With Lion Cub	20.00
Resort Dinner - Soda	10.00
Nubian Bookstore	430.00
Elite Perfume Palace (Essential Oils)	459.00
Aswan Market	200.00
Abu Simble - Postcards	20.00
Cruise - Cartouche	140.00
Cruise - Silver Chain for Cartouche	110.00
Cruise - Gift Store	184.80
Papyrus Museum - Paintings	660.00
Temple of Karnak - Soda	10.00
West Nile Village - Picture	10.00
West Nile Village - Tip	10.00
Luxor - Cairo Train - Soda	10.00
El Fishawi Coffee Shop	8.00
Alexandria - Postcards	15.00
Tips (Total from trip)	25.00
Total (LE)	2380.25
Converted	$ 411.10
Total	$ 3,829.96

Miscellaneous Expenses - 2018 Trip

Miscellaneous
Breakfast at GNV	$ 6.70
Lunch at MIA	$ 9.17
Store at MIA	$ 3.95
Breakfast at Frankfurt Airport	$ 7.65
Store at Frankfurt Airport	$ 21.63
Tip for Spring Tours Driver	$ 5.00
Tip for Spring Tours Rep	$ 5.00
Souvenirs at Le Meridean	$ 55.59
Dinner at Le Meridean	$ 7.45
Papyrus Painting	$ 26.52
Nubian Necklace	$ 5.00
Books from Aswan	$ 74.99
Book from Aswan	$ 1.80
Tip for Driver	$ 2.00
Tips for Cruise Ship Crew	$ 50.00
Tip for Cairo Driver	$ 4.00
Tip for Tour Rep	$ 160.00
Total	$ 446.45
Miscellaneous
Tip for Giza Driver	50.00
Tip for Luxor Driver	170.00
Tip for Aswan Driver	20.00
Nubian Dolls	100.00
Abu Simbel Picture Set	100.00
Hibiscus Tea (Aswan Market)	80.00
Valley of the Kings Postcards	100.00
Tip for Luxor Driver	30.00
Coptic Cairo Souvenirs	100.00
Dinner at the Citadel (Hilton)	124.00
Total (LE)	874.00
Converted	$ 49.33