If you want to cruise the Nile the good news is that it is frankly great. The bad news though is that there is a lot I wish I had known before I took my trip.
Well thankfully me being blogger means that I can share these problems with you in both video and written form.
Things to know before you cruise the Nile
Most ships do not allow drinks when you cruise the nile
When you cruise the nile most ships do not allow outside drinks. Most shockingly this also includes water, which is pretty much a human right.
Bring drinks when you cruise the nile
A contradiction? Yes a bit, but I bought drinks on without knowing and FFS they have a fridge and no shop. So, firstly you can age away with it and secondly I wish I had a bottle of vodka for my nights cruising the nile.
A side note is that cocktails are $10 a go, with beers not far off. Keep in mind that were also on a budget cruise, or at least not a fancy trip. My problem here was I never want 1, I want 10, so I had zero…..
Not all ships are created equal
While there are high end ships, there are decidedly low end ones too. For me personally our budget ship was great, but not so much for the Americans on board. All in all you get what you pay for when you cruise the Nile….
The food is Egyptian
The might be stating the cotton picking obvious, but keep it in mind, particularly on a budget cruise. If you do not like middle-eastern food like Koshary then upgrade.
To read about food on the ship click here
Do not go in summer
OK, OK so when I told a friend it was hot he made some good points, such as “news flash Middle-East is hot in summer???? Still keep it in mind when you cruise the nile.
It is quite touristy
This not YPT style off the beaten track, BUT combine it with our Alternate Egypt tour and you will get the best of both worlds. Ironically much less busy in the summer, although an August cruise the nile gig is my vision of hell.
Sell sell sell
When you cruise the nile, or doing anything in Egypt expect to be constantly asked to buy quite literal crap, as well as to be asked for tips for simple shit. Said shit included a driver driving for 30 minutes over 2 hours…
Aswan is hidden gem
Aswan is not just a historical treasure trove, but also damned nice city. I am quite sad I did not do longer here, but at just $50 from Cairo I may well be back.
There are some greta attractions
When it comes to history Egypt is just a gem anyway, but much more so when you get away from Cairo. OK so there are no Pyramids, but there is great Egyptian, Greek and Roman architecture when you cruise the Nile.
It is worth it….
When all is considered this is truly a great trip, with the Nile and the sites you see when you cruise the Nile being spectacular. Yes the drinks are expensive, but cut is life.
Use the time to enjoy the sites, the views, even perhaps write a little bit, rather than to get your freak on down deep in Egypt.
And those are my top ten tips for when you cruise the Nile alone, with YPT, or indeed friends….