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Español Traveling via Nile Cruise vs. Felucca
When traveling to Egypt, odds are you’ll aim to visit some of the most historically significant sites in the country located in Upper Egypt, between Luxor and Aswan. Without a doubt, the best way to see these wonders at Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor is by traveling the Nile, as opposed to overland travel. At this point, a decision will have to be made about how you’ll travel the Nile—5 star Nile cruise or felucca?
There are many differences, and pros and cons for each option. The most obvious difference between them is the level of luxury aboard, which will be a pro or con depending on what you’re looking for. On the one hand, Nile cruise boats offer many of the same amenities as regular hotels on land, such as laundry, television, a swimming pool, and some shops. The felucca, on the other hand, is a very basic boat, where sailors double as cooks, and guests sleep on deck. For those seeking real comfort, the Nile cruise is the way to go. However, if you’re the rugged-outdoors type, the felucca would be a good choice.
- Tourists enjoying a night’s sleep on a felucca.
However, even for the rugged-outdoors types, the Nile cruise is still the best option for a couple of different reasons. The first is the fact that the felucca can really only travel between Aswan and Kom Ombo, whereas Nile cruises go to Luxor, and sometimes even as far as Qena. The reason for this is that feluccas are very reliant on water and wind conditions, so are unable to proceed any further.
Another reason is the fact that the Nile cruise offers basic luxuries that the felucca does not. These include hot meals and bathrooms, which could mean the difference between fun and adventurous, and discomfort and an unpleasant experience.
M/S Royal Ruby Nile Cruise
Yet another reason to take a Nile cruise on your visit between Aswan and Luxor is that you can still enjoy the great experience of the felucca ride, even if you don’t spend a night on board! In fact, most feluccas are rented by the hour, and you can enjoy an afternoon, sunset, or evening sail in Cairo, Luxor, or Aswan. In Upper Egypt, short felucca trips are perfect for afternoon picnics, trips to small islands in the Nile such as Elephantine Island in Aswan, or just taking in the gorgeous and peaceful countryside.
Feluccas sailing the Nile at sunset
After your felucca ride, you can head back to your cruise and enjoy a more comfortable experience. If you visit during the warmer months, you can even take a dip in the pool while you cruise downriver with the lush greenery around you, reminiscent of a scene from Humphrey Bogart’s “African Queen”. All in all, a Nile cruise really is the best way to travel and enjoy the beautiful countryside, while truly relaxing, since you don’t have to completely miss out on the felucca experience!
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I read your blog with interest however you have not really sold any of the ‘pros’ of the felucca. I believe this is the much better way to sail the Nile. It is a much more authentic experience which you cannot get anywhere else in the world! The feeling of sailing gently down the Nile is so realxing and beautiful that it should not be missed. When I was on the felucca all of us on board were so glad that we had not upgraded to the cruise. we loved eating and sleeping on the deck and felt that all the people on the big impersonal cruise boats that we saw sailing by were missing out on a truly magical experience.
Yes admittedly there are no facilities on board but this obstacle is overcome by many feluccas mooring near somewhere which has toilets or by the crew digging a basic latrine which is screened.
I don’t particularly think that the felucca is for the ‘rugged outdoor types’ as you say at all. Anyone will love the felucca from children to the elderly. Everyone I have ever spoken to has said that the felucca was the highlight of their tour.
Having been on the felucca I would never choose an impersonal, large, bustling, noisy cruise boat over the relaxing soothing feeling of sailing gently down the Nile with only the sound of the wind in the sail.
Please add more ‘pros’ for the felucca to your blog if you are to give people both sides of the coin, as I feel you have given the felucca a great disservice!
Thanks for the comment, Janet! I agree that felucca offers a very unique atmosphere that you cannot get on a larger cruise. However, as I tried to point out in the blog post, I think it really depends on what you’re looking for and what you’re willing to put up with. For those who want to see the sights and travel in comfort, the Nile cruise is definitely the way to go, especially as it travels the full distance, as opposed to the felucca. However, if you’re open to roughing it out a bit, the felucca is a great experience too. The whole point is that you can have the best of both worlds by traveling between the cities on the Nile cruise, and by spending a few hours on the felucca. But, like you say, the felucca can be a rewarding experience if this is what you set out looking for.
I hope this clears up where I was going with this post a bit!
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
Thank you so much! I’m really glad that my post helped you, and that you liked the blog! I’ll be posting about Dahab very soon, so be on the lookout for that! Also, if you have anything you’d like to know more about, just let me know!
We have just received dleaits of our November 2011 dahabiyya Nile cruise, combined with Cairo and a Lake Nasser cruise. Very exciting! Since your staff have also travelled at this time of year, what clothing do they recommend for evening time in these 3 places and are insects that bite a problem i.e.is it best to cover arms and legs!
I agree 100%