RiverNileCruise.com News » Egypt

Forge Your Own Path with Egyptian Car Rental

Admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:56:54 +0000

Our Nile cruise and stay holidays are expertly organised, but we know sometimes the adventurer inside you might want to take-off on a solo day of exploration.
The reputation of much of Africa in terms of car travel and the tourist tends to be rather negative, but in our years of experience a little foresight and good driving skills can help you make the most of your Nile cruise holiday with a day’s safe driving across Egypt’s landscapes.

Who Can Drive?
Anyone with a full U.K driving licence and International Driving Permit (about £6, available from main Post Offices) can rent a car and drive in Egypt. We work with www.holidayautos.co.uk. You’ll also need to carry your passport.

Is It Dangerous?
Cairo is one of the biggest, fastest, most terrifying cities in the world for unfamiliar drivers. Some of the main issues are a) the lack of road markings, b) the local faster-is-better attitude to driving, c) the incessant noise of car horns, and d) driving on the right side of the road. However, once outside the cities, roads are habitually quieter and the driving experience far more serene.

Safety
One of the things we’re serious about on Nile cruises is hydration. Egypt is HOT, making sensible hydration an unfamiliar must to the U.K traveller. NEVER rent a car and drive ANYWHERE without an adequate supply of water, a map and plans left with one of our holiday reps or a family member.

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Follow in the Footsteps of Great Explorers

Admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:55:19 +0000

The late 1800s to mid 1900s are often cited as the great days of modern discovery in Egypt. Of course, locals had existed around the relics of their ancient civilisation for thousands of years, but it wasn’t until foreigners began to fight over Egyptian lands (the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s) that Egypt’s cultural debris and scattered artefacts began to find rejuvenated fame.
On the tails of Napoleon’s own academics, the mid 1800s (well after his defeat) saw fresh interest in the area as the British ruling government took hold. One of the key archaeological figures of this new Egypt was Giovanni Belzoni.
Belzoni was, by trade, both a strongman and an engineer. Both of these trades turned out to be valuable when he was plucked from a jobless, penniless existence (with his English wife, Sarah) to undertake a seemingly impossible task – to move the 7 ton stone head “Rameses II” from Thebes to Cairo. You can still see the head at the British Museum in London. After moving the head, Belzoni and Sarah continued on an impromptu Nile cruise (perhaps one of the first Nile cruises by foreigners simply to seek out artefacts) past Thebes and uncovered Abu Simbel.
Belzoni is often cited as one of the first true Egyptologists dedicated to preservation rather than financial gain.
Our Nile cruise ships are tastefully modern, but if you’d like to experience a trip down the Nile as Belzoni and Sarah experienced, a day trip on an Egyptian felucca is the way to do it.

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Felines in Ancient Egypt

Admin — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:53:46 +0000

Nile cruises are what we know, but we’re understandably passionate about Ancient Egypt too. And one thing everybody knows about Ancient Egypt has to be that the Ancient Egyptians worshiped cats. In fact, that’s a rather simplistic view of what was really a very area-specific set of customs. So, while you’re idling away on your Nile cruise, here are a few old world traditions to mull over and impress fellow guests with!

•   The Ancient Egyptian word for “cat” is “miu” (some excellent onomatopoeic work!) The feminine form of the word is “mut”, which some scholars associate with the modern word “kitty”
•   There is evidence that cats were first domesticated to be hunting tools to help Ancient Egyptians catch birds.
•   Ancient Egyptians sometimes mummified the pet cats of their Pharaohs to accompany them into the afterlife.
•   The goddess Bastet is most strongly associated with cats. As a goddess of protection (predominantly a feminine, motherly protection), it makes sense that ancient Egyptians were keen to keep her earthly likeness in their home for spiritual protection.
•   Not all regions “worshiped” cats in the reverential sense. Before the unification of Ancient Egypt around 3100BC, various regions worshipped whatever animals and gods they wanted, sometimes including cats, but just as often not.

Don’t worry about bowing to any cats you see on your Nile cruise and stay holiday. Although cats are tolerated and kept as pets (as in the U.K), they carry no special religious significance.

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Enjoy Christmas Celebrations on a Luxury Nile Cruise

Admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:51:25 +0000

The festive season is pretty much upon us, but with the chilly winter winds blustering through the U.K, there’s no better time to plan a lavish Nile cruise this December!
Sticking out the freezing U.K winter can be a tire at the best of times, so why not give yourself a year off (the price of turkey is going up AGAIN this year!) and enjoy a Nile cruise or Nile cruise and stay holiday aboard any of our cruise ships, stopping in at our deluxe resorts as you idle down the Nile in lavish comfort.
Our Nile cruise ships are rated either 4* or 5* because we believe our clients like their Nile cruises to be conducted in the lap off comfort and luxury. We currently operate more than thirty Nile cruises across our fleet through the whole year. Egypt’s fantastic climate means we can offer winter sun Nile cruises to our clients, including a little festive getaway or New Year adventure!
Egypt doesn’t stop on Christmas Day, so if you fancy an excursion to spend Christmas Day in the company of camels, Pharaohs, markets, museums and cultural treasures, you’re in luck!
If you’d like to know more about our December Nile cruises and cruise and stay holidays, get in touch on 0800 328 0871 to speak to an expert holiday advisor. We’re used to creating bespoke holidays, so we’ll do our best to show you the best of Egypt (while the folks back home experience the worst of the U.K weather!)

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Ramses II, the Greatest Pharaoh of Egypt

Admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:49:54 +0000

There are some royal figures who are simply born into their power, but there are others – like Ramses II – who prove their suitability beyond compare. Our Nile cruises and Nile cruise and stay holidays afford you the luxury of getting to know one of the greatest Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt’s history.

Family
The son of King Seti and Queen Tuya, Ramses was an eager royal from the moment he was born, even being appointed co-ruler with his father in his early teens thanks to an aptitude for military campaigns and civil leadership. Even his name “Ramses” means “Ra’s Chosen” (Ra being the high god of the sun) From a very young age, Ramses also displayed his royal virility (a respected tradition at the time) by fathering scores of children with a slew of concubines (ninety-six sons and sixty daughters!)

Architecture
No Nile cruise is complete without a look at some of Ramses’ architectural spectres. He took it upon himself to commission one of the most widespread building schemes in the history of Ancient Egypt, including the Ramesseum at Thebes and the temples at Abu Simbel. He also covered Egypt in statues, smaller temples and stonework dedicated to himself and gods he represented; the gods who had “chosen” him.

Stonework
It was common in Ancient Egypt to erase evidence of the previous Pharaoh by covering his “cartouche” (name) and artwork with that of the new Pharaoh. Ramses developed a new way to carve sunken reliefs into the stone, thereby thwarting any future attempts to remove his memory. This is arguably why so much of his presence can be felt in modern Egypt.

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Support the Preservation of Egyptian Treasures

Admin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:47:10 +0000

A great deal of Egypt’s ancient cultural wealth is held in the form of magnificent architecture, such as the Ramesseum at Thebes, the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, and Abu Simbel. Our Nile cruises are highly customisable, enabling our clients to undertake numerous optional excursions to ancient sites and so on. But a huge part of modern Egyptian tourism is about preservation, which can sometimes seemingly get in the way of tourism itself.

The Sphinx
Although the great Sphinx at Giza is a must-see on many Nile cruise holidays, it’s not possible to touch the great statue. A series of tasteful ramps are in place to allow tourists to take amazing photos though.

The Pyramids at Giza
The pyramids used to represent a kind of tourism free-for-all, where folks could take a day from their Nile cruise holidays to scramble about on the great pyramids as much as they liked. In recent years, the pyramids at Giza have become far more protected, and whilst you can still touch and even enter some of them, climbing to the top is prohibited.

Abu Simbel
Easily one of the best places for some real cultural adventure is Abu Simbel. The temples are open to extensive ambling and exploring, with much of the authenticity of the area preserved. In other words, yes there will be other tourists, but market stalls etc are prohibited, making the entire experience rather more relaxing than Cairo’s markets and tourist hotspots.

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More to Modern Egypt than Ancient History

Admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:45:06 +0000

Although a great deal of modern Egypt’s tourism and economy relies heavily upon its rich ancient culture and historical impact, there’s more to our Nile cruises than just sand, camels and ancient artefacts! Here are a few great facts about modern Egypt to mull over as you choose your favourite Nile cruise holiday from our great autumn offers!

• Although tourism holds a significant percentage of Egypt’s economic wealth, just over 50% can be attributed to agriculture and industry. Main industrial activities include textile manufacture, and pharmaceutical research and development.
• Egypt is home to more than 30% of the Arab world’s regular bloggers.
• More than 500 free-press newspapers and periodicals are circulated extensively and available to buy in Egypt.
• Cairo is home to the only subway in Africa.
• The Egyptian authorities and Google enjoy a longstanding partnership to extend more Arabic translations and content online freely.
• In 2010, Egyptian government technicians launched a new satellite to improve communication services across the country (that’s why we can get great TV reception on all our Nile cruise ships!)
• Like the U.K, education up to university level is free in Egypt to encourage young people to stay in school.
• Begun in 2000, The Smart Village – situated in the Abu Rawash area, close to Cairo – is a cutting edge eco-aware, technologically advanced site dedicated to developing new technologies for both Egypt and the wider world. The site includes parks, laboratories, libraries and various research centres.

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River Nile cruises at remarkable prices

Admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:29:04 +0000

Exploring this beautiful part of the world is what many people might have wanted to do all their life. The wonderful landscapes which can be found along the river Nile along with the people who reside there are sights which countless numbers have enjoyed for generations. However, it is the price of experiencing this which has been off-putting for many. With our luxury Nile cruises, you needn’t be stopped in your tracks anymore.

With our river Nile cruises available all-year round at unbelievable prices, we can guarantee that whatever your budget is we will have a cruise option for you. Not only can you experience the wonders of the Nile during the summer but also through the winter months.

The luxury Nile cruises which we provide also offers you the chance to stopover in many locations too such as Luxor and Cairo. So, not only will you be able to cruise along a waterway which passes through eleven countries but you can meet the people who live alongside it too. Also, with the deep history of these aforementioned cities you can see for yourself the many wonders which they have as well.

When you choose river Nile cruises through us, we can guarantee that whatever time of the year you wish to enjoy your cruise you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic experience. By contacting our dedicated team will enable you to find out about the many luxury Nile cruise options which we offer at unbeatable prices.

Exploring one of nature’s beauty areas which has provided life for thousands of years can be achieved when choosing us for your cruise. For further information, please contact our dedicated team. They make it their goal to provide a customer focused service time after time so do not delay in speaking to them sooner rather than later.

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Fantastic Nile cruises which can help to relax

Admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:19:30 +0000

One of the most beautiful stretches of water in the world, the river Nile is a fantastic place to sail on. The river Nile stretches through many beautiful countries which all value it for its life giving properties. Situated on the river Nile is many attractions too such as the Egyptian Pyramids. When you want to explore the river Nile, taking a cruise along it is highly recommended as this will allow for you to sit back and enjoy the sights and smells of this picturesque place.

A highly respected cruise company with many years of experience to its name, our Nile cruises provides the ultimate level of luxury. Costing surprisingly low amounts of money, our Nile cruises enable for you to be waited on hand and foot whilst relishing the sights. Many of our Nile cruises can be taken during the winter. The Nile is known to be exceptionally hot so even if your home country is cold and uninviting you’ll be sure of a warm welcome on-board. The Nile river cruises which we are proud to provide can also stopover in many locations as well. Our Nile river cruises will allow you to explore such beautiful cities as Cairo and Luxor; both have a rich cultural history and it couldn’t be achieved if you stayed on-board.

All of our Nile cruises offer excursions too. This enables you to spend several hours visiting many locations during your cruise so that more of this wonderful area can be seen by yourself and your loved ones. With many locations enabling you to travel to the place where your cruise departs from, when this is combined with how much is charged for our cruises leads to an exceptional time being enjoyed by all.

Exploring the river Nile can be experienced by you at a price that is within your budget.

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What to expect on River Nile Cruises…

Admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:17:59 +0000

For many years, a River Nile cruise has been going back and to up the amazing river. It is a very popular attraction to a lof of tourists.

Typically the cruise will normally last for 7 days (Monday to Monday). Tourists normally fly to Luxor on the Sunday and then depart on the cruise on the Monday morning.

It is often said that most of the fantastic sights are Edfu and the town of Kom Ombo. If it is your first of hopefully man Nile cruise holidays, then it may be an idea to explore the more luxury upper class option when booking. This will ensure maximum enjoyment out of your cruise.

Cruising the River Nile is best experienced in quality cruise liner. It is common that trips can be advertised as ‘cruises’ but are actually low quality class river excursions with less than satisfactory conditions on board. You should bear this in mind and ensure you book to go on a high quality cruise liner if budget allows.

The typical route for the Cruise is from Luxor to Aswan and then back to Luxor, the return journey is about 80 miles and takes about two days, usually with an overnight stop at Edfu. After this has happened, the cruise is over and tourists are free to do as they please.

After you have experienced the Nile cruise once, it is extremely common that you will want to do it again. Many tourists agree that a week is not long enough on the egypt nile cruise so will book to go on the cruise again, often on a different cruise liner.

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