Cruising the Nile in style

As Egypt hopes for tourists to return post-pandemic, Sara Macefield boards Uniworld’s new luxury riverboat, SS Sphinx, for a trip from Luxor to Aswan

As we cast off across the Nile’s rippling waters, the sails of our felucca yacht gently flapping in the balmy afternoon breeze, there’s an inescapable feeling of calm.

Behind us are the busy streets and bazaars of the Egyptian city of Aswan while straight ahead are the towering dunes that signal the start of the Sahara Desert, stretching thousands of kilometres west to the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s while I’m absorbing the dramatic vista that I suddenly realise some young local lads have paddled up to our felucca on surfboards and are clinging to the side while belting out a chorus of the catchy hit ‘Macarena’.

They’re rather sweet and grin endearingly up at us in hope of a few tourist dollars, but as the felucca picks up speed our singing chaperones fall back and silence resumes while our Egyptian skipper expertly steers us between the rocky outcrops and whirlpools of the rapids, or cataracts as they are known here.

This section of the Nile is one of the most beautiful, with lush emerald green islands set against the backdrop of the Saharan sands glowing like burnished gold in the afternoon sun.

It is the most southerly stop on our one-week cruise from Luxor on Uniworld’s new riverboat, SS Sphinx, which started sailing between the two cities last September. More floating boutique hotel than riverboat, I relish the Egyptian flavour of its lavish interiors that combine traditional furnishings and artworks sourced from local artisans.

SS Sphinx bathroom. Image courtesy of Uniworld

The top deck is a palatial hangout from which to enjoy far-reaching views, its mosaic-tiled pool surrounded by plush daybeds with tented drapes, inspired by ancient Egyptian barges.

With 84 guests, tended by 58 Egyptian crew, service is attentive and the excellent cuisine means we dine royally on a mix of international dishes and traditional Egyptian fare.

Restaurant on SS Sphinx. Image courtesy of Uniworld

Life aboard is relaxed, despite the shadow of Covid, as everyone is required to be fully vaccinated and temperature checks are taken as we board. However, masks are compulsory in public areas and on excursion coaches, too.

Yet during our one-week voyage through Upper Egypt, we seem to be one of only a few riverboats operating and I’m shocked to see so many craft tied up along the banks in lines sometimes seven or eight deep; our guide Tommy tells me there are 55 currently running.

It’s a similar story ashore, too, as tourists, and especially Europeans, seem to be few and far between.

No wonder that Egyptian tourist officials are pinning their hopes on a trio of landmark events to help restore their tourism fortunes this year, led by the latest movie adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic thriller Death on the Nile, which is released this month.

Stateroom on SS Sphinx. Image courtesy of Uniworld

This year also marks the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by British Egyptologist and archaeologist Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings.

The November 4 anniversary of this historic find has been touted as the potential opening date of the much-delayed $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum just outside Cairo, which will house more than 100,000 artifacts.

Conversely, the current lack of tourists makes this an ideal time to explore this stretch of Upper Egypt before the crowds return, as they surely will.

On our visit in January, the ancient columns and gateways of Luxor’s Karnak Temple, along with other antiquities we visit, are all relatively quiet. Even the Valley of the Kings, which prior to the pandemic attracted 1.5 million visitors annually, is positively peaceful with no queues or crowds, giving us the luxury of time and space to savour its secrets.

Of the 63 tombs discovered under the craggy sandstone cliffs, it is the smallest burial chamber belonging to boy king Tutankhamun that we all want to see amid stories of the unimaginable treasures unearthed.

They have long since been moved to Cairo and will be displayed at the new museum, but I don’t feel as though I’ve missed out.

Cruising the Nile’s bountiful waters, which carve their own fertile path through the dramatic desert landscape, brings unforgettable riches all of its own.

Sample package: Uniworld (0808 168 9110; uniworld.com) offers 12-day Splendors of Egypt and the Nile packages that include four nights in Cairo and the seven-night round-trip sailing from Luxor to Aswan with departures running until May, and resuming in September. From £3,999pp, including flights, drinks, excursions, onboard gratuities and wi-fi