Advice on Nile cruise excursions please

[slinkycat]

Just booked a Nile cruise, including excursions. I know from talking to people who've been that its a pretty full on week if you do them all, but I would like relaxation time too!
Going to canvas my friends on which excursions they thought were unmissable, but the more opinions the better, so would be interested to hear from anyone on here who has been.
I think its more or less a standard itinerary on all the cruise ships. TIA.

[Maydup]

Which section of the Nile are you cruising from and to slinkycat?

[slinkycat]

Start and finish at Luxor, visiting Valley of Kings, Luxor and Karnak temples, Edfu, Sobek, Agilika. and an optional trip to Abu Simbel.

[JonnyBoy12]

My friend is addicted to visiting Cairo. I told her this but she denied it totally. You could say she is in De-Nile!

[nungate]

Is the temple of Hatshepsut on your itinery, she was a female Pharoah (long before Cleopatra) and her temple is really beautiful. Her story is fascinating

[slinkycat]

Yes Nungate, thats on the first day as well as the Colossi of Memmon, think that is all in one outing.

[nungate]

Wish I was going too! Bon voyage!

[boxtops]

The Temples are vital visiting. Your tour guide on the boat will be able to give detailed advice about each of the trips, duration, difficulty, etc.

[Maydup]

I'd recommend the optional trip to Abu Simbel ; Valley of the Kings and Temples of Karnak are essential. I agree about temple of Hatsheput too. Otherwise see how you feel about the remaining time.

[DaisyNonna]

Abu Simbel is Fabulous but it is quite a tiring journey. Don't be put off by the armed guards. Do make sure that you have food and water with you. Buying it there costs an awful lot. Food was supposed to have been supplied but it did not materialise.

The 'exclusive' evening at Luxor proved to be a bit of a let down.

On board beware the bar tender if you are travelling alone!
Turn the light on when entering your cabin. Some of the towel effigies can be
something of a surprise.

Fabulous food. Plenty of time to watch the world go by when cruising. Embarrassed by haggling when buying presents for grandchildren in Luxor but survived the experience.

On board entertainment not to be missed if advertised is a Whirling Dervish.

Tour guide was highly organised, knowledgeable, courteous, helpful, young and gorgeous. I can look can't I?

Hope that you enjoy the trip as much as I did. Only downside was travelling alone. Me! The biggest coward going. I met some very friendly people and it was worth every penny. Fabulous photographs, lovely memories.

[puzzled54]

If you are only planning to go once, then you should do all the trips. If you think you may go back another year, then save some for later.
Because you are up and out really early, you will get some relaxing time on the boat. When you are cruising up and down river, its lovely to sit out on deck and watch the world go by.

[Mosaic]

You have probably been warned, but the cruise boats have long been associated with high incidences of gastroenteritis. Watch what you eat including salad and ice that could have been washed in contaminated water. Use wipes after handling money which will be even more filthy and tattered now after all the recent upheavals.

[puzzled54]

The boat we were on used filtered water, so salads were ok. It was a small boat tho, I don't know if its usual on the bigger boats.
Just takes wipes and anti-bac hand gel. Ive been 3 times and never had a problem.

[slinkycat]

Thanks for all the great advice:-) Maidup and Daisy, did you go to Abu Simbel by coach or air? Think there will be an option of either, but as that is one trip that wasn't included in the cruise, price will be a consideration.
Daisy, my mother-in-law nearly had a heart attack the evening she went back to her cabin and there was a towel monkey hanging from the light fitting!
Thats a good point Puzzled, I guess early nights are in order, although I wouldn't want to miss out on any evening entertainment.
May need to book another holiday to recover!
Only know of one person who was really badly affected with stomach problems Mosaic so fingers crossed we will be ok.

[DaisyNonna]

Went by coach to Abu Simbel. 4am. start!

If you don't want your belongings incorporated with the towels hide them! My sunglasses and hat and wrap were all used to produce a horribly hanged figure!

Go and have a lovely time. (The Aswan Dam is not particularly exciting unless you are a civil engineer.)

Drink plenty of bottled water and beware the pool. Absolutely chilly.

[slinkycat]

Ha ha! My friend was in a rush one morning and hadn't cleared away her previous day's underwear, she was mortified when she got back from the trip to find them carefully arranged on the bed!
She also said the Aswan Dam wasn't worth it, so may give that one a miss.

[Maydup]

We flew to Abu Simbel - mighty long day by coach I would imagine. Even then I remember leaving very early in the morning as you do with most excursions, to enjoy the coolest part of the day.

I've been twice and had bad stomach both times! And I was really careful. Use only bottled water even to clean your teeth and eat very lightly. We were in hotels rather than cruising so maybe the filtered water onboard is the answer.

[jno]

the usual idea with Abu Simbel is to arrive just before dawn. When I did it that involved a 2am start, to fly there; people who went by coach left earlier but didn't actually arrive till the sun was already up. But actually, dawn isn't all that magical, so over to you whether you fly or not. Either way, it is worth seeing.

In Luxor you'd normally visit the Valley of the Kings (probably going into a couple of tombs) and perhaps Hatshepsut's temple, which is nearby. Colossi are on the way there. (None of these is far away, only a couple of miles at the most, I think.) Luxor temple - right in town - and Karnak, a few miles further away, are generally two separate trips; you might want to do only one if you're feeling bushed. (Karnak is better, Luxor is closer.)

Cruises are generally from Luxor to Aswan, and maybe back again (or the other way round). Aswan's not got so many old things to see - the dam's just a dam; but a felucca to the island in the middle of the river is nice.

[jno]

PS the various temples at Edfu, Esna, Kom Ombo etc are all much of a muchness unless you're really interested in archaeology, so you could see any of them. Philae is on an island in the river, also rescued like Abu Simbel, and is rather nice.

[DaisyNonna]

Just reviewed the photos I took in Egypt., Oh I want to go again! Philae is fabulous.

[Mosaic]

Filtered water is great -BUT -
the real issue in the situation you're dealing with is handwashing, which is kind of missed out by many staff and their families. This is why I recommend hygiene precautions after handling currency.
You have to see the material poverty that many Egyptians around Luxor experience at home to believe it. Many will not have access to running water outside work, or toilet paper.
I leave you to fill in the gaps and work out why relying on someone else handling your water filter might not quite protect you.