Along The Nile
- Baiju Mathew
- Mar 20
- 8 min read
~ Trip to Egypt Part 1
In February 2025, I, along with my current wife -Kathy, fulfilled a childhood dream of visiting the pyramids and sailing the Nile.
Our broad-strokes itinerary was as follows: We arrived in Cairo, where we explored the Giza complex, the Egyptian Museum, and the bustling markets and streets of Cairo, experimenting with some street food along the way. The next evening we took an overnight train to Aswan, about 850 km to the south of Cairo. At Aswan, we boarded a 3-day Nile cruise, a journey both in time and in space, through the heart of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdoms, from Aswan to Luxor.
From Luxor, we travelled by road to Hurghada, where we spent the night and caught an early morning flight to Sharm El-Sheik the next day. From there, we drove north along the Sinai Peninsula’s east coast before heading west to St. Catherine at Mount Sinai’s base. It was from here that Kathy and I commenced our night trek, a 4-hour ascent, well in time to watch the breath-taking spectacle of the rising Sun standing at the peak of Mount Sinai 2,285 meters over the mean sea level.
After our Sinai adventure, we returned to Sharm El-Sheik and late that night boarded a bus to Cairo that went from under the Suez Canal. We spent two more days in Cairo including a trip to Alexandria as well.
Our 10-day trip covered 19 sites and 26 ancient monuments, spanning from 2670 BCE to 30 BCE—over six centuries longer than the time between Jesus and today. This is without considering the later monuments like the ones in Alexandria and the Coptic churches that we visited.
Traveling through Egypt is not just a journey through space—it is also a passage through time. The present Egypt is also a very interesting place to explore, before we step into the echoes of antiquity, let us first immerse ourselves in the vibrant, living Egypt of today. This was a 10-day trip that would make this blog very long, so I propose to present the travelogue in two parts. This first one will deal with my travels in the present Egypt; I shall cover my travel back into time in the Part 2.
Modern Egyptians are warm and welcoming people, deeply aware of and immensely proud of their ancient heritage. Their sense of history is not just nostalgia—it is a living, breathing part of their identity. At one instance a local remarked that other Middle Eastern countries like UAE, Oman, and Qatar, are nice places—but all recent, built on oil money, ours is a civilization that goes back over 5,000 years.’
As soon as the locals, anywhere, identified us as Indians, their faces would light up with enthusiasm as they professed their love for Shahrukh Khan. Clearly, Indian cinema and King Khan hold a special place in the Egyptian imagination.
An amusing linguistic quirk we encountered was the Arab difficulty in distinguishing between the sounds ‘b’ and ‘p.’ At first, we were baffled by talk of byramids (pyramids), babyrus (papyrus), and bylons (pylons), but soon enough, we got the hang of it. Before long, we could effortlessly follow what our guides were saying, without being puzzled by this unexpected consonantal shuffle.
a. Cairo the city & a Train ride:
In Cairo, the old-world charm coexists with modernity. Upon arrival, we stayed at the Baron Hotel, located in Heliopolis, a district characterized by broad, tree-lined avenues and a distinct European flair. The hotel takes its name from the Baron Empain Palace, a structure that resembled a Hindu temple. It was built by Baron Empain, a Belgian businessman enamoured with Indian architecture, this inspired him to build this Indo-Khmer styled mansion. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Empain_Palace)
Wandering through the enchanting streets of Heliopolis, we sampled local food from roadside restaurants. The food was delightful—fresh, flavourful, and distinctly Egyptian. At a small bakery, we tried hot, freshly baked flatbreads, strikingly similar to the Indian chapatti.
That evening, we dined at a Bedouin camp-restaurant called Ghazal El Reem Village, an experience steeped in authenticity. The evening unfolded with a spread of traditional Bedouin dishes, accompanied by folk dance and music.
While driving through Cairo, we saw a remarkable blend of the ancient and the modern. A stunning traffic island obelisk, framed by sleek contemporary buildings, exemplified this contrast.
Another magnificent structure we passed was the Citadel of Saladin, its imposing presence a reminder of Cairo’s medieval past, unfortunately i couldn't capture a good picture of that majestic monument. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Citadel)
Egyptian shopkeepers love a good bargain, we had an absolute gala time at the bazaars. We wandered through the bustling markets of El Moez Street and Khan El Khalili Bazaar, where the grandeur of Fatimid and Mamluk architecture instantly transported us to another era. It felt like stepping straight into Disney’s Aladdin—Baghdad as imagined in folklore. There’s something delightfully anachronistic about negotiating the price of modern-day wares in a 13th-century souk, where history looms over every transaction.
We also visited a perfume shop, its interiors heavy with the scent of exotic oils, and a papyrus workshop where artisans demonstrated the ancient process of transforming reeds into the world’s first paper. It was fascinating to watch history being recreated before our eyes. Click here for Photos and Video
Later that evening, we made our way to Cairo railway station—a strikingly modern structure crowned with a glass pyramid echoing the Louvre in Paris. Soon, we boarded our train to Aswan, and with it, stepped into what felt like an Orient Express adventure straight out of an Agatha Christie novel.
As dawn broke, the Egyptian countryside unfolded before us. The train traced the path of the Nile, hugging its west bank, offering us a mesmerizing contrast—the lush green ribbon of life along the river suddenly giving way to stark, rugged mountains on the horizon, beyond which lay the vast, unforgiving desert.
b. Cruise over an 8 meter river step down:
It was our first experience of being on a cruise. Far from a leisurely drift, our cruise was packed with activity. We disembarked at every stop to explore ancient monuments, often waking up at 4 a.m. for excursions or returning late in the evening, exhausted but exhilarated. The overall experience was nothing short of spectacular.
As our cruise sailed north from Aswan to Luxor, two moments stood out, both at Esna. The first was an unexpected spectacle—entrepreneurial daredevils in tiny boats pulling off what can only be described as maritime e-commerce, Egyptian edition. With the agility of Kevin Costner in 'Waterworld' and the conviction of an evangelist warning of impending doom, they expertly steered alongside our ship, hawking bedsheets and shawls as if they were priceless relics
With the precision of David slinging at Goliath, they hurled their neatly packed wares onto the upper deck, each bundle landing unerringly at our feet. Haggling erupted at full volume, defying both distance and the laws of acoustics, as money was flung back in weighted plastic bags. It was part commerce, part circus act, and entirely surreal. By the end, it was clear—we weren’t just paying for bedsheets; we were paying for the show. We captured it on video. Click here for the Video
The second remarkable moment was of a technical nature. At Esna, the level of the Nile drops suddenly by about 8 meters. The vessels on Nile have to negotiate this drop of 8 meters on its northbound voyage or conversely climb up 8 meters on its voyage southwards. This centuries-old lock system, also used in the Panama Canal, enables ships to navigate the river’s sudden level changes. We were very excited to witness this and spent an entire morning on the deck in the sun to watch this manoeuvre.
The schematic diagram here, generated by ChatGPT, illustrates a canal lock system with two gates. Water flows from south to north—bottom to top in the diagram—over an unseen 8-meter drop that occurs just before the first gate.
The lock operates as follows:
When the second gate is closed and the first gate is open, water from the upstream river fills the canal, raising the water level to match the upstream height.
A ship enters the canal, and the first gate is then closed.
Water is gradually released through the second gate, lowering the water level—and the ship—by 8 meters to match the downstream river level.
Once the levels equalize, the second gate is opened, allowing the ship to sail out.
The sequence is exactly reversed for the southbound vessels that has to go up 8 meters.
At Esna, this lock system features two parallel canals on the western side of the Nile, while the eastern side of the river is regulated by a dam with sluice gates that control water levels. This entire operation is demonstrated in this video Click here for the video.
c. Two amazing hotels:
All hotels we stayed in were excellent but two hotels do deserve special mention. The first was Mena House by Marriott in Cairo, a recommendation from a dear friend. What made this stay truly special was the breathtaking view of the Giza Pyramids right from our room—a sight that never ceased to amaze us.
The second was Dreams Resort in Sharm El-Sheikh, where we stayed before our excursion to Mount Sinai. This stunning resort is renowned for its snorkeling and diving spots in the Red Sea. Lacking time and gear, we skipped the diving to focus on the Sinai climb.
d. A Village and the Lake that submerged it:
Upon our arrival at Aswan Railway Station, our guide met us and took us to visit the High Dam, the Low Dam, and Lake Nasser. Lake Nasser, created by the Aswan High Dam, is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. Stretching about 480 km in length and 16 km wide, it is a massive feat of engineering. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nasser).
Egyptians take immense pride in the High Dam, likening its construction to the Giza Pyramids. This reminded me of Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous statement that modern dams and infrastructure are the ‘Temples of Modern India'.
The High Dam project brought significant benefits, primarily by controlling the seasonal flooding of the Nile and generating electricity for the region. However, it also had some negative consequences—most notably, the submergence of several ancient temples and the displacement of Nubian communities. While the temples were painstakingly relocated, the affected Nubian population was resettled in various locations.
The Nubians are a distinct ethno-linguistic community originating from southern Egypt and extending into present-day Sudan. Historically, they have played a significant role in the region, with even Egyptian pharaohs of Nubian descent ruling at different times. What may come as a surprise to many is that Sudan has a vast number of pyramids, primarily in the ancient Nubian territories. In fact, the Kingdom of Kush, a powerful Nubian civilization, built more pyramids than Egypt itself, highlighting the rich and deep-rooted legacy of Nubian culture in the region
We visited a Nubian village in Aswan. These villages stand out in stark contrast to the rest of Egypt, where dull sand-coloured exteriors dominate, blending with the hues of ancient temples. Nubian homes, however, are a burst of colour—painted in vibrant shades of sky blue and white. Their architecture is equally distinct, characterized by rounded, dome-like rooftops, giving them a unique and charming aesthetic. Click here for photos and Video
Please wait for Part 2 of this blog that will deal with Ancient Egypt, Path of Moses and more
Gratitude:
We embarked on this incredible journey thanks to the meticulous planning of Mr. Prasad Palliwal of Quality Travel World, Mumbai1. We are equally grateful to Mr. Amir Fahim from Rahaal Tours2, Cairo, whose flawless arrangements let us fully enjoy Egypt without worrying about logistics. Without Prasad and Amir, this trip would not have been the effortless delight that it was.
Quality Travel World: https://qualitytravels.in/
Rahaal Tours: https://rahaaltours.com/product-category/tours/
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