I reveal the best and very worst things I experienced on my AmaWaterways Nile River Cruise and time in Cairo, and answer if all things considered is it worth taking this trip. It’s complicated
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00:00 Start
00:38 Nile River Sights
03:26 Egyptologists
04:03 Cruising on the Nile
05:13 Nile Cruise Inclusions
06:50 Nile River Ships
08:40 Number of Visitors
09:37 Nile Vendors
11:07 Nile Tummy Troubles
12:28 Nile Safety
45 Comments
We did a Uniworld Nile cruise in December 2019. The weather was quite good, and it was not at all crowded. In Cairo, all tours had police escorts, and there were many military checkpoints. The hotel staff advised us not to go out at night. The historical sights were thrilling. One highlight was doing a sunrise balloon ride. We could see the Hatshepsut Temple!
def not worth visiting this country at all
I had the honor to visit Egypt almost 20 years ago, and it is nice to see that the general itinerary is largely unchanged. We went in early May, and luckily it was incredibly not crowded with tourists in all of the sites. Seeing the very crowded scenes in your video is so unsettling. We were on the Sonesta Sun Goddess for the Nile River Cruise, and we had a lovely time. The side-by-side stacking of the ships at dock was a little odd, but I had read about it prior in a book guide (this was well before online resources were really any that good), so we were prepared. My favorite place in all of Egypt is also Deir el-Bahri (the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut), and I wish we could have spent more time there. I agree that good Egyptologist local guides can make the journey amazing. All of ours were top level.
I did a trip on a Dahabiya last year that was definitely very different to this one – far fewer sights and a much slower pace. I absolutely loved it and it had most (if not all) of the upsides in this video, and none of the downsides. I think because the boats are so much smaller they can take different routes so it's not so busy on water or at the sights, but you're still in a bubble, albeit a much smaller one (there were only 16 on our boat). Definitely recommend to anyone watching this that wants to go but would prefer a quieter trip or slower place.
Why on earth did you spend so much money on a such a touristic Luxor <-> Aswan cruise? Surely you could have done it for just over 1000 Pounds? For the price you paid you could have done the original "Long Nile Cruise" from Cairo to Aswan and even then spent far less.
Pity your other video about Egypt is for "members only"…
My brother visited Egypt about 45 years ago. No crowds then. He wanted to climb the Great Pyamid at sunset and spend the night on top. He went back as the sun was setting to start his climb but was stopped by a guard who said it was forbidden. My brother showed him some cash, about twenty dollars, and the guide said “I’ll show you the best way up.” So he was able to watch the sun rise from the top of the Great Pyramid.
Doesn’t sound very appealing for that kind of money
Heading there in 10 days on a similar trip.
I'm so happy I found this video! I did this trip in 2001, just before 9-11. We went with Trafalgar and it was surprisingly similar. In fact, I think most of the difference were time related. I loved you mentioning the places along with your video. I have so many pictures, and did my best to note on them where they were taken, but this was before digital pictures and I was 21, so I have so many I just wasnt sure of; but recognized them in your videos. Such a great trip. TY for triggering my memories. I think I'll go dig out that photo album and rewatch a few times and update some pictures!
So glad I visited these places before mass tourism ruined the experience.
An excellent revue Gary I did a Nile Cruise last year.
Your advice is excellent though I was lucky as I had a midship cabin.
The only highlight I would add is the dawn balloon ride over the Nile and the Valley of the Kings.(unforgettable.)As you say the local upset tummy cure is the only thing that works.
Rather go to west Wales than the flea bitten crock infested , boiling hot sh## hole surrounded by crooks and barely under the surface danger that was once the cradle of civilisation.
Imagine how expensive it would have been if you did not have to sleep in the bathroom…
You will alway live in a bubble if you depend on Legislated nomalacy rather than winning over the hearts and minds of those you live amongst. You folks almost won over the majority around 2000 then the ABCD…LGBTQRSTUVXYZ militancy. Oh yea, leave the kids alone, stay out of the libraries when you dress in drag. Hey you brought the topic up. Good Luck!
From Giza to Abu simbel those antiquities are absolutely mind blowing. Recommend the ‘president’ fleet of 1920s built boats. Full of character, updated to a decent standard and so much better than the ‘gin palace’ boats.
Did this trip 11 or 12 years ago, just after the troubles in eygpt. Our boat was virtually the only one sailing, no queues, not many tourists. It was a wonderful experience, although one i wouldn't repeat. I would recommend it as a trip that everybody must do once.
What time of year did you go? I was there in late May and there were very few boats around.
It would be cool to see the sites, but I don’t think this itinerary would be for me.
Great video. Lots of good concise information, thank you. I have one specific question. I plan on bringing a 360 camera on a selfie stick. Did you have any issues with using yours?
Been fortunate enough to cruise the Nile twice, Luxor to Aswan & Aswan across Lake Nasser. Loved them both. We had a drink at the Old Cataract hotel & sitting at the next table was Omar Sharif who was filming nearby.
Gary… I've traveled the world, but only been to Africa once. I'm amazed that you enjoyed the trip, because to me, the whole experience looked like a nightmare on steroids. The nights sleeping on the bathroom floor would have caused me to get off the boat….. poor sleep due to noise, fumes and sewer gas are no way to enjoy a vacation. Then the crowds…. I've done Europe in August and know what long line are like, but the crowds you filmed were so horrendous that there's no way you can appreciate the experience. I thought that taking the family to the Louvre in August was bad, but the Valley of the Kings looked like the crush of a New York city subway. Then there's the "in your face" street merchants that are everywhere. In Morocco, I was often surrounded by 3, 4 or more men hawking everything from fake jewelry, rugs, drugs, sex… Yes, the sights are spectacular, but the trip you filmed totally turned me off to a trip to Egypt and a river cruise in particular. I was shocked the first time I watched the video, so I re-watched it two more times, and still have the same opinion. I'll probably do a small family tour with a private guide. My Dept of the Army colleagues have all visited Egypt that way and seem to have avoided many of the issues that surfaced during your excursion.
By the way, I love your videos and watch all of them more than once, because they are so well done and educational.
Thank you, Luke an Army doctor, now living in Arizona.
We went on an independent tour that was mostly Land based but we did 3 nights on the Nile. Our Egyptian Tour guides knew the tour crowds well. The only crowd we saw was at Luxor. We saw all that you saw plus a day in Alexandria. One of our most amazing day was to Edfu with no crowds to see the sunrise. We were 2 weeks after the big crowds. We cheered when we had FREE PEE!
Just got back from Cairo 3 days ago. It's a bit sketchy there. We had to have a police escort and the street vendors were the worst I've experienced anywhere else in the world. Pyramids were great though.
Also, the amount of scamming was overwhelming. I was in the Museum of Cairo and had to use the bathroom. There was a big sign on bathroom door that said no tipping. I go in and literally not one of the toilets had toilet paper. Two women came in and rolled me off some toilet paper from where they had hidden it behind the door. Clearly, they didn't work at the museum. They held up the paper and demanded money. I'm not usually so aggressive, but I needed to go BADLY. I told her absolutely not and snatched the paper from her. They quickly backed down and took off. Really ticked me off. Vendors just follow you saying "money…. money…. money….". If they had given me a moment, I probably would have purchased something, but they push on you – making you nervous. I cut out as quickly as I could.
Perhaps going in low season to avoid crowds. Cairo is 5 degrees above the equator so the weather is probably similar all year round.
Thank you ,Gary, for your appealing professionalism. Your videos are so helpful; and your videography is great! Happy cruising!!
Did you see Shirley?
Very nice, I like your presentation..the up and the down. Your channel just popped up on my youtube feed and having watched this just excellent review I subscribed. You Sir are a man of class with down to earth common sense. Thank you! As Canadian in living USA, I add a well deserved…👍
Gary this is incredible! Thank you for sharing this with us, you’ve given me some ideas for my bucket list. I always wanted to see a tomb in person. I went to a traveling exhibit at the LA science center about King Tuts tomb a few years back and was hooked. Definitely would love to experience it as a cruise too as that’s quickly becoming my favorite way to travel. I love seeing landmarks and historical sights so I don’t think I’d get sick of so many tombs, I think it would be so fascinating. I really wish this type of travel and tourism was more affordable and more accessible to everyone, but it gives me some goals to save up for. Can’t wait to see where you go next!
I am convinced this is a trip I don’t need to take ..
Fortuitous you should post this, as I've just started looking into a Nile cruise.
I hate being with a crowd, and seeing the same things as everyone else, seeing the same old people every day and queuing up in the sun like a sheep.
I couldn’t stand all those tourists🤣
We went on the same itinerary in 1994 for our honeymoon. However, there had been a lot of serious trouble along the banks of the Nile from Cairo down to Aswan and this had badly affected tourism, in fact cruising out of Cairo has never resumed. In saying that the lack of tourists, although bad for the locals, was brilliant for us. I will always remember being alone in the the King Tut room within the Cairo museum. My husband and I being the only people in the pyramid and both of us sitting practically beside the Sphinx with our excellent Egyptology with barely another tourist in sight. I can’t get over how many tourist there are these days plus the volume of river traffic too but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of your vlog. We did return in 2006 and found there to be a lot of ‘tourist’ police in Aswan and Luxor, this was quite a deterrent for the vendors hassling you if the police happened to turn up on the scene.
Best tip….check the migrant population and police situations before travel or even booking….. they will NEVER find them….and then you go home…. ill just stay home👍👍 pass this round …it might save YOUR daughter….
Do you have a link to the cruise you took?
What are the best months to go for the least tourists?
Tourist complaining about their being tourists at a tourist site. Maybe if everyone stayed home it wouldn't be a problem?
I was in Egypt in ‘93 and a 4 night cruise was included. I loved it. No down side to it though the “ships” were more similar to barges.
I would love to cruise the Nile someday! It's great to have some real practical tips. We brought a really great little water filter with us when we were traveling in an area with risk of getting stomach illness from the water. We could pump tap water through it and refill water bottles to carry with us, it ended up being one of the smartest things we packed for that trip!
This was a most informative video and certainly opened my eyes beyond the brochures to the reality of river cruising on the Nile. You comments were excellent, well balance and very informative! Thank you for taking the time to record and post your video. I am still sitting on the fence to take the trip but the fence certainly has a more realistic look
Great advice about the salads. That was my one mistake and I paid dearly for it the next day.
Hated the street vendors when I went to Egypt. Really unpleasant.
To me a trip like that is an absolute nope! Noise, crowds, safety and security concerns, scams and really nasty public restrooms… Nope, nope, nope! Not even if I was paid to go
Thanks for the very informative video. A group of us are planning on going in November of 2024 and I would like to know if it is worth getting a room with a balcony from your perspective. I would love to know your thoughts. Again thanks all the knowledge you share.
Wonderful video. Brings back terrific memories of my visits 2005 and 2007. We fly to Egypt and did Nile cruise Abu Simbel everything. King Tuts mask etc was jaw dropping so beautiful. We lived the trips. Food was good and never got sick. It wasnt crowded and vendors were mostly children. So glad we went when we did. It was dirt cheap and the best vacay we had. So sorry about yr sleeping in bathroom too but yr videos show the high and lows of traveling. I enjoyed your wonderful trip.