Cruise on the Lazuli, Egypt © Lazuli Collection
7,000 years of history
By Stéphanie, Egypt specialist at Etendues Sauvages: “After four days sailing the Nile, punctuated by discoveries of grandiose temples, I thought I had seen it all… and yet. Abu Simbel left me utterly moved. Where other sites amaze, this one casts a spell. Facing the colossi of Ramses II, carved into the rock and defying time for over 3,000 years, you feel both tiny and privileged. It’s far more than a temple, it’s a raw emotion: the light, the silence, the power of the statues, everything comes together to create a suspended moment. More than the technical achievement, it’s the beauty of the temple and what it radiates that leaves us speechless as travellers. It stands before us, immense and majestic, for a memory that will never fade.”
Discover this favouriteEgypt was indeed a mass tourism destination, but since the Arab revolution, visitor numbers have dropped significantly — and that works in our favour!
At certain times of year, of course, you’ll still encounter crowds, as in any tourist destination. If you can, try to avoid high season and school holidays.
To work around the crowds, there are still some solutions: choose private or small-group tours, and if you’re taking a cruise on the Nile, we’d advise against the large floating-hotel boats — too crowded, noisy and polluting (and here we’re not even talking about ecology, but the smell of fuel that will follow you throughout your cruise).
Opt instead for small-capacity boats or dahabiyas (traditional sailing boats) for quality service and an exclusive experience.
Egypt remains nonetheless a unique and surprising country, and its legendary history will give you one of the finest travel experiences of your life.
At certain times of year, the Nile can indeed get crowded.
Choose modern, faster boats: they let you stay ahead of slower, heavier vessels, so you can have the Nile practically to yourself — a rare sight.
Smaller boats are also worth favouring. Fewer passengers on board means easier, more flexible logistics for staggered or reversed visiting schedules. They can also navigate narrower branches of the river that larger boats cannot access.
Sailing on a private boat can be a good option too: visits are tailor-made, with flexible timing.
One more important point: opt for a cruise on boats with their own private docks, so you don’t have to cross four or five other boats before reaching dry land.
The Egyptian desert is among the most beautiful deserts, with sublime, timeless landscapes. Nevertheless, it is currently off-limits and remains a high-risk area where armed forces regularly conduct operations; the risk of kidnapping is also high. We sincerely hope that the magnificent oases of Dakhla, Bahariya, and Siwa will soon be accessible, so we can show you their wonders.