EGYPT TRAVEL: ARRIVING IN ASWAN FROM THE NILE
Posted by Steve Collins on
Aswan stands out as a special part of Egypt. In particular, the Nile in Aswan is one of the most picturesque settings in all of Egypt. If there is wind, a sailboat ride is an absolute must.
Sailing south out of Aswan for an hour or so you reach rapids that are called cataracts. Experienced boat captains 'play' with the roiling waters and it is a wonderful, exotic experience. Aswan marks the beginning of Nubia, the area shared by Egypt and Sudan, and you can sense the cultural change as Africa approaches.
Following the ride down the Nile, you can embark on the epic adventure of floating from Aswan back to Luxor, stopping at the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu (pictured below) on the way.
It takes a couple of days, and can be done on a simple felucca, a big cruise ship, or on any number of boats in between those two extremes. I've never taken a cruise ship, but we have gone by felucca with our family and it was one of the more memorable trips of our many times visiting Egypt.
