Egypt – in Da Nile

Thomas Cook, the creator of package holidays, took his first tourists along the Nile in 1869. One can only imagine what those early travelers made of Upper Egypt’s legendary sites. Although the river has lost none of its allure sweeping political changes followed by prolonged periods of unrest and sporadic violence have sent tourism into major decline. Before the Arab Spring in 2011 a typical year would see 10,000 departures aboard around 300 or so Nile river boats. Hugh ascending in a hot air balloon over the Valley of the Kings (Luxor) Temple of Hatshepsut seen from the hot air balloon Extremely Fertile strip of farmland along the Nile Valley — but only 2-3 km from the river Village near the Valley of the Kings historically housing the tomb robbers Feluccas still sail the Nile just like they did during the building of the pyramids to deliver building materials Tourist photo of us at the Great Pyramid (Giza) Felucca’s are flat, wooden sail boats — Egyptians hire Feluccas to escape the heat on the land & cities Egyptian Felucca Boatmen — Egyptians are very friendly