Felucca down the Nile - Day 8

We started our visit to Egypt in Aswan (southern Egypt right above the Sudan border) because that's where the typical tourist goes to catch a 3-day cruise on a riverboat to Luxor (or you can start in Luxor and sail to Aswan). Egypt's ancient civilization, agriculture and way of life would never have been possible without the Nile, and cruising along it allows you the best access to its most impressive sights. A cruise sounded luxurious, but you've probably noticed that I don't prefer to travel in the cattle call with large masses.

Instead of choosing a riverboat cruise, I arranged a trip on a felucca - a traditional Egyptian sailboat.  Feluccas have remained one of the primary means of transportation for the Egyptian people on and across the Nile to this day. These boats are traditionally made of wood and have tall, white sails. Rarely outfitted with any form of engine, the felucca instead relies entirely on the Nile's current and the southerly wind.

Almost every tourist to Egypt will sail on a felucca at least for a couple of hours. Most don't spend the night on one.  It is an adventure!

On the top deck you can relax, enjoy the sun, and watch out for the sail swinging from one side to another as you zig zag your way down the Nile.

The bottom deck is shaded and its cushions make one big bed.

Sailing along the Nile, entertained by the animals and friendly locals along the shore

In the middle of the boat is a small kitchen where Muhamed cooked the most delicious local meals.

Lunch time!

Look at this feast that Muhamed whipped up in his tiny kitchen - so delicious!

Next to the kitchen is the selling point of our felucca journey - the bathroom. Our felucca is much nicer than most, which don't have a bathroom or a hard top deck.

The shore of the Nile is lined with reeds and palm trees.  Papyrus no longer grows there.

You can go swimming in the Nile if you want ... but if you have heard of Egypt then you have heard of the Nile Crocodile, the biggest in the crocodile family. At the top of the food chain, they will eat anything that moves, and have no known predator.  JJ told me that this part of the Nile doesn't have crocodiles, and shockingly that is a true statement if you are north of the Aswan High Dam. However, you won't catch me jumping in!

At least 20 riverboats passed us, charging single file down the river. The riverboats made it more difficult for Khaled to navigate, cutting short his zigs and zags. I suspected we were all on our way to the same stop, and would be seeing those thousand passengers at the temples tomorrow.

Khaled navigates the Nile with ease, making it look easy to steer with the big rudder.

We watched as a little local motor boat pulled up to each cruise ship, attach itself, and then try to sell its wares to anyone breathing above. 

Watching the sunset from the top deck

Our felucca adventure was a highlight and way more enjoyable than any of us expected.

"It's relaxing" (Kristi) …

"Like what you're supposed to do on vacation" (Chris) …

"Sit on a boat and drink beer" (Jeremy)

After the sunset, the crew tethered the felucca to the shore for the night. They wrapped the walls of the felucca with canvas, creating our "tent" for sleeping. Mohammed made another delicious meal, and then we played cards.

At night you stop sailing and are tethered to shore

We had a full moon!

The felucca next to us had a campfire on shore. Although it looked fun, we were happy to go to sleep instead.

Tucked warmly under blankets, it was easy to get a good night of sleep on the felucca (at least for Jeremy and me) - listening to the gentle rippling of the Nile, the humming crickets, and an occasional distant train. The only discomfort was the uninvited mosquitoes. Kate won with the most bites - with 18 on her face alone!  (None of us bothered to use our bug spray.)

Felucca Logistics:

My internet search brought me to raving reviews of Nori "JJ" Jamaica Felucca.  The overnight rate included 3 meals plus water, tea, and coffee.  The beer was extra (70 EGP each).

When I asked JJ how cold it gets at night, he recommended I watch this YouTube video to get an idea about sailing overnight on a Felucca in the winter. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/KwzhzgQpI1k

JJ's felucca is equipped with a bathroom. Not having one would have been a deal breaker for me. There is no way I would sign up to stumble off the boat with a flashlight in the middle of the night searching for a place to pee - only to be snatched up by the one remaining crocodile along this part of the Nile.

We were able to connect to Wi-Fi with our hotspot the entire felucca ride, and charged our phones with our battery packs.

We sailed down the Nile in the felucca a total of 15 miles (as the crow flies).

If you don't want the river cruise cattle car experience, and a felucca is too primitive for you, our guide highly recommends a dahabiya cruise.

My Egypt Tours: 

I think every Egyptian moonlights as a travel agent. When JJ offered to set up all of our tours and drivers, I went with it and the ease of having one person managing all of our bookings/activities. (I made all of the hotel reservations.) His communication was clear and reliable, and his guidance was reassuring.