T+L’s Ship Evaluation of Poppee, a Dahabiya Operated by Nour el Nil

“Phar-aooohs!” is the decision that echoes by means of the Temple of Kom Ombo, breaking me from my admiration of a 2,100-year-old carving of the crocodile god Sobek. Inside moments, a laughing refrain mimics it; our little group is belting out our rallying cry, established over the previous few days of wandering up and down the Nile River.

Main the way in which within the “Pharaohs” name is our group’s information and Egyptologist, Mohamed Abdou, who goes by “Adbou.” We’re gathering for the final time to return to our ship, Poppee. The most recent and largest of a fleet operated by the Egypt specialists Nour el Nil, it’s what is called a dahabeah, or golden boat. It’s a type of two-masted crusing barge, and vessels prefer it have been plying the currents between the Nile Delta and the Aswan cataract for millennia.

Poppee is adorned with coffered ceilings, glowing chandeliers, and visually arresting red-and-white striped sails; the ship’s crew of 18 males, in conventional galabia, or robes, lend a contact of classical Egypt, although Poppee is definitely fitted with trendy comforts.

My spouse and I’ve needed to see the temples, tombs, and treasures of historic Egypt for years. Laura and I’ve poured over books chronicling its dynastic historical past and streamed hours of programing on Ramesses II, Cleopatra, and King Tut. The possibility to see, first-hand, the long-lasting temples of Esna, Edfu, and Kom Ombo was nothing lower than a dream.

What shocked us, although, was every thing in between, on our six-day journey from Esna to Aswan. We didn’t anticipate to be enraptured by the desert dunes, the village visits to satisfy welcoming locals, and the quiet afternoons spent beneath sail. Nor did I anticipate, having been on many cruises earlier than, to ascertain friendships with a band of fellow passengers, a lot of whom we’re nonetheless in contact with.

The intimate dimension of Poppee absolutely helped: although the cabins are spacious, significantly for a crusing vessel, there are solely 10 of them, plus two panoramic suites on the again. And sharing meals collectively at an extended desk 3 times a day makes it straightforward to rapidly get on a first-name foundation with everybody. And what meals they’re: the crew appeared to make it their mission to impress us with ever extra scrumptious and bountiful Egyptian classics.

The gradual tempo of journey gave us ample leisure time for studying, napping, or watching the palm bushes drift by. And we had the psychological area to completely take in every temple tour or different shoreside expertise. When the sails have been unfurled within the afternoon, it was nothing wanting magic, a postcard from a bygone period of journey.

Because of the comparatively small dimension of Poppee, the crew may drop anchor nearly anyplace alongside the riverbank. We did so late each afternoon, permitting for explorations of locations different cruise ships can’t go, and quiet nights beneath a blanket of starry skies.

These moments in between the monuments linger with me probably the most: watching the setting solar mild every grain of sand into an ocean of fireplace on a desert stroll exterior the quarries of Gebel el-Silsila. Sharing an exploding fist bump and amusing with a younger boy herding goats at a river island. Talking with 32-year-old Asmaa Salah about her stitching workshop, the place she employs 5 ladies and empowers them to be impartial of their communities.

One significantly languid afternoon, I watched an endless line of multi-story cruise ships race previous us. Aboard Poppee, although, a crew member merely introduced round a tray of mint tea and a few pastries full of honey. A deck hand climbed the ahead mast in a very acrobatic show and stretched out the sail to catch the breeze. It was one other good second on the Nile to be shared with newfound mates. Fortunately, I knew precisely learn how to name them.

Right here’s an in-depth have a look at what you’ll be able to anticipate if you cruise the Nile River with Nour el Nil on the Poppee.

The Staterooms

There are 12 staterooms on the ship, which provides it a distinctly intimate really feel. The ten luxurious rooms measure 140 sq. ft and the 2 panoramic suites are a bigger 215 sq. ft. No matter class, every room is embellished with classic prints, paintings by Egyptian artisans, colourful rugs, and brass lamp sconces and hooks.

Gentle wood flooring and cream-colored partitions and ceilings allude to the aesthetic that co-founder and designer Eleonore Kamir describes as “elegantly easy and comfy.” (As an apart, it was her granddaughter who impressed the ship’s title.)

Every room is provided with air-con and heating that run totally on the ship’s expansive photo voltaic panels and batteries. Whereas we by no means felt the necessity for air-con in late November because of loads of shade and a gradual breeze, the warmth was a welcome function after a night bathe. Trendy bogs within the conventional Egyptian type are ensuite, whereas under-bed cupboards function baggage storage; the only closet had room for about 10 outfits.

The 2 panoramic suites are located on the stern of the ship, they usually add a bistro desk and a pair of wicker chairs in entrance of three giant home windows with sweeping views of the Nile.

Bars and Eating places

In distinction to huge, ocean-going ships and even many river ships, meals on Poppee have been a communal affair. Every thing was served and shared, household type, on the principle deck, at one giant desk. For me, it was the guts and soul of the expertise aboard, as our merry band got here collectively 3 times a day to trade tales and swap journey tales.

Mornings would begin with issues like eggs cooked to friends’ preferences, contemporary greens, slices of cheese, and crepes. Freshly squeezed orange and mango juices, in addition to French press espresso pots have been usually refreshed. (I typically requested for a Turkish espresso to greet the unbelievable sunrises.)

Lunch and dinners have been largely Egyptian specialties and wonderful throughout. Plates of rice and bowls of vegetable slaw have been a continuing at each meal, nevertheless it was a tour throughout Egyptian delicacies from there. Someday featured fried Nile perch and buttery shrimp. One other beef kofta, roasted potatoes, and stewed okra. A private favourite was the Egyptian “road meals” lunch, seated on flooring cushions round round steel tables full of koshary (the nationwide dish of pasta, rice, lentils, tomato sauce, and crispy onions), ful medames (stewed fava beans), vegetable stuffed eggplant, baba ghanoush, and all the time sufficient tahini and pita to go round. At one dinner, sambusas, little triangles of fried pastry-wrapped cheese, have been so common they disappeared almost as quickly as they hit the desk.

There have been loads of vegetarian choices, and the kitchen was able to accommodate a wide range of dietary restrictions. We had, for instance, requested much less beef on a pre-departure kind, and located an additional specialty dish of hen or fish was ready for us at each single meal.

Alcoholic drinks are usually not included in Poppee fares, although a small number of Egyptian wines, native beer, and easy cocktails made to order can be found at an affordable price.

The place Poppee Sails

Nour el Nil operates a fleet of eight ships, they usually typically journey between Esna, close to Luxor, and Aswan in small flotillas of two to 4. Main archeological highlights at Esna, Edfu, and Kom Ombo are all the time on the itinerary, together with the tombs of El Kab and the quarries at Gebel el-Silsila.

In distinction to engine-powered cruises, which journey roundtrip from Luxor, these dahabeah sail at a leisurely tempo over six days upriver from Esna to Aswan. The sails are unfurled in dramatic vogue — with crew scaling the tall masts — for a pair hours every day, when wind circumstances permit. At different occasions, the vessels are pulled alongside by small tugs, by the use of an extended line.

One of many nice benefits of touring on Poppee is that it will possibly go the place bigger vessels can’t. We frequently stopped for the night time alongside peaceable islands or subsequent to rural stretches of riverbank. This made for enchanting sundown and dawn explorations, in addition to chandelier-lit dinners peering out to the Nile.

Shore Excursions

Poppee stops in any respect the most important temple websites alongside the river between Esna and Luxor, together with the beautifully-restored Temple of Khnum at Esna, the unbelievable preserved Temple of Horus at Edfu, and the twin temple to the crocodile deity Sobek and Horus the Elder at Kom Ombo. Even higher, we regularly had every website to ourselves or have been visiting alongside solely a handful of others. All through the week, we encountered no mass crowds as may be frequent within the Valley of the Kings. Our visits have been guided by an Egyptologist who was assigned to our ship, and all of the excursions have been included within the fare.

As fabulous as the traditional temples have been, I discovered our visits to small villages and walks by means of the desert to be a spotlight of the journey. Usually guided by crew members, these forays provided an up-close view of up to date rural life alongside the river. These alternatives aren’t the type of factor that greater vessels usually supply. One night, for instance, we docked exterior the sandstone quarries of Gebel el-Silsila, the positioning the place big blocks have been carved for a lot of of Egypt’s most well-known temples. The next morning, a small group of us awakened early to discover the sandstone cliffs earlier than being joined by the bigger group to peek into tombs lower into the rock.

One other day, we stopped for a swim within the Nile, close to a small island the place farmers tilled verdant plots of alfalfa; that night we have been greeted by younger boys transferring alongside herds of goats, whereas we have been anchored.

Facilities and Leisure

Large-ship facilities corresponding to casinos, night time golf equipment, and theater-scale leisure aren’t one thing you’ll discover on Nile River ships, together with the Poppee. There’s no pool both. However aboard this conventional crusing vessel, none of these facilities are actually missed. The principal amenity, actually, is the open deck from which friends can watch the countryside slip by, beneath shiny red- and white-striped sails.

The ship does have a small present store, which is stocked with handmade souvenirs, textiles, clothes, and ceramics from artisans round Luxor. We opted to buy a pair of crimson, blue, and inexperienced pillow cushions designed in a lotus motif. Massages are additionally out there, administered by the lone lady crewmember on board, and yoga mats may be laid on the principle deck for individuals who take pleasure in a morning stretch.

Household-friendly Choices

There have been no kids on our ship, although there have been on one other Nour et Nil ship in our convoy. Households with youthful kids would possibly wrestle with the considerably repetitive nature of the temples and the leisurely tempo of crusing. Children with extra expertise touring — and, specifically, teenagers with an curiosity in Egypt — might properly discover lots to soak up and luxuriate in. At sure factors alongside the river, the crew will open room home windows for leaps into the Nile, one thing you’ll be able to’t do on most cruise ships.

Accessibility

Accessibility may be tough in lots of components of Egypt, together with on the Nile, although a consultant from Nour el Nil advised me that the corporate has previously accommodated friends who use wheelchairs. By my estimation, touring aboard Poppee in a wheelchair could be tough, given that every one the ship’s suites are accessible solely by stairs. Moreover, passengers board and disembark by the use of a slender gangplank. Most of the temple websites we visited have been largely flat, although we encountered some stairs, significantly across the docks we used.