Nile Cruise

I read the following question from a reader on a national daily newspaper:

“My husband and I are planning a Nile cruise for our 40th wedding anniversary. However, I hear that people doing these cruises always get stomach bugs. If we pay more and get on a bigger and better boat, should we be ok?”

As its’ something we often get asked I thought I’d reply…

The fact is that if you book through a reputable operator and sail on a recommended ship then you are lowering the odds considerably. All of the ships that we recommend are vessels that have excellent histories of cleanliness and excellent standards.

Meals are well cooked and prepared and the kitchens are often subject to unannounced spot-checks from the various companies executive chefs. I have been behind the scenes on the El Fostate recently and the kitchens were spotless.

In our FREE Nile Cruise Guide we mention various ways that you can reduce the risk of tummy bugs and how, if you are unfortunate enough to get one, the quickest and most efficient way you can get rid of it.

Please take a look at our “Tips and Hints” section to learn more.

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I have always used a Sony digital video camera but last year the flaming thing broke down on me completely leaving me with a whole lot of video cassettes that I needed to edit and add to our Kenya Holidays website.

Anyway, I couldnt’ find another model at the right price so I decided to forget about a video camera that needed cassettes to record on and I started to look around for something small, cheap, easily transportable and that recorded onto its’ own hard drive.

Well I eventually bought the Flip Digital Video Camera which only costs around £99 and has so many advantages I cant’ list them all here. But take a look at www.ipod-accessories-4u.co.uk, which is a site I’ve set up to publicise the benefits of the Flip. Especially for us travellers. Over the coming weeks I’m going to be adding some tips and hints about using the Flip as well as telling you how to go about putting together a really good portable video system to take with you on your travels.

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One of the most interesting websites that I would highly recommend is Su Bayfield’s “Reflections in the Nile”, particularly if you want to know more about the Nile before your cruise. When you visit Su’s site you can tell it is written by someone who truly loves Egypt and the Nile. In fact I did ask Su if she would allow me to interview her for an episode of the Nile Cruise Podcast but to date I havent’ been able to convince her. Maybe one day…

(If you want a great example of Su’s writing please take a look at “Cruising To Dendera“, I think you’ll really enjoy it).

Anyway, I was reading some posts on Su’s website yesterday when I saw a request from the folks who operate the “Eternal Egypt” website asking Su if she would be prepared to write some articles for their site because, in their words, “we sensed your immense passion for Egypt and it would be an honor to have your work on our pages”.

Wow, that’s a real compliment.

But at the same time I followed the link to the “Eternal Egypt” website and, again, its’ another website that you MUST VISIT!! It’s an absolute must for anyone travelling to Egypt and particularly if you are thinking of cruising the Nile.

I’m just exploring the website myself as there is so much to see, experience and read so over the coming weeks I’ll be posting more about the site as I find resources and features I think you’ll like.

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Shelley Lash Cooper, a travel journalist from California, said some very nice things about our Nile Cruise Blog and Podcast on her Smart Money Cruises Blog which is very kind of her.

You can read her post by clicking here, or read the full article below:

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In Style with a Cruise down the Nile

So here’s a travel twist. Instead of writing about the traditional mega-ships, today I’m focusing on a geographic area completely opposite from the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico or other popular North American cruise destination.

Have you ever considered taking a cruise down the Nile River?

Here’s one of the obvious differences between traditional cruising and a Nile cruise. Traditional ships focus on onboard activities like Broadway-style entertainment, rock climbing, golf simulators, movies and so on. Nile cruises are all about the outdoors…life on the river. There’s also a great amount of wildlife enhancing the spectacular scenery.

Don’t be fooled by the size of the Nile boats/ships. They accommodate pools and fairly spacious cabins, gift shops, lounges, sundecks, etc. Peak cruising season runs from October to April.

One of the reasons I’ve chosen to spotlight the world’s longest river (nearly 4,200 miles) is to introduce you to Colin at Nile-Cruises-4u.co.uk. (links at end of article) He is a Nile expert and has created some entertaining and informative podcasts with fabulous music. His website is full of photos of the vessels that cruise the Nile, he posts reviews and talks to quite a few folks who share their Nile Cruise experiences.

Just one drop of history for you here. It was by the Nile’s banks that one of the world’s oldest civilizations began. The ancient Egyptians lived and farmed along the Nile, using the rich soil to produce food for themselves and their animals. People continue to live along the river today.

After researching the palm-tree dotted river that stretches through the continent of Africa, I’ve decided to put the south-to-north flowing Nile River closer to the top of my travel wish list. It’s a fascinating destination. Imagine traversing some of the world’s oldest temples while being intoxicated by the historic Egyptian landscape.

So here are Colin’s links. Even if you hadn’t thought about taking a Nile River cruise, do a little armchair traveling. Listen to one of his podcasts and enjoy the music!

http://www.nile-cruises-4u.co.uk/blog/

http://nile-cruises-4u.co.uk/blog/nile-cruise-podcast/

Happy travels!

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Thanks Shelley that’s very kind of you.

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I have a “Google Alert” set up that lets me know whenever the phrase “Nile Cruise” appears on the web, either in the news or on people’s websites and its’ amazing how many times I get alerts about how “Take A Nile Cruise” appears on people’s “Things To Do Before I Die” lists. You’d be surprised how many people actually compile such lists and then upload them to their websites or blogs. I wonder if they actually tick off the various things from their list as they achieve them?

Anyway I spotted this list today on a blog that belongs to Magpie at www:LuckyMagpie.com and there at number 29 is “Take A Nile Cruise”.

100 Things to do before I die ~ Part two
March 11, 2008

Here are 26 to 50 on my list. If you have anything you want to do before you die, or a similar list, let me know in the comments.

26. Visit Morocco
27. Swim with dolphins
28. Find out the real name of my biological father
29. Take a Nile cruise
30. Take my kids to a petting zoo
31. Open a B&B

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Hi, sorry for not posting here on the Nile Cruise Blog for the last week. It’s been very busy for 2 reasons.

Firstly was the fact that we have had lots of calls this week for Nile cruises in February which have been quite difficult to pick up because of the fact that its’ half-term in all areas of the country which has made finding flight seats very hard. So its’ been pretty hectic.

Secondly, I have been on a search engine optimisation course which took me out of the office for a full day meaning that I had a lot to do prior to the course and afterwards which pretty well stopped me from being able to post here on the blog which I like to do on a daily basis.

But here I am, Saturday morning and starting to catch up on my blog posting.

Anyway, to explain the title of this post, “Nile Cruises in February“, there is very little availability left I’m afraid but its’ still worth giving us a call on Freephone 0808 1089 100 as yesterday we managed to pick up seats for departures on the 25th February.

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We get a lot of enquiries for “Nile Cruise & Stay Holidays” combining either a few days in Cairo to see the Sphinx and Pyramids and then followed by a Nile Cruise OR a Nile Cruise followed by a further week in either Luxor or one of the Red Sea beach resorts such as Hurghada, Sharm-El-Sheikh or Taba OR all three!!

In other words a few days in Cairo, a week’s Nile Cruise and then a further stay in either Luxor or one of the Red Sea beach resorts.

Obviously these arrangements cost a bit more than a straightforward Nile Cruise but a lot of our clients say that if they are going to Egypt then they are going to really make the most of their time there and see as much as possible.

If you’d like more details of a possible “Nile Cruise & Stay holiday” please call Barbara on Freephone 0808 1089 100 or direct on 01704 833197 and she’ll be pleased to explain all the options available to you.

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We’ve just launched the Kenya Holidays Podcast on our sister site, www.KenyaHolidays4u.co.uk. The new series of Podcasts will start just after Christmas and, just like our Nile Cruise Podcast will be aimed at giving potential Kenya Holidays and Safari travellers a taste of what they can expect.

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Our sister site, www.kenyaholidays4u.co.uk is now offering a FREE downloadable Safari Screensaver.

To download a copy for your desktop simply click here.

The screensaver has been created from my original safari photographs taken recently on my visit to the Masai Mara, Kenya.

Now that we’ve created our first screensaver we’re just about to create a Nile Cruise Screensaver too.

Watch this space!!

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Just returned from my trip to Kenya to take part in a Safari and to help paint a new dormitory at a school on the Masai Mara.

I travelled with a small party courtesy of Virgin Holidays and had a fantastic time. Took loads of photographs, 5 hours of video and also recorded a lot of audio. I’m just trying to sort it out and it will appear on our Kenya Holidays website as soon as possible.

I’ll also be creating a Kenya Holiday and Safari Podcast so you can listen to what happened and get a feel for what a Safari Holiday entails.

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