An intimate and slow-paced cruise aboard a sleek dahabiya sailboat provides a leisurely pace at which to explore the monuments, villages, and timeless beauty of Egypt’s ancient river.

Photographs by Matt Dutile

The Temple of Kom Ombo, near Aswan; A view from the deck of the Poppee. — *Left to right*: The Temple of Kom Ombo, near Aswan; a view from the deck of the *Poppee*.

A great whooshing roar pierces the silence of the predawn air. I race up to our guesthouse’s twilit roof terrace to catch sight of the source of the blast. Moments later, the bulbous silhouette of a hot-air balloon floats by, jets of flame from its burner lifting it higher into the sky. A long wicker basket packed with a dozen gawking passengers passes just six or seven meters over my head.

It is our second morning in Luxor at the charming Beit Sabée. Awash in bright Nubian colors and artisan textiles, the mudbrick guesthouse sits between barren desert and lush green farms on the west bank of the Nile. From the roof terrace, I can almost peer into the rocky expanse of the Valley of the Queens; turning my head, I spot a farmer in a slate-gray galabiya ushering a donkey through thick plots of alfalfa. Velvety verdancy on one side, desolation on the other. Egyptians have been living alongside this stark contrast for millennia. As I watch a apparently endless flotilla of balloons lift off in the pale dawn light, it seems almost profane for them to be gliding so casually over such an ancient landscape.

Even at this early hour, Beit Sabée’s genial manager, Rgyp, has rustled up a plate of toast, bricks of creamy cow’s cheese, sweet orange marmalade, and a pot of French press coffee. My wife, Laura, emerges from the central stairwell just in time to tuck in. Soon enough, the crunch of car tires on the gravely lane below signals the arrival of Sayed Ismail.

Nour el Nil’s lateen-rigged dahabiya sail the Nile in smal convoys upriver from Esna to Aswan. — Nour el Nil’s lateen-rigged *dahabiya* sail the Nile in smal convoys upriver from Esna to Aswan.

Sayed is one of the principal guides at Nour el Nil Travel, and I’ve come to think of him as the mayor of Luxor. While exploring the great temple complex of Karnak with him the previous day, I noticed guide after guide would stop to smile and shake his hand, treating him with the respect due a professor. And rightly so. Sayed has been an Egyptologist for more than two decades, and he’s navigated us through millennia of pharaonic history in captivating style.

Today, we head off to the Valley of the Kings at sunrise to get a jump on the tourist throngs. It’s hardly a destination that needs recommending, but to be there ahead of the crowds is an entirely different experience. After a 15-minute drive, a quick passage through the ticket gate, and a short ride in a mustard-yellow shuttle cart, we’re deposited at the combined tomb of Ramesses V and VI. We have it pretty much to ourselves, as we do the magnificent burial chamber of Seti I, which lies deeper into the valley. But by the time we reach the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun, a river of tourists has filled every nook along the winding path through the sunbaked wadi.

We explore several more tombs and the imposing mortuary temple of Hatshepsut before calling it a day; even in the early winter months, Egypt’s midday sun is scorching. When we pass a group of workers trundling wheelbarrows full of rubble in a gully, Sayed says, “They are finding stones now with the name of Ramesses VIII inscribed on them. Perhaps if you come back in five years, there will be a new tomb to explore!”

For now, though, our thoughts are turned to the Nile itself. The next day, we leave Luxor behind, driving south past swaths of farmland and bowers of magenta bougainvillea to Esna, where we’ll be boarding a classic-style dahabiya for a six-day sail up the fabled river.

*Left to right*: The richly decorated columns and ceiling at the Temple of Khnum’s hypostyle hall; a young goatherd on a river island near Aswan.

Inside popee's salon; taking the plunge. — *Left to right*: Inside *popee’s* salon; taking the plunge.

Sporting twin lateen-rigged masts, dahabiyas were a popular way for well-heeled Europeans to cruise the Nile in the 19th century, before the steamboat became the dominant sightseeing vessel. Almost two decades ago, Nour El Nil helped reintroduce the bargelike craft to the river, and now operates a fleet of eight. They sail from Esna to Aswan over six languid days, forgoing speed for leisure time under sail, village visits, desert walks, and stops at smaller archeological sites. The must-see temples are still on the itinerary, but the slow pace allows passengers to really immerse themselves in life along the Nile.

We’ve arrived for one of the first sailings of the Poppee, the newest, largest, and most sustainably equipped of the Nour el Nil boats. Named for one of the owner’s granddaughters, the 60-meter-long dahabiya accommodates up to two dozen guests in 10 luxury rooms and a pair of aft-facing suites with panoramic windows that allow one to watch the river flow past from between the sheets. She sails in a convoy with several of her sister vessels; this week it’s the Roman, Meroe, and Adelaïde. Passengers from all four boats meet prior to boarding during a group tour of Esna’s Temple of Khnum, whose Ptolemaic-era hypostyle hall bursts with a painter’s palette of colors thanks to years-long restoration efforts by a team of preservationists. Because the dahabiyas depart from Esna on different days than the larger cruise ships, we’re spared the crowds that would otherwise fill the small temple, giving us plenty of time and elbow room to appreciate the vividly hieroglyphed columns, ceiling frescoes, and wall reliefs.

Local encounter; snack time aboard the Poppee. — *Left to right*: Local encounter; snack time aboard the *Poppee*.

All too soon, Laura has to pull me away from my continuous photo-snapping to catch up with our group as it makes for the boats, which are docked nearby. We shuffle up the gangplanks of our respective vessels and are ushered to our quarters by a smiling crew dressed in earthen-toned galabiyas. Our midship room in the Poppee is elegant in its simplicity. White walls with decorative moldings are accented with Egyptian artworks, brass sconces, and a set of double windows resting a meter or so above the water line. A cozy en-suite bathroom comes with a rainfall shower, while light wood floors give the space a sense of airiness.

What amenities the Poppee may lack vis-à-vis the big Nile cruisers (you’ll find no pool, spa, bar, or multiple restaurants here), she more than makes up for in sheer charm. And with her much smaller passenger complement, it’s easy to feel at home and to step back into a more gracious era of travel.

On deck, we meet and mingle with our fellow passengers, all Americans but for a pair of Spaniards. There are only 16 of us on this particular voyage, and connections are fast formed. Still, there’s plenty of space amid the ample couches and cushions that line the deck to disappear with a book for a bit of quiet time, or to contemplate the shoreline as we drift by.

*Left to right*: Lotus and palm capitals crown the columns in the hypostyle hall at Esna’s Ptolemaic-era Temple; rushes on the riverbank.

For six days we’ll share every meal together, seated around a large family-style table under an awning on the top deck. What meals they are. Every day the chef prepares a rotating selection of Egyptian classics such as fried Nile perch, lamb, and eggplant tajine in a cast-iron bowl, endless varieties of rice, fresh vegetable slaws, rolls of beef kofta, and triangles of fried cheese sambusa. There’s always plenty of tahini and pita to go around as well. One languorous afternoon we’re treated to an Egyptian “street food” lunch presented on decorative metal platters. The bowls of endless falafel, hummus, pita, ful medames (stewed fava beans), baba ghanoush, and koshary (the national dish of pasta, rice, lentils, tomato sauce, and crispy onions) are everyone’s favorite of the trip.

Casting off from Esna that first afternoon, the crew unfurls the Poppee’s sails to great oohs and aahs — the red-and-white-striped triangles of canvas immediately summon the romance of a bygone era. The wind is just strong enough to carry us against the current. After lunch and another hour of sailing, I make my way to the bow to join Memdouh Sayed Khalifa, who owns Nour el Nil along with Mexican-born Parisian Enrique Cansino and his French partner Eléonore Kamir. The trio came together over 20 years ago out of a shared love for Egypt, and to give tourists a more traditional way to experience it. They regularly sail with the boats. Cansino handles much of the business end of the operation, while Kamir designs the boats’ interiors. Khalifa’s father was a shipbuilder, and he followed him into the profession, building the company’s first dahabiya, Assouan, in 2005. He’s also in charge of the crew, a warm and gracious bunch who prove that Egyptians are some of the most hospita – ble people on the planet.

“I think the crew are what makes us different,” Khalifa remarks over a shared plate of flaky, honey-filled biscuits. “Most come from the same area in Luxor town, and worked at farms or were finishing school. I would teach them to be a sailor or mechanic, to find their strengths. It can be heavy work, and we all help each other.”

As if to underline his point, a crewman begins scaling the forward mast using small wedge-like footholds. Grasping ropes and balancing precariously on the balls of his feet, he starts to haul in the sail, lashing it tightly to its spar. It’s an almost gasp-inducing bit of acrobatics. Many of the crew of 18 rotate the duty throughout the voyage, and each time it is just as eye-popping to watch.

Taking in one of the Poppee’s sails; Rgyp, the manager of the Beit Sabée guesthouse. — *Left to right*: Taking in one of the *Poppee’s* sails; Rgyp, the manager of the Beit Sabée guesthouse.

Once the sails are furled, a small tugboat ties up to the bow via a long lead line and gently tows us to shore. With no motor on board the dahabiya, the majority of our travel is spent this way, with a couple hours each day allotted for sailing.

A group of children are awaiting us on the riverbank at the edge of a sugarcane field. One boy sits atop a rather put-upon looking donkey. Soon the gangways are down and we’re walking with them to a nearby village. Amid a circle of people in a dusty courtyard, we meet 32-year-old Asmaa Salah and hear about her life along the river. She learned English in only two years, using the skill to help open a sewing workshop that employs five women in the area.

“I want to empower them in the community,” she tells us. “To be strong and independent, to have their own money. I hope to build more one day.”

I ask the cost of a white dress embroidered in colorful patterns, hoping to add it to my growing textile collection. Salah seems genuinely delighted by my interest, as the pieces are mostly made for locals. It’s a refreshing exchange from what can be the constant hustle of sellers at every monument site in Egypt.

Back on the boat that evening, we sip gin and ton – ics under the warm glow of chandeliers. Beyond the thrum of the crew preparing dinner, the only sound is the lapping of water against the long white hull.

*Left to right*: A relief in the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings; detail of a villager met on a shore excursion.

*Left to right*: Hot-air balloons rising over Luxor; passengers enjoying a communal meal.

The days ahead follow a similar pattern: a morning or afternoon outing, with ample free time to take in the scenery of date palms and farmlands slipping by. There are planned stops for the marquee temples at Edfu and Kom Ombo, and smaller sites such as the tombs of El Kab and the ancient quarries of Gebel el-Silsila, where only shallow-bottomed dahabiya can dock. The rest of the schedule is left open. Perhaps to jump off the boat and swim in pockets of fast-moving current, or to take a ride in a felucca.

One morning, Cansino escorts me through a village he has visited many times during his 40-plus years exploring Egypt. We then head across from the New Kingdom–era tombs of El Kab, spectacular in their own right, and walk along the crumbling wall of Nekheb, one of Egypt’s earliest cities. At another village on the river, farmers and fishermen welcome us into their homes.

Another afternoon, we amble between the rocky protrusions of a wadi and up the great dunes at the outskirts of Gebel el-Silsila. In earlier times, this was the shortest route through the desert for traders to reach the settlements of Libya. The sands glitter like gold dust. Descending the dunes at twilight, we are able to watch the stars emerge, luminescent mirrors of the grains underfoot. The glow of the Poppee docked in front of a small temple is our North Star home.

A felucca near Gebel el-Silsila; an Egyptian “street food” lunch served aboard the Poppee. — *Left to right*: A felucca near Gebel el-Silsila; an Egyptian “street food” lunch served aboard the *Poppee*.

*Left to right*: Scenery on the west bank of Luxor; a bedroom at Beit Sabée.

The following morning, a small group of us rises before dawn to explore the sandstone quarries. It was here, at the narrowest point along the Nile, that the huge blocks used to build some of Upper Egypt’s most splendid temples and monuments were cut. Stone masons lived year-round among these cliffs, and many wealthier overseers had their tombs hewn directly into the face of the rock. Back at the boat, our own exertions are rewarded with a cooling swim along the reedy riverbank.

Tomorrow at Aswan, our merry band will go our separate ways: some to the monolithic Ramesses statues at Abu Simbel, others to the splendid Old Cataract Hotel where Agatha Christie penned portions of Death on the Nile, and Laura and I to a newly constructed hotel with views of Philae Temple, set on an islet between the two Aswan dams.

For now, we enjoy the remainder of our time together as the Poppee docks alongside the rich black soil of a river island. A group of young boys and their goats excitedly wait to show us around the grassy field lined with mango, hibiscus, and date palm trees. These gifts of the Nile have sustained people along this thin slice of life-giving water for millennia. To share in them for a week has been the true treasure of our adventure.

*Left to right*: In-room tea service; moored up for the night.

Six-day Esna–Asawn cruises aboard the Poppee start from about US$6,780 based on two people sharing, including full board, excursions, and transfers.

This article originally appeared in the March/May 2025 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Gifts of The Nile”).

A Journey by Dahabiya

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