There are certain types of trips that belong in the pantheon of travel experiences. An African safari would be one, the annual ski holiday another, the Rome city break, the family beach holiday... and I would add, without question, a Nile cruise. In fact I’d go one detail deeper: a Nile cruise aboard the sublime Steam Ship Sudan.
The stretch of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan is home to some of the most remarkable sites in antiquity, from the Valleys of the Kings and Queens to the vast temples of Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. Choose to cruise on the venerable Steam Ship Sudan and the immersion in history continues back onboard as well. Whether enjoying evening drinks served by a fez-sporting crew or watching the banks of the Nile drift lazily, a cruise on Steam Ship Sudan is a genuine slice of time travel.
History of the Steam Ship Sudan
First, the history bit. This magnificent paddle steamer was launched in the 1920s, and today is the only remaining steamer from Thomas Cook’s fleet that plied the waters of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan during the so-called Golden Age of Travel. After decades languishing at the mooring, she was bought and refurbished and now represents one of the closest approximations to time travel anywhere in the world. Step onboard, and you're transported back a century, ushered by elegantly liveried staff to your immaculate cabin, replete with cast iron beds and other period pieces. On deck, lean on the mahogany guard rails polished so assiduously that they gleam in the sunlight, and you almost expect Agatha Christie to walk past, as she did when she and her husband were passengers on Steam Ship Sudan in 1933. The trip so inspired the British author that Death on the Nile appeared four years later.
Image by Mathieu Richer
All aboard
On my particular voyage, I was accompanied by my mother soon after my stepfather’s death. Any holiday taken by an adult child and their parent can, and should, be a genuinely cathartic bonding experience, regardless of circumstance, but being on board Steam Ship Sudan at that moment was particularly special. The crew, many of whom have been with the boat since her renaissance two decades ago, welcomed us (and all the other passengers, to be fair) into the bosom of the family.
Amir Attia, the ship’s Director once described as ‘half man, half honey’, took my mother under his wing. Ashraf, the Maitre d’ known universally as ‘Omar Sharif’ for his uncanny resemblance to the matinee idol, was (if possible) even more attentive to my mother. But it wasn’t just the ‘front of house’ staff who were wonderful. Chief Engineer Ahmed, always in overalls with a wrench in hand, showed me around the astonishing engine room where all the original pistons and machinery – built in Glasgow when it was the shipbuilding capital of the world – was whirring, pumping and gliding away in perfect unison. I’m no engineer, but the engine room tour was an unexpected highlight, and the glint of pride in Ahmed’s eye was a joy to behold.
Image by Sebastien Zanella
Awe-inspiring archaeology
Simply being on board the Steam Ship Sudan is so amazing an experience that the stops and sites could almost be incidental, except we’re talking about Egypt here and some of the most remarkable sites in antiquity. In the five days of the cruise, you visit many of the world’s most awe-inspiring archaeological sites, from Karnak to the wondrous island temple at Philae, all subtly different and all explained with great verve and clarity because it’s fair to say that any civilisation that lasts for over 3,000 years is going to wind up being a bit complicated.
The guides are, as you would expect, outstanding, fluent in English and deeply, deeply knowledgeable about Egyptian history. You have the same guide throughout your voyage, so you soon learn to tell the difference between the hieroglyphs and architecture of the Middle and Lower Kingdom eras while they, too, learn about your specific interests and adapt the tours accordingly. It’s safe to say that Hasan was one of the best guides I’ve ever had anywhere.
Back on the boat
But it’s often the moments between temple tours that prove the most memorable. Settle in on the Steam Ship Sudan’s top deck, mint tea (or something stronger) in hand, and watch the Nile’s banks slip by. Children bring oxen down to the water’s edge to drink; pied kingfishers dart across the dark water; fishermen cast their nets from small wooden boats; triangular sailed felucca boats glide past; it is an unhurried glimpse of a lifestyle virtually unchanged in centuries; another type of time travel.
Of course, there’s more to Egypt than the Steam Ship Sudan and the sites along the Nile, but boy, what a place to start. After that, divers can explore the Red Sea’s many wrecks and reefs, culture vultures can gnaw on Cairo’s multi-millennial history (including that of the Copts, the Christian Egyptians who still make up 10% of the population), while Alexandria on the Mediterranean has a distinctly European feel. Still not sure about whether you should visit Egypt? You’re clearly in ‘deNile’. Sorry, couldn’t help it.
Image by Matthieu Salvaing
Written by Tom Barber | Header image by Sebastien Zanella
