TRADITIONAL DETAILS ADORN THE SUITE BATHROOMS
SS SPHINX SUNDECK
3
TEMPLE OF PHILAE
3 DAYS
NILE RIVER CRUISE
GORGEOUS DETAILS CARRY THROUGH TO THE SS SPHINX DINING ROOM
S T A Y We ’ ve sailed with the Oberoi Zahra and , most recently , the Sanctuary Sun Boat IV , both of which we enjoyed immensely . But there are other appealing options , such as Uniworld ’ s SS Sphinx , which offers 12-day itineraries , including time in Cairo , and the intimate dahabiyas ( a smaller vessel with sails ) of Nour El Nil . Of these , the 12-cabin Adelaïde is the newest and plushest . The Travel Office can help select the vessel that best suits you . They all follow similar itineraries between Aswan and Luxor , with some variations . This itinerary follows that of the Sanctuary Sun Boat IV .
D I N E At meals in the stylish silver-gray restaurant , which was decorated with turquoise vases of fresh flowers , each party had an assigned table , but new friends would frequently join one another . Rotating breakfast buffet selections included beef bacon , lamb sausage , mixed-vegetable gratin , eggs Benedict and made-to-order omelets , pancakes and waffles . Lunch buffets offered a mix of Egyptian and international fare , such as shawarma , falafel ,
moussaka , pasta and chicken cordon bleu . Dinners , aside from the Egyptian Night buffet , were multicourse plated affairs featuring an appetizer , soup , main course and dessert .
E X P L O R E Visit the romantic island Temple of Philae , located just south of Aswan , and return to the ship for lunch . Cruise north to Kom Ombo , to see its unusual double temple dedicated to Sobek , the crocodile god , and to Haroeris , Horus the Elder . ( The set of mummified crocodiles in the museum here is quite the sight .)
On the following day , visit the unusually well-preserved Temple of Horus at Edfu , which has a roofed hypostyle hall and intact chapels surrounding its sacred inner sanctuary . Continue north to Esna to see the Temple of Khnum . Only its hypostyle hall has been excavated , but its state preservation is also striking . The interior retains much of its original coloration , allowing one to see what temples looked like in ancient times .
ANDREW HARPER TRAVELER ISSUE NO . 2 / 2022
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