THE NILE, EGYPT THE USUAL: THE ALTERNATIVES: ALSO TRY:

Colossal tombs and 3,000-yearold temples, starlit nights, the scent of the North African night air – along the Nile, history is life. Your experience of this ancient land will hinge on what you see and how you see it. Luxurious boats cruise between Cairo and Aswan, and along shorter stretches from Luxor – but passengers are arguably detached from the subtle rhythms of river life.

From Agatha Christie-era steamers to two-masted vintage-style dahabiyya houseboats and larger modern cruisers, there’s a range of upmarket options. But perhaps the most intimate way of absorbing life on the Nile is aboard a on a small traditional felucca sailboat. It’s a no-frills experience, sleeping on deck in the warm night air, between hopping off to explore ancient temples and tombs.

Overlanding offers a different perspective entirely. Trucks trundle south from Cairo, past the ancient sites of Luxor and across the Nubian Desert into Sudan. At Khartoum, the world’s longest river splits: follow the Blue Nile to its source in the Ethiopian highlands, or the White Nile to Lake Victoria in Uganda – an unforgettable adventure either way.

In a remote spot in the desert 250km north-east of the Sudanese capital stand more pyramids than even Egypt can boast. Here, on the eastern bank of the Nile, you’ll find Meroë, ancient capital of the kings of Kush, sometime rulers of Egypt. Across its dual necropolis, some 200 pyramids rise from the sands, best visited on an overnight camping trip from Khartoum. wanderlust.co.uk

March 2019