This Traditional Egyptian Ship Is a New Way to See the Temples of the Nile River, With Fewer Than Two Dozen Guests on Board

“Phar-aooohs!” is the call that echoes through the Temple of Kom Ombo, breaking me from my admiration of a 2,100-year-old carving of the crocodile god Sobek. Within moments, a laughing chorus mimics it; our little group is belting out our rallying cry, established over the past few days of wandering up and down the Nile River.

Leading the way in the “Pharaohs” call is our group’s guide and Egyptologist, Mohamed Abdou, who goes by “Adbou.” We’re gathering for the last time to return to our ship, Poppee. The newest and largest of a fleet operated by the Egypt specialists Nour el Nil, it’s what is known as a dahabeah, or golden boat. It’s a kind of two-masted sailing barge, and vessels like it have been plying the currents between the Nile Delta and the Aswan cataract for millennia.

Poppee is adorned with coffered ceilings, sparkling chandeliers, and visually arresting red-and-white striped sails; the ship’s crew of 18 men, in traditional galabia, or robes, lend a touch of classical Egypt, though Poppee is certainly fitted with modern comforts.

My wife and I have wanted to see the temples, tombs, and treasures of ancient Egypt for years. Laura and I have poured over books chronicling its dynastic history and streamed hours of programing on Ramesses II, Cleopatra, and King Tut. The chance to see, first-hand, the iconic temples of Esna, Edfu, and Kom Ombo was nothing less than a dream.

What surprised us, though, was everything in between, on our six-day trip from Esna to Aswan. We didn’t expect to be enraptured by the desert dunes, the village visits to meet welcoming locals, and the quiet afternoons spent under sail. Nor did I anticipate, having been on many cruises before, to establish friendships with a band of fellow passengers, many of whom we are still in touch with.

The intimate size of Poppee surely helped: though the cabins are spacious, particularly for a sailing vessel, there are only 10 of them, plus two panoramic suites at the back. And sharing meals together at a long table three times a day makes it easy to quickly get on a first-name basis with everyone. And what meals they are: the crew seemed to make it their mission to impress us with ever more delicious and bountiful Egyptian classics.

The slow pace of travel gave us ample leisure time for reading, napping, or watching the palm trees drift by. And we had the mental space to fully absorb each temple tour or other shoreside experience. When the sails were unfurled in the afternoon, it was nothing short of magic, a postcard from a bygone era of travel.

Thanks to the comparatively small size of Poppee, the crew could drop anchor almost anywhere along the riverbank. We did so late every afternoon, allowing for explorations of places other cruise ships cannot go, and quiet nights under a blanket of starry skies.

Those moments in between the monuments linger with me the most: watching the setting sun light each grain of sand into an ocean of fire on a desert walk outside the quarries of Gebel el-Silsila. Sharing an exploding fist bump and a laugh with a young boy herding goats at a river island. Speaking with 32-year-old Asmaa Salah about her sewing workshop, where she employs five women and empowers them to be independent in their communities.

One particularly languid afternoon, I watched an unending line of multi-story cruise ships race past us. Aboard Poppee, though, a crew member simply brought around a tray of mint tea and some pastries filled with honey. A deck hand climbed the forward mast in a particularly acrobatic display and stretched out the sail to catch the breeze. It was another perfect moment on the Nile to be shared with newfound friends. Luckily, I knew exactly how to call them.

Here’s an in-depth look at what you can expect when you cruise the Nile River with Nour el Nil on the Poppee.

The Staterooms

There are 12 staterooms on the ship, which gives it a distinctly intimate feel. The 10 luxury rooms measure 140 square feet and the two panoramic suites are a larger 215 square feet. Regardless of category, each room is decorated with vintage prints, artwork by Egyptian artisans, colorful rugs, and brass lamp sconces and hooks.

Light wooden floors and cream-colored walls and ceilings allude to the aesthetic that co-founder and designer Eleonore Kamir describes as “elegantly simple and comfortable.” (As an aside, it was her granddaughter who inspired the ship’s name.)

Each room is equipped with air conditioning and heating that run fully on the ship’s expansive solar panels and batteries. While we never felt the need for air conditioning in late November thanks to plenty of shade and a steady breeze, the heat was a welcome feature after an evening shower. Modern bathrooms in the traditional Egyptian style are ensuite, while under-bed cabinets serve as luggage storage; the single closet had room for about 10 outfits.

The two panoramic suites are situated at the stern of the ship, and they add a bistro table and a pair of wicker chairs in front of three large windows with sweeping views of the Nile.

Bars and Restaurants

In contrast to big, ocean-going ships and even many river ships, meals on Poppee were a communal affair. Everything was served and shared, family style, on the main deck, at one large table. For me, it was the heart and soul of the experience aboard, as our merry band came together three times a day to exchange stories and swap travel tales.

Mornings would start with things like eggs cooked to guests’ preferences, fresh vegetables, slices of cheese, and crepes. Freshly squeezed orange and mango juices, as well as French press coffee pots were regularly refreshed. (I often asked for a Turkish coffee to greet the incredible sunrises.)

Lunch and dinners were mostly Egyptian specialties and excellent all around. Plates of rice and bowls of vegetable slaw were a constant at every meal, but it was a tour across Egyptian cuisine from there. One day featured fried Nile perch and buttery shrimp. Another beef kofta, roasted potatoes, and stewed okra. A personal favorite was the Egyptian “street food” lunch, seated on floor cushions around circular metal tables filled with koshary (the national dish of pasta, rice, lentils, tomato sauce, and crispy onions), ful medames (stewed fava beans), vegetable stuffed eggplant, baba ghanoush, and always enough tahini and pita to go around. At one dinner, sambusas, little triangles of fried pastry-wrapped cheese, were so popular they disappeared nearly as soon as they hit the table.

There were plenty of vegetarian options, and the kitchen was ready to accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions. We had, for example, requested less beef on a pre-departure form, and found an extra specialty dish of chicken or fish was prepared for us at every single meal.

Alcoholic drinks are not included in Poppee fares, though a small selection of Egyptian wines, local beer, and simple cocktails made to order are available at a reasonable cost.

Where Poppee Sails

Nour el Nil operates a fleet of eight ships, and they often travel between Esna, near Luxor, and Aswan in small flotillas of two to four. Major archeological highlights at Esna, Edfu, and Kom Ombo are always on the itinerary, along with the tombs of El Kab and the quarries at Gebel el-Silsila.

In contrast to engine-powered cruises, which travel roundtrip from Luxor, these dahabeah sail at a leisurely pace over six days upriver from Esna to Aswan. The sails are unfurled in dramatic fashion — with crew scaling the tall masts — for a couple hours each day, when wind conditions allow. At other times, the vessels are pulled along by small tugs, by way of a long line.

One of the great advantages of traveling on Poppee is that it can go where larger vessels can’t. We often stopped for the night alongside peaceful islands or next to rural stretches of riverbank. This made for enchanting sunset and sunrise explorations, as well as chandelier-lit dinners peering out to the Nile.

Shore Excursions

Poppee stops at all the major temple sites along the river between Esna and Luxor, including the beautifully-restored Temple of Khnum at Esna, the incredible preserved Temple of Horus at Edfu, and the dual temple to the crocodile deity Sobek and Horus the Elder at Kom Ombo. Even better, we often had each site to ourselves or were visiting alongside only a handful of others. Throughout the week, we encountered no mass crowds as can be common in the Valley of the Kings. Our visits were guided by an Egyptologist who was assigned to our ship, and all the excursions were included in the fare.

As fabulous as the ancient temples were, I found our visits to small villages and walks through the desert to be a highlight of the trip. Often guided by crew members, these forays offered an up-close view of contemporary rural life along the river. These opportunities aren’t the sort of thing that bigger vessels typically offer. One evening, for example, we docked outside the sandstone quarries of Gebel el-Silsila, the site where giant blocks were carved for many of Egypt’s most famous temples. The following morning, a small group of us woke up early to explore the sandstone cliffs before being joined by the larger group to peek into tombs cut into the rock.

Another day, we stopped for a swim in the Nile, near a small island where farmers tilled verdant plots of alfalfa; that evening we were greeted by young boys moving along herds of goats, while we were anchored.

Amenities and Entertainment

Big-ship amenities such as casinos, night clubs, and theater-scale entertainment aren’t something you’ll find on Nile River ships, including the Poppee. There’s no pool either. But aboard this traditional sailing vessel, none of those amenities are really missed. The principal amenity, really, is the open deck from which guests can watch the countryside slip by, under bright red- and white-striped sails.

The ship does have a small gift shop, which is stocked with handmade souvenirs, textiles, clothing, and ceramics from artisans around Luxor. We opted to purchase a pair of red, blue, and green pillow cushions designed in a lotus motif. Massages are also available, administered by the lone woman crewmember on board, and yoga mats can be laid on the main deck for those who enjoy a morning stretch.

Family-friendly Offerings

There were no children on our ship, though there were on another Nour et Nil ship in our convoy. Families with younger children might struggle with the somewhat repetitive nature of the temples and the leisurely pace of sailing. Kids with more experience traveling — and, in particular, teens with an interest in Egypt — may well find plenty to absorb and enjoy. At certain points along the river, the crew will open room windows for leaps into the Nile, something you can’t do on most cruise ships.

Accessibility

Accessibility can be difficult in many parts of Egypt, including on the Nile, though a representative from Nour el Nil told me that the company has in the past accommodated guests who use wheelchairs. By my estimation, traveling aboard Poppee in a wheelchair would be difficult, given that all the ship’s suites are accessible only by stairs. Additionally, passengers board and disembark by way of a narrow gangplank. Many of the temple sites we visited were largely flat, though we encountered some stairs, particularly around the docks we used.