EASTside Magazine’s Travel Editors Top Bucket List Destinations: 2023 Edition

A Cruise through Time: Nile River Cruises

Floating along the Nile, the chaos of the present melts away under the desert sun as travelers take refuge in a well-appointed ship sailing the deep blue waters.

The bygone era where travel felt more like an adventure feels so distant for anyone who’s recently gone through the gauntlet of trying to enjoy a modern-era vacation. Every best-kept secret is pinned on map apps, and influencers are five steps ahead in sharing the “next best thing” in travel. That sense of wonder has been replaced by a sense of urgency to experience the most of somewhere before it’s taken over. Yet, as paradoxical as it may sound, the over-discovered history in Egypt still offers a slower pace experience for those looking to escape the rat race of tourism.

Several companies and cruise lines offer a means of seeing monumental sites without cramming into tight quarters on a gargantuan ship. Each ship is intimate in size, focusing on the world outside its windows instead of providing distracting amenities to keep the gaze inward. The breathtaking scenery along the Nile, with stops in Cairo, Luxor, and Memphis, harkens back to that era of exploration. Even though each monument or ruin has long been studied, there’s a sense of breaking a barrier as small groups disembark the ship to tour the marvels in the Egyptian sands.

By Deven Wilson