SAILING the ENIGMATIC NILE

Shikha Shah explores how slow cruising the world's longest river offers a unique opportunity to step into the shoes of the pharaohs and uncover the mysteries of Egypt

- Shikha Shah

MUDBRICK HOUSES AND TALL MINARETS poke out of grassy banks sprinkled with palm trees gently swaying in the cool breeze. An old-fashioned dahabiya (traditional wooden sailing boat) unhurriedly glides down the glistening waters while two men paddle a small boat piled with fishing nets. I am transported back in time as I gape at the mystical riverine scenery from our spacious cabin aboard Mayfair Cruise's M.S.

Mayflower moored by El Watania dock of Southern Egypt's Luxor. The elegant vessel boasting Ottoman-meets-modern interiors is our home for the extraordinary seven-night voyage-a round trip between Luxor and Aswan-along the iconic Egyptian waterway. After all, en-Nil or the Nile, stretching over 6,650 km and snaking its way through 11 countries, has been indispensable to Egyptians since time immemorial. The life-giving natural resource has been offering its waters not only for bathing and drinking but also for trade, transportation and farming, thus forging a flourishing civilisation in the otherwise arid landscape.

No wonder the Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt the "Gift of the Nile".

Our journey to witness its time-honoured treasures begins in the ship's Sultan Bar and Lounge, where our guide Adel Gerges gives us a lowdown on the itinerary before ushering us off the boat, to the east bank of Luxor.

Our first stop is Karnak, which means "the chosen one". As the name suggests, ancient Egyptians selected the open-air temple complex for prayers and celebrations. The most significant religious sanctuary in Thebes, the city of the god Amun-Re and the capital of Egypt during the Middle and New Kingdoms, Karnak is over 250 acres of well-preserved temple ruins constructed by several pharaohs over many centuries. We stare in awe at the jumble of artistic details revealing layers of Egyptian history and culture.