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TRAVEL EBOOK: EGYPT: NILE RIVER CRUISEBelow is a short SAMPLE taken from the 26,500 word / 60 photographs Nile cruise eBook which is only available from our websites. If you wish to view a sample page please click here - Example layout Nile Cruise. If you would like to see the full ebook layout click here You will note that some of the headings, description, suggestions, tips etc are not complete as they are here purely to demonstrate what type of content is included in the full Egyptian travel ebook version. Whenever you see ............ this means the text is only available in the full-length eBook, available from here. Nile Cruise ebook. Plus, only a couple of the 30+ photos that are included in the Nile Cruise eBook are available here. Download a pdf copy of this sample Egypt ebook by clicking the icon: 
Left click - load to screen - save to hard drive (floppy disc icon) on acrobat toolbar. For customer ebook reviews please click here -Egyptian Travel Ebook reviews. Egypt Travel books available are:  Nile River Cruise, Egypt
Photographing in Egypt
Staying Around Luxor, Egypt
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INTRODUCTION: One of the things about which I am constantly asked is, ‘What happens on a Nile Cruise?’ So with this in mind I have put together this eBook in order to go through what, in my experience, are the typical events of a Nile holiday, so hopefully by the time you have finished reading you will have a far better idea of what to expect from your Egyptian Cruise. As well as covering the basic issues, I will also tell you 'how it is', and not just romanticise the experience. Generally speaking I am writing this eBook from the perspective of a UK traveller, but over 99% of the information provided will be relevant to most foreigners visiting Egypt. Whilst this eBook contains information on the various sites regularly visited by the cruise ships, it also includes general and practical information that you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere, especially in one place. 
Nile Cruise Boat As the most popular Nile cruises start at Luxor and travel south to Aswan I have concentrated on these, often giving you examples of my own experiences. A Nile cruise was my first introduction to Egypt and it whetted my appetite so much so that I couldn’t wait to get back the following year to see the pyramids and ‘Tutankhamun’s treasures’ at the Museum of Antiquities. Of course, you can include a visit to Cairo, either before or after your cruise, when you book your holiday, but obviously the costs go up and your itinerary gets more hectic. There are many travel companies who are happy to offer tailor-made holidays, which they fit around your needs. 
Feluccas moored up at Luxor TYPICAL NILE CRUISE SCHEDULE: ARRIVAL: You arrive in Luxor via an International flight. You will then be taken either by coach or taxi to your Nile cruise ship. If you didn’t get a tourist visa before you left home you will have to ........... If your bags are not too heavy, or have wheels, I would suggest ............. Depending upon your time of arrival, you will be asked to join your rep's welcoming meeting either that day, or the following morning. I would strongly suggest that you attend as during this meeting you will be given general information about the week ahead, such as............. By far the most popular extra excursions are.................... West Bank Balloon Tips: Information regarding Balloon trips over the Valley of the Kings is included in our Luxor ebook. DAY ONE: Your first morning will be an early start when you will most likely cross over to the West Bank of the River Nile on the first of your inclusive excursions. The travel company will provide guides on all the tours. The Valley of the Kings trip usually includes three tomb visits that you take in the company of your guide. From the Valley of the Kings, you will probably be driven a short distance to the Temple of Hatshepsut. The temple has just had ................ Next on the agenda could be the Valley of the Queens, where usually again three tombs are included. It should be noted that on my last visit (Oct 2003) there were ........ Personally I find the Valley of the Queens .......... Other possible venues during this trip to the West Bank could be: ............. West Bank Tip: You will not be able to see all of the ancient sites the Necropolis has to offer on this one visit and, what you will see, will probably be governed by various factors including ..........What I would suggest is if you have .... Tutankhamun Tomb Tip: You are not allowed videos or cameras in Tut's tomb and when I last visited all........ Unless things have dramatically changed, a possible solution to this problem is ................. Tomb Tip 1: If you are in reasonable health, don't mind heights, do not suffer from claustrophobia and don't suffer from a bad back, one of my favourite tombs to visit is ............ Tomb Tip 2: Tomb interior photography: If your camera has an ......... also, if possible reduce......... Internal photography, without flash and tripod, is always tricky but not impossible. Tomb Tip 3: UPDATE!! Since writing this eBook I have visited Egypt again (Oct 2003) and much to my great disappointment I found that you can no longer....... I find this situation unsatisfactory and many tourists were complaining bitterly about it. A possible solution is ............. Although, this is a way around the problem, it is by no means satisfactory and I hope the ‘authorities’ review their policy on this matter as soon as possible. NOTE: For those of you travelling independently, the kiosk, where you used to purchase ........ When you arrive back on the boat lunch is ready to be served, after which, the afternoon is usually spent relaxing on the sundeck. However if you are still in exploring mood you could always take a trip into town. I tend to .................... Caleshe Tip: You may notice that some of the caleshe horses are in poor condition, many look emaciated and some have body sores.............. Town Tip: You may have been advised, from others who have travelled to Egypt, to take things such as ...... I did this the first time I visited Egypt but made the mistake of ............ Your tour company will probably have planned entertainment for the latter part of the evening, which could be anything from ..................... DAY TWO: Begins with another early start when you will probably have a combined trip to both the Karnak and Luxor Temples..... (See pictures below) By far the largest of these is Karnak ........This huge religious complex is actually my own personal favourite site and I even had a song written in dedication to one of temples known as the 'Hall of Hearing', which was commissioned from Steven Wood of www.musiccreator.co.uk. Luxor Temple is........ Quite likely you will round this trip off with a visit to one of Luxor's papyrus galleries. Here you may be given a demonstration of how papyrus is made and how not to fall victim of ............... Other non-ancient visits / trips, like the papyrus shop, which may be included in your cruise are: ................... Again the trip will take about four hours. If your cruise is following this common schedule so far, you are probably asking yourself, ‘when are we actually going to set sail?’ as by now, you will have been on the boat for two days and not moved an inch! But don't despair as you will probably set sail that afternoon and, once out of the 'suburbs' of Luxor .................... At some stage during the evening, usually after dinner the boat passes through the Esna Locks and docks in the town of Edfu a few hours later. There will probably be some form of entertainment. Esna Lock Tip 1: It is worth bearing in mind that the Esna Lock is .............. My advice would be to ensure you check with your travel agent. Esna Lock Tip 2: On my first Nile trip it was already dark when we reached the locks and like many others I had decided to go up onto the deck to watch ............... Needless to say I was very annoyed and more than glad to see the back of the lock. One final note on this matter; I didn't tell this story in order to ............ DAY THREE: Another early morning start to see the Temple at Edfu. This is about a five-minute drive on a horse-drawn caleche, or taxi, to this spectacular temple. Here you may have ............ Part of the afternoon will be spent relaxing on the sundeck whilst the boat sets sail for the Temple of Kom Ombo, arriving mid-afternoon. After visiting the ancient site the boat will probably set sail for Aswan, the furthest south it will travel. Temple Tip: Again there is a local market just outside the Komombo temple, however you can.......... TIP: Just remember to keep walking as....... Quite often in the evening there is a Galabeya Party on board the boat. This entertainment involves ...... Entertainment Tips: 1. You will probably be encouraged to .........however you could find it a lot cheaper ...... DAY FOUR: This will probably be the start of a two-day stay in Aswan. Here you may travel by coach to the High Dam , which controls the Nile and is a major....... the old granite quarries ......... and Philae temple. The temple, like Abu Simbel, was ... On your return your tour representative may have arranged a felucca ride. Sometimes, if it’s during the children's school lunch break, you will.............. DAY FIVE: This day will either be spent at your own leisure; sightseeing, sunbathing, shopping or on an optional excursion, the most popular being a trip to the Temples of Abu Simbel. Built by Pharaoh Ramses II around 1250 B.C., the temple.......... You may, depending on your travel company, have a choice of either travelling by coach or plane. Obviously the coach is ....... but it is a .......... with only a ............. Other optional excursion whilst you are in Aswan could be ................. You may find that some of your fellow companions leave the ship at this stage. The reason for this is usually because .......... DAY SIX: All day is spent sailing downstream back to Luxor via the Esna Lock. The day is spent chilling out and relaxing by the pool, or simply watching the world go by. By this time you will have probably already handed in your envelope which contains the tip that will be paid to all the crewmembers at the end of the voyage. Your travel rep will have already advised you on the recommended amount, which at the time of writing is approximately......... You tour guide will........ DAY SEVEN: At the end of the cruise some package holidays include a one or two stay in a Luxor hotel before you have to fly back home. This option gives you a chance to either explore the town and sites on your own, or just chill out around the swimming pool and recuperate after the hectic itinerary. TELL YOU HOW IT IS.... Now for the promise which I gave at the beginning of this eBook, about telling you ‘how it is’ and not over romanticising the holiday. From my experience the reasons most people are put off from going, or returning to Egypt are; ILLNESS, TERRORISM AND HASSLE. Regarding illness; there is a section below under ‘Medical’ that contains some practical information. There are no scientific statistics I can offer - only my own experiences, which are; In my last ten visits to Egypt I have been ill ........ Regarding terrorism; Egypt's tourism industry was crippled after.......... I have included a number of links at the end of this eBook.... Regarding hassle, this can come in many forms such as:............. What is a way of life in Egypt can prove to be somewhat overwhelming, not to mention a little intimidating to the foreign traveller. And, admittedly, at times, it can seem ......... Therefore, with this in mind, the benefits of a cruise have to be noted. Firstly, the boat helps to ............... . It only leads to dissatisfaction and annoyance, which undoubtedly could spoil your whole holiday. Bartering Tips and tricks: 1. If you are with a partner there is a little trick that you can use. In Egypt, men are seen ........ 2. Another way to get people off your back is to tell them you are ............ 3. Along similar lines, you can say you have ............ 4. Try learning some basic Arabic phrases that will make sure you are clearly understood. For example; ............. 5. You will find children of all ages trying to sell you something, be it jewellery, papyrus bookmarks, little ceramic ornaments, plastic pyramids etc. On occasion some will give you an item for you to inspect .............. 6. Never ............... the locals..... 7. Away from the boat you will be expected to tip ................... 8. When you leave the boat on your own, be aware that you will be accosted ............. 9. If you find a taxi driver, guide, etc ................... 10. When shopping please note that ........... 11. Sometimes ........... can also be used as bartering tools 12. Not so much a trick but a suggestion. Bartering is a ................... Con Artists are about and use various methods to get you to part with your money. Besides the scam mentioened above you should watch out for .................and men who........ This happened to us during our first trip to Cairo. After being dropped off by a taxi we were looking at a map to find the location of the antiquities museum when an Egyptian came up to us and .............. Uncertain, but not wanting to appear rude, we agreed....... Sometimes you may get an Egyptian coming up to you, smiling and trying to shake your hand, saying ............ . Do not be conned by this ............. Usually they have been ............... There is a trick, especially used by older children ................. Recently (2003) it has been reported that people are coming up to tourists in the street and asking ........... Intimidation is by far the worst type of hassle and deserves no tolerance. Again, I'm sorry to say that women are the most vulnerable and may be approached even ............ Below I have included some Arabic phrases you should memorise. ................ GENERAL INFORMATION: · To fully enjoy your Egyptian cruise, it’s important to choose an experienced company who operate some of the three hundred plus boats that sail between Luxor and Aswan. When choosing, look for ........... · For most westerners who are used to a more temperate climate the months of ........... · Ensure you get yourself a good ........... · The extras, which will not be included in your holiday, are; ............ · When visiting Egypt you should have a .............. · The further south you travel the ........... · Due to operational difficulties, ............ · Whenever your boat moors up you may find that......... · In order to leave the boat you will be required to ......... · The crime rate in Egypt is ................. MEDICAL: · It is important that you do not travel to Egypt without......... · The majority of Nile cruise boat............. · I have to say hospital facilities in Luxor and Aswan are ................... · Many prescription drugs are available over the counter in Egyptian pharmacies but .................... · Stomach upsets can occur due to;.................. . I would advise taking plenty of ....... However if you do forget ........ is a commonly used local remedy. If, after 24-36 hours you are ....... Obviously sickness can greatly affect your enjoyment and ability to go on organised tours. Unfortunately there is ....... but you do have some control over the last three in the list; namely, ................ · Having checked through many a hotel travel guide book in my time (including all the big names) I find that most will try to persuade you that ........ . If you are still ill after returning home, e.g.......... · Be aware that Egypt can be a bit of a culture shock so don't expect............ · Do not be tempted to ........... as you are at GREAT risk of exposure to bacterial infections, hepatitis, and parasites. · Drink only ............ FACILITIES: Any average size boat will have approximately 20-30 mainly twin-bedded cabins on two decks with WC, shower and air conditioning (a must have) .......... Also, in my experience, the lower deck can sometimes ....... You will find that the vast majority of boats have an .......... The average boat facilities include; ........ During the voyage you will probably have a chance to buy ...........In my experience they make novelty gifts for back home, but the quality is not very good ... Sun Deck Tips: 1. Be aware if you are sunbathing at the front of the boat near the steps that lead down to the ............. 2. ........ can be in short supply so .......... 3. The pools onboard Nile cruise boats are ........... 4. Occasionally the wind at the back of the sundeck swirls around and if you are not careful ...... MEALS: Meals are served in the restaurant. You will find........ Authentic dishes prepared for tourists are likely to be ......... Breakfast is usually .........with your choice of ......... Lunch and dinner tend to be taken in one sitting, with a mixture of both ................... If one night you decide to visit a local restaurant at one of the ports of call you might like to try some of the local delicacies: ...... DRINKS: Meals are often accompanied by a range of drinks; choose from......... Generally speaking Egyptian beverages are enjoyed without ....As a Muslim country, the production of alcohol is restricted, however..... A local drink ........... is made from ........... It can be served either hot or cold. If it's not sweet enough for you try mixing it with sprite for a delicious long, cool drink. Drinks Tip: The general rule regarding drinks is that you do not................. Whilst on the boat you may come across some dodgy bartenders who, instead of....... ENTERTAINMENT: In general guest entertainment is provided in the lounge bar on most evenings. Usual treats can include;.............. Photography Tip: I have heard it suggested that it is often best to wait until you get to Egypt to buy your film, as it’s much cheaper than in the UK, and you can also bargain for a discount if you buy two or more films. In my experience ................... CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES: It can be hot throughout the year in Egypt; especially during the day so .......... Egypt is a Muslim country and Egyptians do not appreciate ............. It is also not acceptable for men to .......... CUSTOMS: Quite often you will see Egyptian male friends greeting each other.............. MONEY MATTERS: The local currency is the Egyptian pound and at the time of writing the exchange rate was ......... The maximum amount of Egyptian currency that can be brought into Egypt is ............... Credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted, but quite often credit cards cannot be used to ........ Tipping, or baksheesh as it is called in Egypt, is a way of life, and porters, ancient site attendants, waiters etc expect a small tip. The average is about ......... Money Tips: ........in particularly, as they are very useful for ........... ........at the end of your holiday, you will probably find when you arrive at the airport ......... MISCELLANEOUS: The electricity supply is ......... Telephone calls are ........... Shops are generally open ......... As I mentioned at the beginning, this eBook is to be used as a general guide. Every cruise will have its own itinerary, entertainment programme and food menu. What I have tried to do is give you the most popular sites and activities that you may come across, plus a few personal insights into the way things work. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as a small example of what to expect. Click here for full Nile Cruise eBook: The above is only a very short and basic extract from our Nile Cruise travel ebook which is over 13,500 words!! The full version is a printable pdf format which is suitable for both Windows and Mac. This new travel ebook gives examples of what a Nile cruise schedule may include and goes through what happens on a typical Nile holiday. This is a personal account from my own experiences in order to assure accuracy. It contains photographs, anecdotes, hints and tips, personal examples, medical information, hassle and bartering tips, visa requirements, useful Egyptian Arabic phrases, expectations, experiences, reviews, guide, local dishes, suggestions, suitable clothing, local customs, facilities, general information, useful links, recommendations, boat layout, entertainment, more detailed schedule and extra costs involved, excursion information, money matters, tells you how it is (not over romanticising the experience), how to deal with unwanted attention, facts and figures, present day prices, day by day account and much more..... Information you will be hard pressed to find in one place! A must read before you travel! Have a fantastic Nile cruise and bon voyage!! Best Regards, Janet COPYRIGHT NOTICE: This illustrated article, (including photographs) is Copyrighted © 2001 by Janet Wood. All Rights Reserved. And must not to be reproduced without permission from the author. If you copy the text and/or images from this page and use them on your own web site, publish, or include this article in any collection without the author’s permission, you are in violation of international copyright law. PLEASE NOTE: This copyright notice does not affect any website owner who would like to add an external link to this webpage from their own website. Also, if you feel that your website content would compliment this article please email us and we will be only too happy to consider placing a reciprocal link back to you.
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