Cosmos 8 day Nile Cruise Review

Overall Rating

We went on the 8 day Cosmos Nile Cruise. It was an experience! lot's to see and definitely a once in a lifetime trip.

I do not recommend women on their own to travel to Egypt. The culture is very different to what I am used to, and I found the hassel from the locals a bit to much at times.

I recommend a Nile Cruise for the simple fact that it makes visiting the sites a lot easier. If I was to return to Egypt again I would do another cruise as you are able to escape some of the hassle in the evenings but also able to go off the boat when docked. There is a lot of variation in the standard of boats that go up and down the river (350 in total! although it is not over crowded). We stayed on Le Scribe the Cosmos boat. Rooms were standard but the trip was excellent. Our Egyptologist could not have been faulted. Read the small print when booking to see who will be leading your tours. There is a big difference between a guide and an Egyptologist. Many other trips found that they were just dropped off at their destination and left to their own. Which is all very well but most people who go to Egypt are there to see the sites and there is no point standing looking at something which you don't have a clue about!
Be careful when eating or drinking. Most of our boat came down with a dodgy stomach at some point in the trip. Always drink out of a straw if you are having a can, carry bottled water on you at all times, do not drink out of bottled water if the seal is easy to un-do, try an avoid salad stuffs or fruit that doesn't need peeling. if you are planning to have a day off for a bit of sun (lots of it) use common sense and do not drink while you are out on deck. All suggestions to make sure that your trip is not ruined!
Also a really good idea to get your visa for the country in advance from the Egyptian consulate. Some tour operators tell you that you can get it at Luxor airport - not a good idea as you will want to get out of the airport as soon as possible. (a bit of a cattle market in a tin shed). Be extremely careful when carrying belongings. People will try and get money out of you for doing nothing. We were showed to a gap in the baggage collection area by a local only to be hounded out of a couple of notes for doing it!
If you are with a guide it is better to put in a kitty at the start of the trip and he can then issue tips where he feels appropriate. Then when you are approached you just have to tell people to see the guide when they ask you for money. It may sound crazy but trust me; you will see what I mean when you get there!
The trips were truly amazing and no picture book can do them justice. the West Bank and Abu Simbel were big highlights of the holiday (although Abu Simbel is about £150 each extra). The boast also does additional tours.
You will see a lot of horse drawn carts during your stay in Luxor and Aswan which all look very exciting. but please realise that the animals are often badly treated and the carts can be very unsafe. if you must take a ride choose a fat horse and negotiate your price and destination before you get on, otherwise you could be taken somewhere you didn't want to go and more cash asked for.
Again this is all the benefit of going on a boat as transport is always organised on air conditioned buses used frequently by tour operators.
As long as you are sensible you will have a great time. Happy holidays!

Members' Comments onwagonwheels's Review

• Incy on 6th Nov 2005

  What a great and extremely helpful review - thanks very much. I am looking into booking a nile cruise and am bewildered by the choice and the variation in quality. As it is a trip I have wanted to take all my life, and have studied egyptology for 4 years, i want my trip to be the best it possibly can be, and reviews such as this really, really help in this preperation.
  Thanks again!