Nour El Nil, Nile Cruise, Egypt

It seems odd to me that after months of gushing about hotels around the world, this will be my first Egypt post.  Egypt has played a very important role in my life.  Between the ages of 19 and 25, I lived in Cairo for over 3 years and have traveled back many times since.  It is a place that not only shaped me intellectually - I learned Arabic there and acquired a particular worldview - but I often feel it is where I grew up.  Needless to say, it's a place that is hard for me to discuss in touristic terms.

That said, the touristic options in Egypt are impressive and the hotel choices have dramatically improved over the past 10 years. I took an incredibly kitschy (but fun) Nile Cruise nearly 10 years ago and would have so preferred to float up the Nile in this stylish boat.  The folks at Nour El Nil have reintroduced the usages of traditional dahabiyas (sails, no motors) for cruising from Aswan to Luxor and as far as I'm concerned, they have completely changed the game.