Luxor-Aswan Luxury Photo Cruise

8 day Photo safari on board a luxury Sailing boat - or Dahabiya - that starts in Luxor and ends in Aswan with mix of Egyptology (Valley of the Kings, Karnak etc) and Cultural photography with opportunities for your partner to accompany you

• When: 14-22nd Oct 2011
• Where: Cairo, Luxor & Aswan
• Price: $4950

Luxury Dahabiya Boat

Our base for the tour is a luxury former royal sailing boat or Dahabiya. All the cabins are fitted out to a luxurious standard with ensuite bathrooms. There is a sun deck with bar, jacuzzi and seating area for those times when we float slowly down the Nile taking in the scenery. Our package includes Full board.

More workshop info

Join us in October 2011 on a magnificent and luxurious Nile cruise and photo workshop as we sail between Luxor and Aswan, in a beautiful Dahabiya – an original large royal felucca – which allows us to stop off in small villages, temples and areas of interest not normally visited by the the general public. We are also offering a “Cairo Explorer” pre-extension option check out the separate tab above.

The intensity of the light during the day means that the best time for taking images or visiting temples is the golden hours just after dawn and before dusk. During the day we sail and allow you to soak up the magnificent and changing landscape of the Nile, whilst enjoying the luxury of the Dahabiya – with beautiful air conditioned en-suite cabins, free wi-fi access, Sat TV, Jacuzzi and unlimited non alcoholic drinks.

Our tour starts in Cairo. You’ll be met from the airport, escorted through customs and driven to our 5 star hotel. The next morning, there is a simple bit of orientation, before we head straight out to the airport to catch our short internal flight to Luxor, where we board our luxurious Dahabiya in time for lunch. You can find out more about the facilities and the 5 star standards of the boat by clicking on the Dahabiya tab above.

The gentle breeze cools us as we sail north for a couple of hours to the bustling market town of Qos – with its Mosques, Minarets and market providing fantastic photo opportunities before re-joining the boat for cocktails and dinner as we cruise to back to Luxor where we moor over night.

Our second day starts at dawn with an optional (at a supplemental cost) dawn Hot balloon ride over the valley of the kings, before joining the others for a visit to the amazing temple of Karnak, catching the golden light as its peak over the horizon and casts wonderful shadows in this magical temple. Then it is back to the Dahabiya for to download the image, perhaps take a nap, maybe a dip in the Jacuzzi and then lunch on board.

After lunch on board, we do our first critique session before being driven the short distance to an old village on Luxor’s West bank, where the houses are made of mud brick, with a beautiful and unusual mosque, where the welcome is warm and the “shay” or tea, incredibly sweet. For the partners there is the option of exploring Luxor – maybe the wonderful Luxor temple or Luxor museum or some of the street bazaars – or just relaxing on board. In the evening we have Cocktails and Dinner is on board and we stay in Luxor overnight

The third morning we rise early to visit the famous Valley of the Kings – the incredible collection of royal tombs, including Tutankhamen and then the Temple of Hatchipsut. Sadly no cameras are allowed in the tombs of the Valley of the kings, but no visit to Egypt is complete without seeing these magnificent historic sites. As the midday sun starts to drain our energy, we return to the boat to be greeted with fresh hibiscus juice and a cold towel. Over lunch we make a gentle cruise up the Nile to Esna, and pass through the lock system.

The remainder of the day is a free afternoon, with an option for those still wanting more temples to visit the small temple at Esna itself to wander around the busy town of Esna. That evening during dinner we sail down to a private mooring on the East Bank, near the old fort of El Kap, where we have a BBQ on the shore and we spend the night on board.

Day 4 sees us rise early as usual to catch the golden light and avoid the heat. We are met on the shore by our guide but our transport is different today – donkeys!

The old fort is about 800 metres from the shore, but after that we go about 1500m metres up into the caves and tombs – which tourists never normally have access to – to see where much of the gold quarrying was done providing some unusual and interesting landscapes and village shots. Then it is back on the donkeys to the cool and comfort of the Dahabiya and a gentle sail for an hour or two. In the afternoon we just enjoy sailing on the river as we make our way towards down Edfu. If we see something of interest then we’ll just stop and go ashore, but there are some great shots to be taken of river life from the boats itself.

Our experience is that the first 4-5 days of a workshop is quite intensive and some people just need a chance to relax, to observe or to process their images. We have deliberately built time in for you to relax, just soak up the atmosphere and observe river life, but also to give you enough time to reflect on yo what you are learning. We arrive at Edfu in time to visit the busy town as the locals end their day in the mosque or the local coffee shops making some wonderful photo opportunities. Dinner is on board and we are moored overnight at Edfu.

Day 5 sees us wake up next to the wonderful Ptolemaic temple of Edfu, built between 237 BC and 57 BC, into the reign of Cleopatra VII. Of all the temple remains in Egypt, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved. After exploring this temple and having our usual relaxed lunch onboard we set sail for Komombo, which we reach at about 4pm. We then have the opportunity to go into Komombo town itself, where the early evening is brought alive by the locals in the cafes, mosques and small shops, before returning to the Dahabiya for dinner.

Day 6 starts with a reversal of the programme. In the nearby town of Daraw – which we reach by private minibus – there is a weekly livestock market in the morning, which we ask you to do a small photo essay on. We ask you to tell the story of the market, capturing the sounds and noises to provide an audio track to accompany your slideshow. The large shaded area where the deals are made, where tea is drunk and stories are shared provides a superb opportunity for beautiful cultural portraits. The Boats will meet us further down stream and then sail back up towards Komombo where there will be an optional visit to the famous Komobo temple. During Dinner we sail gently down towards Aswan.

Day 7 begins and we find ourselves on the edge of Aswan. We have a full day assignment today where each of us will spend the day living with a Nubian family in their wonderfully colorful village – and any partners on our trip are welcome to join you in this full day assignment. During the day you will get to know your host family, eat with them, rest in their cool houses and build a relationship with them. As it will be a friday, the men will go to prayers and witness the community coming together in the mosque. The women will have different types of access to the women in the family, getting images that the male photographers could never hope to get. As night draws in we have a final dinner on board our luxury Dahabiya.

Our final morning is spent at the wonderful Philae temple, followed by a quick visit to the Get High Dam, before we head back to the airport and to Cairo, from where we disperse.