I did it. I did it twice
within 10 days. I still do not find few words to describe, sorry. It is too
beautiful and too interesting. See the landscape, many migratory birds (in
winter), feel the Nile which has really a different athmosphere than any other
river I know.
If there was only one thing I could choose from this website to do, I would
take the felucca again and visit the camelmarket in Daraw.
This is what I had written before: "It should be very picturesque: Lots of camels tired from their long journey from Sudan, excited cameleers guiding the caravans, dealers, and other purchasers, and inbetween me and my camera.I have been there and I tell you: its not on Tuesdays. Most of the people in Aswan believe its on Tuesdays. In Daraw they shook heads and said its on Saturdays and Sundays insha allah."
The next time I had been to Egypt I tried a second time. This time not by car but with the felucca for the weekend. I had always thought time would be too precious to move by felucca. It is not. On my way back the memory card of my camera broke. Instead of feeling angry, I felt happy to have a reason to make the trip a third time 5 days later.
"... our two days & two nights aboard Captain Mustafa's felucca
were amazingly relaxing. Mustafa keeps a very clean boat, and is also an excellent
cook; the food we ate on his boat was delicious, part of our Top 3 for Egypt
!! Thank you Mustafa, and Menchaoui also.
Photos
about Elephantine and his trip by felucca to Daraw which Pierre Olivier Duval
has sent us (thank you so much for them!)
Good
to know:
With Aswan Individual you will be invited to visit friends / or families of the captains along the way in Nubian villages (If you are interested). If you want to give a gift to children, please bring pencils, exercise or note books or other things which can be used for school.
The tourist police requires a copy of your passport (Registration fees for you included in the price).
You should
give the copies of your passport to Mustafa at least one night before the trip starts, so
he will be able to bring it to the police and get the paperwork done (you can also send scans as jpg or pdf to us before you start to travel).
You will be also asked what you prefer to drink during the trip so it
can be bought and stored on the boat.
Please bring your sleeping bag. If you do not have one, blankets will be provided.
Please remember to bring warm clothes if you come during winter
time as it will be very cold at night.
Only fresh fruits, vegetabels and meat (beef, chicken, if you like also fish) are used to cook 3 times a day to prepare the most delicious meals. An icebox keeps the food and beverages cool, the water used to cook is from the tap, not from the Nile!
Hot drinks (Black tea, coffee, Yansun tea, Karkadee (Hibiscus) tea, ...) are available all day.
Because of environmental reasons (not to produce too much garbage) "normal" dishes and glasses are used. If you wish and tell us, plastic dishes for one use only can be provided.
Of course the feluccas are stocked with all safety equipment.
Because of course the feluccas depend on the wind, there is no guarantee to arrive in Daraw after one day. Captains who work for travel companies have therefore to ask a motorboat to tear the felucca and arrive in time, but which makes the guests sick from the scent of the petrol of the motorboat. We dont guarantee any schedule. If there is not much wind our captains will show you nice places on the way, invite you to Nubian villages which usually no tourist will see, introduce you to their friends or families. And if Daraw could not be reached - who cares? We can send you a car to pick you up after breakfast the second day and bring you to wherever you want to go.
Some
notes:
I had been the only tourist at the market at all times. The men were happy to be photographed and to see their pictures on the back of my Digital Camera. A promise to send their prints makes them happy (but please keep the promise if you give it!) Nevertheless its nice to ask if its okay to take pictures of them.
Missing a shower I had
loved to swim in the river Nile, having a rope in my hands and being dragged
by the feluca.
During the night there is a good chance to join a Nubian party with camp fire
and drums at the beach you stay overnight with other people from different
felucas.
Possibility to visit the
camelmarket in Daraw at the weekend.
One way: 1 day, 1 night (depends on the wind if Daraw can be reached)
Private felucca for you and
your friends (no sharing with strangers): 700 EGP one way
plus 50 EGP each person each day for all meals
Softdrinks not included:
Can of Coke etc or, Juice 5 EGP
1 bottle of Water (1l) 4 EGP
Can of Beer 15 EGP
Tip: Because feluccas depend on the wind, there is no guarantee to arrive in Daraw after one day (especially in winter). But we can send you a driver with car or microbus
to pick you up from the felucca in the morning of the second day and drive to Daraw and then back to Aswan:
300 EGP (car) or 480 EGP (microbus)
... or to Luxor, for example with stop
at KomOmbo and Edfu Tempel)
580 EGP for car incl. driver
650 EGP for the microbus incl. driver
