• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie policy (EU)
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Video
  • Write for us
Today Headline
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • POLITICS
    • News for today
    • Borisov news
  • FINANCE
    • Business
    • Insurance
  • Video
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • ENTERPRISE
  • LIFESTYLE
    • TRAVEL
    • HEALTH
    • ENTERTAINMENT
  • AUTOMOTIVE
  • SPORTS
  • Travel and Tourism
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • POLITICS
    • News for today
    • Borisov news
  • FINANCE
    • Business
    • Insurance
  • Video
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • ENTERPRISE
  • LIFESTYLE
    • TRAVEL
    • HEALTH
    • ENTERTAINMENT
  • AUTOMOTIVE
  • SPORTS
  • Travel and Tourism
No Result
View All Result
TodayHeadline
No Result
View All Result

The real star of the new Agatha Christie movie is ancient Egypt – so hop aboard for a front-row seat

February 12, 2022
in Travel
0
The real star of the new Agatha Christie movie is ancient Egypt – so hop aboard for a front-row seat
0
SHARES
3
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Pashminas are raining down around us like a fusillade of flapping missiles, hurled on to our riverboat by determined hawkers hell-bent on making a sale.

‘Hey, lady. Lookie, lookie, throw us money,’ yells one of them, standing on the lock wall below, as he launches yet another cotton projectile up to me on the top deck.

You have to admire the ingenuity and tenacity of these ‘pirates of the Nile’, who don’t miss any chance to market their wares — especially after the past two years, when this legendary waterway was virtually empty of tourist boats.

The Daily Mail's Sarah Macefield boards SS Sphinx, above, for a round-trip voyage from Luxor to Aswan

The Daily Mail’s Sarah Macefield boards SS Sphinx, above, for a round-trip voyage from Luxor to Aswan

Now, they are slowly returning (a record 362 riverboats are set to cruise the Nile this year), but only a few are currently sailing, making this an ideal time to explore Egypt’s treasures without the crowds.

On our round-trip voyage from Luxor to Aswan, I’m struck by how few tourists there are, especially at the Valley of the Kings.

Before the pandemic, 1.5 million visitors poured into this craggy valley annually, with long, snaking queues for the most famous tomb belonging to boy king Tutankhamun. On our visit, we simply walked straight in.

Star quality: Sarah was struck by how few tourists there were at Egypt's hotspots. Pictured is Pharaoh statues near Aswan

Star quality: Sarah was struck by how few tourists there were at Egypt’s hotspots. Pictured is Pharaoh statues near Aswan

The release of Death On The Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh and based on Agatha Christie’s thriller, is expected to raise Egypt's profile. Pictured is a scene from the film

The release of Death On The Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh and based on Agatha Christie’s thriller, is expected to raise Egypt’s profile. Pictured is a scene from the film 

But Egypt’s fortunes look set to change after yesterday’s release of the film Death On The Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh and based on Agatha Christie’s thriller. It is one of three key events in 2022 that the country hopes will help to recapture the glory days of 2010, when nearly 15 million tourists flocked here.

The centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter in November, and the delayed opening of the $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum near the Pyramids, are also expected to raise Egypt’s profile.

Combining Cairo’s hotspots with the temples and tombs of Upper Egypt on a Nile cruise makes it easy to roll the country’s top attractions into one holiday.

Many river cruise companies offer short stays in the capital tagged on to sailings between Luxor and Aswan.

When I join Uniworld’s opulent SS Sphinx for the 250-mile round trip between the two cities, nearly everyone onboard is American. Britons, it seems, have yet to return here, as I don’t come across any compatriots during my stay.

Yet, despite the shadow of Covid, the ambience is relaxed, with everyone fully vaccinated, though we do have to wear masks around the boat.

Sarah visited the dramatic ruins of Dendera Temple (pictured). 'It feels like Raiders Of The Lost Ark territory,' she says

Sarah visited the dramatic ruins of Dendera Temple (pictured). ‘It feels like Raiders Of The Lost Ark territory,’ she says 

TRAVEL FACTS 

Uniworld (uniworld.com) offers 12-day Splendors Of Egypt And The Nile packages, which include four nights in Cairo and the seven-night round-trip sailing from Luxor to Aswan, with departures until May, and from September. From £3,999 pp, including flights, drinks, excursions, onboard gratuities and wifi.

The 84-passenger SS Sphinx makes a lavish base for the week, with hand-carved wooden ceilings and plush furnishings. Best of all is the top deck, with its mosaic-tiled pool and daybeds from which to soak up the views. But this is a cruise rooted in Egypt’s past glories, as we explore a never-ending procession of antiquities.

In the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes, known today as Luxor, we step back in time to an era of pharaohs and tomb raiders. Our guide leads us across the 250-acre expanse of Karnak Temple and the incredible Avenue of Sphinxes, which stretches for nearly two miles and is lined with statues of these mythical creatures.

The following day, we explore the dramatic ruins of Dendera Temple, which is a two-hour coach ride from Luxor. It feels like Raiders Of The Lost Ark territory, and I half expect a whip-wielding Indiana Jones to burst forth.

But the Nile pulls us irresistibly back, and as we sail south to Aswan, I try to reconcile the calm beauty with the murderous events of Agatha Christie’s whodunnit, idly wondering which of the people on our sailing match her characters. The world may have moved on since Christie wrote Death On The Nile in 1937, in her suite in Aswan’s atmospheric Old Cataract Hotel, but Egypt’s unique sense of timelessness endures.

Now it is matched by the locals’ deep yearning to see tourists return to their land after the barrenness of recent years.

‘Tell your people to visit,’ urges our guide as we bid farewell. ‘We miss the British — and they like being here. We want them to come back.’

Previous Post

How to Get Customers and Employees Excited About Your Business

Next Post

Lamborghini hopes to keep combustion engines alive beyond 2030

Related Posts

From Antigua to Grenada, snap up a fantastic Caribbean summer holiday for half price
Travel

From Antigua to Grenada, snap up a fantastic Caribbean summer holiday for half price

The Caribbean and Bahamas were...

Read more
Discovering why Madrid matches Barcelona as a city-break destination
Travel

Discovering why Madrid matches Barcelona as a city-break destination

There's grandeur at every turn...

Read more
Connecticut
Travel

Trip to Connecticut: Key Things to Keep in Mind

Connecticut is a great destination...

Read more
Island-hopping in Greece for £78 a night on a bargain Celestyal all-inclusive cruise
Travel

Island-hopping in Greece for £78 a night on a bargain Celestyal all-inclusive cruise

Emely is working away at...

Read more
10 Things to Do in Tokyo (That Aren’t Shibuya Crossing) • The Blonde Abroad
Travel

10 Things to Do in Tokyo (That Aren’t Shibuya Crossing) • The Blonde Abroad

Tokyo, the capital of Japan,...

Read more
Load More
Next Post
Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 revealed, basically a retro Sian

Lamborghini hopes to keep combustion engines alive beyond 2030

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
I’m a recent widow. I’m building a house on my son’s and daughter-in-law’s land. Do I have legal ownership? What if they decide to sell, divorce, or die before me?

I’m a recent widow. I’m building a house on my son’s and daughter-in-law’s land. Do I have legal ownership? What if they decide to sell, divorce, or die before me?

Flight Attendant Escorts Abandoned Senior Dog Cross-Country To His New Forever Family

Flight Attendant Escorts Abandoned Senior Dog Cross-Country To His New Forever Family

Six times actors really romped in sex scenes that make 365 DNI look tame

Six times actors really romped in sex scenes that make 365 DNI look tame

How old is Simon Cowell’s son Eric and who is his mother?

How old is Simon Cowell’s son Eric and who is his mother?

Codenotary introduces Software Bill of Materials service for Kubernetes

Codenotary introduces Software Bill of Materials service for Kubernetes

The cryptocrash isn’t just saving PC gamers – it’s saving the planet

The cryptocrash isn’t just saving PC gamers – it’s saving the planet

Cameron Norrie ready to take on Novak Djokovic after winning Wimbledon epic

Cameron Norrie ready to take on Novak Djokovic after winning Wimbledon epic

‘Fire of Love’ review: Science, volcanoes and romance erupt

‘Fire of Love’ review: Science, volcanoes and romance erupt

About Us

Todayheadline the independent news and topics discovery
A home-grown and independent news and topic aggregation . displays breaking news linking to news websites all around the world.

Follow Us

Latest News

Codenotary introduces Software Bill of Materials service for Kubernetes

Codenotary introduces Software Bill of Materials service for Kubernetes

The cryptocrash isn’t just saving PC gamers – it’s saving the planet

The cryptocrash isn’t just saving PC gamers – it’s saving the planet

Codenotary introduces Software Bill of Materials service for Kubernetes

Codenotary introduces Software Bill of Materials service for Kubernetes

The cryptocrash isn’t just saving PC gamers – it’s saving the planet

The cryptocrash isn’t just saving PC gamers – it’s saving the planet

Cameron Norrie ready to take on Novak Djokovic after winning Wimbledon epic

Cameron Norrie ready to take on Novak Djokovic after winning Wimbledon epic

  • Real Estate
  • Education
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 All rights are reserved Todayheadline

No Result
View All Result
  • Real Estate
  • Education
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 All rights are reserved Todayheadline

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Posting....