• About Us
  • Contact Us
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News & Society
  • Entertainment News
    • Movie
    • Gaming
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
    • Software & IT
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News & Society
  • Entertainment News
    • Movie
    • Gaming
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
    • Software & IT
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
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

2 years ago
in Parenting
Reading Time: 5 mins read


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.’

Related Posts

Parenting

“Grocery Girl Fall” Is TikTok’s Latest Decor Trend, & It’s Too Cute Not To Try

Don’t be shocked if you...

Read more

The Scandinavian Sleep Method Might “Save Your Marriage” According To TikTok

‘Fright Krewe’ Is Here! Watch An Exclusive Clip From The Horror Series For Kids

The 50 Most Genius Things Under $35 With Near-Perfect Amazon Reviews

50 Cool Things That Are Selling Out On Amazon Because They’re So Freaking Clever

Load More
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Jennifer Lopez, 54, flashes cleavage in a plunging Bach Mai floral frock at the Daytime Beauty Awards in Hollywood to honor Tracy Anderson

Liz Truss Accused Of “Corbynite Toryism” And Disrupting Conservative Conference

Class-action suit filed against Binance for alleged harm to FTX before its collapse

Water makes all the difference

Pet monkey fed cocaine before getting flushed down toilet

13-Ft Python Survived Months Eating Cats in Oklahoma Trailer Park

Lil Reese On 2021 Shooting: ‘They Was Shootin From 5 Lanes Over’

Ethereum Futures ETFs Underwhelm on First Day of Trading

Pence Refutes Trump Legal Team’s Claims

Trump Shares Sketch of Him Sitting Next to Jesus

Multiple weather stations saw record temperatures in September month of extremes – The Irish Times

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

13-Ft Python Survived Months Eating Cats in Oklahoma Trailer Park

Lil Reese On 2021 Shooting: ‘They Was Shootin From 5 Lanes Over’

Ethereum Futures ETFs Underwhelm on First Day of Trading

13-Ft Python Survived Months Eating Cats in Oklahoma Trailer Park

Lil Reese On 2021 Shooting: ‘They Was Shootin From 5 Lanes Over’

Ethereum Futures ETFs Underwhelm on First Day of Trading

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

© 2023 All rights are reserved Today headline

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

© 2023 All rights are reserved Today headline