Russell Morling on River and Reef Tour
Cruising the Nile on the private MS Melodie
In March 2009, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend three days cruising the Nile aboard Imaginative Traveller’s very own Nile cruiser, the MS Melodie. I really had no preconceived ideas about what I was going to experience – would it be a dirty, smelly, cramped cruise on a noisy, crowded River Nile. Or would it be the serene, relaxing experience that I’d read about in books and seen on TV? As I’m not a ‘5-star’ sort of person, I was hoping the MS Melodie wasn’t going to be too upmarket, but would be comfortable and fun!
As we pulled up at the riverside in Aswan after the overnight train journey from Cairo, I looked around hoping to catch my first glimpse of the Melodie – but she was nowhere to be seen! Our tour leader Mohammed led us down a gang-plank towards what looked like a floating palace and my heart sank – this was going to be too regimented and organised for my liking! Fortunately my fears were soon allayed as we walked straight through two luxury Nile cruisers to finally board the Melodie which was berthed alongside.
I immediately felt amazingly comfortable aboard what would be my home for the next few days. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and did everything they could to make me feel at home. I was shown to my cabin – which was clean and airy, with more than enough room to make myself comfortable. After a quick shower, I joined the rest of the group in the bar area of the Melodie for a briefing by our tour leader. The dining arrangements were explained and our itinerary was outlined, but other than that, there was no regimented ‘procedure’ to follow, which made for an extremely relaxed atmosphere.
Life on Board
I’d been wondering what the food would be like aboard the Melodie, but when we went for lunch in the spacious dining room, I was amazed at the great selection of food available – loads of fresh bread, fruit, pasta and rice dishes and a selection of two or three hot dishes – there was plenty to suit all tastes. After lunch there was the opportunity to go on a camel trek on the banks of the Nile, but I thought I’d rather check out the sundeck and the lovely little plunge pool and spend a couple of hours in the glorious Aswan sunshine with my book.
After a good night’s sleep on the first night, we were up early on the second morning for our excursion to Abu Simbel and the ever-helpful staff were up and about at 4am to provide us with ‘packed breakfasts’ to take on the coach journey. On our return we were treated to another amazing lunch and then set sail on the Nile for the journey to Luxor. Just standing on the sundeck watching the world go by was one of the most relaxing experiences of my life and something I’ll definitely repeat when I get the chance.
En-route to Luxor we had the opportunity to visit the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, together with the sound and light show at Philae, all of which added to the overall experience. On arrival in Luxor a galabia party was held to celebrate our last night on board. It was a magical experience seeing everyone dressed in traditional Egyptian attire and is another moment that will live with me for the rest of my life.
Farewell thoughts
Saying goodbye to the Melodie the next morning was quite a sad experience, as it had been my home from home and I had become extremely attached to the staff and the whole environment – it was quite simply fantastic!!!
However, upon disembarkation I was immediately thrown into another unique experience . . . the donkey ride to the Valley of the Kings . . . but that’s another story!!! If you’ve any doubts about a Nile cruise with Imaginative Traveller, please take it from me that there’s nothing to be concerned about. The Melodie is by no means a 5-star Nile cruiser, but the staff are amazing, the food is plentiful and the atmosphere aboard is second-to-none - and enjoy the galabia party!!!
Read Matt West on Cairo Heart of the City Tour
