NEW YEAR ON THE NILE

Join us for an unforgettable New Year celebration aboard the luxurious Nile Lily. This private cruise along the Nile on our own exclusive dahabiyya – with a maximum of 20 participants – will unravel the secrets behind one of antiquity’s most beguiling civilisations: the ancient Egyptians.

Our eight-day itinerary focuses on some of archaic man’s most stunning achievements: temple complexes at Luxor, Karnak, Esna and Edfu, as well as unmissable visits to the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut. There will also be an opportunity at dawn, to marvel at Abu Simbel, home to four colossal statues of Ramses II.

Our journey begins in Luxor and its environs where we will visit the great necropolis of the Valley of the Kings to the sandstone colossi of Memnon; from the temples, sphinxes and monumental gateways of Karnak to Amon, the world’s largest columned temple. We will continue leisurely along the Nile visiting ancient Ptolemiac temples in both Esna and Edfu.

On New Year’s Eve we will cruise to Kom Ombo, situated on a promontory on a bend in the river, providing a striking setting for the temples of Sobek and Haroeris – dedicated respectively to the crocodile god and the falcon-headed god. In the evening we will ring in 2011 with an Egyptian feast and oriental show.

The Nile reveals all its glory at Aswan as it flows around islands decked in palm groves and tropical plants. We will continue our journey to Agika Island, with temples relocated from the flooded island of Philae, including the Temple of Isis.

As a final highlight you may like to consider an optional morning visit to Abu Simbel by air visiting the great temple of Ramses II on the shores of Lake Nasser or spend the morning at leisure. After an early supper we will disembark Nile Lily and take an evening flight to Cairo where we will stay at the Sonesta Hotel before our morning flight back to the UK the following day.