To witness the Nile from the deck of a 200-passenger floating hotel is to see Egypt through double-glazed glass. But to glide under traditional lateen sails on a wooden Dahabiya is to experience the river as Thomas Cook and Amelia Edwards did in the 19th century.
With no roaring diesel engines, the only sounds are the lap of water against teak hulls and birds rustling in papyrus reeds. We moor at small islands where no tourist buses can venture, enjoying sunset dinners prepared fresh by your onboard private chef.