I am a serious Agatha Christie fan, and many of my travel bucket list items relate to her books or her own travels. For a number of years my ultimate travel dream has been to cruise the Nile on the Steam Ship Sudan, inspired by one of her most famous books, Death on the Nile. We decided that a much delayed honeymoon (thanks COVID…) was the opportunity to finally fulfil this ambition. No spoilers, but thankfully my honeymoon was a bit more successful than that of the poor victim aboard the fictional steamer in Christie’s masterpiece!
From the moment we were welcomed aboard with hot towels and a glass of hibiscus tea, it was clear that this was going to be a special trip. And so it proved to be. It was quite simply, a once in a life time experience and utterly memorable for all the best reasons.
AGATHA CHRISTIE AND THE STEAM SHIP SUDAN
“The Karnak was a smaller steamer than the Papyrus and the Lotus, the First Cataract steamers… since the boat was not full most of the passengers had accommodation on the promenade deck. The entire forward part of this deck was occupied by an observation saloon, all glass-enclosed, where the passengers could sit and watch the river unfold before them. On the deck below were a smoking room and a small drawing room, and on the deck below that, a dining saloon.”
Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile
Sadly, it is not really known whether the Queen of Crime travelled aboard the SS Sudan. What is definite, is that she took two trips up the Nile with her second husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan, and her daughter Rosalind, in 1931 and again in 1933. Whilst the exact ships she boarded are not known, it would have been a ship very similar to the Sudan, if not the Sudan herself.
On her return to England she wrote a short story, Death On The Nile. What was to become her most famous work, was originally published in 1934 as part of a collection entitled Parker Pyne Investigates. It wasn’t until 1937 that she published a novel by the same name, but with a different plot, in which a Nile cruise is the backdrop for murder. The annotated deck plan she includes in the book is almost identical to that of another of Cook & Son’s fleet, the Thebes, which might offer a wee clue to which ship she was on… Although of course she had two Nile cruises, so perhaps two different boats – the Sudan is still in with a chance!
The super 1978 adaptation starring Peter Ustinov was filmed on another old Cook & Son steamer – the Memnon. Sadly this has now been gutted and is languishing, sliced in half, in a boatyard in Cairo. But the superb 2004 adaptation, with the magnificent David Suchet as Poirot, was filmed aboard the Sudan.
TO CRUISE OR NOT TO CRUISE THE NILE?
The temples and pyramids of ancient Egypt have been captivating travellers for over two millennia and a Nile cruise has been the centrepiece of a trip to Egypt for almost all that time. Such is the span of Egyptian history, that even Cleopatra and Julius Caesar took a cruise along the Nile towards the end of the Pharaonic period, to visit the sights, aboard the state barge Thalamegos. For Victorian visitors it was considered almost a rite of passage for wealthy travellers. But nowadays there are far more options available for the Egyptian explorer, and a Nile cruise is not the only way to explore Upper Egypt.
From many of the online reviews and blogs I read online before setting off for our Nile cruise, I imagined docking each night in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the sounds of Nile lapping against the boat to soothe us to sleep after a day watching scenes unchanged for thousands of years floating by… the reality is a bit different! With over 94% of Egypt made up of desert, the vast majority of the 105.3 million population live and work in the small strip of fertile land along the Nile. It is therefore clearly neither empty, nor devoid of other travel options, if you do not wish to take a cruise. There are major highways on both sides of the Nile, and the national rail line runs alongside the eastern bank of the river. So be aware that when you read travel accounts from those claiming voyaging down the Nile got them off the beaten track, or to places untouched for thousands of years… these are mostly nonsense!
All that being said, I still think a Nile cruise is an unmissable experience – and also the preferable way to structure your Egyptian itinerary.
Although Nile cruises can seem expensive, I think they can actually offer excellent value for money if you choose well. Once you add up the price of visiting all of the sites independently, hiring guides, meals, accommodation and transport you are likely to pay a similar price. But the added benefit of a Nile cruise is that someone else does all the leg work for you! Almost all the travel I’ve ever done has been independent, but knowing someone else was sorting out the details and logisitics meant we had nothing to focus on except soaking up the vast amount of history and amazing sights on offer. It made the whole experience very relaxing, which for such a long awaited honeymoon, seemed more than worth it.
Likewise, the journey itself became an integral part of the experience. Instead of worrying about train times, or sat in a taxi for several hours at a stretch, we spent our days watching the Nile float past our cabin windows, read our books on the sun deck and sipped mint tea as we sailed towards to our next destination. As a firm believer in the concept of slow travel, this seemed a perfect way to explore this beautiful country.
From sleeping out under the stars on a rustic felucca, to five star floating hotels, there are almost endless choices if you decide to cruise the Nile. For us, there was never any question that if I finally fulfilled my dream of a Nile cruise, it would be onboard the SS Sudan. But if we had been looking at other options (or perhaps next time we go…!), I would have been keen on the beautiful dahabiya of Nour El Nil. The dahabiyas are replicas of the traditional sail boats that ferried archaeologists and well to do travellers along the Nile in the 19thC. Just note that they don’t sail for the entirety of the cruise – the majority we saw were actually being pulled along by small motorised tug boats.
THE BOAT
Of Thomas Cook & Son’s original fleet of Nile steamers, the SS Sudan is the only one that still operates cruises on the Nile.
The Sudan set sail on its maiden voyage in February 1921, from Cairo to Aswan. It was the last steamer Cook & Son added to their Nile fleet, operating cruises up until the outbreak of war in 1939. After the Second World War, Thomas Cook & Son sold off most of their fleet, and the Sudan was bought by Faud Serageldin, the secretary general of Egypt’s Wafd Party. After the coup of 1952, the boat was seized under the programme of nationalisation. Eventually, she was acquired by a French company who moored the ship in Luxor and used her as a floating hotel. The Sudan was finally sold again in 2003 to the French travel company Voyageurs du Monde (whom based on fellow travellers’ experiences, I would wholeheartedly recommend). They painstakingly restored her to her original condition. During the restoration, rooms on board were reduced from the original 56 cabins and 4 suites, down to 18 far larger cabins and 5 suites, each named after fictional and historical figures with links to Egypt.
The restoration has been done beautifully, and very sympathetically. There is a serious sense of history seeping out of every wooden board, every bit if gleaming, polished brass. We really appreciated the small details – such as authentic linen shower curtains instead of newer, more practical plastic imitations. Whist there is a backup diesel engine for safety, at no point on our Nile cruise was this used and the ship is still stubbornly steam powered.
There are 67 crew on board, including a team of 10 mechanics. All front of house staff speak Arabic, French and English. Service was excellent and the Ship Director, Amir, was a delightful, welcoming man clearly passionate about the ship and its crew. He sailed with us for the duration.
Rather amazingly, there was (slow and patchy) WiFi. It was strong enough to send a few WhatsApp messages, but not to use the internet properly.
THE CABINS
We stayed in a room named after French archaeologist Auguste Mariette. It was a double cabin on the starboard (right!) side of the upper deck. In 1858, Mariette was awarded the honorific title “pacha” for his contribution to the preservation of Egyptian heritage. He oversaw the restoration of the sites at Karnak, Luxor and Philae.
One small word of warning – the beds are very high but thankfully much more comfortable than they first looked. If you are a shortie like me, a little hop might be needed to climb in each night.
Two windows looked out onto the deck, and the banks of the Nile beyond. All windows have shutters and mosquito nets, both of which can be pulled back for uninterrupted views.
The bathroom was spacious, and had a surprisingly great shower. Both hot and powerful, it was certainly the best I’ve had on a boat. But as it is a very old boat, the ceilings are low. I just about fit ok at 5’4”, but The Husband had to endure a slightly contorted looking squat to get under the water each morning. Bath towels were astonishingly fluffy – I would have been pleased to find them in a 5* hotel, never mind on board a ship!
As the weather was so absurdly cold when we travelled, I actually ended up using the bath in our cabin one evening to thaw out after braving the sun deck for the afternoon. It felt indulgently luxurious, and as if I really had transported myself back to the golden age of Nile cruises, to be soaking in a hot bath aboard a gloriously restored steam ship whilst sailing through Egypt. The addition of my favourite L’Occitane toiletries in the bathrooms only added to my enjoyment.
In addition to the private cabins, there is a beautiful dining room and 1930s style bar. On the top deck, wicker furniture covers a sun deck.
THE FOOD
Another reason I tend to avoid organised trips is that I often find the food to be fairly average. This was very far from being a concern on the Sudan. All meals are included in the price of the cruise, but drinks (other than water) must be paid for additionally. We found the prices to be relatively reasonable, our final bill coming to about £60. This included soft drinks with most evening and lunchtime meals, and a few alcoholic beverages.
There is absolutely no danger of going hungry aboard the Sudan. In fact, they fed us so much I became increasingly concerned the ship might simply sink as I expanded rapidly as we headed northwards. The food is advertised as French fine dining, and it lived up to that billing. However, happily, they also served a number of delicious Egyptian dishes across the five days.
Breakfast and lunch are usually served buffet style, whilst dinner is a four course, plated affair. To the carnivorous Husband’s delight, both lunch and dinner were pretty “meat heavy”, but the kitchen were always accommodating on the occasions I asked for a more vegetable-based option. Nile perch was served twice, and turned out to the unexpected hit of the menu for both The Husband and myself. Meals are served “from” a time, meaning you can eat when you want within a window of a few hours. I really appreciated this, as it again reduced the feeling of being on an “organised” trip. We also had afternoon tea – featuring Egyptian mint tea and a selection of cookies – served on the sun deck, after returning from all excursions. Cocktails and a short presentation on the history of the ship were offered on the last night.
THE ITINERARY
Have a look at my reference guides to the sights of Upper Egypt and the Valley of the Kings and Queens, for more detail on our itinerary and the places we visited.
I am very much not an organised tour person. I think they offer a great way to make travel accessible if you do not want any of the hassle of planning your trip, or are a more nervous traveller. But they are just not for me. I like to be able to determine my own schedule, visiting the places of specific interest to me, and spending as much – or as little – time at sights as I please. I was therefore a little anxious about booking us onto our first ever cruise.
I need to not have worried. From the moment we stepped aboard, the vibe was relaxed and it was clear that each guest’s preferred style of travel would be accommodated. We had a lovely group on board with us, and it created a friendly and unforced atmosphere.
I also really appreciated the pace of the cruise. There is a lot of pack in on this stretch of the river, but it felt as though we had time to see all the sights as well as simply enjoy being aboard, and sailing down this iconic waterway. With limited WiFi, no TVs and few distractions other than the banks of the Nile, it was hard not to simply relax.
For excursions, guests are broken down by the language that they speak, into groups of no more than 10, each with a dedicated Egyptologist. On our cruise, there were only 15 passengers in total, and all others were French. So we had the unbelievable privilege of private guides for our entire trip. Both of our guides – Waleed and Nabil – were fantastic. They were astonishingly knowledgeable and very keen to flex each excursion to suit our interests. Our French fellow travellers were equally complimentary about their guides.
Two principal routes are offered – from Luxor to Aswan, and vice versa. When the water of the Nile is high enough (usually October/March), itineraries are a day longer and include visits to Qena, Abydos and Dendera. We sailed on the ‘Eternal River’, from Aswan to Luxor over the course of five days.
DAY 1
1200: Board the SS Sudan
1300: Lunch
1430: Visit to Philae Temple
1930: Dinner
Overnight Aswan
DAY 2
0800: Breakfast
0800: Sailing to Kom Ombo
1130: Visit to Kom Ombo Temple
1300: Lunch
1300: Sailing to Edfu
1630: Afternoon Tea on Sun Deck
1730: Film showing of Death on the Nile in the Bar Lounge
1930: Dinner
Overnight Edfu
DAY 3
0800: Breakfast
1000: Visit to Edfu Temple
1230: Sailing to Esna
1300: Lunch
1630: Afternoon Tea on Sun Deck
1930: Cocktails in the Bar Lounge
2000: Dinner
Overnight Esna
DAY 4
0800: Breakfast
0830: Sailing to Luxor
0900: Esna Lock
1230: Lunch
1430: Visit to Karnak and Luxor Temples
1930: Dinner
Overnight Luxor
DAY 5
0545: Breakfast
0645: Visit to the West Bank of Luxor
After the visit, return to Sudan to collect luggage to transfer to Luxor hotel.
It’s worth noting that the official schedule did not include Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple, or the tomb of Nefertari, but instead included a visit to the Tombs of the Workers. Our guide gave us the option to switch this around, and I am very glad that we did as they were two of our highlights. Guests could also choose to add a hot air balloon flight over the Valley of the Kings, the morning we were in Luxor.
WHAT TO PACK?
I struggled to find much information on the dress code for SS Sudan before we departed – apart from some fantastic photos of previous guests enjoying 1920s themed cruises in vintage finery!
There is no dress code aboard, but given how special this trip is for most guests, the majority stuck to the smarter-end-of-casual in the evenings. For me, this meant a few midi dresses (with multiple jumpers, cardigans or scarves over the top given the weather we endured!), or loose blouses with tailored black jeans. The Husband went for linen shirts and chinos.
More generally, whilst Egypt is more relaxed than many parts of the Middle East, it is still a Muslim country. Dress modestly out of respect and to avoid unwanted attention.
Be aware that Egypt, even in the south, can get surprisingly cold in the winter months. Especially in the evenings, and it can be quite breezy whilst sailing. We had freakishly cold weather whilst aboard which really caught us out. I ended up wearing most of The Husband’s clothes to stay warm. Base your packing around layers, and I would strongly urge you to take one warm jumper and a light fleece. Likewise in the summer, light layers will be your friend to help keep the sun off your skin whilst exploring the temples. Think linen shirts and loose skirts.
A sun hat, sunscreen and strong sunglasses are essential regardless of time of year. Comfortable walking shoes are also a must for all the exploring – floors can be uneven in temples over 3000 years old!
THE LESS LOVEABLE
There is very, very little I would change about our experience on the SS Sudan. It was simply wonderful. Aside from wishing I had won the lottery just before our visit so we could have upgraded to one of the suites, my gripes are extremely minor!
At times, we could probably have done with a little longer at some of the temples, but not because we ever felt rushed. There’s just so much to see, that you could always stay longer. I wonder if this might have felt a bit more acute if we had been in a group, rather than on our own with the guide and therefore able to direct the days as we wished.
The only real downside for me, was that the boat had booked us a horse and carriage transfer, rather than taxi, to Edfu Temple. The horses seemed in better condition than those we saw in Aswan, but as a man sat on the side of the road randomly tossed a few stones at the horse on our way past, the warnings I read pre-trip around animal welfare at tourist sights seemed well founded. I am certain however, that had we thought to ask the ship staff, they would instead have arranged us a car.
As we were the only native English speakers on board during our week, I was *scandalised* to discover that on film night, we would be watching the utterly magnificent David Suchet in Death on the Nile dubbed (fairly badly!) into French! Sacre bleu! Whilst I luckily speak enough French to keep up (and of course know the film word for word, off by heart), it was a travesty that took me some time to get past. The only thing that could have been worse, would have been if they had shown the truly criminally bad Kenneth Branagh version…
There are plenty more Egypt guides on the blog to help you plan your trip. Don’t forget to check out my advice on travelling across the wider Middle East and North Africa for more ideas on where to go next. You might also want to have a look at my literary inspired guides – more Queen of Crime inspired travel coming soon!
Marianne says
I am considering to book this fabulous cruise you wrote about. Is there a guide that travels with the boat? Or do they just pick up a guide at a specific site? Also who did you book this through? I live in California and am skeptical about some of the online “tours” Any info would be appreciated, Thanks
@farawaydispatches says
The guides appointed by the ship travel on board for the duration of the trip. Passengers are divided up by language into smaller groups to visit all of the temples and tombs, meaning you have the same guide every day. We were really impressed with the guides – they were incredibly knowledgeable, very friendly and very keen to make sure they tailored each day to what we were most interested to see. I am not sure whether the Steam Ship Sudan have a US tour partner, but in Europe you can book through Voyages du Monde (a French travel company) or Original Travel (a UK company). If you contact the ship via their website, they will direct you to the right booking company for where you live. Hope this helps – really can’t recommend enough!
Mary says
I have read where some overnight moorings are noisy and smelly with diesel engines going all night from ships lined up next to one another. Did you experience this?
@farawaydispatches says
I can definitely imagine this would be an issue for some Nile cruises, as we saw a lot of boats parked up alongside each other at the moorings. I would be pretty annoyed if I had spent lots of money on a lovely room with window, just to be looking into a bedroom of the ship next door! However, this wasn’t an issue for us on the SS Sudan, as the nature of the ship means it can only be moored directly by the river bank, and without other ships next to us. A major plus point!
Kenneth Allyn Barton says
I so enjoyed this review, which I just happened to stumbled upon. My husband and I – along with 10 of our closest friends – are sailing onboard SUDAN from Luxor to Aswan the first week in May, as part of a three-week trip to Egypt in celebration of my 75th birthday, and my husband’s and my 40th anniversary. My first trip to Egypt was in 1970, when as a young classical archaeology student I worked at Queen Hatshepsut’s funerary temple at Deir el-Bahari. I was billeted at the very run-down Winter Palace, where the bathtub was way down the hall! In the decades since I’ve returned to Egypt many times, as a single, and with my husband. We have stayed at the Winter Palace (happily with *private* bathrooms!) and the Old Cataract, and will be staying again at these historic hotels in May, because despite their shortcomings, we love them. That said, I found your reviews of those properties to be spot-on. I’m delighted to have discovered Faraway Dispatches, and I’m fascinated by your superb photos on Instagram!
@farawaydispatches says
Thank you for your incredibly kind words about my blog! I hope that you have a really wonderful celebration aboard the SS Sudan – quite the occasions to mark! A 40th wedding anniversary is quite something! I can only hope The Husband and I shall be so lucky. And how fascinating to hear that you worked at Deir el-Bahari. It must be really interesting to have seen all the changes on your many visits to Egypt over the years. Have a really, really wonderful trip!