Egypt

• The Pleasure Domes - Abu Dhabi
• The butler did it - Bahrain
• Dazzled by Dubai - Dubai
• Dubai’s must-do half dozen - Dubai
• The Day Chris tried to swap me for a camel - Egypt
• Ten great wonders - Egypt
• Keeping up with the Joneses - Jordan
• You CAN afford star treatment… - Middle East
• The hippy haunts of Hendrix - Morocco
• Souks you, sir! - Morocco
• Travelling in the sands of time - Oman
• OMAN! What a desert oasis - Oman
• Floating in a Red Sea bubble - Egypt
• Desert delights - Oman
• Our very own luxury oasis - UAE
• Escape to Egypt - Egypt
• All smiles on the Nile - Egypt

THE HAPPY SOUND of giggling roused us from our postlunch nap on the sunny deck of our boat, and we went to have a look. At the river’s edge, half-a-dozen children stood soaked to the skin, frantically splashing water at each other, eyes squeezed shut, wide smiles on their faces.

We couldn’t help laughing out loud. Egypt may have changed in many ways in the past year but children plus water still equals fun here on the Nile near Aswan, 440 miles and a world away from Cairo.

The scenery here hasn’t changed much for millennia either. Crops and palm trees edge the river in lush green strips, with nothing but sand and bare mountains beyond. We passed a few dusty settlements and towns, never huge, their skylines pierced by the ornate minarets of many mosques.

Fishermen in rowing boats just a few feet away from us slapped the river with big wooden bats to bring their prey to the surface. Farmers in long robes called galabeyas guided donkey carts loaded with sugar cane along the banks, and we counted the shiny black buffalo squatting in the shadows and pure white egrets standing in the shallows.

The scenery hasn’t changed for millennia

We waved back at passengers on the big cruise boats as they swept past, dwarfing our small but perfectly formed wooden vessel, and agreed that the Nile offers the best river cruise in the world.

Our boat with a difference was Amber, a dahabiyya. These wooden sailing boats were favoured 100 years ago - when Egyptmania was new - by travellers who wanted to see the river, tombs and temples at a relaxed pace and in luxury, sharing the experience with a few likeminded passengers.

These boutique vessels have every modern comfort (even an engine so you don’t rely on the wind) and only six cabins; it’s very different from the ‘standard’ Nile cruise experience.

On a dahabiyya (not to be confused with the smaller feluccas), you’re much closer to the water, thus feel more involved with what’s going on. With a maximum of 12 passengers, it feels like your own private olde worlde yacht,too. The staff soon know your name, your favoured place in the sun and your aperitif of choice.

Other guests included a teacher, construction project manager, managing director, chartered accountant, technical biochemist - all welltravelled and jolly friendly, and we quickly became chums. There were plenty of partners for Scrabble and card games.

There was always time for a proper snooze

The basic itinerary may be the same on most Nile cruises - sail between Luxor and Aswan, stopping off to see Ancient Egypt’s best monuments - but sightseeing was far more civilised on our trip, and not just because the country is lacking in tourists at the moment.

At awesome Abu Simbel we could take photos of the facade of Ramses II’s Great Temple without tourists milling into shot, never possible normally.

Also different was the fact that our guide, Ihab, could show us into secret rooms and tucked-away places that can’t accommodate a coachload of people, making it feel more exclusive.

In addition, if you have done a classic Nile cruise before aboard a larger vessel - we had and I’m a big fan - the guide can shape the itinerary to avoid repetition, or allow you more time at places you like. And what’s not to like? The monuments were as spellbinding as ever.

We loved strolling round Philae Temple on a flower-filled island near Aswan. We spent ages photographing the enormous columns at Karnak Temple and the ram’s-head sphinxes at Luxor Temple, part of the re-constructed Avenue of Sphinxes linking the two.

The tombs of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens were much more enjoyable without so many crowds to push past and with no queuing.

And a trip for cocktails at Luxor’s fabulous Winter Palace hotel was memorable. Our dahabiyya was tied up away from the main mooring areas in Luxor and Aswan, so there was none of that having to walk through six big boats to get ashore.

If we wanted to go off on our own, a motorboat was organised to take and collect us.

I wanted to see the legendary Old Cataract (now called the Hotel Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan), which has reopened after a three-year, 65-million refurbishment. What a fantastic job they’ve done.

The feel is still of an elegant, luxurious palace hotel but it’s been freshened up, with chic, modern touches. Non-residents can now book high tea on the promenade with fabulous views over the river.

Next day on Amber, we experienced another out-of-the-ordinary moment when a barbecue lunch was served on a tiny island in a tranquil spot. After lunch, afternoons were for chatting, sunbathing, catching up on novel-reading - what a luxury - dozing on a lounger or snuggling up on a comfy sofa in the shade on top deck. There was always time for a proper snooze before dressing for dinner, too - no sequins required.

The Egyptians are so welcoming

We loved our cabins, which are much larger than the average Nile cruise boat’s. Lots of warm wood and colonial-style furnishings with a hint of the Orient make the boat comfortable and homely. You won’t find a TV in your cabin (there’s one in the lounge) or a pool on deck; there’s no fancy-dress party or belly dancer as you’d normally get on a Nile cruise. But we did enjoy great company and good food.

Prepared by the onboard chef in small quantities so it is always fresh, the menu included salads, fish, rice, sweet vegetables and heavenly puds.

Also included were soft drinks, local wines and beers. Due to licensing restrictions, spirits were not on sale, but we could bring our favourite tipple with us.

We’d soon pooled our resources, another great benefit of the herd instinct. So what did we all enjoy best? The boat itself; the camaraderie; the hot air balloon ride over the West Bank in Luxor; the colours in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, so surprisingly vibrant. And, for me, the Egyptians. They’re so welcoming, another thing that, thankfully, hasn’t changed at all.