Middle East - Anthony Ham [134]
American Express (Map; 230 6983; Corniche el-Nil; 9am-5pm)
Thomas Cook (Map; 304 011; Corniche el-Nil; 8am-2pm & 5-9pm)
Post
Main post office (Map; Corniche el-Nil; 8am-2pm Sat-Thu)
Telephone
Telephone centrale (Map; Corniche el-Nil; 24hr) At the southern end of town; international call can be made here.
Tourist Information
Tourist office (Map; 231 2811; Midan al-Mahatta; 8am-3pm & 6-8pm) Next to the train station.
Visa Extensions
Passport office (Map; 8.30am-1pm Sat-Thu) On the 1st floor of the police building that’s on the Corniche.
Sights
Nubia Museum
This little-visited but fascinating museum (Map; Sharia Abtal at-Tahrir; adult/student E£40/20; 9am-1pm & 5-9pm) showcases the history, art and culture of Nubia, and the collection ranges from prehistoric times to the present day. The extensive and clearly labelled collection is housed in a building that references traditional Nubian architecture. Make sure you have a good look at the ‘Nubia Submerged’ exhibition, which includes photographs of Philae, Abu Simbel and Kalabsha before they were resited. The museum is a 15-minute walk from the town centre.
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CRUISING THE NILE FELUCCA STYLE
It wasn’t so long ago that the length of the Nile was swarming with the white-tipped sails of feluccas, the traditional wooden sail boats that have been cruising this river for eons. Motorised barges and colossal cruise boats may have taken some of the wind out of the felucca’s sails, but this time-tested craft remains an idyllic way to travel the Nile.
Particularly popular around Aswan, it is here that a flock of 3400 swan-like vessels ply the river’s gently sluicing waters. Trust us when we say the best way to experience this river is from the bow of a felucca as it lazily meanders its way from bank to bank. This is definitely not the fastest mode of transport around – one Egyptian proverb advises: ‘the one who voyages the Nile must have sails made of patience’ – but that’s exactly the appeal. At the leisurely pace of the wind, you are immersed in the life of the river, passing within arm’s reach of river-bank villages, fishermen plying their trade and palms swaying leisurely as the desert sunset burns bright. If you decide to take an overnight trip, you’ll also be rewarded with the blinding vista of the night-time stars.
With so many boats and boat captains around, it’s not hard to find an eager skipper willing to organise a multiday trip towards Luxor (that way currents will propel you if the wind fails). Feluccas are decked out in comfy cushions and usually hold six to eight passengers, making for a far more intimate experience than large cruise boats. Trips can be arranged from Aswan to the temples at Kom Ombo, Edfu or Esna and last between two and five days. Each evening, feluccas will moor and set up camp either on the shore or on the boat. Food will be prepared on the boat, and often captains and crew will burst into song and dance at the slightest provocation. Best of all, the fast-flowing bits of water south of Luxor are less likely to contain the nasty bug bilharzia (Click here), making a post-temple dip in the cool Nile a joy. For prices and practicalities, Click here.
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Unfinished Obelisk
This huge discarded obelisk (Map; adult/student E£25/15; 7am-5pm Oct-Apr, 8am-6pm May-Sep) lies on the edge of the northern granite quarries that supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in pyramids and temples. Three sides of the 42m-long, 1168 tonne shaft were completed, sans inscriptions. It would have been the largest single piece of stone ever handled if a flaw had not appeared in the granite. Private taxis will charge around E£10 to bring you here from the centre of town.
Elephantine Island
Aswan’s earliest settlement, over 5000 years ago, was on this Nile island (Map). You can still see the ruins of the ancient community, called Abu, and two impressive Nilometers that lie at the southern end of the island, within