Nubian Village Camel Tour from Aswan

The visit is full of emotions. Punctual pick-up by car from our hotel by Mohammed and our driver. Introductory generalist topo about ancient Egypt by Mohammed in the car. Enchanting round trip by small boat to Philae Island. Exciting visit of this small temple (for ancient Egypt) exquisitely placed on its island (following its move by UNESCO for its preservation). In particular, the unique features of Egyptian Ptolemaic architecture and the eventful history of the temple after its construction, from Christianization to its partial immersion in the artificial lake of Aswan, through the Napoleonic occupation, were learned. All this with humor. The end of the tour is in a traditional Egyptian perfumery, with antique-inspired essences.

It was an excellent day with Mr. Emad Aiad, an energetic guide with a very high cultural level. His sympathy, energy and culture captivated me from the beginning, turning my day into moments of excellence.

Shimaa was a very knowledgeable and engaging guide.Her attention to detail and enthusiasm for Egyptian history was first class.I learnt alot of things on my tour including how courageous and beautiful Isis was in the pantheon of Egyptian history.

The tour is very good but it is only transfer there is no guide the cot ride is very short, but the landscape is very beautiful and are forty minutes boat transfer

We booked this tour for our group of 6 and had mixed feelings about the experience. The Good: Our guide George was friendly and well-dressed (full black suit and white shirt in 85-degree heat, which my sister found endearing though I think a polo would have been more practical). Two sweet 14-year-old Nubian boys steered our boat - they were on school holiday and helping their families earn money using their father’s boat. We tipped them generously. At the village, we met Mustafa, the tour company owner, who gave us interesting background on Nubian history and how the dam forced migration. The villagers were friendly and welcoming. We walked past colorful restaurants with beautiful murals that made for nice photos. The Problems: First, be warned there were lots of flies during our visit. We spent the entire time swatting them from our faces. We declined the home visit with tea ceremony as it felt exploitative to us, though this was offered. The camel ride completely fell apart. The listing advertises “a peaceful ride along the Nile River bank” but what we got was a chaotic ride through the local market. The camels were aggressive and didn’t listen to handlers well. We kept bumping into each other and it was stressful, not peaceful. Nothing like the calm camels we rode at the Giza Pyramids. Worse, the moment we got off, the camel handlers became aggressive about tips. My wife, niece, and sister felt harassed, which really upset me. I gave them several hundred Egyptian pounds and they were clearly unhappy. We walked away but it completely ruined the experience. The village itself doesn’t have much to see. We browsed the market, haggled for a few items, and were ready to leave 30 minutes before the tour ended. On the return boat ride, small children on paddleboats latched onto our motorboat singing for tips. My Advice: Skip this organized tour entirely. Hire a local felucca captain directly for a few hundred Egyptian pounds, boat to the village yourself, and walk around independently. The organized tour and especially the camel component are not worth the price. George and the company were nice enough people, but the value isn’t there and the aggressive tipping culture around the camels was uncomfortable. The Nubian village is worth seeing for the colors and culture, just do it on your own terms.