River Nile

The literal lifeline and beating heart of Egypt, the river Nile connects countless countries is the basin of life and carries the 5000-year-old history of civilisation.

This river of life was home and transcending reason for the Sudanese Kingdoms, the Ancient Egyptians, the Kingdom of Punt and countless under-respected histories of Africa. The river Nile tells a story of the world with more than 6600 Kilometers (4,100 miles) to the north, the longest river in the world; this title is crowned as it runs across 10 African countries whilst emptying into the Mediterranean and connecting to Europe and the Middle-East.

As Egyptians preach, “Once you drink from the Nile, You are destined to Return” the Nile keeps giving to its people through its mineral-rich soil, which provides the barren desert land with abundant green river banks. The yearly flooding of the Nile that has occurred from the beginning of civilisation, was harnessed by the Ancient Egyptians and continues to be fruitful in Egyptian agriculture. In 1970, the Aswan High Dam that within itself is an engineering sight to behold controls the yearly August flooding, cleverly generates electricity, irrigates farms and provides the population with drinking water.

Today, around 95% of Egyptians live within a few kilometres of the Nile. Whilst most tourists experience the river Nile from various locations in Egypt, there are various access points to enjoy in the longest strip of water in the world. In Cairo, visitors can party the night away on boat cruises, with electrifying music and rainbow lights and have dinner on the endless rooftop bars or restaurants overlooking the glittering river. Travel to the South of Egypt, Luxor the home of the Valley of the Dead is a spectacular time capsule of the way life would have been, the temples were built using the aid of the river Nile. In Aswan, visitors can experience the friendly everydayness of the Nile on transport boats or book rides on Feluccas, the traditional wooden sailing boats.

Often passed over or unknown, Khartoum in Sudan is the central crossroad where the Blue Nile and White Nile spectacularly fuse together and continue Northwards to Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. The River Nile splits into one tributary the White Nile, in South Sudan, and the other called the Blue Nile, which finds its base in Ethiopia. One of the main high streets in Khartoum is named after the Nile, Shari’a Al-Nil street, cross over the bridges and enjoy the bustle of the street market.

In Uganda, the Nile continues to play a major role in modernising the country and offers hydroelectricity. Tourists can join a Nile cruise from Lake Koyga, a source that supplies the Nile with fresh water, and witness the Bujagali Falls, a powerful dam that connects to Lake Victoria, the speed and velocity of the water provides the perfect conditions for exciting rafting experiences. Murchison Falls National Park famous for the most powerful waterfall in the world (around 200 bathtubs full of water every second) is also a great way to experience the humble water journey of the Nile.