Independent
Akhnaton
Six cabins under sail, Esna to Aswan
- Fleet
- unknown - sold by Vantage Travel International (nilecruisebooking.com), Nile Cruisen and Golavita; no owner site found
- Accommodation
- 5 cabins · 1 suites
- Route
- Esna / Luxor - Edfu - Gebel el-Silsila - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae), and the reverse
- Length
- 3 · 4 nights
- Departures
- SOURCES DISAGREE. nilecruisebooking.com: 'Every Monday from Esna to Aswan'. nilecruisen.com: 3-night departures every Wednesday from Aswan and 4-night departures every Saturday from Esna. golavita.net says only 'selected departure dates from Luxor'. No operator source to arbitrate.
- Season
- nilecruisen.com lists both routes as running January to December (year-round). No operator confirmation.
About Akhnaton
Akhnaton is a two-masted sailing boat carrying just five twin cabins and a single suite, decorated in a colonial style that harks back to the early river voyages. The twin cabins combine into doubles, each with a private bathroom and air conditioning, while the suite adds larger windows for wider views of the passing bank.
The wind-powered passage runs between Esna or Luxor and Aswan over four or five days, calling at Edfu, Gebel el-Silsila and Kom Ombo before reaching the Philae temple at Aswan. Sailing at the pace of the current, the boat can moor at islands and quieter shore sites that larger cruisers pass by.
On board there is a library of Egyptian literature, a salon of low sofas, a lounge bar and a shaded sun deck with loungers. Full-board dining is prepared fresh by an onboard chef, with afternoon tea, cakes and complimentary drinks through the day.
Highlights
- Just five cabins and one suite
- Two-masted sailing boat, colonial-style interiors
- Esna and Luxor to Aswan via Edfu, Kom Ombo
- Library, salon, lounge bar and sun deck
- Full board with fresh onboard cooking
The boat in detail
- Cabin categories
- {'category': 'Standard cabin', 'count': 4, 'sqm': None, 'beds': 'Twin beds, combinable into a double', 'occupancy': '2', 'notes': 'Private bathroom, air conditioning (nilecruisebooking.com)'} | {'category': 'Suite', 'count': 1, 'sqm': None, 'beds': None, 'occupancy': None, 'notes': 'Larger windows than the standard cabins, private bathroom (nilecruisebooking.com)'}
- Dining
- Full board | Traditional Egyptian cuisine, fresh local ingredients prepared by an onboard chef | Afternoon tea with cakes and pastries | Complimentary tea, coffee, mineral and bottled water
- Facilities
- Library stocked with Egyptian literature | Salon with sofas | Lounge / bar with Wi-Fi | Sun deck with loungers and shaded areas | Private bathrooms in all cabins and the suite | Fully equipped galley | Evening entertainment - belly dancer, Arabic and English music
- Itineraries
- 5 days / 4 nights Esna to Aswan via Edfu, Gebel el-Silsila, Kom Ombo, Aswan and Philae Temple (nilecruisebooking.com) | 4 days / 3 nights Aswan to Luxor (nilecruisen.com; golavita.net) | 5 days / 4 nights Luxor to Aswan via Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo (golavita.net)
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