Saray El Nil Dahabeya

Saray El Nil is a rare authentic and original dahabiya built in 1882 and carefully restored in 2019. She is now privately owned by a British family that is devoted to preserving the heritage of this rare river boat from the golden age of Nile travels.

The owners also wish to preserve the spirit of exploration and adventure that travellers such as Amelia Edwards and Lucie, Lady Duff Gordon experienced in the second half of the nineteenth century. To enjoy Saray El Nil for yourselves, is to embrace both the boat's unique state of preservation and the bespoke service true to her historic past.

A Saray El Nil charter is exclusively and privately for you. We ensure that you do not share the boat with strangers, since this is very much in keeping with how dahabiyas used to be chartered in the past. You will have your own personal chef and crew under the expert aegis of our captain, Rais Ashraf, who has captained the boat for over ten years.

In the past, only the wealthiest adventurers and travellers could afford to charter a dahabiya and her crew. The dahabiya was the aristocrat of her age. Journeys normally began in Cairo and the boats were sailed or pulled by hand up the Nile for hundreds of miles south to Luxor, Aswan and the glorious pharaonic sites along the way.

These journeys were made famous by travel writers of the time and caused such a thirst amongst the European and American middle classes for the romance of the Nile that, by the latter half of the nineteenth century, larger cruise steamers began to appear, pioneered by the likes of Thomas Cook. Interestingly, Saray El Nil (and her tugboat, Saieed) are moored beside one such steamer, Sudan (1917): great originals from Egypt's proud history of river travel dating back at least to the royal barges of Cleopatra.

The experience of a journey on Saray El Nil is a two fold stepping back in time: you will enter the dream world of pharaohs and you will travel as the privileged once did a century and a half ago. This combination of time experiences is life changing. You will count your journey aboard Saray El Nil as one of the most valuable and important experiences of your life.

Three double cabin en-suite
One large stern suite with its own private terrace
Large Salon for dining and relaxing
22 meter sundeck with wicker chairs and tables
Sundeck catering bar with storage, guest fridge and chest freezer
Free WiFi internet access
Accompanying motorboat to pull it in case wind is calm

Transfer from point of embarkation to the boat
Accommodation on full board basis with meals served in the main dining room. (room service dining NOT included)
PRIVATE GUIDE available at additional cost
Entrance fees to sites included in ship program
All port fees, service charges and taxes

Items of a personal nature such as tips, telephone, laundry
Beverages of any nature at any time
Anything prior to embarkation or after disembarkation

SPECIAL SALE, CONTACT US FOR PRICES