"The crew were tops! Very knowledgable and helpful in everything and being so down to earth! the layout of the truck alone puts all other overland trucks to shame. I had comments from people on the other tours and they all said they were very jealous of our truck. i have enjoyed my time immensely... would do it all over again!"
Ms. Adele Samuel (Istanbul to Cairo - overland expedition) |
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ASWAN HIGH DAM
 Our Egypt tours that have an option to visit the Aswan High Dam
The High Dam at Aswan is one of the most impressive feats of engineering design in the whole of the African continent. Construction on the High Dam began in 1960 with the view to it being a replacement for the already existent Low Dam which was built by the British from 1889-1902. The initial design of this Dam was found to be inadequate and the Dam itself was raised in two stages. The Dam almost overflowed in 1946 and it was then decided that rather than build a third extension to it, a new Dam 6km up river would be built. The former Dam is still there to this day and is traversed in order to drive up to the new Dam.
Without impoundment the River Nile would flood each year during summer, as waters from East Africa flowed down the river as they did in ancient times. These floods brought nutrients and minerals that made the soil around the Nile fertile and ideal for farming. As the population along the river grew, there came a need to control the flood waters to protect and support farmland and cotton fields. In a high-water year, the whole crop may be entirely wiped out, while in a low-water year there was widespread drought and famine.
 The first stage of construction on the High Dam was finished in 1964. The reservoir began filling in 1964 while the dam was still under construction and first reached capacity in 1976. It was during the flooding of the reservior in the 1960’s that UNESCO first became concerned about the impact the Dam was having on some of Ancient Egypt’s monuments. Sites were surveyed and excavated and 24 major monuments were moved to safer locations including the Sun Temple at Abu Simbel.
The Aswan High Dam is 3,830 m in length, 980 m wide at the base, 40 m wide at the crest and 111 m tall. It contains 43 million m³ of material. At maximum, 11,000 m³ of water can pass through the dam every second. There are further emergency spillways for an extra 5000 m³ per second and the Toshka Canal links the reservoir to the Toshka Depression. The reservoir, named Lake Nasser, is 550 km long and 35 km at its widest with a surface area of 5,250 km² and holds 111 km³.
 Damming the Nile has caused a number of environmental and cultural issues. It flooded much of lower Nubia and over 90,000 people were displaced. Lake Nasser flooded valuable archaeological sites such as the fort at Buhen. The silt which was deposited in the yearly floods, and made the Nile floodplain fertile, is now held behind the dam. Silt deposited in the reservoir is lowering the water storage capacity of Lake Nasser. Poor irrigation practices are waterlogging soils and bringing salt to the surface. The dam has also had an impact on the Mediterranean Sea with less nutrients making it through the dam walls and thus having a negative effect on marine life in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean.
It is believed that if the Dam were to be destroyed, then the whole of the Nile Valley would be flooded in less than a day.
The Dam at Aswan can be visited on the way to or on the way back from Abu Simbel, and a visit there can also be combined with a trip to the Philae Temple.
| Tour |
Country |
Duration |
Price |
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| Egyptian Family Adventure |
Egypt |
13 days |
From UK£695 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor, Red Sea (Hurghada). This family adventure gives you a taste of everything that Egypt has to offer. The Pyramids and Sphinx in Cairo, and temples and tombs in Luxor provide the main sightseeing, and a short desert camel trek, overnight felucca trip on the Nile and some time by the Red Sea balance these out to make a fun and educational holiday for the whole family. |
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| Nile Family Adventure |
Egypt |
9 or 10 days |
From UK£560 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor. This short family adventure fits into a half-term or longer holiday, and combines visits to the pyramids, sphinx and museums in Cairo, with a short camel trek and a felucca sailboat cruise between Aswan and Luxor. All in all, a great family introduction to Egypt with a balance of ancient sites and history, and more adventurous activities. |
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| Splendours of the Nile |
Egypt |
9 or 10 days |
From UK£665 |
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Cairo, Aswan (Nile cruise) Luxor. This classic tour gives you the chance to experience Cairo’s best and most important sites, including the Pyramids, Sphinx and the world famous Egyptian museum before transferring to Aswan for a luxury cruise down the Nile to Luxor. You visit all the major sites en-route, and the tour has optional visits to Abu Simbel, and Alexandria. |
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| Nile Explorer |
Egypt |
9 or 10 days |
From UK£305 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor. This classic tour travels through the Nile Valley visiting Egypt's ancient sites and monuments. From the Pyramids
and Sphinx in Cairo, to the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple in Luxor, we take in all the main sites, and include a peaceful felucca ride or Nile cruise down
the Nile stopping at riverside temples and villages. The tour can be completed in one week.
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| Grand Egyptian Adventure |
Egypt |
15 days |
From UK£395 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor, Dahab. Our most popular itinerary, this tour starts with visits to the Pyramids & Sphinx in Cairo, with an optional City & Museum tour. From Aswan, we take a peaceful felucca sailboat or luxury Nile cruise along the Nile to Luxor, where we explore temples & tombs on both banks of the river. The tour ends with time for you to relax at the beaches and cafes at Dahab, to snorkel or scuba-dive among the coral reefs of the Red Sea, and if you wish, to climb Mt. Sinai.
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| Classic Nile Cruise |
Egypt |
7 nights |
From UK£595 |
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Nile Cruise; Luxor - Aswan - Luxor. This classic Nile Cruise tour spends a week travelling up and down the River Nile between Aswan and Luxor, visiting all the major sites en-route. These include the Temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, the temples of Edfu and Komombo, and the island temple of Philae in Aswan, while you also have the option to fly to visit the temples to Ramses at Abu Simbel. Your accommodations are on one of Egypt's famous and luxurious Nile Cruise boats (5-star deluxe level).
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| Egypt & Jordan Experience |
Egypt & Jordan |
16 days |
From UK£1,335 |
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Cairo, Aswan (Nile Cruise) Luxor, Mt. Sinai, Jordan. This tour covers all the main sites in Egypt and Jordan. Following visits to the Pyramids, Sphinx and a city tour in Cairo, we enjoy a luxury cruise along the Nile from Aswan to Luxor. We then head via the Cairo and St. Catherine's Monastery & Mt. Sinai to Jordan and a jeep safari & Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum. From here we travel up the scenic King's Highway stopping to explore Petra, Kerak and Madaba, before finishing in Amman with a day trip to the Dead Sea and the Roman ruins at Jerash. |
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| Egypt Experience |
Egypt |
14 days |
From UK£850 |
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Cairo, Aswan (Nile cruise) Luxor, Red Sea. This tour gives you a comprehensive introduction to the main highlights Egypt
has to offer. We see the Pyramids, Sphinx and famous Egyptian Museum in Cairo,
enjoy a luxury 5 day/4 night cruise along the Nile from Aswan to Luxor, and finish
the tour with time to relax and enjoy the Red Sea at a 5-star beach resort
in Hurghada. |
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| Grand Egypt & Jordan Adventure |
Egypt & Jordan |
16 days |
From UK£855 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor, Dahab, Jordan. Following a tour to the Pyramids & Sphinx in Cairo, this tour visits the main highlights of the Nile Valley between Aswan and Luxor, featuring a peaceful felucca or luxury cruise along the Nile. After a couple of days by the Red Sea, we enter Jordan where we spend time in the stunning desert scenery of Wadi Rum, explore the ancient city of Petra, swim in the Dead Sea, and visit several other sites including the Roman ruins at Jerash. The tour starts in Cairo and finishes in Amman |
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| Pharaohs and Deserts |
Egypt |
15 days |
From UK£550 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor, Fayoum, Western Deserts. This tour combines Egypt's main historical sites and a felucca or luxury cruise in the Nile Valley, with two separate desert safaris. Around Fayoum we visit the Wadi Rayan protected area with its spring oasis and desert lake, and the World Heritage Site of the Valley of the Whales. In the Western Deserts, we visit the Baharya & Farafra oases and enjoy an overnight jeep safari in the spectacular White Desert. |
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| Nile Predators |
Egypt |
15 days |
From UK£1,625 |
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This extended tour gives you a full 12 days fishing on Egypt's beautiful Lake
Nasser. Get away from the crowd and enjoy unrivalled fishing for the mighty Nile
Perch in its natural habitat. Spend you nights sleeping under the stars and your
days chasing the dream of a 200 pound plus monster. |
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| Nile Predators |
Egypt |
9 days |
From UK£1,050 |
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A classic fishing adventure that gives you 6 full days fishing for the famous
Nile Perch. This legendary fish is world renowned for its aggressive behaviour
and awesome fighting powers. Enjoy your fishing surrounded by pristine desert
wilderness as you cruise Lake Nasser in search of the big one. |
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| Jewels of the Nile |
Egypt |
15 days |
From UK£1,345 |
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Why not combine your favourite sport with a family holiday to remember. Spend
7 days fishing on Lake Nasser for the magnificent Nile Perch then head down the
Nile on a luxury cruise boats, enjoying all the comforts of a 5-star floating
hotel. This way the whole family stays happy! |
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| Nile Perch & The Red Sea |
Egypt |
16 days |
From UK£1,335 |
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This tour offers 7 full days of adrenaline filled fishing for the mighty Nile
Perch on Lake Nasser followed by a relaxing stay at a Red Sea resort. Here you
can spend your days diving or snorkelling or just relaxing and soaking up the
sun after your action packed fishing adventure. A great holiday for all the family! |
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