The Dahabeya is an historic sailing boat based out of Luxor, Esna or Aswan for 3, 7, 9 or 12 nights cruises on the Nile river. Our cruise was from Luxor south to Aswan and thus up-stream. When the winds weren’t brisk enough for the boat to sail up-stream, each boat was attached by a very long line to a tug boat and towed us agains the current. The line was long enough that we never heard the tug boat towing us.
Originally built to carry celebrities and royal families, the Dahabeya was a luxury pleasure boat for the Nile. The name means “golden one”, alluding to its gold and dongola decoration. The name came to be applied to other boats with similar luxuries. The Dahabeya was later refitted as a cruise ship and now cruises the Nile River and Lake Nasser. Today many newer Dahabeyas have been built for luxury cruises.
