We are a bit different than others when we travel. We do not plan anything. We were lucky to find fantastic tour guides in Luxor, Egypt, who took us around all over Egypt. If you are looking for someone to provide the best tours, call “Luxor Valley Tours” or contact us, we will give you their info.
Our days in Egypt always started with a surprise. The driver and tour guide would pick us up, and we would ask with a smile, what are we doing today? On this day, they said, just wait, we have a great day planned. They both were so excited to share this day with us.
It started with us being picking up by boat right at our hotel. The driver met us later since he drove the car to come home later by car. I am talking much later, like midnight, hahaha.
The boat ride started with a stop at the Botanical Garden located on El Nabatat Island. The Island is a small, oval-shaped island in the Nile at Aswan, Egypt. It is less than a kilometer long, and its width is less than ½ a kilometer. Yes, the only way you can get here is by boat. If you are looking for a quiet escape, this is the place. The trees and plants are beautiful, with lots of shaded areas. My favorite spot was on the western edge, looking toward the hills. I found the view breathtaking. After two hours exploring, we got back on the boat.
After dancing on the boat to great Egyptian music and stopping at different beach areas to get our feet wet. It was time for their big surprise to us – passing a few corners, a picturesque, arty village appears. Wow, my eyes were so excited. All I could see was color, and all I could say was “whoop whoop.” I asked my tour guide, are we going there? With bright eyes, he said, “yes, you are about to experience the most colorful and feel-good villages of my entire country, The Nubian village. It is a unique place painted in all the colors of the rainbow. They have their own unique language they have never taught outsider.” He continued by saying, “There are a lot of colorful Nubian Villages here in Egypt, but this is the most popular and the one I love.”
As we landed in the village, we wander around, discovering, and admire all the beautifully painted rainbow buildings! The friendly Nubian people welcomed us into their homes and hearts.
Each home keeps small Nile crocodiles as pets and then releases them as they get bigger.
You can ride a camel thru the village if you would like. Young children run around the village and are so curious about the people visiting their home place.
Lucky we were there during the Covid pandemic, so very few people were in the village. We were told it is generally packed with tourists from all parts of the world.
Nubia is the region along the Nile river between Aswan, Egypt, and Khartoum, Sudan. It was one of the oldest civilizations in Africa, dating back to at least 2500 BC (4,500+ years ago).
Nubians are descendants of an ancient African civilization as old as Egypt itself, which once presided over an empire and even ruled Egypt. To start farming around the Nile, the friendly Nubians moved from Sudan. Their historical homeland is often referred to as Nubia.
The “Nubian Village” is in the city of Gharb Soheil, in Aswan, Egypt. Aswan is about 860 km/350 miles south of Cairo’s capital city – and is known for housing some of Egypt’s most ancient ruins.
From Aswan, you can get to the Nubian Village by car or boat. If you have a car, you can drive there or hire a taxi or driver. I highly recommend you take a boat it is breathtaking.
That is up to you. Many spend 2 hours. You could even spend the night at one of the bed and breakfast accommodations.
We spend 6 hours in this remarkable place, explored the village, eating dinner with a stop at a fantastic place to have Jabana coffee. Then headed to a Nubian party and danced the night away. This little village is more than the eye meets. I think it is a must-see and you will be amazed at the lifestyle and kindness of the Nubian people.
As we arrived at our hotel at midnight, I mentioned to our tour guide, “I don’t think you could beat this amazing day, thank you.” They were correct at the start of the day; they had planned a great day for us.