"Egypt bookings are rolling in so fast we can barely keep up with them. For the first time in eight years, we're encountering waitlists at many of the top hotels and Nile cruises. The demand for Dahabiyah Nile Cruises is especially soaring, and the best of the bunch are by far the four Dahabiyas operated by Nour el Nil: Meroe, Malauka, El Nil, and Assouan. They were built by an Egyptian and former sailor, with a strong emphasis on sailing. Due to their small size (each have eight to 10 cabins/suites), the vessels can visit sites normally missed by large Nile cruise ships, and many times they simply nose-up on the bank and allow travelers to disembark and stroll through small hamlets and unnoticed archaeological sites (like Gebel-el-Silsileh)."