Felucca Sail to Banana Island

Board a traditional felucca, the wooden, wind-powered sailing boat used on the Nile since ancient times, from a landing close to your hotel. As the captain works the single large sail, you glide south past the Luxor Corniche and the palm groves and farmland of the West Bank, with nothing but the sound of the water around you. The trip is at its most beautiful in the late afternoon, when the light turns golden and the air cools. Sailing time depends on the wind, so your captain adapts the route to the day.

Step ashore at Banana Island, a small island of plantations a few kilometres south of Luxor. A local guide leads you along shaded paths through the banana groves, showing how the fruit is grown and harvested, and you can taste fresh bananas and other seasonal fruit straight from the trees. After some time to relax in the shade, re-board the felucca and sail back to Luxor, often in time to watch the sun set behind the Theban hills.