Brinley Hineman
Africa is a bucket-list continent for many travelers, and two of the biggest draws are safaris and the Egyptian pyramids.
River cruise lines are growing their capacity there, making it a great way to experience Africa, enabling passengers to see it from both land and water.
AmaWaterways will begin operating four safari itineraries through Chobe National Park in Botswana this year that pair a Chobe River cruise on the Zambezi Queen with land safaris. These itineraries range from nine to 18 nights.
Zambezi Cruise & Safaris recently debuted its newest luxury river ship, the Zambezi Trader, on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. The cruise and safari operator said the ship’s launch marks “a new era of river tourism” in the country. The itinerary features game drives, birdwatching and catch-and-release fishing.
River cruising on the Nile
And options are seemingly endless for Nile cruises, with more ships on the way from brands like Waldorf Astoria and Viking.
One critique of traveling to Egypt I have frequently heard is that overtourism can be a turnoff. A river cruise seems like a solution to exploring the destination without suffering from the crowds or traffic jams, since most transit will be done on the river rather than a roadway.
While at the USTOA Annual Marketplace in December, I sat down with tourism minister Sherif Fathy to discuss his country’s growing tourism. Of course, our conversation turned to the pyramids, one of Egypt’s most iconic sites, and Nile cruising.
Fathy told me that even with the new ships that will soon be plying the water, the Nile hasn’t yet reached a saturation point.
A&K Sanctuary will add its fifth ship to its Nile fleet this year with the launch of the Nile Seray, a 64-passenger vessel. Egyptologists will be on every sailing. And come 2028, A&K it will add a sister ship to the Nile Seray