Immerse yourself in Egypt's exotic past

THERE are no casinos or glitzy floor shows, but expect to be impressed by this cruise through Egypt's seas and canals.

egypt

AT DAWN on our seventh day in Egypt, the MV Aegean Odyssey glided along the calm waters of the Suez Canal.

A few passengers gathered on deck, eager to be the first to photograph the man-made waterway that links the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, while the rest of us lay dreaming of Egyptian treasures, mummies and scarab beetles. And of King Solomon, who used the Red Sea to ship in ivory and peacocks from India; and myrrh, frankincense and gold from Arabia.

The tour trail
A leisurely day on the Suez Canal was one of the few opportunities to relax in the ship's spa or with a cocktail in hand at the Lido Bar. It offered a break from a hectic week of touring Egypt and the opportunity to anticipate adventures yet to come on our 15-day Voyages to Antiquity cruise-tour through Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus and Turkey.

I call it a cruise-tour because the experience isn't what you would expect on a conventional cruise. The Aegean Odyssey has no casinos or glitzy floor shows. Apart from a day on the Suez Canal, there was little time to lounge by the pool or sit and watch the world float by. Inspired by John Julius Norwich's book The Middle Sea, the aim of Voyages to Antiquity's cruises is to immerse travellers in the art, history and all the culture of the ancient civilisations around the Mediterranean.

Our time onboard was spent attending lectures or browsing through the library's collection of classical history, literature, art, architecture and philosophy books. Talks were delivered by highly qualified lecturers and professors from Manchester Museum, Balliol College in Oxford and the University of Queensland.

Shore excursions were included in the price of the cruise. We spent most days on land often from early morning to late afternoon feasting our eyes on forts, crusader castles, temples and Roman ruins while listening to the enthusiastic presentations of local guides.

There was a fair bit of walking, often over uneven ground, and a few long bus trips to desert monasteries and ruins.

First stop - Cairo
Our journey began in Cairo, where we visited the Pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Antiquities Museum. Then a flight to Luxor brought us to a treasure trove of temples, statues and tombs.

Karnak Temple's sky-high columns and soaring walls covered in mysterious hieroglyphics were impressive. As were the rock paintings in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, including King Tutankhamen's tomb, which was discovered in 1922 and is the only royal tomb found with its treasures intact. The dazzling riches of this young king who died before he could accumulate a large fortune are a substantial display of ancient Egyptian wealth. The haul of gold, jewels and figurines about 3500 items in all is a main feature of the Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo.

We boarded the Aegean Odyssey at Safaga, a port on the Red Sea, and cruised onwards to the Suez Canal. On the way, the ship docked at the popular seaside resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh but there was no time for fun in the sun in the Red Sea. Our destination was St Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mt Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments and confronted the burning bush.

From the Suez Canal we cruised the Mediterranean Sea to Beirut, catching a glimpse of the modern city from the ship and from the bus on our way to Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley. The bus passed billboards with sexy male and female models advertising everything from plasma TVs to lingerie. We also passed a Hezbollah military camp, where soldiers in an army jeep forced our driver to pull off by the roadside. The soldiers had spotted passengers in our bus snapping photographs of the military camp, which is a risky thing to do in the Middle East. Fortunately, we were let off with a stern warning.

Baalbek was founded originally by the Phoenicians in the second century BC, rebuilt by the Greeks and again by the Romans. Wandering around the three temples, dedicated to Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus, you would think you were in Rome and not Lebanon.

Touring in Syria involved a couple of long bus trips to Palmyra and Aleppo, which I was far from enthusiastic about. But after seeing the ancient desert city of Palmyra, wandering through the labyrinth of Aleppo's souk and exploring the romantic Krak des Chevaliers crusader castle, I came to the conclusion that the shore excursions were well worth the long bus rides.

The ship
The mid-sized Aegean Odyssey began sailing in May last year and accommodates 380 passengers. My deluxe stateroom on the bridge deck was spacious and had a sitting area, balcony and a large bathroom with a bathtub and shower.

It also came with Concierge Class service, which offered luxuries such as Molton Brown toiletries, mini bar, complimentary bottled water each day, bathrobes and slippers, an attentive room steward and priority boarding for the shore excursions.

Being newly refurbished, there are a few things that need to be attended to on the ship, such as an overactive funnel that belches smoke and soot.

Although the focus of the shore visits was on archaeology and ancient history, the street scenes engendered an equivalent amount of wonder. Sights ranged from Egyptian teenagers in bright local fashions to a Syrian tea man walking along the street with an enormous Aladdin-style teapot, almost as tall as him, strapped to his back.

The overall experience was a blend of cruising and touring by bus. It offered a taste of Egypt and the Middle East that has whetted my appetite to discover more of the region's exotic treasures.

The writer was a guest of Cruise Traveller and Emirates Airline.

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