Oberoi Nile Cruises: the back story

About Oberoi Nile Cruises: the back story

By the ULTIMATE the world’s cruise lines Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Oberoi Hotels & Resorts runs two luxury cruisers on the Nile, The Oberoi Zahra and The Oberoi Philae. Both are run like the group’s hotels, with Oberoi chefs, The Oberoi Spa and suites with private terraces.

A hotel group on the river

Oberoi is best known for its hotels in India, but on the Nile it runs two cruisers that carry the same ideas afloat: generous rooms, attentive service and cooking by Oberoi chefs. The group confirms that both The Oberoi Zahra and The Oberoi Philae remain fully operational and continue to welcome travellers from around the world.

The Oberoi Zahra

The Zahra is the more contemporary of the two, with a limited number of rooms in muted tones, clean lines and natural fabrics. Even in a Luxury Cabin you can watch the Nile from the rain shower; the Luxury Suites add a living room, a private dining area and a heated whirlpool on a private terrace, and a two-bedroom suite with its own living and dining area suits families. Evenings bring cocktail receptions with live music and a Nubian performance on every cruise.

Five thousand years of Egyptian culture, seen from the deck.

The Oberoi Philae

The Philae is the more playful ship, with a movie theatre and a dance floor beside the bar and library lounge, and Cuban cigars in the upper-deck lounge. Her Luxury Suite with Terrace has a sun lounger and heated outdoor whirlpool; the Luxury Suites have floor-to-ceiling windows, a king-size bedroom, a standalone bathtub and modern Egyptian art.

Between Luxor and Aswan

Both ships sail the stretch between Luxor and Aswan, 240 kilometres apart along the river. On the way you pass Kom Ombo, the twin temple dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris and the crocodile god Sobek, and near Aswan lies Philae, the temple of Isis that was moved, stone by labelled stone, to the island of Agilika in a UNESCO-led rescue after the building of the High Dam.

Our advice:

Our advice: choose the Zahra for quiet elegance and the Philae for livelier evenings. Book a suite with a terrace and whirlpool if you can; a cruise of three or four nights gives you time for the temples and the pool. You can combine the Nile with The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh, on the Red Sea.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Oberoi Nile Cruises: the back story before you go.