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A cruise on the Nile River makes for an exciting - and surprisingly affordable - family trip to Egypt. Here's an account of how history can come alive when you fix in some fun and good food.

There are cruises and then, there are voyages. This sailing is entering its sixth millennium and not yet showing its age. Those of you who have experienced the opulence and excess (and great fun) of the 20th century's floating playgrounds must be prepared for something completely different on a Nile River cruise in Egypt. This granddaddy of all cruises is not to be missed.

The Nile meanders from equatorial Africa for over 4,000 miles, north from Uganda and Ethiopia through Sudan and Egypt to the Mediterranean. The stretch plied by cruise boats goes from Aswan, just below the Aswan High Dam that creates Lake Nasser, north 100 miles or so to Luxor, known in ancient times as Thebes and home to some of the richest archeological sites in the world. You can cruise from either end, but I would recommend going with the flow. That means starting in Aswan and going north "down" the river. There are also Lake Nasser cruises, but that's another story.

Rolling Down the River

You'll have to fly into Cairo and either connect to Aswan or stopover in town for a few days of sightseeing. If you go straight to Aswan, you'll overnight on land, then board the boat for a leisurely day's tour of the Aswan area. Try to fit in a side trip to Abu Simbel, a short flight away. In an international rescue effort in 1960, these impressive temples were excavated and moved vertically 200 ft./60m up the cliffs to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

The Nile cruise boats are much smaller and slower than their giant Caribbean counterparts, but completely comfortable. Typically, they have 60-75 cabins, all with outside windows, some even with small terraces. At most, the cabins can accommodate only three people, so a family of four would require two cabins. Buffet meals are served on board and most boats have at least a "splash" pool for a cool respite from the heat.

Did I mention the heat? If you can go in December or January, it's hot. If you go during the summer, it's very hot (90-100°F or 32-38°C).

By the second cruise day, as the boat moves down river, you'll get used to the dry heat. The boat stops at several sites, one of them the Temple of Sobek, the crocodile god. It is the river journey itself that is as interesting as the sites you will visit. From the top deck, the panoramas of timeless Egypt pass before you. Small villages dot the banks, with children and women washing clothes in the river, men working in the irrigated fields beyond. The lovely nativefeluccas sail everywhere on the Nile and watching them is endlessly fascinating.

Usually, the third and fourth nights are spent at Luxor, where sightseeing presents the biggest physical challenge. The Valleys of the Kings and Queens contain the empty tombs of the greatest dynasties of Egypt. Most were looted through the centuries, though King Tut's tomb was one of the few to survive intact. You'll walk through some hot and cramped spaces, frescoed with fading but still colorful paintings and hieroglyphics from 3500 years ago.

The temples at Karnak and Luxor are enormous, just astounding in their scale and beauty. Kids who have studied Egypt's ancient civilization may not be engaged at every moment, but they cannot be unaffected by the experience. And there's always the pool back on the boat.

The nightly onboard entertainment consists of lively music, belly dancing and silly costumed skits by the passengers. While bordering on the corny for an adult, kids love it. You'll leave the boat on the morning of the fifth day, and can return to Cairo or, as many European families do, move on to the beach resorts of the Red Sea.