Think of going on a Nile cruise and you’re likely to get hit by a flood of cultural associations. Hollywood offered up its own Technicolor version in 1963, when it sent ELIZABETH TAYLOR (as Cleopatra) down the Nile amongst a fleet of gold gondolas covered in silken canopies. In 1937 AGATHA CHRISTIE took a more sinister (though no less glamorous turn); setting one of her most famous mysteries, Death on the Nile, within the confines of an art deco boat.

In recent years Nile cruises have been experiencing something of glamorous makeover, as both old and new yachts are being restored and transformed into luxurious floating boutique hotels. Fitted out with the latest amenities and chic interiors by world famous designers, this new breed of cruises are reinventing the Nile experience (as well as attracting a new hip clientele). Dia opens up its little black book to reveal four of the most luxurious and intimate Nile cruises.

La Flâneuse du Nil
A secret amongst international jetsetters, this seven-bedroom sailboat carries a mere 14 passengers, yet each one is treated like a pasha. The canopied top deck has been fitted out with parquet floors, spacious lounge chairs and antiques; the perfect setting to enjoy a leisurely breakfast of homemade jams and freshly backed breads as you watch the gold flecked dome of the Aga Khan Mausoleum drift by before your eyes.
The airy rooms are no less luxurious with their beamed ceilings and walls painted in warm shades of grey and ochre. Some also boast cozy reading nooks decked out in a cosmopolitan mix of modern furnishings and antiques. Of note are the hand-woven carpets from the famous workshops in El Haraniya.
http://www.la-flaneuse-du-nil.com/vie_a_bord.html

The Sudan
Nothing on the Nile quite matches the old-world elegance of the Sudan, precisely because it has been a witness to history. It was in the intimate setting of the Sudan’s panoramic lounge bar that AGATHA CHRISTIE was inspired to pen one of the most famous scenes in her novel “Death on the Nile”.
Built in 1885, this steam ship was once the private yacht of the late King Fouad of Egypt; who decked out his prized possession in Belle Époque splendor. Interiors boast exotic wood wall paneling and moldings, while antique Venetian chandeliers twinkle from the ceilings above. Most of the furniture in the cabins is original; with one room boasting a faded wedding portrait of KING FAROUK and QUEEN FARIDA. Last year the Sudan underwent a meticulous restoration (including the addition of several modern amenities). Yet its social scene undoubtedly revolves around its upper deck, which has been converted into an elegant outdoor lounge.
http://www.steam-ship-sudan.com/en/the-cruises-on-the-nile.asp

Alexander the Great

A former 60-cabin boat that has been stripped and refitted as a 30-cabin floating boutique hotel; the Alexander the Great is a study in understated elegance. Attracting a sophisticated mix of world travelers, one never knows who will be bunking in the cabin next door. Past guests have included designer Diane von Furstenberg and Italian fashion photographer FABRIZIO FERRE. Each one of its spacious minimalist rooms comes individually decorated with quirky touches such as op-art cushions and ostrich-shell lanterns. The elegant upstairs lounge and multi-tiled swimming pool offer some of the most breathtaking views of the Nile.
http://www.alexander-yacht.com/home.html

The Sun Boat III

When Abercrombie & Kent wanted to remake the Sun Boat III into a luxurious and intimate floating boutique hotel, they approached SAHIRA FEHMY; a young and talented Egyptian interior designer who has lived all over the world (thanks in part to her diplomat father).

The result is 14 luxuriously appointed cabins and 4 suites, invoking a mix of colonial glamour and Egyptian artisanal savoir-faire. The public spaces are no less inviting; giving the feeling of being in someone’s well-appointed home. In the Sahara Lounge, Fahmy wanted to invoke the “hunting tents of Egyptian royalty.” This translated in art deco lounge chairs and gleaming brass lanterns, beams sporting hand carved Nubian designs, hand-woven Bedouin carpets and colorful embroidered throw pillows from Sinai.  While on the upper deck Fahmy transformed the pool area into a desert oasis surrounded by miniature palms, blooming papyrus and canopied daybeds that invite guests to lounge and soak in the scenery.

Visit http://www.abercrombiekent.co.uk/Egypt/EMAH2307

Images courtesy of www.vdm.com, www.travelinstyle.com, www.liberty-international.org, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk,