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Matt Dutile/Travel + Leisure

Phar-aooohs!

Were gathering for the last time to return to our ship,Poppee.

Red and white sailed traditional botas cruising the Nile

The Nour el Nil Poppee leads a convoy of dahabeahs on the Nile.Credit:Matt Dutile/Travel + Leisure

What surprised us, though, was everything in between, on our six-day trip from Esna to Aswan.

And we had the mental space to fully absorb each temple tour or other shoreside experience.

Thanks to the comparatively small size ofPoppee, the crew could drop anchor almost anywhere along the riverbank.

A red and white striped sofa on a Nile River ship

A lounge room on board the Poppee.Matt Dutile/Travel + Leisure

Sharing an exploding fist bump and a laugh with a young boy herding goats at a river island.

One particularly languid afternoon, I watched an unending line of multi-story cruise ships race past us.

It was another perfect moment on the Nile to be shared with newfound friends.

A boat crew member on the side of a traditional sail boat on the Nile

Nour el Nil crew member Ahmed Adam.Matt Dutile/Travel + Leisure

Luckily, I knew exactly how to call them.

The 10 luxury rooms measure 140 square feet and the two panoramic suites are a larger 215 square feet.

(As an aside, it was her granddaughter who inspired the ships name.)

A man pours tea in a guest cabin on a boat

Crew member Ahmed pours tea in a Poppee stateroom.Matt Dutile/Travel + Leisure

Everything was served and shared, family style, on the main deck, at one large table.

Freshly squeezed orange and mango juices, as well as French press coffee pots were regularly refreshed.

(I often asked for a Turkish coffee to greet the incredible sunrises.)

Traditional Egyptian dishes on plates on a small round table

Lunch and dinners were mostly Egyptian specialties and excellent all around.

One day featured fried Nile perch and buttery shrimp.

Another beef kofta, roasted potatoes, and stewed okra.

People sit on floor cushions while having lunch on board a sailing boat

There were plenty of vegetarian options, and the kitchen was ready to accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions.

At other times, the vessels are pulled along by small tugs, by way of a long line.

One of the great advantages of traveling onPoppeeis that it can go where larger vessels cant.

Traditional Egyptian dishes on plates on a small round table

We often stopped for the night alongside peaceful islands or next to rural stretches of riverbank.

This made for enchanting sunset and sunrise explorations, as well as chandelier-lit dinners peering out to the Nile.

Even better, we often had each site to ourselves or were visiting alongside only a handful of others.

People sit on floor cushions while having lunch on board a sailing boat

Throughout the week, we encountered no mass crowds as can be common in the Valley of the Kings.

Often guided by crew members, these forays offered an up-close view of contemporary rural life along the river.

These opportunities arent the sort of thing that bigger vessels typically offer.

Silhouette of a woman looking at carvings in an Egyptian temple

Theres no pool either.

But aboard this traditional sailing vessel, none of those amenities are really missed.

Additionally, passengers board and disembark by way of a narrow gangplank.

Palm trees and greenery on the Nile River

Silhouette of a woman looking at carvings in an Egyptian temple

Palm trees and greenery on the Nile River

Tourists walking in a desert in Egypt

Four children at the edge of the Nile River, with donkeys waiting above

Tourists walking in a desert in Egypt

Four children at the edge of the Nile River, with donkeys waiting above

View of the Nile River from the Nour el Nil Poppee dahabiya

A view of the Nile from the Poppee.Matt Dutile/Travel + Leisure