RELAXING on the sundeck of a river Nile cruise boat gazing on scenes straight out of the ancient history books is deeply fascinating. A farmer waves to us as he gathers in the cotton, his donkey on hand to transport the load uphill, while a camel sleeps beneath a palm tree; he will be needed later for the steeper climbs.

A cluster of women carrying large round bundles gather further along the riverbank. Sure-footed toddlers chase each other along the water's edge. Bundles are untied; clothing escapes, billowing in the breeze. Seizing the items the women slip down into the water, toddlers follow darting about like fish. The sounds of gossip and laughter carry through papyrus reeds and over to our riverboat, as the women set about the family laundry.

We drift along past tiny villages and countless humble farms, with oxen still yoked to the plough, and marvel at the tenacity of folk scratching an existence between the edge of the desert and the start of Egypt's lifeline, the great river Nile.

We are on a seven day cruise along the Nile, beginning at Luxor, a huge oasis in the desert, once known as Thebes, one of the world's greatest capitals. Whilst the week is organised to allow exploration of magnificent monuments, tombs and temples built along the length of the Nile by the pharaohs, we also have opportunity to relax, enjoy the boat's facilities and absorb the rich experiences assailing our senses.

There are several excursions on our way south to Aswan, including a visit to Egypt's largest temple at Edfu. Dedicated to the god Horus, the structure was buried in the sand before being uncovered in 1860, which may account for its being the best preserved temple in the country.

On the beautiful island of Philae, the 'Pearl of Egypt', we visit the Temple of Isis where our excellent Egyptology tour guide graphically brings to life the great love story of Osiris, god of the dead, and his wife Isis, mother goddess of Egypt whose fame spread far and wide, even into the Roman Empire where Isis worship gained a huge cult following.

Considered the loveliest setting on the Nile, Aswan gained popularity with British tourists during the 19th century, not least for its wonderful winter climate, breathtaking scenery and shifting sands where the Western Desert meets the Sahara under deep blue skies. An open carriage is the ideal form of transport around this very African city, where the air is scented with flowers and spices. Back in Luxor, on the east bank, we explore the extraordinary Temple of Amon-Ra, king of the gods, a suitably dramatic setting for Verdi's Aida staged here in 1987. A couple of miles away, equally enthralling, the Temple of Karnak, with its majestic entrance leading to the avenue of sphinxes, is the largest columned temple in the world.

As you stand before the sarcophagus containing the mummy of King Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, familiar images flood the mind: the boy king, dead at 19, the combing of the valley for treasure over the centuries, the amazing discovery in 1922, the 22 carat gold coffin weighing 1,170 kilograms, fabulous jewels and gold that took ten years to remove, and poignantly, amid all this priceless treasure, the simple garland of flowers believed to have been placed there by his young wife.

Sitting on the boat deck sipping a chilled chardonnay beneath the stars while dinner is being prepared, we discuss our week's adventure and all the fun we've had.

Margaret Docherty, from Norton-on-Tees, here with a group of friends, has taken to riverboat cruising. "It's fantastic," she says. "The staff can't do enough for you and the chef caters for all our diets. I go on lots of holidays but this has been so different. I'm coming back."

Retired Darlington head teacher Ray Shaw, with his wife Joan, says: "I can't praise the tour guides too highly, I've learnt a lot and I've slept like a log."

My final treat. I'm drifting in semi darkness in a hot air balloon high above the burial grounds of the Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. The morning lightens and I turn to watch the sun rise over the river Nile.