The Nile is one of the most important and well known rivers of the world. Researchers have just found something very exciting: the remains of an ancient branch of the Nile River has been found near the Giza pyramid complex in Egypt — hinting at why so many pyramids were built there.

Satellite images and geological data now confirm that a tributary of the river — which researchers have named the Ahramat Branch — used to run nearby several thousand years ago. The waterway would have provided a convenient way to transport materials to the sites.

The pyramids there are now many miles away from the Nile but thousands of years ago the ancient Nile branch probably carried people, supplies and wealth right to the pyramids.

In Egyptian pyramid complexes, the valley temples at the end of causeways acted as river harbors, write the researchers.

“These harbors served as an entry point for the river borne visitors and ceremonial roads to the pyramid. Countless valley temples in Egypt have not yet been found and, therefore, might still be buried beneath the agricultural fields and desert sands along the riverbank of the Ahramat Branch,” they explain.

Five of these valley temples, however, partially survived and still exist in the study area. These temples include the valley temples of the Bent Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure from Dynasty 4; the valley temple of the Pyramid of Sahure from Dynasty 5, and the valley temple of the Pyramid of Pepi II from Dynasty 6. All the aforementioned temples are dated to the Old Kingdom.

“These five surviving temples were found to be positioned adjacent to the riverbank of the Ahramat Branch, which strongly implies that this river branch was contemporaneously functioning during the Old Kingdom, at the time of pyramid construction,” they write.

Revealing this extinct Nile branch can provide a more refined idea of where ancient settlements were possibly located in relation to it and prevent them from being lost to rapid urbanization, the researchers said. This could improve the protection measures of Egyptian cultural heritage. “It is the hope that our findings can improve conservation measures and raise awareness of these sites for modern development planning,” they conclude.

Tourism to areas like Sinai and Dahab and Cairo is scant now due to the Palestinian and Israeli war, with tourists afraid of Hamas terror in Egypt, but there is no doubt that Egypt will always be one of the must-see countries of the world.

Related: Egypt asks Saudi Arabia to help them with the Nile

The Nile of course is not without its own major political problems. Ethiopia is home to the Blue Nile, one of the tributaries of the Nile River and Ethiopia has created a hydro-electric dam, known as GERD to harvest energy from the river. If it traps enough water long enough it may destroy up to half of Egypt’s agriculture. This does not make Egyptians happy as it threatens them downstream with loss of tourism, and water for agriculture.

Related: Nile cruise ship spills diesel into lake

The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It travels for approximately 1,450 km through Ethiopia and Sudan. Along with the White Nile, it is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile and supplies about 85.6% of the water to the Nile during the rainy season. The Blue Nile and White Nile meet in Sudan to make The Nile River where it travels to Ethiopia.

The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest river in the world, though this has been contested by research suggesting that the Amazon River is slightly longer. It is different from the Suez Canal which is a man-made channel that connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to make shipping routes from the Indian Ocean closer to Europe. It was built by Egypt yet currently Egypt has no control over stopping the terrorists targeting ships as they head to the Suez Canal.

The Suez Canal also has brought invasive species to the Mediterranean Sea such as jellyfish. Houthis, a terror group from Yemen are currently firing missiles at ships heading to the Suez Canal in the Red Sea. Many of these ships are oil tankers and they downed one already which is seeping poison into the Red Sea, with no condemnation from Greenpeace.

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I have been on a few alternative cruises in my life. In Turkey, Costa Rica, Canada, Thailand. There are some destinations where a river cruise is about the only way you can get to see the true nature of the place. The River Kwai in Thailand or a Chao Phraya cruise from Bangkok which takes you north to temples and hidden villages. There can only be a Nile felucca cruise to help you feel Cairo. Or a mangrove forest cruise in Costa Rica. 

Environmentalists agree: The mother of all cruises would never be a Princess Cruise to Venice or the Caribbean: it’s a cruise through one of the still wild places in the world – through the Amazon. 

I am already writing my post-Covid bucket list. Travel will no doubt be even better, but probably more soulful once the risks lift. Some companies are already readying intimate and private style charter yachts for cruises to the Amazon River. These kinds of travels like those run by Rainforest Cruises lift the veil on party time and how westerners used to travel. ‘Woke’ stewards of the earth and their children can hire private riverboats with viewing decks to get close to the nature of the Amazon Rainforest. 

Years ago, people could only fantasize about taking a boat through the Amazon rainforest, home to millions of wildlife species and plants, about one-third of all species on the planet, and even unidentified tribes. Now, a number of ecotourism operations can help give you the wild and educational experience you crave, while giving back to the locals and raising awareness of rainforest conservation. Banks are exploiting the Amazon but by getting close to the needs and problems of the region via sustainable tourism, you can help be part of the solution and experience its majestic beauty.  

For those travellers looking for greater insight into conservation efforts in the region and even the chance to actively participate in research, there are special conservation-themed cruises out there. There are opportunities to help world-renowned biologists do pink river dolphin research deploying acoustic seapods to collect and record the sounds of dolphins and record water temperatures where dolphins are spotted, and several cruises with special guest speakers on board highlighting the deeper problems that face endangered species, such as the Amazonian manatee. 

You can get this kind of education as a traveller with an open heart and mind, and lots of time on your hands, like Krista in Indonesia with her slow travel, or if you are a journalist like me and get to interview Alexandra Cousteau. But if your time is limited, and you aren’t a member of the press, a cruise along the upper Amazon in Peru might be the best way to go. Chartering a whole boat for you and your extended family or a group of friends could offer a new idea for a destination wedding or memorable family reunion – hard to come by these days. 

No better setting to be with those you love and whose values you share: “Such unique conservation cruises allow guests to directly participate in conservation action and research while on vacation, and hopefully raise awareness to others when they get home of the importance of preserving the Amazon and its species,” Jeremy Clubb, the owner of Rainforest Cruises tells Green Prophet.

“As you travel deep into some of the Amazon’s largest protected reserves, you’ll get the chance to experience different ecosystems and wildlife as you slowly drift on its tranquil tributaries and idyllic lakes, sleeping in different locations each night, under a different spectacular sunset,” Clubb adds. 

Founded in 2011, Rainforest Cruises are experts in expedition coastal and river cruises in South America and Southeast Asia, pioneering experiential travel on the world’s most iconic waterways, from the Amazon to the Mekong, aboard their curated collection of unique cruise vessels. The company is Conservation Circle Partners of the Rainforest Trust and members of Sustainable Travel International and the International Ecotourism Society, and are advocates for responsible cruising, sustainable tourism and rainforest conservation. 

Eight years ago I had a wonderful eco experience in Thailand aboard a river cruise for a few days. One day I hope to make it the Amazon.

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