Banana Island (Gezirat al-Mouz)

What to expect at Banana Island (Gezirat al-Mouz)

Banana Island is a small palm and banana plantation on a Nile island about seven kilometres south of Luxor, and it's the classic half-day excursion for anyone who wants to swap temples for a slow sail on the river. Feluccas set out from the Corniche in the morning or early afternoon, and depending on the wind, it takes 45 to 90 minutes to reach the island under sail. Once ashore, a family plantation charges a small entry fee to walk under the palms, sample bananas straight from the tree, and see the small collection of resident crocodiles, monkeys and birds.

It's not a museum or a nature reserve — it's a working small farm that happens to be a beloved half-day trip. Expect neat rows of banana trees (Egyptian bananas are short, sweet and yellow), mango and lemon groves, a couple of shaded platforms where you'll be served hibiscus tea and sliced fruit, and a genuine family welcome. Children love it. Groups of young Egyptians come out here in summer to picnic and swim off the boats. The whole experience is deliberately unhurried.

The best approach is to negotiate a felucca directly from the Corniche steps (near the Winter Palace or Novotel) for a return trip: about $15-25 per boat total, not per person, for a half-day round trip including a couple of hours on the island. Bring water and a hat; the boats have canopies but you'll want more. Late afternoon returns catch the sunset on the Nile, which is the best part of the whole day.

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