- Title: EGYPT-BOAT IFTAR Egyptians enjoy Nile iftar experience
- Date: 6th July 2015
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 1, 2015) (REUTERS) VIEW OF NILE FELUCCA
- Embargoed: 21st July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA9IMZRR8NE1LSNQWKB2XPG3PGL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE RESENDING STORY CORRECTING BASEL FELFEL'S TITLE TO CO-OWNER
Just before sunset in Cairo, people gather by the banks of the river Nile and prepare to board revamped and modernised feluccas.
These traditional sailing boats, an attraction on the river Nile, are becoming increasingly popular during the month of Ramadan.
An increasing number of Egyptians are choosing to dine on these boats, having their iftar meal brought to them whilst they're out on the river.
Fel-Felucca is the company that has come up with the floating iftar idea.
Diners are taken out on to the river on one boat, whilst chefs on board another nearby vessel prepare the food.
The Nile has long been a lifeline for Egyptians, and restaurant co-owner, Basel Felfel hopes the felucca restaurant will continue that, with river workers also benefiting from this trade.
"The Egyptian Nile is one of the best things you can see in your life. We can develop it and enhance it and use it to create a source of revenue, to make it a proper income generator to everyone living on the Nile starting from those who work on the boats to those living off the Nile. Through this we can enhance the Nile and show the Egyptian consumer and foreign tourists Egypt from another perspective,'' said Felfel.
On board the boat, diners can tuck into a buffet meal of rice, chicken, and vegetables followed by traditional oriental desserts that can be washed down with hot beverages.
The company offers two meals during the holy month of Ramadan, iftar and suhoor, the pre-dawn meal before the day's fast begins.
The price of the dinner package varies, depending on the boats, with different packages costing 250 to 350 Egyptian pounds, the equivalent of around 31 to 44 U.S dollars.
According to Felfel, Egyptians are building up an appetite for his culinary experience with waiting lists filling up until the end of the month.
"We were all thinking about how to give the consumer another experience. What we did is try and gather people in one felucca for quality time where you can enjoy two hours in the water. Thank God because we want to deliver different things and the consumer wants to enjoy different events we are now booked until Ramadan ends with a 100 people on a waiting list,'' said Felfel.
For those feasting on the boat, like diner Adly Al Mestekawy, they praised the idea and the use of something so natural, like the Nile.
"Egypt is becoming more chic as we would say and is switching into something that has a certain taste, scent and view. This is a return to our beloved Nile and a return to nature,'' he said.
So far the felucca restaurants only operate during the month of Ramadan. But due to the demand from customers so far, Felfel is hoping for it to become a regular river-time attraction. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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