The Oberoi Philae, Luxury Nile Cruiser (The Oberoi) The Nile looks particularly majestic as it flows through Aswan, a historic city in southern Egypt. Its banks are lined with lush palm trees against a background of sandstone and granite hills. Aswan is one of the country’s most atmospheric cities—slower-paced and more relaxed than Cairo or Luxor, with a strong Nubian cultural presence.