1869 saw the arrival of a dramatic change to the way people circled the globe. The Suez Canal opened this year, which enabled ships to travel much more easily as they no longer had to travel around the horn of Africa to cross from Europe to Asia or back. Instead, the Mediterranean was now connected to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, leading into the Indian Ocean.

Today, there are cheap cruises and expensive cruise holiday tours that sail up and down the waters of the Suez Canal. There are no locks in this waterway, both sides being almost equal in depth and height above sea level. There is a lake in the middle, the Great Bitter Lake, which keeps water flow steady to both sides. There are also ports of call which offer tours inland to Cairo and Luxor in Egypt, day trips that many vacationers find fulfilling.

The Suez Canal is bordered by the Sinai Desert, with Israel on one side and Egypt on the other. One of the best reasons to visit on a cruise is the historical significance of the region. The idea of building a canal to connect the Mediterranean to the Red Sea was first conceived by Pharaoh Senusret II in 1897 BC, who began construction that was later continued by Darius I of Persia. That canal was never finished because it was an attempt to connect the two bodies of salt water using a fresh water river, the Nile.

Archaeological sites can be seen today where this original attempt was made. The remains of a trench were discovered in the 20th Century connecting Lake Timseh to the Ballah Lakes near the Great Bitter Lake, the only north-south attempt at a canal before the current version. There were also numerous east-west attempts, only one of which was successful. During the reign of Darius I a canal did connect the Nile and the Red Sea. It was later improved under Ptolemy II, who built the first known functioning sea-lock at the ancient city of Bubastis.

When you take a cruise along the Suez Canal, you will discover that most of the evidence of these ancient canals has disappeared beneath the sand, but you will feel the legends that are still very much alive. There is so much history to absorb yourself in, and will have many other opportunities to be entertained else wise. Stop at Port Said and Port of Safaga for an amazing assortment of nightlife, or to arrange a day trip inland to visit the interior of the surrounding areas.

Sarah Van Rensburg is a travel lover and avid writer, focussing on a range of travel topics particularly cruise holidays.

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