Banana Island, Luxor

Banana Island is a fertile stretch of farmland on the Nile at Luxor in Upper Egypt, lying upstream of the city centre. Visitors usually reach it by felucca or motorboat from the Luxor corniche. It takes its name from the dense banana groves that cover most of the land, although other crops and fruit trees common to the Nile valley are grown there as well.

The island depends on Nile silt and water, as farming in this region has done since antiquity, and its plots are worked by farmers from nearby villages. As short river trips became a regular part of a stay in Luxor, the island turned into a customary stop on boat excursions, particularly in the late afternoon and around sunset.

Visitors walk along earth paths between banana plants and palm trees, see traditional methods of irrigation and cultivation, and then sit at a simple rest area where fresh bananas and tea are served. The island shows a quiet, rural side of Luxor that contrasts with the temples and tombs for which the city is known, and it provides additional income for local boatmen and for the families who work the land.