Kitchener's Island — officially El Nabatat or Plant Island — is a small oval island in the Nile between Elephantine and the west bank. The British general Herbert Kitchener received it as a gift following his campaigns in Sudan and transformed it into a botanical garden, importing exotic species from across the tropics. The garden he created still flourishes, and the island is one of the most peaceful spots in Aswan.
Tall palms, bamboo groves, tropical hardwoods, and flowering plants create a shaded canopy through which you can walk in the coolest hours of the day. Small birds flit through the vegetation and the sound of the Nile is constant. The island is reached by small motorboat or felucca from the dock near the Elephantine Island ferry. It is best visited in the morning or late afternoon when the heat is manageable.