Two people who once were strangers crossed paths on the River Nile. They’ve now been together for 25 years

Christina Ward had only known Wahid Kandil for six months when he popped the question.

One evening, the couple sat on a bench, gazing at the River Nile, with the majestic Temple of Luxor glowing in the background.

Wahid looked at Christina and asked, "So, are we tying the knot or what?"

Christina almost chuckled. His question felt both unexpected and long overdue at the same time.

After meeting as colleagues on a Nile cruise, Christina from the UK and Wahid from Egypt made every effort to be together.

"Saying I fell in love while drifting down the Nile beneath the moon and stars sounds like a scene from a romance, but that’s exactly how it happened," Christina shares with Dinogo Travel today.

Christina arrived in Egypt in October 1996, driven by what she calls her "itchy feet." At 28, she was eager to explore the world, and a six-month role as a tour guide for an adventure company seemed like the perfect way to get paid while traveling. She had always loved Egypt and its ancient history.

As the tour leader, Christina was tasked with guiding groups of 25 travelers on two-week adventures across Egypt.

"We’d explore places like Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, and Cairo, along with special excursions like riding donkeys at sunrise to the Valley of the Kings, camel treks to abandoned monasteries in the desert, and enjoying meals with Nubian families," Christina recalls fondly.

Part of every trip was spent aboard what Christina affectionately calls 'the backpacker’s boat of the Nile.'

This boat, named the Kimo, was a small tour vessel with cabins full of bunk beds where Christina and her group would sleep while cruising. It also featured a dining area and a sundeck, which became the setting for lively parties as the boat made its way down the river.

On her first evening in Egypt, Christina made a point to meet the Kimo’s crew. She aimed to build a strong working relationship with her new teammates. Of particular interest was the boat's manager, 26-year-old Wahid Kandil, as they’d be collaborating closely. As the manager, Wahid was responsible for keeping everything on the boat in order—something that didn’t always go as planned—overseeing the crew, supplies, budget, and helping Christina make sure the tourists had a memorable experience.

Originally from Cairo, Wahid had worked as an agricultural engineer on a large desert farm, using his degree in horticulture. However, he found life on the tour boat far more enjoyable. He relished meeting people from all over the world and still found ways to indulge his passion for gardening, taking tourists on excursions to Nile islands and teaching them about local plant life.

On her second night in Egypt, Christina found herself sitting next to Wahid outside one of the Kimo’s cabins. The two shared a smoke and, as Christina puts it, "had a bit of a flirt."

She took an instant liking to Wahid and later that evening, jotted down a few thoughts about him in her diary.

Wahid was drawn to Christina as well, but he was cautious. Having worked on the Kimo for a while, he had seen a pattern – young women would come to Egypt from the UK, work in tourism for a short period, and have a fleeting romance with a local. He felt they were seeking Egyptian boyfriends more for the thrill than for anything deeper, so he typically kept his distance from any potential boat romances.

"I always kind of avoided that," he says today.

But as the days passed, Wahid and Christina naturally began to connect. Despite the busyness of the tours – and the lack of privacy on the Kimo, which made deep conversations impossible, as Wahid puts it – they found every opportunity to talk and flirt.

Falling for each other on the Nile

From the very first day, Christina adored her job as a tour guide. She loved exploring Egypt, but the days spent aboard the Kimo were particularly special to her.

"Sailing on the Nile is truly magical," she says.

One evening, after dropping her tour group off for dinner in Aswan, Christina returned to the boat hoping to catch Wahid. She spotted him, made her way over to greet him, and casually asked what he had planned for later.

"I didn’t think much of it at the time," Christina recalls today.

"Oh, yes you did," Wahid laughs.

"Alright, maybe I was flirting just a little," Christina admits.

Wahid mentioned he would be around that evening, so Christina and he planned to meet at a nearby hotel bar. However, Christina was called back to her tour guide duties and ended up being 45 minutes late. Without cell phones to contact him, she rushed to the hotel as soon as she finished her work.

"When I walked in, his face was like thunder," Christina recalls.

Wahid was standing by the reception desk, scribbling a note for Christina, which he intended to leave with the hotel staff.

"It was a rather angry note," Wahid recalls, remembering he had written: "Nobody has ever stood me up like this."

However, once Christina explained that her delay was beyond her control, Wahid softened. They went inside together and found a table on the bar's terrace. They were at the Old Cataract Hotel, a luxurious five-star hotel on the Nile, renowned as the place where Agatha Christie penned her famous detective novel, 'Death on the Nile.'

"The terrace was absolutely stunning – so romantic, with a breathtaking view of the Nile," Christina says. "It was just incredible."

"But it was pricey," Wahid adds. He didn’t mention it at the time, but the cost of their drinks and snacks ended up taking a huge chunk out of his monthly salary.

Despite that, Wahid didn’t mind. He was just glad to spend time with Christina – especially because their conversation that night shifted from playful flirtation to something much more meaningful.

"That was the first time we really delved into a wide range of topics," Wahid recalls.

They talked about their perspectives on family, faith, and their aspirations in life.

"I think that’s when we realized how well we truly connected," Wahid reflects.

"It was a late night," Christina says with a smile.

The next day, they were back at work on the Kimo, and the warmth of the previous evening began to fade a little when they found themselves caught in a small workplace "power struggle," as Christina describes it.

Wahid made an impromptu decision to stop the boat, and Christina questioned the timing, concerned that the tour schedule might fall behind.

"I was standing there thinking, 'You can’t just do this!' So we ended up having a bit of a power struggle, which is kind of amusing in hindsight," she recalls.

The exchange was a bit heated, but still lighthearted. It was clear that, even when they disagreed, Christina and Wahid enjoyed each other’s company.

Despite this, neither of them expected the budding relationship to lead anywhere.

From Christina’s perspective, her time in Egypt had an expiration date, and so did her relationship with Wahid. After working in Egypt, she had plans to spend six months as a tour guide in Turkey.

"I thought, 'This is just a short stint in Egypt. It's only six months, and then I’ll be moving on,'" Christina recalls.

As for Wahid, he was grappling with his own burdens. Just before Christina entered his life, his mother had been diagnosed with cancer, a devastating blow that left him questioning everything in his world.

"My mum was, of course, a huge part of my life," he says. "I was really torn at the time. It was an incredibly difficult period."

When Wahid first received the news of his mother’s illness, he was in a new relationship. Although it didn’t seem logical, he couldn’t help but connect his girlfriend to the diagnosis, and ended the relationship soon after.

"It was kind of a superstition," he explains. "I thought she had brought this bad energy into my life, so I cut her off, stopped talking to her, and that was the end of it. And then Christina arrived, and I fell for her."

Initially, Wahid kept the fact that he had recently broken up with his ex-girlfriend a secret from Christina. But, inevitably, she found out, and she felt both deceived and upset.

The revelation came while the couple was aboard a different boat on the Nile. The Kimo had broken down unexpectedly, so the travel company had arranged for them to stay on a large, luxurious cruise ship instead.

Feeling hurt and betrayed, Christina gave Wahid the cold shoulder for the rest of the day. She deliberately turned her attention to the cruise ship’s manager in an attempt to make Wahid jealous. Her plan worked, and Wahid quickly panicked, fearing he had lost her for good.

As the tension between them mounted, both Christina and Wahid realized for the first time just how deep their feelings were. Their jealous reactions were a clear sign that this wasn’t just a casual fling. It was something much more significant.

"That was probably the turning point," Christina reflects.

From that point on, both Christina and Wahid agreed: "This is the real deal, and we’re going to take it to the next level."

Making the commitment to marry

And that’s how they found themselves sitting by the Nile in Luxor, discussing the possibility of marriage.

By this point, Christina was certain she and Wahid had a future together. Yet, there were still so many uncertainties. Where would they settle? What would their families think? Should they take more time before making a commitment?

"I didn’t say yes, I didn’t say no – I just kept wavering, unsure of what to do," Christina admits.

She pondered whether it might be a good idea to return to the UK for a while, to "logically distance myself and see if this was truly the right decision."

However, when the moment came, Christina couldn’t bring herself to leave.

"I just knew I couldn’t leave Egypt without him," she reflects.

While in Cairo with a tour group, Christina reached a decision. It had been a taxing, exhausting day, and she realized how much she longed for Wahid to be by her side.

"I’m ‘Miss Independent,’ strong and capable, but sometimes, I just want someone to have my back," she says.

"So, I walked over to a payphone, picked it up, called him, and said, ‘Alright, when are we getting married?’ We literally set the date for a week after the tour ended."

For Wahid, marriage was a commitment to saying, ‘This is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.’

For both Christina and Wahid, marriage marked the beginning of a fresh new chapter. They decided not to live in Egypt or England, but to build a life somewhere entirely new.

"We both knew we wanted to start a new chapter somewhere, together," Christina says. "It was clear that we wanted to take this step as a team."

Wahid’s family was supportive, encouraging him to make the choice that felt right for him – though one of his sisters did express some concerns.

At the same time, Christina reached out to her mother back in the UK. "You have to come to Egypt," she said. "There’s someone I want you to meet."

When Christina’s mother met Wahid, she instantly knew.

"You’re going to marry him, aren’t you?" she asked, her eyes filled with tears, on the very first evening of her visit.

"She definitely had the belief that East and West just wouldn’t mix," Christina recalls. "I was upset at first, but then she ended up stuck with us on a boat for two days. That was a bit awkward, but she softened up a little in the end,"

Wahid jokes that he "won her over" by preparing some delicious meals.

"Looking back, I realize it all came from a place of love and concern," Christina reflects.

"I don’t think it was any sort of malicious resistance," Wahid agrees.

What was perhaps more troubling was Christina’s experience with the British Embassy in Egypt. She recalls reaching out to them about visas, only to be immediately discouraged from marrying Wahid, with officials suggesting he might be using her for a British passport.

Despite the doubters, Christina and Wahid went ahead and set a wedding date: April 26, 1997.

They initially planned a "small and simple" celebration, but it quickly grew into what Wahid describes as a "huge party."

Christina’s parents and sister flew in from the UK, and her mother and sister took her shopping for the perfect wedding dress in Cairo.

Wahid's family gathered for the big day, and the entire Kimo crew showed up. Christina's fellow tour guides even adjusted their schedules to ensure they could be there, which meant bringing along a few of their tourists as well.

Christina laughs as she recalls, "There were probably around 50 strangers at our wedding reception."

"Everyone was dancing and partying," Wahid remembers fondly.

The couple didn’t mind; in fact, it only added to the festive vibe of the celebration.

"It was one heck of a party," Christina says with a smile.

"In Egypt, it's not common to serve alcohol at weddings," says Wahid. "But my friends had two bottles of whiskey stashed in one of their cars, so we kept sneaking out for quick shots and rushing back to the reception."

After the wedding, Christina took Wahid's last name, officially becoming Christina Kandil, and the newlyweds headed to Alexandria, a coastal city, for their honeymoon.

A New Beginning

Christina and Wahid planned to move to Canada together, but the paperwork took longer than expected. While waiting, they decided to settle in Christina’s hometown of Portsmouth, located on the southern coast of England.

Soon after arriving, they hosted a large party for Christina's friends who hadn't been able to attend the wedding in Egypt. Christina's friends were excited to meet Wahid, having heard so much about him in the passionate letters she'd written during the past six months.

Wahid faced challenges adjusting to life in England. While his English was decent, he wasn't fully fluent and felt uncomfortable with his accent when speaking to strangers.

He also had constant worries about his mother, who was still undergoing cancer treatment. He kept in touch regularly, calling his father and brother for updates.

About nine months after settling in England, Wahid and Christina decided to return to Egypt to visit his family. When his father met them at the airport, he delivered the devastating news: Wahid's mother had passed away several months earlier.

Wahid was in shock. Christina remembers that "his legs completely gave way underneath him."

"They were afraid that if he came back to Egypt, it might jeopardize his UK residency, so they didn't tell him," Christina explains.

Wahid believes the decision was more driven by emotion than practicality – it was a way to shield him, more than anything else.

"When you're far from your family, they don't want you to feel distressed. They just want to be there to comfort you when you're upset," he explains.

Whatever the reasoning, the painful reality was that Wahid moved to the UK and would never see his mother again.

"I had been so eager to see her," he reflects.

From Canada to Dubai

In July 1999, Wahid and Christina’s Canadian visas were finally approved, and they made the move to Calgary. While they were thrilled, their excitement quickly turned to concern when they arrived to an unexpected summer snowstorm, making them briefly question their decision.

"But Canada turned out to be amazing for us," Christina shares. "We loved living there, built our house, and raised our children."

The couple spent nine years in Canada, first in Calgary, then in Edmonton, where they raised their two children, Yasmine and Tariq.

Christina’s mother would visit them regularly. While she had her doubts at first, she grew to accept and support Christina and Wahid’s relationship.

"She never openly admitted it, but she truly adored him," Christina recalls. "Sadly, she’s no longer with us, but she always considered him a gem."

In Canada, Christina worked at an accounting firm, while Wahid climbed the corporate ladder at an agricultural consulting company. Though they had a stable life, Wahid often felt professionally unfulfilled, struggling with bouts of depression, which Christina tried to support him through.

"I was the one reminding him, 'We have a home, a car, two wonderful children. That’s enough, we’re fine,'" she reflects.

In the mid-2000s, Wahid received an offer to launch a company in Dubai. After navigating several challenges, he and Christina decided to invest all their savings into the venture. Although the beginning was tough, the business eventually found success.

"A true partnership," they both agree.

Wahid and Christina still call Dubai home, describing it as the perfect “middle ground” that blends their two cultures.

"In Dubai, we’re surrounded by the traditions of Ramadan on one hand, but we also experience a very Western lifestyle here," Christina explains.

Wahid was raised in a Muslim family, while Christina grew up Christian. Before having children, they decided to raise them in the Muslim faith but also celebrate Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas. As an international couple from different faiths, they felt it was essential to agree on their children's religious upbringing from the start.

What Christina and Wahid hadn’t foreseen was the experience of raising “Third Culture Kids”—children who grow up in one country with parents from two distinct cultures. It wasn’t until their children, Yasmine and Tariq, reached their teenage years that the couple realized the unique challenges their kids faced that they themselves could never fully understand.

"It’s tough not having any roots," Wahid reflects. "I grew up in Egypt, and she grew up in England. Even if you leave your roots, they stay with you. But for Third Culture Kids, they don’t have that anchor, and I think that made things difficult for them when they were younger."

As they’ve grown older, Yasmine, now 22, and Tariq, 19, have been exploring and embracing their own cultural identities, learning more about both sides of their heritage and their family's rich background.

Yasmine, with her passion for cinema, recently created a short film about Wahid's mother—the grandmother she never had the chance to meet. In this heartfelt film, she imagined traveling back in time to meet her. For Christina and Wahid, watching this tribute unfold on screen was deeply emotional.

"We were sitting there in the cinema, watching it and crying our eyes out," Christina recalls. "It’s such a beautiful legacy to have that story preserved."

Yasmine's future in film also includes the idea of creating a movie about her parents’ love story. Wahid and Christina might be a bit biased, but they believe it would make for an amazing film.

As Wahid puts it, "It’s been a rollercoaster ride, full of unexpected twists and turns—but I wouldn’t change it. I think it was always meant to unfold this way."

"I feel the same way," Christina says. "We’ve been through so much, but he’s always been my pillar. I hope I’m his, too."

"You are," Wahid replies with a smile.

"When one of us is down, the other lifts them up – that’s what a partnership is," Christina explains.

More than 25 years have passed since Christina and Wahid fell in love as young adults by the River Nile. Now in their 50s, Wahid says they’re "still young at heart."

"We still have a blast, go dancing, and enjoy a drink. I feel like we’re nearly the same age as when we first met—it may sound silly, but we haven’t changed that much," Wahid says.

"We enjoy each other’s company," Christina shares. "We love to sit in the garden, have a few drinks, play cards—just the two of us. We don’t need a crowd."

Looking back, the couple now see their unexpected meeting as the foundation for their life’s motto: "Everything happens for a reason."

"We firmly believe in that, considering how our journey began," Christina says. "Looking back, it’s clear we were both unknowingly on a path leading to each other."

"There were so many reasons this shouldn’t have worked out," Wahid reflects. "But against all odds, it did."