Egypt hotels

Cairo and Alexandria have a good choice of restaurants but choice is more limited elsewhere, especially away from tourist resorts. Street food is often delicious but carries a risk. For a safe dining experience you could go to Citadel View Restaurant in Cairo where the cuisine is French-influenced, Koshari et-Tahir – popular with Cairo locals – or Mohammed Ahmed in Alexandria. Although not part of Egyptian culture, nightclubs and discos can be found at major tourist centres such as Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea coast and, principally, Cairo. In Cairo Africana is an unpretentious club that specialises in Reggae, while Club 35 caters for the more upmarket punter.

A trip to the Egyptian museum in Cairo has to be near the top of any holiday planner. It houses around 120,000 ancient artefacts including objects from the Tomb of Tutankhamun and 27 royal mummies from pharaonic times. So too is a visit to the spectacular site of Abu Simbel with its massive two rock-cut temples, one of Egypt's most popular attractions. The Valley of the Kings is home to 63 tombs and chambers dating from the 16th-century to the 11th-century BC. And, although badly damaged, few sites are more impressive than Karnak, the largest ancient religious site ever built. Wander among its giant pillars and be overwhelmed. After your head has stopped spinning from all this spectacular architecture, not forgetting the Great Pyramid, why not take it easy and hop on a cruise down the river Nile? Choose from a luxury ship or try a Felucca, a sail boat that has charted the river since ancient times. And for some serious down time, head to the fabulous Red Sea coast. Try snorkelling or diving around Hurghada where coral reefs attract a rich variety of marine life. Or feel the wind in your sails at Moon Beach on the Gulf of Suez, a haven for wind and kitesurfing. Hop on a camel and journey to the remote St Simeon's Monastery. Sit back and enjoy a sound and light spectacular at Abu Simel. Go to the Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum and Cultural Centre in Cairo for events ranging from exhibitions to concerts and theatre. Or head to Cairo Opera House for some of the country's finest performances of ballet, opera and classical music. Check out contemporary Egyptian art at Zamalek or Townhouse Art Galleries.