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• Try your bargaining skills at Cairo's famous Khan-el Khalili bazaar, pulsing with commerce and crammed with spices, coppersmiths, perfume and trinkets. Here, Fishawi's tea house has been in business for over 200 years, and is still a great people-watching venue.
• For an even more exotic touch, go to the Camel Market (Souq al-Gamaal), held every morning at Birqash, around 35km (21 miles) from Cairo on the Western Desert fringe. A livestock market is also held every Tuesday morning at El-Hebel, a village 4km (2.4 miles) from Luxor.
• Escape to Egypt's six oases. The largest, Kharga, has a Berber community, temples and museums. Dhakla has hot springs and desert camel rides. The smallest is Farafra, an ancient fort town. Siwa is the furthest west and remote, but the most picturesque and idyllic. Bahariyya is famed for olives and dates. Al-Faiyum has small pyramids and temples nearby.
• Go on a Nile cruise, usually between Luxor and Aswan, and generally lasting around five days. Along the Nile, felucca owners tout for custom; from Luxor, hire one for a brief sunset cruise to Banana Island or a trip upriver to Aswan. Hot-air balloon trips offer the best views of Luxor.
• Hit the beach at Alexandria, 'The Pearl of the Mediterranean', which still attracts wealthy Cairenes as a summer retreat, although beaches are crowded in summer. Ma'amoura is a more liberal and Westernised beach, while Agami and Hannoville are cleaner and less crowded. Diving is possible on Montazah beach. West from El Alamein is coastal resort Mersa Matruh.
• Explore the Red Sea region, revered for its spectacular diving, beaches, stunning coastline and vast deserts. It has some of the best diving in the world, and its resorts cater to all budgets.
• Also in the Red Sea region, venture out into its desert playground, with four-wheel-drive and camel treks to historic St Catherine Monastery and adjacent Mt Sinai. Or if you're feeling energetic, the mountain is a popular climb to watch the dawn from its peak.
• Go diving from Sharm el-Sheikh, the action-packed grand dame resort of the Sinai Peninsula, along with neighbouring Na'ama Bay. They are close to Ras Mohamed National Park (website: www.rasmohamed.com), long-regarded as one of the Red Sea's finest diving locations for its reefs and drop-offs.
• Unwind in Aswan, the gateway to Africa, and steeped in Nubian culture. The corniche provides attractive riverside walks. In the evenings, floating restaurants provide a lively gathering place. The Old Cataract Hotel is famous as the location of the film Death on the Nile.
• Fit in a round of golf. While it's not a sport readily associated with Egypt, the country is now making quite a name for itself and offers almost 20 courses. They range from locations within sight of Cairo's Pyramids to settings alongside the Red Sea.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• For an even more exotic touch, go to the Camel Market (Souq al-Gamaal), held every morning at Birqash, around 35km (21 miles) from Cairo on the Western Desert fringe. A livestock market is also held every Tuesday morning at El-Hebel, a village 4km (2.4 miles) from Luxor.
• Escape to Egypt's six oases. The largest, Kharga, has a Berber community, temples and museums. Dhakla has hot springs and desert camel rides. The smallest is Farafra, an ancient fort town. Siwa is the furthest west and remote, but the most picturesque and idyllic. Bahariyya is famed for olives and dates. Al-Faiyum has small pyramids and temples nearby.
• Go on a Nile cruise, usually between Luxor and Aswan, and generally lasting around five days. Along the Nile, felucca owners tout for custom; from Luxor, hire one for a brief sunset cruise to Banana Island or a trip upriver to Aswan. Hot-air balloon trips offer the best views of Luxor.
• Hit the beach at Alexandria, 'The Pearl of the Mediterranean', which still attracts wealthy Cairenes as a summer retreat, although beaches are crowded in summer. Ma'amoura is a more liberal and Westernised beach, while Agami and Hannoville are cleaner and less crowded. Diving is possible on Montazah beach. West from El Alamein is coastal resort Mersa Matruh.
• Explore the Red Sea region, revered for its spectacular diving, beaches, stunning coastline and vast deserts. It has some of the best diving in the world, and its resorts cater to all budgets.
• Also in the Red Sea region, venture out into its desert playground, with four-wheel-drive and camel treks to historic St Catherine Monastery and adjacent Mt Sinai. Or if you're feeling energetic, the mountain is a popular climb to watch the dawn from its peak.
• Go diving from Sharm el-Sheikh, the action-packed grand dame resort of the Sinai Peninsula, along with neighbouring Na'ama Bay. They are close to Ras Mohamed National Park (website: www.rasmohamed.com), long-regarded as one of the Red Sea's finest diving locations for its reefs and drop-offs.
• Unwind in Aswan, the gateway to Africa, and steeped in Nubian culture. The corniche provides attractive riverside walks. In the evenings, floating restaurants provide a lively gathering place. The Old Cataract Hotel is famous as the location of the film Death on the Nile.
• Fit in a round of golf. While it's not a sport readily associated with Egypt, the country is now making quite a name for itself and offers almost 20 courses. They range from locations within sight of Cairo's Pyramids to settings alongside the Red Sea.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.