Egypt Ruled by several empires over the past 2,000 years, Egypt is a melting pot of cultures, religions, architecture and lifestyles.

For some 2,000 years, Egypt has been ruled by several empires including the Romans, Greeks, British, Persians and Arabs, resulting in a melting pot of cultures, religions, architecture and lifestyles. All live in relative harmony along side each other; from the outdoor European-style cafes, to the grand Mosques sitting serenely alongside Christian Coptic Churches, the great pyramids and the traditional bazaars which function as they have for centuries.

The starting point is usually the somewhat overwhelming city of Cairo. With a magnificent skyline of soaring minarets, Cairo is huge, dirty, polluted, busy and fascinating. Its biggest drawcards are without a doubt, the Pyramids of Giza and the incredible Egyptian Museum. Visit the laidback seaside town of Dahab on the Red Sea. Once exclusively a backpacker paradise, budget hostels now happily co-exist with boutique hotels and European families on package holidays. Snorkel and dive in the colourful coral reefs or take a camel or jeep safari into the dramatic mountains lining the coast.

Visit Alexandria and admire the grand colonial architecture of the city and the colossal Bibliotheca Alexandrina, located imposingly on the harbour. For the active and adventurous, climb Mt Sinai in the dark for a spectacular sunrise experience at the top of the mountain. Visit St Catherine’s Monastery at the base of the mountain, a serenely peaceful place and home to the relics of Saint Catherine. Witness the marvel of the Suez Canal, where ships seemingly glide through the desert between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

Take a relaxing cruise down the Nile where you will experience the contrast of ancient customs with a modern Egypt. Sail on a luxury cruise boat, a traditional felucca or a Dahabiya – a beautifully crafted sailboat that is a combination of the two. Cruising between Luxor and Aswan, visit Edfu and see the Temple of Horus and Kom Ombo where the boat will pull up at the steps of the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris. Marvel at the enormous temples and tombs in Luxor, one of the world’s greatest open-air museums. Witness the high Aswan Dam and manmade Lake Nasser for glorious examples of modern engineering. Behold some of the most striking and magnificent examples of ancient architecture at the Great Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel.