With a recorded history stretching back 5,000 years, Egypt is an incredibly rich cultural destination. No trip to Egypt is complete without a visit to the majestic temples of Luxor, Abu Simbel or Thebes, and to the world-renown pyramids of Giza, guarded by the enigmatic Sphinx. An excellent way to take in the major sights without overdosing on hieroglyphs and sculptures is to take a cruise down the Nile. Interspersing the temple tours with visits to crocodile farms or just plain sailing thus makes for a varied vacation.

Egypt is not just for lovers of Pharaonic antiquities though; modern-day treasures abound too. If you like to shop, you can wander for hours in the bazaars amid the smells of incense and spices, bargaining over sweet mint tea for water pipes, backgammon boards, carpets, lamps and lanterns amid the smells of incense and spices.

Year-round warm waters and a rich marine life have also made Egypt a prime beach and diving destination. The Red Sea hosts hundreds of sorts of corals and thousands of species of fish, including several kinds of stingrays, sharks, turtles, dolphins and eels. Although the cheaper resort cities like Sharm-el-Sheikh tend to get overly crowded, there are more exclusive spots further south, near Sudan, and diving cruises can be organized.