Egypt, Land of the Pharaohs

Not many countries can boast about having a history and a world-wide known seal of identity as in the case of Egypt. No other country nor civilization has provoked so much interest until the point of leaving such a mark in Time. Egypt is such an exciting country that has even been able to create a science that speaks of itself: Egyptology. The Land of the Pharaohs is the greatest outdoor museum of the planet. An ideal place for the intrepid ones.

Unquestionably, the pyramids of Egypt are the monuments par excellence that embody this country. Visiting these wonderful vestiges of the ancient Egyptian civilization will teletransport you directly to a world  full of legends, riddles and curiosities to discover. Most of the temples extend along the Nile, the longest river of the world and hub of the country. There are many cruises (from 3 to 7 nights) that sail up and sail down this river. It's one of the best options to enjoy the impressive constructions, located all in its riverside. The Valley of the Kings, the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Menon Statues, the temples at Karnak and Luxor, the temple of Horus at Edfu, Kom Ombo, Abu Simbel or the High Dam of Aswan will be places that you won't want to miss.

Cairo, with 16 million inhabitants, is the largest city of the Arab world and the capital of the old empire. Well-known also as "the Mother of the World", it's a swarm where 20 million inhabitants coexist with a chaotic traffic of cars, donkey-drawn chariots, horse buggies and crowded buses. The brown tonality of its houses, its streets, its cars catch your attention. Everything is covered with desert dust, mixed, as it happens in all the large cities, with pollution: yet it still is a city able to squeeze its resources to the maximum. Luxury, colourful hotels and gardens prevail among the ocher colours and don't leave anybody impassible. The hotels of the Pyramids of Cairo area are prettier, but they're far away from the city center. For that reason, if your intention is going on your own, going to hotels of the interior it's more recommendable, although they're of a lesser category. In the meantime,  you cannot miss a visit to the Egyptian Museum, the Copt District, the Alabaster Mosque or Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, of mandatory bargaining and where you'll find anything.

Visiting the distinguished sphinxes and pyramids will keep you quite busy during the trip, so, after so much activity, a good option is relaxing on clear sand beaches which the inhabitants enjoy. In Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, both in the Red Sea, modern tourist resorts where to rest and to relax have recently been built. If you also like diving, you'll have the chance to do it. Under the southern end of the Sinai Peninsula, the coral reefs of an incalculable environmental value and one of the most exotic marine faunas of the world are hidden.

Almost the whole of the population in this country is concentrated in the Nile Valley and Delta, which represents a 30 percent of the total surface. The rest of the territory is a desert, thus, entering in its limits will be another different adventure. If you're lucky, you can find some of its isolated oases... and they do exist!