Egypt

I have been to Egypt twice. Yes, as a tourist, but I have covered a significant amount of the country. It is an assault on all the senses. I love it! Favourite locations, in no particular order:

• Abu Simbel - yes, it has been relocated due to the flooding of Lake Nasser, but the sheer scale of the work involved is awesome... Remember that all this work is thousands of years old.
• Temple of Abydos - Off the beaten track, simply stupendous in its scale and lighting
• Great Pyramids of Giza - not overrated at all. The site is so vast that it is possible to become lost away from the tourist-trap parts of the area. Take your time and drink the history in.
• Any of the lesser Pyramids! - The area along the Nile between Cairo and Luxor is not part of the normal tourist trail. However, there are about 100 pyramids scattered across the desert, that were built before the Giza pyramids and vary in design and size
  
• Floating above the West Bank at Luxor in a Balloon
• Mt Sinai - an exhausting slog before dawn but so atmospheric
• Red Sea at Ras Mohamed - Awesome coral reefs and marine life, learn to snorkel!
  
• Drifting down the Nile, sipping tea and taking the country in. The Nile is Egypt