Visit the country known for its mummies and pyramids when you choose Egypt as your next vacation destination. Along with visiting the historic sites, you will be able to take in the breathtaking beauty of the scenery. Visit the magical underwater worlds if you like diving or spend time exploring the many ancient monasteries and temples. Take in a visit to the Sahara, where bands of nomads still live as their ancestors did centuries ago. You can take a Nile cruise or play golf at the foot of the Giza pyramid.

Attractions

There are archaeological wonders all over Egypt. Most tourists have two main places on their itineraries to this country ? Cairo and Luxor

Cairo

Although Cairo is a modern Egyptian city, there are many ancient monuments in this city. In the medieval part of the city, you will see donkey carts battling for places on the streets with the cars and buses. Khan-el Khalli is one of the largest bazaars in the world and Cairo is also home to Al-Azhar Mosque, the oldest university in the world dating back to the 9th century. Visit the Museum of Islamic Art with artwork, mosaics and calligraphy and the City of the Dead has thousands of tombs dating from the 12th century. Of course, every visit to Cairo has to include the Pyramids. The largest of the three pyramids is 450 feet high and contains a labyrinth of tunnels and staircases. The Sphinx is also adjacent to these pyramids and the extravagant light shows really do bring it to life. The best time to visit these sites is early morning and late afternoon if you don?t like crowds. You can also rent a camel, horse or donkey to make it easier to get around ? although if you are not used to either of these animals, you might want to put up with aching feet.

Luxor

Luxor is the ancient city of Thebes and is the home of the Karnak Temple, which takes up 100 acres. Included in the area of the temple, you will find three temple enclosures with colossal statues and monuments and the Avenue of the Sphinx. See the huge statue of Ramses 11 guarding the Luxor Temple and the Luxor Museum houses artifacts from the Thebian temples and the Necropolis. See the mummified bird, reptiles and animals at the Mummification Museum and the Necropolis contains some of the finest tombs in the world, such as the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and the Tombs of the Nobles. Here you can see the King Tut?s Tomb, the tomb of Ramses 11 and the tomb of Queen Nefertari. You can take a sunset cruise to Banana Island or take a trip upriver to Aswan from Luxor. The shopping bazaars around Luxor Temple are very energetic places and there is even a livestock market here on Tuesday mornings.

Travel to Egypt

Cairo, Borg el Arab and Luxor have international airports that receive flights from the major cities in Europe. You can also travel here by road with two border crossings between Israel and Egypt, but you are not allowed to cross the border in a rented car or taxi. There is a daily coach from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to Cairo. If you drive your own car, you must have three months insurance from an Auto Club outside the country.

Travel Within Egypt

There are daily flights on Egypt Air to the airports within the country and there are ferry services to the various ports. In addition, there is a rail line in the country offering a high standard of service and there are buses and trams within the major cities.

Language

Although Arabic is the official language, both English and French are widely spoken

Visa

All visitors to Egypt require both a travel Visa and a passport that is valid for at least six months.

Safety

There have been some terrorist attacks in Cairo recently, but in Egypt is relatively safe for tourists. You do need to show a certificate of yellow fever immunization and vaccination against typhoid and polio is advised.

Food and Drink

Local specialties include foul, which are bean dishes, stuffed vine leaves, roast pigeon and kebabs. In the café-style bars, you can get alcohol, even though this is an Islamic country. The legal drinking age here is 21.

Shopping

The hours that the stores and shopping malls are open in the cities vary from winter to summer. In general they are open on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. and on the other days from 9 A.M. to 7 P.M. They are closed on Sundays in the winter, but during the summer they are open from 9 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. and from 4 to 8 P.M. Tourists love the goods available at the bazaar in Old Cairo where there are many reproductions of antiquities. Other popular items include copper utensils and Coptic Cloth.

Entertainment

There are sophisticated nightclubs, discos and casinos in Cairo as well as other large cities. In Luxor and Aswan, nightlife often includes barbeques along the Nile.

South Africa is the ultimate vacation destination where you can enjoy fantastic weather and see exotic animals up close. The spectacular scenery that surrounds you everywhere you go will make the long distance you travel worth your while. Stay in five star hotels and dine in the best restaurants. Enjoy exciting nightlife and shop in specialty boutiques and market stalls.

With the towering dunes of the West Coast, the rural areas of the Cape Winelands and the many safari parks, there is a wealth of things to see and do. It is a very large country, so you may want to take several vacations here in order to see everything.

Attractions

There are both large cities, such as Johannesburg and small rural villages to visit when you vacation in South Africa. There are also miles of beaches and the Garden Route is the most popular with tourists. Here you will experience nature at its finest in the giant Yellowwood or Milkwood Forests. The range of exotic blooms will touch your tastes of smell and sight and fill you with the essence of this country. Knysna and Plettenberg Bay are two resort locations along this route and is the closest to the Tsitsikama National Park.

Wildlife parks in South Africa fall into three categories and you can experience them all. Take a drive through a park where you will see all the native animals, such as lions, tigers, elephants, zebras and giraffes. If you want to get closer to nature, there are many parks where you can take guided tours on foot or go off along along the many nature trails.

South Africa is also a fishing person?s dream. The Cape of Good Hope is one of the best fishing locations in the world and there are large schools of tuna and swordfish. Enjoy the thrill of the catch aboard a deep sea charter and get to actually land the big one.

Travel to South Africa

There are many destinations from which you can start your exploration of South Africa. Because this country is so large, you are better off choosing a vacation package for a particular tour, such as Cape Town to Bloenfobntain.

Most of the major cities have international airports and if you wish you can rent a car and drive around the country yourself.

Food and Drinks

In South Africa, you can get cuisines from all over the world at the 5-star hotels. However, you might like to experience a taste of South African traditional foods. The main ingredients are vegetables such as yam and okra. Meats most often used include chicken beef and pork, but it is the various spices that gives it a unique flavor. Each section of the country has its own traditional recipes, so you are in for a treat with all the different foods. Mint tea and bisteeya are staple drinks for the meals and an African alcoholic beverage is honey wine.

Language

Most people in South Africa do speak English. You will also find many different dialects of the South African language spoken in the smaller villages.

Visas

All travellers to South Africa need to have an up-to-date passport along with a return ticket or one that takes you on farther.

Safety

South Africa is just as safe as any other country for tourists. There are high standards for water safety, but all visitors are well-advised to have malaria shots before they leave home. The Tsetse mosquito is quite common here, so you do need to have your beds covered in mosquito netting at night ? just to be on the safe side.

Shopping

All of the major cities have extensive shopping areas where you can buy the traditional clothing and jewellery of the country. You can also shop at the small markets and purchase the crafts unique to South Africa.