Escapada Exótica: Descubriendo los Tesoros de Egipto

About the destination: Cairo, one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East, is the capital of Egypt. Cairo has been a centre of great importance to many civilisations, cultures and religions. From Pharaonic and Greco-Roman to Ottoman and European, and passing by Jewish, Christian, and Islamic, each of its identities has left a strong imprint on Cairo, thus making it one of the most fascinating cities in the world. The Giza Plateau, that includes the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, is the only remaining monuments of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the country's most famous tourist attraction. The sheer mass of the pyramids is awe inspiring. Islamic Cairo, the centre of historic Cairo, is best done on foot. Located east of downtown, it is full of charming little mosques and water fountains. The most important sites to visit are the Citadel, Mohamed Ali Mosque, Khan el Khalili, the main bazaar, some historic mosques and displays of medieval architecture, as well as some of Cairo's Turkish baths or Hammams. No visit to Cairo is complete without seeing the Egyptian Museum. Exotic atmosphere, chaotic traffic, thousands of minarets, noise, charming people, Cairo is a fascinating city. Few cities in the world surpass Cairo in number of monuments or architectural styles. Cairo is not an ordinary city, Cairo is a whole world.

About the destination: The oldest of the wonders, and, curiously, the only one that has reached us, is the monumental set of pyramids of Giza in Egypt. We've all heard of them and know what they look like, just as we know they were the tombs of the Pharaohs. But let's get closer, and find out some interesting details. The Egyptians began building pyramids a long time ago, throughout their Old Empire: The oldest are about FIVE THOUSAND years old! In fact, the oldest known is the stepped pyramid of Sakkara, tomb of Pharaoh Djoser, dating from 2750 BC. The architect inventor of the pyramid was the great Visir, and famous sage, Inhotep. After this first example, the Egyptians continued to build pyramids well into the Middle Kingdom, where they used the underground tomb instead of the pyramids. Nevertheless, of the Old Empire we have remained no less than eighty of these, distributed by Lower Egypt. Let us now imagine that we are present in the burial suite of Pharaoh Khufu. A light boat transports us on the Nile from the ancient capital, Memphis, to the necropolis of its suburbs, on the vast plain of Giza. There burial constructions abound, because it is the cemetery where all the inhabitants of the capital, nobles or villains go. Our boat stops: a group of priests awaits us on the shore. Behind, awaits the temple built especially for our pharaoh, where he will worship as a god (is he not of a divine nature?). This is where the pharaoh's body is conveniently prepared and introduced into the sarcophagus. Afterwards, a delegation takes him along a funeral path to his grave. We already see the pyramids. Its impressive bulk stands out over the horizon of the plain, leaving us open-mouthed. All that is stone! Uncommonly heavy blocks of granite, one meter high, form the rows so tightly that it is not possible to introduce a knife between them. The rows of stones are painted, forming bands of different colours; The tip is golden. All the pyramids, absolutely all, have the same alignment: they are oriented to the north with total accuracy. The sides of the pyramid have an impressive slope of 51 degrees, which when we get closer we get the feeling that the pyramid "falls" on top of us. In the surroundings, there are the smaller pyramids and the (rectangular buildings of inclined walls) for the high officials.

About the destination: Sharm el-Sheikh is a renowned port and holiday resort at the southernmost point of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, popular with package holiday goers and divers. Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Arab world and one of the best diving spots globally. Sharm el Sheikh has now expanded into three distinct areas, Nabq is a new area to the North of Na'ama, Old Market and Hadaba to the South of Na'amaa Bay. Na'ama Bay part of the city is the hub of nightlife and dining: most of Sharm's clubs, cafes, restaurants and shops are located here. Nabq Bay is on a headland overlooking the Straits of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Old Town has an interesting bazaar and traditional restaurants. In the evening, Sharm el-Sheikh is lit up with lights. Restaurants, bars and Cafes are all bustling. The tourists gather to chat about the daytrips or diving experiences as they enjoy cold drinks and savour Sharm el-Sheikh international cuisine. Sharm el-Sheikh is what holidays should be about.

About the destination: Hurghada is a resort town on the Red Sea Coast of Egypt. Once a small and unassuming fishing village, today, the resort of Hurghada is almost unrecognisable from its past life and has grown to become the most visited tourist destination in all of Egypt, with over 100 different hotels, many of which line the shoreline. Famous for its outstanding diving opportunities, Hurghada is particularly appealing to those with little experience of scuba diving, who come to marvel at the underwater reefs and incredible marine life. The main reason to visit Hurghada is the Red Sea, which is excellent for diving or snorkelling. See incredible coral reefs and hundreds of varieties of tropical fish just 10 m from the beach. Hurghada offers many activities not to be found anywhere else on Earth: quad-biking hundreds of miles into the Sahara desert for tea with a Bedoin tribe, then camel-riding across Biblical plains to see remote and ancient wonders; diving and snorkelling around a vibrant and colourful coral reef; boat trips to the unpopulated Big and Little Gifton islands; swimming in the warm sea; good shopping; excellent and varied cuisine from across the world, etc. If you were to choose to stay in your hotel complex for the duration of your break, you would miss out on much more than you bargained for.

About the destination: Luxor is the top travel destination in Upper Egypt and the Nile Valley. As the dynastic and religious capital of Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom Egypt, Luxor has a lot to offer travellers: expansive temples, ancient royal tombs, stunning desert and river landscapes, and a vibrant modern life. Numerous architectural monuments in Luxor are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Luxor is made up of the City of Luxor on the east side of the Nile, the town of Karnak just north of Luxor, and Thebes on the west side of the Nile, opposite Luxor. The Valley of Kings is one of the main reasons tourists visit Luxor. It's a vast area filled with tombs of various sizes, which were extravagantly built for the powerful Pharaohs, queens, and nobles. King Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered here in the 1920s, almost untouched. Other major attractions in Luxor include: the temple complexes of Luxor and Karnak, Medinet Habu, the Tombs of the Nobles, The Ramesseum Temple and the Valley of the Queens. Beautiful and ancient, Luxor is the world's best collection of antiquities.

About the destination: Aswan is a city in the south of Egypt, some 680km south of Cairo, just below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, with a population of 275,000. Aswan is far more relaxed and smaller than Cairo and Luxor. Aswan is the smallest of the three major tourist cities on the Nile. Aswan is calming and relaxing and has a laid-back feel to it. Aswan has some unique gems. Rock cut monument Abu Simbel, to the south is one of Egypt's most daring symbols of Egyptian power. The sanctuary temples of Philae and Kalabsha present excursions reminiscent of Greece. Other places worth visiting in Aswan include: The dual temples of sobek and horus at Kwam Umbu, and the well preserved temple of horus at Idfu. Aswan is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Nile.