Cairo

Standing on the fortified walls of Cairo's medieval Citadel it's easy to see why Africa's largest city is known locally as 'the mother of the world'. Beneath you an architectural jumble of slender minarets and skyscrapers spreads across the snaking body of the Nile to the Pyramids in the distance.

Cairo practically invented history, but far from being a museum piece the city is very much alive. In the warren of back streets the smell of roasting coffee mingles with smoke drifting from bubbling water-pipes, clattering backgammon pieces compete with the wailing call to prayer as you're swallowed up in a whirlwind of colour that tests all the senses.

The Giza Pyramids form the backbone of the nation's tourist industry, but no quantity of postcards, holiday snaps or documentaries can prepare you for the awesome sight of the world's largest tombstones.

They also boast some impressive statistics, with the Great Pyramid of Khufu alone using more than 2 million 2.5 tonne limestone blocks.

Amid the chaotic streets of modern Downtown Cairo is the nation's other treasure, the Egyptian Museum. With nearly 140,000 exhibits you may begin to wonder if there's any point in visiting the rest of the country, the highlight however is the solid-gold death mask of Tutankhamun.

Since the 14th Century, dynasties of Cairenes have been perfecting the art of haggling in the labyrinthine bazaars of Khan al-Khalili. Sacks overflowing with spices, beaten copper-work, Bedouin jewellery, reams of papyrus, silk carpets and just about everything else under the desert sun is for sale. Once you've been sat down and softened up with a glass of peppermint tea it's unlikely that even the most retail phobic will come away empty-handed.

Come dusk and the best way to cool down is to head to the banks of the Nile, where you can jump on a lantern-sailed felucca to watch the sun slip behind the pyramids or tuck into delicious local meze on a floating restaurant.