As Egyptians plan their escapes from jam-packed Cairo during weekends, or for the lucky ones, extended weekends, more and more are looking to head to new locations that put serenity and peace at the heart of the trip.

The reality of most camping trips is, it doesn’t matter what time you end up falling asleep. The sun will seep through the thin walls of your tent shortly after sunrise, tickling you into consciousness. So you sit up, slither out of your sleeping bag and, in my case, grab the gas stove and the coffee maker.

Al-Sakakini Palace in the Al-Daher area of central Cairo is safe and sound after a fire caused by a short-circuit erupted Monday night in the guardroom of the palace's basement.

If you are driving to Salah Salem or Downtown Cairo from Maadi, you have definitely come across or passed through the steel bridge that you can take from the square at the end of the Maadi corniche.

When crossing Salah Salem Road at any time of the day, you cannot miss the iconic Citadel of Salah El-Din dominating the eastern edge of the city. One might think this is the best this side of the city has to offer, but there's a world behind the beautiful fortress that holds a fine collection of Cairo's Islamic architectural gems.

The North Coast of Egypt, or Sahel as it is widely known in Arabic, is mostly associated with a vibrant lifestyle and hip social hubs.

Alexandria, Egypt’s second biggest city and the capital of the country in ancient times, is famed for its rich history and glorious past.

"A place acquires its value from the people that live in it," goes the Egyptian proverb, and Cairo is a vivid example.

When the Iraqi football team won the 2007 Asian Cup, cafes, restaurant terraces, and parking lots were filled with Iraqis, Palestinians and Egyptians celebrating the Mesopotamian nation’s victory over Saudi Arabia; the scene of celebration was not in Baghdad, however, but in Egypt’s 6 October city.

Of all of Egypt’s affluent neighbourhoods, Zamalek is likely the first to come to mind when thinking about the country’s upper-class areas.

If you have time to drive a bit further along the Gulf of Suez, you can find the Red Sea paradise of El-Gouna around 500 kilometres south of Cairo. El-Gouna is just 20 kilometres north of Hurghada; the resort was developed in the 1990s by Egyptian business tycoon Samih Sawiris and Orascom Hotels and Development.

The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak, comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings.

The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel, a village in Nubia, southern Egypt, near the border with Sudan.

The Coptic Museum is a museum in Coptic Cairo, Egypt with the largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts in the world. It was founded by Marcus Simaika in 1908 to house Coptic antiquities. The museum traces the history of in Egypt from its beginnings to the present day. It was erected on 8,000 square meter land offered by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, under the guardianship of Pope Cyril V.

The Citadel of the Mountain (Qal‘at al-Jabal) in Cairo is one of the major works of military architecture of the middle ages. Situated on a spur that was artificially cut out of the Muqattam Hills, the Citadel dominates the city of Cairo and turns its back to the rocky hills and the desert behind. Founded by Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin) in 1176 AD, the Citadel was a sign of the coming of a new regime whose roots were foreign and tastes were military. For almost seven centuries (1206-1874 AD), it was the seat of government for the Ayyubids (1171-1250 AD), Mamluks (1250-1516 AD), Ottomans (1516-1798 AD), and the Muhammad ‘Ali Family (1798-1952 AD), as well as a real and symbolic barrier between the rulers and the ruled. During this long period, it was the stage upon which the history of Egypt was played out.

Take a step back in time; about three thousand years back, to be exact. Just a few miles from the center of Cairo is a time machine waiting to take you on a fantastic journey to the days of the Pharaohs, a time brought to life by an incredible group of actors and actresses, faithful and exact reproductions of buildings, clothing, and lifestyles; and of course, the redoubtable Dr. Hassan Ragab and his son Dr. Abdelsalam Ragab. They have worked for over twenty years to create the most precise living recreation of the golden days of Pharaonic Egypt, and now he invites you to join him on this fascinating journey to the past.

Khan al-Khalili

Asfour Crystal Factory