Western Desert
Bedouin, salt lakes, and palm-fringed oases.

Adrere Amellal Oasis
Siwa Oasis, Egypt
T: +20 02 340 0052. 30 rooms. US$ 400-, incl. meals
Email: info@eqi.com.eg
Spartan elegance at this mud-brick eco-lodge. Dine alfresco, by lantern light, on Limoges china. Swim in a spring-fed Roman pool. Here at the Temple of Oracle, Alexander the Great sought counsel from the god Amun before taking over rule of Egypt. Go in winter; summer desert temperatures reach 135 degrees F.


Valley of the Kings
Antiquities, pyramids and Queen Nefertari's tomb; located on the West Bank of the Nile.

Al Moudira
Luxor, Egypt
T: +20 12 325 1307. 54 rooms. US$ 150-
http://www.moudira.com
Avoid the packaged tourist hotels on the Nile's East Bank and stay in the West Bank, on the quiet side of the river. Created and operated by jewelry designer Zeina Abuokheir, this elegant boutique hotel sits on eight acres of gardens and is just 3 miles from the Valley of the Kings.


Cairo
Africa's largest city, the densely populated metropolis contains ancient mosques, Coptic churches, Arab settlements, the 10th-century palace-city, Saladin's imposing Citadel and the minarets of Sultan Hassan's 13th-century gem of a mosque.

Villa Belle Epoque
Road 13, Villa 63
Maadi - Cairo
Egypt
T: +20 2 2358 0265. 13 rooms. US$ 380-
www.villabelleepoque.com.
Owned by an Egyptian/Dutch couple, Cairo's first boutique hotel is located in the leafy Nile-side suburb of Maadi, just 15 minutes by Metro to the chaos of Cairo. Art deco furnishings are mixed with contemporary fabrics and artwork. This 1920's-era villa includes a small pool and in-house chef.