NATURE'S MAJESTY

GIANT SANDSTONE PYRAMIDS, THE magnificent Nile, and caravans of camels traversing the dunes are just the outlines of Egypt’s deep allure. Ancient architectural feats such as the Sphinx and the Valley of the Kings leave visitors with a feeling of wonder.

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Visiting the Pyramids of Giza. Opposite: Hot air balloons flying over the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, at sunrise.

EGYPT

The desert, explored by jeep or by camel, offers a chance to sleep under a sky strewn with countless stars. At the center of Cairo, the gargantuan Egyptian Museum houses 100,000 artifacts and some of the King Tut treasures. A 36-foot-tall statue of King Ramses II greets visitors and towers over the museum’s sun-drenched atrium.

PEAK BEAUTY

Between October and April, the weather is sunny but not scorching. The 3,200-year-old Abu Simbel Sun Festival occurs in February and October; during the festivities, the inner chamber of the temple of Ramses II is illuminated by the sun.

KNOW THIS

Siwa, an urban oasis close to Libya, is home to historical sites such as the Temple of the Oracle, where Alexander the Great received predictions. Salt lakes, lush agricultural centers with dates and olive trees, and hot springs enliven Siwa’s expanses.

Clockwise from above, The walls of Sumidero Canyon rise 3,300 feet above the Grijalva River; the ruins of the Mayan city of Palenque; the 115-foot-tall Misol Ha waterfall in Salto de Agua.

CHIAPAS