Recipe for a perfect desert

When in Egypt, see the pyramids, by all means. But why let the adventure stop there? The ancient land comes alive with luxury hotels and leisurely Nile cruises

- VIR SANGHVI

Earlier this year I made a resolution. Instead of returning to familiar places, I would try and go to places I had read about but had never been. A couple of months ago, I went to Greece. Egypt was the logical next step. My wife and I decided to combine the historical stuff with a certain amount of relaxation and luxury. (Man - and woman for that matter cannot live by sightseeing alone.) We decided we would spend a full fortnight in Egypt and divided our trip into three parts.

We spent four days in Cairo, using the city as a base to explore the historical areas of Giza and Saqqara and to tour Egypt's magnificent museums. We spent four days cruising the Nile, getting off the boat each day to see the ancient temples at Luxor and Aswan, as well as the Valley of the Kings, which is always the star attraction of any Nile journey. And we took a break for four days, recovering at a resort on the banks of the Red Sea.

In Cairo we stayed at the pricey but excellent St Regis, but the Oberoi group recommended an agency that handled our historical visits and assigned a veteran Egyptologist to show us the sights. The Oberois have a comfortable Red Sea resort (called Sahl al Hashish), where we enjoyed a windy break. And best of all, they run luxury boats.