The shark attacks in the diving mecca of Sharm el Sheikh certainly didn't help Egypt tourism but there are many other reasons to holidaying in Egypt. From ancient monuments, the world’s longest river, the largest hot desert on earth and the only surviving ancient monument from the Seven Wonders of the World, there's plenty to see and do in Egypt aside from diving.

Cairo and the pyramids
Whilst many holidays to Egypt that are diving orientated fly direct into Sharm el Sheikh, those who don't wish to dive can fly into Cairo airport. As the capital of Egypt and one of the densest populated cities in the world, Cairo has a vibrant history and culture that hits the traveler on arrival. A blend of modern, ancient and everything in between alongside vast Islamic architecture, the world famous pyramids at Giza and remnants of the 10th Century city, Cairo is a city break not be be missed!

Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery
An important pilgrimage site for people of all faiths, Mount Sinai is believed to be the spot where Moses received the Ten Commandments - towering at 2285m, Mount Sinai has become a popular destination for tourists as well as pilgrims with daily treks to watch the sunset or sunrise over the expansive, rocky vista. The Monastery of St. Catherine nestles at the foot at Mount Sinai - with UNESCO World Heritage status, the site is claimed to be the oldest working Christian monastery in the world.

Cruising the Nile
The north flowing Nile snakes its way through Africa from Rwanda and Tanzania, through Uganda, Sudan and Egypt before emptying into the Mediterranean. As the northern part of the river passes through desert landscape it’s presence has played an important role in civilization throughout the ages, and in Egypt all the major monuments and settlements are found on or near the banks of the Nile. Cruising on a felucca, an ancient sail boat, can be the ultimate way to travel through the heart of the country. Aswan and Luxor are the hub of the river trade with tours and excursions well catered for.

Luxor and Aswan
Created around the 4,000 year old city of Thebes, the birthplace of Dionysos and Hercules, Luxor itself is stacked with antiquity, whilst the Valley of the Kings, resting place of King Tutankhamun, lies on the west bank. Cruises follow the well worn Luxor to Aswan water route, Egypt’s most southerly city – a sleepy settlement hugging the river, it’s one of the driest inhabited places on earth. Tourist highlights include Elephantine Island, home of the Nilometers and Temples of Sati, Khnum and Pepinakht-Heqaib; numerous tombs and mausoleums dot the west bank.

The Desert
The vast plains of the Sahara carpet most of the country, but the huge sand seas and oracle like oases offer the ultimate desert experience. Dakhla Oasis has become the most popular of the seven oases, surrounded by pink cliffs and stuffed with date palms, mulberry trees, citrus and figs; the White Desert, of Farafra, has huge natural chalk rock formations that have been sculpted by the wind and sand; whilst the Great Sand Sea is the third largest dune field in the world – the size of England, travel across them via jeep, camel, donkey or foot.

School is arguably the most important period in a child's life, but, let's face it, although we don't want to take our kids away from this learning process paying for a trip abroad during the school holidays is something we like even less. Many schools are introducing fines to deter parents from taking their kids away during term time but, with fines of only £50 to £100, the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs.

However, seeing as we all need to set a good example to our kids and we don't want to jeopardise their eduction, here are some tips on how to have an affordable 'school holiday' holiday.

Firstly, look for destinations that don't have such a definite 'peak season'. Africa and the Middle East are perfect, in fact, due to high temperatures, July and August are often low season, so a May half-term break would wor k perfectly. If you do want to get away in August, look for regions by the coast such as Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt. The temperature at this time of year is around 30 degrees centigrade, but bear in mind you will spend most of your time in the water, either the sea or the resort's swimming pool.

Travel to destinations outside the Eurozone. The Pound to Euro exchange rate is quite shocking right now so the price of a cup or coffee, let alone a family hotel room, is rising. In the past few months bookings to Turkey and Egypt have risen by 21% as holidaymakers seek out better value for money at short haul distances.

Choose a holiday that includes activities. We all know that kids get bored just lying on a beach, but that is all you want to do after hard months spent slaving away in the office. Many resorts offer kids clubs and some even allow free rental of kayaks, windsurfers and dinghys.

Finally, if you are really budget conscious and looking for value for money, book an all-inclusive holiday and set your holiday price in the UK. Have you ever been on holiday and gotten frustrated at constantly putting your hand in your pocket? Well with all-inc holidays you won't have to.

If the kids get hungry at 3pm they can get a snack and if you fancy an afternoon cocktail make sure you book an all-inclusive package that includes drinks. Many include un-branded 'local' spirits for free. According to Abta, all-inclusive family holidays now represent 32% of the market for family bookings as they are the best way to avoid over spending. Thomas Cook offer a range of all inclusive holidays to various destinations, including Egypt and the Red Sea.

The recent demonstrations rippling through North Africa and the Middle East have hit a number of high profile holiday destinations, including Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. And whilst they have remained relatively peaceful, there has been huge disruption to the infrastructure in the countries affected. For many people the attraction of these destinations as holiday resorts is now in doubt – here’s some travel tips as to whether travel to the Middle East and North Africa is viable right now.

By Dr Joann Fletcher

Whilst the concept of a career choice for women is a relatively modern phenomenon, the situation in ancient Egypt was rather different. For some three thousand years the women who lived on the banks of the Nile enjoyed a form of equality which has rarely been equalled.

Egypt is a developing travel hub for the travelers coming from all over the world and its cities have become major crowd pullers. If you have decided to come to Egypt, don't miss out visiting Luxor.

Diving holidays have become popular with those who are looking to experience the wonders of nature beneath the waves as part of their holiday.

It is the dream of every archaeologist to dig in the Valley of the Kings, the burial ground of the monarchs of the New Kingdom (ca. 1500-1100 BC). Of all the sites in Egypt, this is one of the most magical. It is hard to believe that, of the 63 tombs found in the valley, not one was officially discovered by an Egyptian archaeologist.

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Egyptian culture balances the traditional with the contemporary. Tourists planning to book <a href="http://www.thomascook.com/destinations/egypt/">holidays to Egypt</a>
are taken aback at how easily this balance is achieved...