The  two branches of the Nile one rising in the highlands of Ethiopia, the  other in Lake Victoria, unite at Khartoum. Flowing north through the  deserts of Nubia and punctuated by the rocky Cataracts, the river  enters Egypt at the Second Cataract. Aswan itself stands on the First  Cataract, the final great bands of granite to break the river\'s  northward course. The Cataract created many rapids and islands which  until the end of the last century made travel dangerous.

Egypt  has a landscape which is surprisingly varide, but all of the terrain  derives from a combination of water and sky, cultivation and desert.  North of Aswan the river flows on without further interruption to  navigation through the orange sandstone hills of Nubia, were the  cultivation in many places is confined to a narrow strip by the  water\'s edge. The forked trunk of the dom-palm and the misty foliage  of the tamarisk relieve the barrenness. After the fertile open plain at  Kom Ombo the sandstone hills close in, forcing the river through the  gorge of Silsila before giving way to the limestone cliffs which will  form the valley as for as the Delta. Broad but shallow, the river  meanders between these cliffs, sometimes in the centre of the valley,  sometimes hugging the cliff close to one side. Throughout Upper and  Middle Egypt the floodplain is broad, and the cultivation rich: there  are fields of wheat and sugar cane, and groves of palm trees  everywhere. In the Faiyum the lushness increases.

Egyptian Famous Cities

• Cairo
• Alexandria
• Sharm El Shiekh
• Dahab
• Taba
• Port Saed
• Ismailia
• Suez
• Hurghada
• Marsa Alam
• Minya
• Luxor
• Aswan
• Abu Simbel
• Siwa Oasis
• Bahariya Oasis
• Dakhla Oasis

When to travel to Egypt
Peak  travel season in Egypt runs from mid October to May, and this is the  best time to visit. As you will notice, the tourist season is during  winter and spring, but this is also the high season, and prices go up  at this time of year.

From May until October, the temperatures  are fairly high, especially in Luxor and the southern parts of the  country, yet summer offers a time to see Egypt in relative peace and  quite.

Roads run between orchards which are enclosed by high  mud-brick walls crowned with dried palm fronds. Within the orchards, a  dappled light filters through the palm trees shady walkways are  canopied with vines and roses and flanked by orange trees and lemon  trees mango and banana. The quiet is disturbed only by the cooing of  turtle doves and pigeons, perhaps the iridescent green flash of a  bee-eater or the call of the hoopoe.

Egypt is a country with  an immense cultural mix In every major city in Egypt you will find  traditions that remain from the time of the Pharaohs and in other parts  you will find pure tribal customs that were brought in by many invaders  throughout the centuries. That contradiction and contrast between areas  of Egypt when you compare it with other Middle Eastern countries is  what makes Egypt seem advanced against some of the others. Yet here you  will find that the customs and mentality tends to be full of warmth  towards visitors and foreigners. I guess this could be the secret why  Egypt is considered the most attractive country in the region for  travellers. The pure nature of the local Egyptians when they are always  there when you need help, or when they invite you into their houses  when they hardly know you, or when they smile in your face, makes a  visit to Egypt a wonderful and unforgettable experience.