Egypt & Red Sea

Egypt is perhaps best known as the home of the ancient Egyptian civilization, with its temples, hieroglyphs, mummies, and - visible above all - its pyramids. Less well-known is Egypt's medieval heritage, courtesy of Coptic Christianity and Islam - ancient churches, monasteries and mosques punctuate the Egyptian landscape. Egypt stimulates the imagination of western tourists like few other countries and is probably one of the most popular tourist destinations world-wide.

The Red Sea Coast is a region of eastern Egypt, following the shoreline of the Red Sea for 800 km (500 miles) from Suez in the north to the Sudanese border in the south. It is Egypt's fastest developing area for overseas travelers and is best known for its warm climate year-round, for its clear azure waters, for its beach resorts and - given the presence of many species of exotic fish and coral - for its value as a diving destination.