A view of Cairo from Zamalek. This is a quiet part of Cairo, an island on the Nile, with reasonable hotels, such as the Hotel Longchamps, where we stayed. It contains several major embassies, and the Cairo Sporting Club.

If you have to stay in Cairo, and can't afford city centre hotel prices, it's an ideal area to stay- there is less hassle in the streets, and even the pollution seems less.

This is a view of the Great Pyramid that is not generally shown in the guidebooks! It is surprising just how close the pyramids are to the bustle of Cairo, especially when you are on the Giza Plateau.

Many guidebooks suggest that a good time to see the pyramids is in the early evening, but recently, the authorities have decided to close Giza at 5pm.

Throughout the Pyramids area, the hassle from the streets is high - beware the offers of a trip around the Pyramids by camel or horse after 5pm - it will be a back-entrance journey and will be quite illegal! The taxis around this area vary in quality - one we took smelt so strongly of petrol, and had next to no upholstery left that we left it as soon as we could!

If you'd like to try traditional Egyptian food, try Felfellas - you can't miss it - it's on Pyramid Road, and you can either eat outdoors or indoors - the decor is fascinating, the food is extremely good, and excellent value for money.