Is there any other country with so many budget backpacker gems to be found? Land in Cairo and witness one of the most ancient and hectic cities in the world hum with the same relentless energy that it has had for centuries. Stand in awe at the four thousand-year old great pyramids of Giza, truly wonders of our world. Head north to the untouched, Mediterranean beaches around Marsah Mutrah then take the bus to Siwa Oasis, a place that really is trapped in time. Take a 4X4 through the awe-inspiring dunes of the Great Sand Sea and arrive at the ancient mud villages of Mut and Al Quasr. Then make your way to Luxor and get lost in the eerie tombs of the Valley Of Kings before sailing up the great river Nile to Aswan, stopping at wonder-worthy Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way. From Aswan, make your way to Dahab, where you can soak up the sun and indulge in some of the best scuba diving on the planet. Climb the holy Mount Sinai, hike through the desert and end every day off with a nice round of sheesha with friends. Egypt has it all and then some. And all of this can be done on a backpackers budget! The whole country is a gem, the people are extremely friendly and the food is great, especially the rotisserie chicken for sale on every corner. We were lucky and arrived just after the revolution so we practically had the place to ourselves, but even if the sites were full of tourists, no amount of camera happy, fanny pack toting white-folk could take away from the likes of Luxor and The Great Pyramids. Go to Egypt and dive right in, even after 6 weeks we were still craving more.

***Top Choice: A Budget Backpacker’s Dream – Don’t Miss This One!***