Often overlooked in favour of Giza, Saqqara is a far more varied archaeological site, and is much less crowded, both with tourists and the tat-hawkers that tend to go with them.

Here, you get to see the earliest pyramid – the so-called ‘Step Pyramid’, which is still impressive in size and is set in a partly-restored ‘complex’ of buildings. Various other pyramids in more or less romantically-ruinous states are scattered around the site, together with some of the most wonderfully decorated private tombs in Egypt.

With these, though, as with lots of sites in Egypt, it’s almost impossible to say what will be open and what won’t, because that information seems to change rather haphazardly. Get here under your own steam by a taxi from Cairo to make sure you can wander around the many acres of ruins without worrying about getting back on to a coach.

One thing not to miss is the pyramid of Unas – start at his pyramid and then walk down its ‘causeway’, which has private tombs built all around it.

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Giza can be a nightmare. Its atmosphere has been ruined by the road, the coaches, the thousands of tourists and a seemingly equal number of Egyptians offering tacky souvenirs and camel rides at inflated prices. This is no coincidence however, it being the site at which the pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty at last nailed the art of pyramid building.

One of their predecessors, Sneferu, did much of the ground work however. He erected two monuments of his own at the much quieter site of Dahshur, a few miles south of Giza.

The earlier of the two is the ‘bent’ pyramid, so-named because the king’s architect got his sums wrong and had to change the angle of incline halfway up. The second, the ‘red’ pyramid was an unqualified success: a straight sided pyramid, smaller only than the great pyramid itself.

The interior of the red pyramid with its corbel vaulted ceiling is well worth a look, and the bent-pyramid preserves much of the outer casing that was stripped from the Giza pyramids centuries ago. The lack of tourists gives you a chance to take in the immensity of these monuments.

Although you kind of have to go to Giza, I highly recommend seeing Dahshur as well – it’s what Giza ought to be like.

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The Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre is absolutely amazing. When you see the tapestries and the batik you will not believe that it's all created from the mind, no pictures at all. Truly amazing. They also have wonderful pottery.

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You have to try the homemade lemonade here and also speak to the owner's grandson Wani Dossl.

He will be able to answer most of your questions about Cairo and tell you of good events that tourists will not know about.

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Great restaurant for Egyptian food: trendy, beautiful setting and tasty food. Also ideal for after-dinner relaxing, drinking & smoking shisha.

On 26th of July av., Zamalek quarter.

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This cafe in Mohandeseen area has very good Egyptian food. The atmosphere is warm and decor upbeat and attractive.

You MUST meet the owner, Mahmoud. He is very colourful and has a great sense of humour. He makes you feel like a long lost brother. Enjoy!

#40 Kahn Younes Demesk St. which is off Shebab St. 1 block from Radio Shack

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SPARE maps of the old Islamic city are head and shoulders above any other maps available on the market.

Available at Lehnert and Landrock and decent bookshops like Diwan.

If you want to do something different in Cairo, get a SPARE map (there are at least 4), take a taxi to Khan el Khalili and go for a walk. All of the relevant buildings are marked in the maps, together with a bit of history. Take yourself back to the 1400s.

Cairo was one of the most important cities in the world in the late middle ages and the architecture in Islamic Cairo proves it.

When you're finished, treat yourself to a bowl of kushari.

Diwan, Lehnert und Landrock

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It's in Gezira - just up from Zamalek, and usually has a good range of shows on - while I was here for four months they had a couple of Operas, lots of Symphony stuff, a few Ballets and (in late November), a Harry Potter play.

It's horribly cheap (25-35LE (about £3) for a mainshow) - but if you're looking for grandeur, make sure you get tickets to the Main Hall show, the Small Hall is underwhelming.

Their website (and lots of other listings websites) lie about their program, so it's best to get down there to ask. Or call (they speak English)

Tell your taxi driver "Op-err-aa, Gezira" - costs about 5LE from Zamalek and Mohandiseen

Telephone number is 02 7398132

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It's a huge sprawling cemetery in the centre of Cairo, which is inhabited (I guess squatted is the correct term) by around 1 million people. It is incredible to see, and it gives a closer idea of the conditions of living of a huge number of inhabitants of this amazing city.

Impossible to miss it really, it is near the Citadel of Cairo.

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I was in Cairo for a couple of weeks earlier this year. I stayed in the Hilton WTC (World Trade Centre) Residence, which is like a serviced apartment on the Nile. My children, aged 14, 10 and 3, all loved it. They liked the chaos of jumping into cabs and negotiating the fare, almost all of the food and we all liked Khan el-Khalili market. My older kids enjoyed the spectacle of me haggling for stuff and pointing out how badly I was doing. There are a surprising amount of fast food places if you need them and you can get the supermarkets to deliver food and booze to you for a nominal charge. We also had a great time going to the historical sites.

Hilton WTC Residence, 1191 Cornich El Nile, World Trade Center.
Telephone: +20 2 580 2000
Khan el-Khalili market is just north of the Citadel in the centre of Cairo.

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There is a long chain of 87 pyramids running from El-Lahun (near El Faiyum) in the south to Giza in the north. At both Dahshur and Saqqara you can see pyramids to the north and to the south and so get a better idea of the extent of these monuments.

At Dahshur there is the Red Pyramid with its three corbelled rooms and the Bent or Rhomboid Pyramid. Halfway through building it, they changed the slope so it looks bent as the name suggests.

At Saqqara, the Step pyramid with its courtyard and surviving temples gives a much better idea of the way a funerary complex was more than just a tomb. It was a whole collection of buildings for the worship of the gods as well as the preparation of the Pharaoh's body.

These sites are best appreciated with a good guide or guidebook and a small group so you have plenty of time to explore and see the whole thing.

Dahshur is 40 miles south of Cairo.
Saqqara is roughly 25km south of Cairo.
Ask your hotel to hire a car and driver for the day and you can visit both sites.

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The ancient Egyptians didn't have the arch so they used corbelling to create large spaces inside the Pyramids. Only a limited number are allowed in any of the Giza pyramids on any one day and you have to get there first thing to queue but it is well worth it.

The long Gallery is in the Great Pyramid and is some 60 feet long and slopes upward. It has been created by slightly overlapping stones as they go up to create a long-toothed triangular space. It is amazing.

If you haven't the time or patience to queue for tickets, the Red Pyramid at the Dahshur Pyramid has three much smaller corbelled rooms which are truly amazing.

Giza is approximately 20km southwest of Cairo.
Dahshur is approximately 40km south of Cairo.

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I have stayed there twice. The service is superb - friendly or unobtrusive where appropriate. The main parts of the hotel are overlooked by the pyramids and are evocative of an earlier, more leisurely time. The Indian restaurant is also superb. You can stay with at the Mena House Oberoi with Voyages Jules Verne.

Mena House Oberoi, Pyramid's Road, Giza.
Telephone: +20 2 377 3222 or 377 3444.
www.oberoimenahouse.com

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This cafe is rough and raucous, with the most varied clientele ranging from footpads to intellectuals, musicians, businessmen, down-at-heels actors, students and dons from the nearby AUC (American University in Cairo). This is one of the few places left in Cairo that savours the city's past and colourful diversity, but it's a past that is firmly in the present. It's a great place to have a beer and thrash out the issues of the day, practise some Arabic or simply to make contact with a real cross-section of Cairo life. Moving among its French decor - faded mirrors, marble tables and creaking ceiling fans - is Saad, the wonderfully eccentric barman and a real character who will welcome you warmly with wonderful Egyptian humour. This place is a must for the adventurous but not for the fainthearted. I loved it throughout my twenty years in Cairo and know I still have a place there whenever I return.

The Hurreya Cafe, Midan Bab al-Khalq, behind the AUC. It's on the corner, across the square from the market.

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This is the real Egyptian deal - stuffed pigeon. Eat it at Farhaat in Khan el-Khalili market.

Khan el-Khalili market is just north of the Citadel in central Cairo.

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My favourite part of Cairo is the area where the tentmakers work. It is about a kilometre walking from the Khan el-Khalili market. It is the walk there that is full of unbelievable experiences. You walk down a busy, narrow road teeming with Cairo life. People are friendly and helpful and will often show you things that boggle the mind. It is a route that is laden with surprises that embody the richness of the city's history. You walk past buildings that have been there for thousands of years, mosques, momorials and one of the old gates to the city. Climb the towers of the old gate and get wonderful views over the city. Stop and explore, listen and follow your nose. You could spend months in this area, be constantly fascinated and still not see everything. Eventually you'll find the tentmakers in an area that is brimming with atmosphere and people whose skill at making complex geometrically-designed appliqued tent panels is awesome. I found a 70-year old man who had been hand-sewing these panels his whole life and he had such a sense of contentment about his life's work. I was inspired.

Walk down the road that passes the Khan el-Khalili, cross over the pedestrian bridge and find the alley that goes past the mosque on the opposite side of the road. Follow your nose for about a kilometre.

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People are friendly but dont let them fool you or overcharge you. Use the new capital taxis known as Taxi al A'sema, which are clean, reasonably priced and have air conditioning. The Egyptian Pound is worth about a tenth of a UK Pound and Egypt is much cheaper than the UK so bear that in mind.

Preferably use bottled drinking water like Schweppes, Nestle, Aqua and Baraka. University students like to practice their English so don't be baffled if they try to talk to you. You will know them because they use complicated vocabulary compared with street vendors who may try to rip you off in their simple English. I am an Egyptian who lived in England some years ago and adored the Brits I hope you have a wonderful time in Egypt.

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This is an amazing oasis in Giza, just off the road to Sakkara Pyramid, containing unbelievable tapestries and batiks. It is the most genuine place I have visited in Egypt, with real art and crafts and none of this cheap rubbish you find in a lot of other places. Visitors must be careful as there are no less than twenty imitation shops and centres on the main road, but when you reach this place in Harania you will know. It's in a 10-acre lush, green area and has beautiful architecture.

Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre, Harania Village, Sakkara Road.
Tel : +20 2 381 5746
www.wissa-wassef-arts.com

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This is the oldest hotel in Cairo, with a really cool bar and a manual elevator. It has a nice, genuine colonial atmosphere.

Windsor Hotel, 19 Alfi Bey Street. near the cinema.
Tel : +20 2 591 5810
www.windsorcairo.com

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The Nileometer was built to measure the height of the Nile floods and is on the tip of one of the central islands I think. It's a lovely piece of Islamic architecture but to get the best out of it you should walk down the steps (watch out - there's no rails) to the bottom of the well. The view of the ceiling is amazing - well worth it.

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