Great food at resonable prices. Staff are friendly and have a sense of humour, and the whole place is spotless. Ask for Captain Nemo - he can fix anything from boat rides to balloon trips and airport transfers. If he can't do it he knows someone who can, he knows everyone.

Opposite the Nile Palace is Passport Street, next door to Murphys Bar.

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Private double sleeping berth, with dinner and breakfast, for $60 each way. It is fantastic to watch Egypt go by in the night and very romantic though the train is a bit 'grubby' but after a bottle of wine (sold on board!) you won't notice!

It is cheaper to book it yourself than through the travel agents in Luxor itself. The train leaves Luxor around 9pm and gets into Cairo at about 7am.

Email to reserve - www.sleepingtrains.com

And specify you want to pick your tickets up in Luxor (the office is on Platform 1). You have to pick up/pay for your tickets the day before (sometimes 24 hours).

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A great way to get around the west bank at your own pace is by bike. You can hire a bike from any number of places on the west Bank and they only cost a couple of quid for the day.

The only thing to remember is that the cycle to the Valley of the Kings is tough as it will be uphill all the way, although the cycle back downhill was really really great fun. Be prepared for local kids having a good laugh at you as you cycle by.

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Be sure that if you are thinking of taking a trip on any of the caleshes that the horse or donkey is well looked after, that they are well shod and that the driver doesn't make the horse gallop on the road surface.

We visited a donkey and horse rescue centre and some of the injuries the animals receive are horrendous. It's worth visiting these centres as they provide free veterinary care for all animals and they rely on donations to survive.

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The town itself is relatively compact and quite easily explored on foot. However, if the heat gets too much there are always the options of either caleche (horse-drawn carriage) or taxi, both of which are reasonably cheap. Expect to be cajoled into visiting certain shops as part of the deal, whereby the driver receives commission for taking you there ‘just to look’. By all means visit these shops but don’t feel obliged to buy anything you don’t want. Transport links to other parts of Egypt are excellent with Luxor situated on the main rail line: with several daily departures north to Cairo and south to Aswan. Long distance or service taxis (minibuses usually) are currently off-limits to foreign visitors as a security precaution due to the frequent stops they make.

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