We took our first family holiday in over eight years and travelled to Egypt just before Christmas. While I’m not a very enthusiastic traveller (home is definitely where my heart is – much to my wife’s annoyance), I have to say that it was a truly amazing experience. The countryside is stunning, the sounds and smells of the city are exotic and blow your mind – and the people are warm, friendly and go out of their way to make sure you have a wonderful stay.
 Me, as you’ve never seen me before – or are likely to again!
Getting completely immersed in the culture of the country, we dressed for an Egyptian evening at our hotel. The waiters were impressed and found it extremely amusing. This is me, trying on my outfit a little earlier in the day in our new friend’s shop in Luxor.
The view across the Nile from our hotel: You can watch the fishing boats set out in the morning, and white egrets flock to its banks at sunset. For those of you looking for a honeymoon destination, I can highly recommend Luxor.
 There are many luxury villas all along the bank of the Nile on the opposite shore to Luxor.
However, none are owned by Egyptians, but are the holiday homes of wealthy Britains and Americans who spend just three months a year in residence during the winter. Luxor reaches temperatures in the mid 50 degrees centigrade in the summer so is far too hot for western skins!
 My daughter Vicky sailing a felucca down the Nile: She was a natural, and the captain even trusted her to steer us past the huge cruise ships that dock at Luxor. On this trip she was greatly admired and we were regularly offered large numbers of camels!
This great Temple of Amon Ra was known during the Middle Kingdom period as Ipt-Swt, which means the Selected Spot. Karnak means fortified village, probably because the Arabs found many temples and buildings in the area when they entered it for first time. Karnack is far more interesting and impressive than even the Valley of the Kings – simply because of its scale and grandeur. It also has the most impressive hieroglyph paintings.
On the way towards the entrance there’s an avenue of ram-headed Sphinxes, which were built to protect the Temple. There are 20 rams on each side, built during the time of King Nektanebo I (30th Dynasty).
 > This picture was taken in the pitch black, only illuminated enough for us to see when the flash went off. Because there is no natural light, the colours have stayed amazingly vivid – you’d hardly believe that they are over two thousand years old.
 This is the last remaining of 10 great pillars inside one of the courtyards of the temple. They would have been topped with lotus flower carvings and painted brightly with gold leaf. The palm trees give a sense of the massive scale of it, but you really do have to go there to fully appreciate its majesty.
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