Alexandria Cecil.

Granted, it's all faded grandeur and the flamboyant characters of Durrell's Alexandria Quartet have long checked out of this most famous of Alexandria hotels, but it still makes for a splendid backdrop to a romantic weekend retreat. The only thing ancient here is probably the elevator with its wrought iron grille, complete with lift boy (well, that one has aged a bit, too). Make sure you get a sea-facing room on one of the upper floors (i.e. far from traffic on the Corniche below), move a cosy armchair as close to the open window as possible and enjoy the sweeping vistas over to the fort and out to the sea. The Cecil is at its best in the morning when guests flock to the airy ground-level restaurant Le Jardin for an extended breakfast of croissants, pastry and fresh fruit. This is French territory after all. The only thing completely out of place is the Chinese restaurant, which occupies the rooftop terrace, potentially the jewel in the crown for a hotel with such a marvellous location. Alas, not only is the view from the restaurant obscured by red plastic sheeting but both the interior design and the food are rather sub-standard, too. So you better head out for dinner and dream of the heavenly breakfast treats instead.

http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-1726-sofitel-cecil-alexandria/index.shtml

Auberge du Lac.

It's not the most stunning of locations and it's not the most amazing place to stay in Egypt, but the Helnan Auberge Fayoum, aka the Auberge du Lac, makes for a pleasant weekend retreat if you want to get out of the big city. Especially if you want to escape the expat crowd for a change, the Auberge is a great spot, as it's mostly frequented by affluent Egyptian families lounging around the huge pool. So, do it like the locals do, grab a beach towel, find a stretcher by the pool and go for a dip. Then, have a cold drink, lean back and enjoy the lake view with a good book. You could also attempt to have a swim in the vast lake itself but we weren't able to establish whether or not that is a good idea. If you are not of the adventurous kind, just soak in the fresh breeze and savour the beautiful sight of waves crashing against the quay wall and dying in a big splash. Food is basic but honest Egyptian and international fare and very affordable, as are the drinks. It's all very unpretentious but with a hint of past grandeur. After all, this once was the hunting lodge of king Farouk and deer-themed chandeliers still grace the entrance hall and lounge.

http://www.helnan.com/HelnanAubergeHotel=_6=-110.htm

Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Amidst all the ancient monuments and desert destinations in Egypt the ultra-modern library of Alexandria makes for a refreshing change of scenery. It is THE perfect spot to enjoy peace and calm in Egypt's second city. It's been designed to resemble the rising sun that glides across the sea, radiating the light of knowledge through the world. Fitting the theme, it's covered in a hull of glass and steel glistening in the sun. On the insight, a gigantic wall of enormous concrete slabs together with dozens of columns that resemble lotus flowers rise high into the sky and support the prominent glass facade. In here it's all dark, polished floors, wooden shelves and muted light. While outside on the corniche traffic thunders past with the usual relentless ferocity, one feels completely insulated form the real world in the monastery-like, almost sacral silence. The huge library hall is divided into myriad sections across huge balconies that cascade down below sea level, so just grab a book, pick your spot of choice and drift away. There's even wireless Internet and the cartography section on the lowest level is great for armchair travelling. What's your next destination?

http://www.bibalex.org/Home/Default_EN.aspx

First Cataract by Boat.

On a weekend escape from Cairo, Upper Egypt seems like a bucolic idyll of sorts. Although Aswan proper is for the most part your usual Egyptian town, you feel like in a completely different country once you've set sails for the West bank and the islands and islets around the First Cataract. Organise yourself a boat (motorized, feluccas won't get you anywhere near the cataract) from any of the small cruise businesses in town and just moments after departure you glide past reed-fringed shorelines, towering rocks and even the occasional beach. It's a bit like Stockholm on the Nile, minus the hipsters. There's plenty of bird life to be spotted, so bring your binoculars. Even if you are not a seasoned bird watcher or even twitcher, you'll be amazed about the abundance of different types of airborne creatures that hover above or hide in the undergrowth. Come evening, make sure you have a mint tea boiling and a shisha bubbling to get the most out of this chill-out paradise. While the sun sets and the city puts on its blinking evening attire, you wish you could just fall asleep and be carried away through the night.

Adrere Amellal.

We did the grave mistake to choose Adrere Amellal, Egypts first and foremost eco-lodge, as one of our first destinations. After a visit to this splendid, peaceful place in the remote Siwa oasis, everything else is but a sad reminder of how mass tourism and bad taste have tormented Egypt. Built entirely from local material, like salt bricks held together with mud, the lodge is heartbreakingly simple, yet luxurious in its labyrinthine layout and unmatched attention to detail. You get up in the morning to a moreish breakfast of plain omelette, fresh bread and divine olive jam, served on a covered patio overlooking the adjacent salt lake. Afterwards you depart for an excursion to Siwa town. This, unfortunately, is in a state of neglect, which makes the lodge appear like an improved (disneylandish?) version of the ancient settlement. Back at the lodge, a three-course lunch in the shade of a palm grove awaits with vegetarian dishes prepared with fresh ingredients from the lodge garden. Understandably, you will only reluctantly make your way to the meeting point for an afternoon excursion to the sea of towering dunes across the lake. Itineraries here are flexible, so you might as well stay, go for a dip in the sparkling, natural pool and while the afternoon away on a daybed. By nightfall, guests gather at one of the many dining spots scattered around the premises, only guided by lanterns and candles, to enjoy what is arguably the best food in Egypt, washed down with plenty of good Egyptian red wine. Think stuffed zucchini flowers, chicken in pomegranate sauce and date pudding for dessert...

http://adrereamellal.net/aplaceoutoftime.html

Lehnert & Landrock.

One of the advantages and indeed charms of downtown Cairo is the fact that you find century-old family businesses here that have long disappeared elsewhere. One such household name in the Egyptian art and retail scene is Lehnert & Landrock, the famous photography and publishing house in Sherif St, smack-bang in the heart of the city. It's on the ground floor of an unassuming building so you might be forgiven for haven mistaken it for a random bookstore. And while the selection of heavy art tomes and coffee table books in the front store seems a bit outdated, the real treasure is the back store with dozens of reprints of Lehnert's long-forgotten images of early 20th-century Egypt, which were only rediscovered in the 1980s. His oeuvre also includes beautiful photographs, especially portraits and rural scenes, from Tunisia and Algeria. Printed in either black-and-white or sepia and presented in simple wooden frames, these stills are a must-have for any Cairo apartment and go a long way to counter the awful furniture that your landlord in all likelihood has burdened you with.

http://lehnertandlandrock.net/

Kitchener's Island.

It's not Kirstenbosch and it's not Kew but the small botanical garden on Kitchener's Island is surely one of the most tranquil and well-maintained parks in all of Egypt. The approach by boat of felucca from the Aswan mainland adds much to the charm of this hidden treasure, the view of which is for the most part blocked by the much bigger Elephantine Island and its horrendous hotel tower. The botanical garden (and research centre) with its hundreds of exotic trees and shrubs from all over the world occupies the entire island and for the small amount of LE10 you can spend an entire day here, exploring the many palm-fringed paths, enjoying the sweeping views and shaded picnic areas. What once belonged to the infamous Lord Kitchener, who equipped the gardens with plants from places along his Empire campaign trail from the Cape to India, now serves as a much-loved weekend retreat for Aswan locals and tourists alike. Avoid the Southern tip of the island, though, as this is where hordes of hawkers want to sell you their wares.