Vaasa

Established in the 1300s, Vaasa was an important town in the time that Sweden ruled Finland. The original town burned down in 1852 and was relocated six kilometers northwest near a better harbor. The ruins of the old city are now a giant park (Vanha Vaasa, Gamla Vasa) that is well worth the visit. The town is about 34 percent Swedish-speaking and retains many ties to Sweden. Surrounded by a wide range of cafés, restaurants, and shops, the large market place is the center of city life. This peaceful town offers plenty of attractions. Visitors can walk along the waterfront, which begins in front of the town and extends for miles along the coast. Other attractions include the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art, down at the harbor, the Ostrobothnian Museum, the Terranova Kvarken Nature Center, the Tikanoja Art Museum, and the Vaasa Maritime Museum. Just to the east of the city center, on an island, is Tropiclandia and tropical spa, a waterpark inside a heated dome packed with pools, slides, and saunas. South of Vasa is the famed Söderfjärden crater caused by a meteor millions of years ago. To the north lies the Kvarken National Park, a wild archipelago hosting many great hikes and excellent bird watching opportunities. Vasa also hosts a number of notable cultural events including the Night of the Arts; the Korsholm Music Festival, one of the most noted of chamber music festivals; and the Vaasa Choir Festival. Vasa also claims to be the sunniest town in all of Finland, so soak up some rays on one of the many beaches.

Pyramids of Giza

The last surviving of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza are one of the world's most recognisable landmarks. Built as tombs for the mighty Pharaohs and guarded by the enigmatic Sphinx, Giza's pyramid complex has awed travelers down through the ages and had archaeologists (and a fair few conspiracy theorists) scratching their heads over how they were built for centuries. Today, these megalithic memorials to dead kings are still as wondrous a sight as they ever were. An undeniable highlight of any Egypt trip, Giza's pyramids should not be missed.

Luxor's Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings

Famed for the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, and the Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut, the Nile-side town of Luxor in Upper Egypt has a glut of tourist attractions. This is ancient Thebes, powerbase of the New Kingdom pharaohs, and home to more sights than most can see on one visit. While the East Bank brims with vibrant souk action, the quieter West Bank is home to a bundle of tombs and temples that has been called the biggest open air museum in the world. Spend a few days here exploring the colorful wall art of the tombs and gazing in awe at the colossal columns in the temples, and you'll see why Luxor continues to fascinate historians and archaeologists.

Islamic Cairo

The atmospheric, narrow lanes of the capital's Islamic Cairo district are crammed full of mosques, madrassas (Islamic schools of learning), and monuments dating from the Fatimid through to the Mameluke eras. This is where you'll find the labyrinth shopping souk of Khan el-Khalili where coppersmiths and artisans still have their tiny workshops, and stalls are laden with ceramics, textiles, spice, and perfume. Surrounding the market is a muddle of roads, home to some of the most beautiful preserved architecture of the old Islamic empires. There is a wealth of history here to explore. Visit Al-Azhar Mosque and the dazzling Sultan Hassan Mosque, and make sure you climb to the roof of the ancient medieval gate of Bab Zuweila for the best minaret-speckled panoramas across the district.

Aswan

Egypt's most tranquil town is Aswan, set upon the winding curves of the Nile. Backed by orange-hued dunes this is the perfect place to stop and unwind for a few days and soak up the chilled-out atmosphere. Take the river ferry across to Elephantine Island and stroll the colorful streets of the Nubian villages. Ride a camel to the desert monastery of St. Simeon on the East Bank. Or just drink endless cups of tea on one of the riverboat restaurants, while watching the lateen-sailed feluccas drift past. There are plenty of historic sites here and numerous temples nearby, but one of Aswan's biggest highlights is simply kicking back and watching the river life go by.

Abu Simbel

Even in a country festooned with temples, Abu Simbel is something special. This is Ramses II's great temple, adorned with colossal statuary standing guard outside, and with an interior sumptuously decorated with wall paintings. Justly famous for its megalithic proportions, Abu Simbel is also known for the incredible feat, which saw the entire temple moved from its original setting - set to disappear under the water because of the Aswan dam - during the 1960s in a massive UNESCO operation that took four years.

Egyptian Museum

A treasure trove of the Pharaonic world, Cairo's Egyptian Museum is one of the world's great museum collections. The faded pink mansion is home to a dazzling amount of exhibits. It's a higgledy-piggledy place with little labeling on offer and not much chronological order, but that's half of its old-school charm. Upstairs is the golden glory of King Tutankhamen and the fascinating royal mummies exhibits, but really every corner you turn here is home to some wonderful piece of ancient art or statuary that would form a highlight of any other museum.

White Desert

Egypt's kookiest natural wonder is the White Desert where surreally shaped chalk mountains have created what looks like a snowy wonderland in the middle of the arid sand. The landscapes here look like something out of a science fiction movie with blindingly white boulders and iceberg-like pinnacles. For desert fans and adventurers, this is the ultimate weird playground, while anybody who's had their fill of temples and tombs will enjoy this spectacular natural scenery.

Siwa Oasis

Way out west, Siwa is the tranquil tonic to the hustle of Egypt's cities. This gorgeous little oasis, surrounded by date palm plantations and numerous fresh water springs, is one of the Western Desert's most picturesque spots. The town is centered around the ruins of a vast mud-brick citadel that dominates the view. This is a top spot to wind down and go slow for a few days as well as being an excellent base from which to plan adventures into the surrounding desert.

Alexandria

The most European of Egypt's cities, Alexandria has a history that not many others can match. Founded by Alexander the Great, home of Cleopatra, and razzmatazz renegade city of the Mediterranean for much of its life, this seaside city has an appealing days-gone-by atmosphere that can't be beaten. Although today, there are few historic remnants of its illustrious past - feted in songs and books - this is a place made for aimless strolling along the seashore Corniche, café-hopping, and souk shopping.

St. Catherine's Monastery

One of the oldest monasteries in the world, St. Catherine's stands at the foot of Mount Sinai, where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments. This desert monastery is home to an incredible collection of religious iconography, art, and manuscripts (some of which can be seen in the on-site museum) as well as the home of the burning bush. For most visitors here, a trip to St. Catherine's also involves a hike up Mount Sinai to see sunrise or sunset. Take the camel path for the easy route or climb the famous Steps of Repentance if you want better views.

South Sinai

Egypt's center for beach fun is the South Sinai region on the Sinai Peninsula. Sharm el-Sheikh is a European-style resort full of luxury hotels, international restaurants, and bags of entertainment options. Dahab is a low-key beach town with a budget traveler heart, which is just as much about desert excursions and adventures as the sea. Up the coast, between the port town of Nuweiba and the border town of Taba, are the bamboo hut retreats that offer complete get-away-from-it-all respites from life. Wherever you choose, the South Sinai is all about diving. The Red Sea is one of the top diving destinations in the world, and the South Sinai region is home to much of the best dive sites.

Abydos Temple

Dusty Abydos town wouldn't make much of a rating on the tourism radar if it wasn't for the incredible temple on its doorstep. Abydos' Temple of Osiris is one of ancient Egypt's most fascinating artistic treasures. Its chunky columns and walls, covered in beautiful hieroglyphics and intricate paintings, are spell-binding sights, and even better, you can admire them without the crowds as despite its dazzling beauty, it receives few visitors compared to the temples in nearby Luxor.

El Djem Amphitheatre

The walls of the mighty Roman amphitheatre of El Djem dwarf the surrounding modern town. This incredibly well preserved Roman relic is one of the best examples of amphitheatre architecture left standing in the world, reminding of Rome's once grand grip across North Africa. You can still walk the corridors under the arena, just like the gladiators did. Or, climb up to the top seating tiers and sit staring across the arena imagining the battles that took place below.

Djerba

If you're looking for the picture-perfect beach escape, then the island of Djerba checks all the right boxes. The main island town of Houmt Souk has an old town district that's a muddle of whitewashed houses. It is an attraction in itself, with plenty of shopping opportunities for those who want to get off the beach. But it's those sandy strips of shoreline out of town that are the island's most popular highlight. Pristine and trimmed by date palms, the beaches are relaxing, get-away-from-it-all settings where summer daydreams are made.

Sidi Bou Said

Impossibly cute, Sidi Bou Said is a cliff-top village with petite dimensions that seem to have fallen off an artist's canvas. Unsurprisingly, artists have feted this little hamlet for decades. The whitewashed alleyways, wrought iron window frames and colourful blue doors are Tunisian village architecture at their finest, while the Mediterranean backdrop is the cherry on top.

Carthage

Once Rome's major rival, Carthage was the city of the seafaring Phoenicians forever memorialised in history books about the Punic Wars. The atmospheric ruins of this ancient town now sit beside the sea amid the suburbs of Tunis, a warning that even the greatest cities can be reduced to rubble.

Grand Erg Oriental

Tunisia's vast Sahara covers much of the country's interior, and the most beautiful corner of the desert is the field of sand dunes known as the Grand Erg Oriental. These poetically beautiful dunes are a surreal and gorgeous landscape, shaped by the ever-shifting desert sands. For many visitors, this is a playground for riding dune buggies and camels, but nothing tops the simple pleasure of sitting atop one of these mammoth sand mountains and watching the sunset.

Bulla Regia

Tunisia has no shortage of Roman ruins, but Bulla Regia near Tabarka is the country's most interesting and intriguing site. Here, the Roman inhabitants coped with the harsh summer climate by ingeniously building their villas underground, which has left the city houses incredibly well preserved today. For history lovers this is a unique opportunity to walk through actual Roman houses, with their walls still intact. It's a glimpse of the residential life of the ancient world that you often don't see.

Kairouan

With mosques, madrassas, and tombs aplenty, Kairouan has more than its fair share of monuments as the fourth most important city for those of the Muslim faith. The Arabic architecture here is truly inspiring and the skyline is full of skinny minarets and bulky domes. But it's probably the back alleys of the city's Medina that steal the show. With narrow maze-like lanes lined with crumbling colourful houses, Kairouan's old town has an enchanting lost-in-time atmosphere that is a true highlight of a visit here.