If travelling is what keeps your juices flowing, then Egypt is going to rejuvenate you, that is, if you don't mind the heat. This African country is where civilisation as we know it today, first flourished and the people left behind intriguing tales of their kings and Gods in the form of historic tombs and temples, that still stand as testimony to a great culture.

So, if you've decided to travel to Egypt, then the first stop for you should be the city of Giza, just 10kms from the capital, Cairo. And there stand the most famous, the most mysterious structure known to man — the pyramids. A set of three pyramids with the tallest being built by King Cheops and known as the Great Pyramid. When you finally see the Great Pyramid, one is left speechless because the facts keep rolling around your head — this was built 3,000 years ago and needed 2.5 million blocks of solid stone and back-breaking labour.

It's the easiest thing to sketch in your drawing books as children but to know how they were built remains unfathomable even today. Up at the entrance, it's like a summit from where you can see the entire city of Cairo. It would take you three hours to see the pyramids up close, it's a panoramic view and is best to start early in the morning. Close to these pyramids is a legendary statue of a lion's body with a human head. Known as the Great Sphinx - it was regarded as a beast of great power and wisdom. When it was first made, it had bright colours for the face, head dress and the body. This must've been a sure eyecatcher in the desert. But years later, it's body had got buried in sand...

Egypt's alluring siren song, Money Control, India, May 21, 2007.

Travelling has always been my passion. The happiness that I feel to get to know a new country is simply a joyous experience. My husband shares this passion. Perhaps, that’s why we chose to holiday in Egypt, the ultimate site for history buffs. One of the World’s great civilisations, Egypt’s lifeline has been the Nile River. Often referred to as the ‘Gift of the Nile’, its unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia.

Apart for the pharaonic kingdom of the native dynasty, the Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines all left their indelible mark on Egyptian soils. From its ancient civilisation to modern significant breakthroughs such as the Suez Canal (1869), Aswan High Dam (1971) and the resultant Lake Nasser, Egypt has been a constant newsmaker.

Our first city in Egypt was home to the Pyramids of Giza. Though a very crowded city, Cairo set us in the right mood for Egyptian history. The iconic Pyramids are synonymous with Egypt and one is fortunate to view them at least once in one's lifetime. Giza is located only a few kilometres south of Cairo...

Cruising down the blue Nile, The Deccan Herald, India, May 20, 2007.

Belgian archaeologists have discovered the intact tomb of an Egyptian courtier who lived about 4,000 years ago, Egypt's culture ministry said on Sunday.

The team from Leuven Catholic University accidentally found the tomb, one of the best preserved of its time, while excavating a later burial site at the Deir al-Barsha necropolis near the Nile Valley town of Minya, south of Cairo.

The tomb belonged to Henu, an estate manager and high-ranking official during the first intermediate period, which lasted from 2181 to 2050 BC and was a time of political chaos in ancient Egypt.

The archaeologists found Henu's mummy wrapped in linen in a large wooden coffin and a sarcophagus decorated with hieroglyphic texts addressed to the gods Anubis and Osiris...

Belgians find tomb of ancient Egypt courtier, Reuters, UK, May 20, 2007.