While we've been in Luxor we've visited several tombs, including that of Tutankhamen, taken in treasure troves such as Luxor museum, done a boat trip down the Nile and enjoyed an atmospheric sound and light show at the mighty Karnak temple. But this balloon ride is definitely the highlight.

True, it meant a horribly early start, with an alarm call waking us from our slumbers at 4.15am. But our weariness is soon replaced by a sense of magic as we are ferried across the Nile by felucca, accompanied by the evocative sound of calls to pre-dawn Muslim prayers.

It is still pitch-dark when we reach the launch site, near the Ramesseum temple on the west bank. But before we know it about 20 of us are crammed into four compartments of Captain Bob's balloon and, with a few gusts of fiery air, are rising ethereally into the inky Egyptian sky.

After we've climbed a few hundred metres the darkness is already thinning and we begin to notice the patchwork of fields nearby, and the way that the blanket of green extends about two kilometres from the curling river Nile, then stops abruptly. Beyond that, everything is desert...

Fly me to the tomb ..., The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia, July 12, 2007.

A discussion about the mummy of Egyptian queen Hatshepsut with Zahi Hawass, Secretary-General, Supreme Council of Antiquities and Catherine Roehrig, Curator, Department of Egyptian Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art...

I'll have to confess to not having watched all of this yet.

A discussion about the mummy of Egyptian queen Hatshepsut, The Charlie Rose Show, USA, July 09, 2007.

The latest vessel to ply the river is Abercrombie & Kent's refurbished Sun Boat IV, guaranteed to rekindle the romance of adventure inspired by Agatha Christie's murder mystery.

Fitted and furnished in a rich, but contemporary art-deco style, its five decks offer maximum comfort and great panache. Public areas are spacious, some have a warm, clubby feel with dark wood panelling, chrome trim and leather chairs; others are more opulent and elegant — with Italianate chandeliers, plush velvet furniture and atmospheric murals of Nubian scenes.

Cabins are roomy, with floor to ceiling windows, double curtains with reflective glass for privacy, plenty of wardrobe and storage space and compact yet practical closet bathrooms. Fresh fruit and flowers, silk cushions, stocked mini bar, endless bottled water and flat-screen TVs add pampering touches.

Only 80 guests travel in the 36 luxury cabins, two presidential suites and two royal suites with balconies, ensuring maximum service from the crew of 65...

If Cleopatra could see me now, Tricia Welsh, Perth Now, Australia, July 17, 2007.