We begin in fabled Alexandria, a city conjured up by Alexander the Great, indulgently inhabited by Cleopatra, and much later so evocatively limned by Lawrence Durrell in his majestic Alexandria Quartet. We spend a couple of days in this classic Mediterranean port before setting out along the coast, making a sharp southerly turn just before the Libyan border and heading into the Great Sand Sea to the Siwa Oasis, a set-piece complete with limpid pools and lush palms, everything but Legionnaire Gary Cooper straggling in from the desert (one noted straggler was Alexander, who labored mightily to consult the Siwa oracle, way back when). We stay in Egypt’s first ecoresort, a rough-hewn gem built in traditional oasis style with walls made of salt rock and roofs of palm fronds, all lit by torches and candles for a fine, ancient feel.

Day 1: arrive in Alexandria, Egypt • Day 2: Alexandria • Day 3: drive to Siwa • Days 4 & 5: exploring Siwa • Day 6: return to Cairo • Day 7: depart.

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