Abu Simbel, Egypt

The new town of ABU SIMBEL looks a desolate place as you roll in past the airport, but once beyond the main square it becomes quite picturesque as it straggles around rocky headlands dotted with beehive-domed houses and crimson oleander bushes. From the junction with its row of cafés, you can follow the main road as it curves around towards the temple, 1km away. This takes you past a telephone office, a pharmacy and three banks (none with ATMs; all closed Fri & Sat), followed by a post office with the tourist police (Tel:097/340-0277) around the corner, before you pass the town council and reach the souvenir arcade that precedes the visitors' centre and ticket office for the temples – about fifteen minutes' walk in all.