Escape the hooting and tooting of Cairo and make your way to Egypt’s southernmost city for a little respite – just not from the heat. Aswan is laidback and languorous but with the thermometer regularly tipping 40, it’s just as well! So, why make the journey to this tranquil town? First of all, it’s beautiful. Golden Saharan sands sweep down to the Nile where traditional Nubian villages stand squat, painted in beautiful colours and shaded by swaying palms. On the water, hundreds of feluccas bob past on their daily parade; hop on one and sail around the palm-studded islands, watching local life unfold, or make stops at the Tombs of the Nobles and Kitchener’s Island for the beautiful Botanical Gardens. Then, 90 miles south is the jewel in Aswan’s crown and the calling card for many a visitor: Abu Simel, a complex of impressive, rock-hewn temples, and the phenomenal Philae Temple, or the Pearl of the Nile as it’s known. Organise a day trip or fly down if you’d like to linger longer.