Cairo

The first thing I’m going to do on this beautiful morning, my first in a new country? Check out. And then head to the airport.

Cairo airport handles 26 million passengers a year. Allow time (and patience) for its lengthy security – better still, bring cash.

From lamp-lit rooms with views once enjoyed by Alexander the Great to a Churchill favourite, these hotels have atmosphere in spades.

The pre-tour notes advised me to skip lunch (and probably breakfast), and to wear good walking shoes.

Cairo, the chaotic but captivating Egyptian capital, is preparing for its overdue return to the bosom of the world traveller.

Once a shabby affair, Cairo's newer Terminals 2 and 3 fall in with international expectations.

They might be 4500 years old, but there's change afoot around the Pyramids of Giza.

A note for your own security: always use Uber or its Middle Eastern equivalent, Careem.

It's not the flashiest airline, nor is it the cheapest, but EgyptAir's your best bet for direct flights in and out of Cairo.

When arriving in Cairo airport never, ever park and walk to the terminal.