Africa's largest city with a population of nearly 18 million, Cairo is a chaotic mixture of sights, sounds and smells. It is heaving with life, volatile, polluted and boisterous, with an intensity that both exhausts and invigorates the visitor. It is also distinctive with its ancient monuments in juxtaposition to the modern and cosmopolitan. The congested streets of Islamic Cairo are full of donkey carts, traders and mosques, while camels weave their way haughtily between the crumbling pyramids on the outskirts. Taxis clamour for attention and pedestrians elbow their way past busy coffee houses, where those seeking a brief escape from the hustle and bustle sit sipping at a strong cup of coffee while contemplating the smoke rings of a 'hubbly bubbly' water pipe - in true Egyptian style.

Visitors can also practice the age-old art of bargaining for trinkets, spices and perfume in one of the world's largest bazaars, or pay a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which houses treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb and is one of the country's main attractions.

Situated on the Nile, Egyptians arrogantly refer to Cairo as the 'Mother of all Cities'; many visitors who have experienced its unruliness would perhaps describe it in less endearing terms. But no matter how it goes down there is no doubt that Cairo is as beguiling as it is messy, and its charm lies in the blend of African, Arab and European influences, the timelessness of the old, and the energy of the present.

Khan al-Khalili

Address: Cairo

Egyptian Museum of Antiquities

Address: Mariette Pasha Street, Tahrir Square Cairo

Admission: Daily 9am to 4:30pm

Telephone: (0)2 578 2448 or (02) 578 2452

Pyramids of Giza

Address: Pyramid Road, 11 miles (18km) southwest of the centre Cairo

Admission: Site: LE 60. Great Pyramid: LE 100. Other pyramids: LE 30-100. Concessions available Daily 7am to 7:30pm; pyramid chambers 8am to 4pm.

Old Cairo

Address: Cairo

Western Desert Oases

Address: Cairo

Coptic Church of St. George (Mari Girgis)

Address: Mari Girgis Street, Old Cairo Cairo

Admission: Free Open daily from 8:30am to 4pm

Telephone: (0)2 285 4509

Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary)

Address: Shar'a Mari Girgis Street, Old Cairo Cairo

Admission: Free Daily 9am-4pm (except during services).

Asfour Crystal Factory

Address: Industrial Zone, end of Ahmed Oraby Bridge, Shoubra El Khema Cairo

Telephone: (0)2 4220 1032; Showroom: (0)2 4220 1670

Saladin Citadel (Al-Qalaa)

Address: al-Qala'a, Shar'a Salih Salem Cairo

Ramses II Statue

Address: Grand Egyptian Museum Cairo

Dr. Ragab's Pharaonic Village

Address: 3 Al-Bahr Al-Azam st Cairo

Admission: $15; free for kids under 4 years. Open daily 9am–6pm. Open until 9pm in summer.

Telephone: (0)2 3572 2533

Magic Galaxy

Address: 4th & 5th floor Helioplis City Stars Centre, Omar abn El khatab street Cairo

Telephone: (0)2 2415 8270

Dream Park

Address: Oasis Road Cairo

Admission: Tickets range LE 60 to LE 120 10am to 7pm in winter, 4pm to midnight in summer. 9pm to 2am during Ramadan, 12pm to midnight Fridays and holidays.

Telephone: (0)2 3855 3191

Desert Riding

Address: Gamal Abdul Nasser St, Giza Cairo

Admission: Costs depend on the itinerary of the ride as chosen by guest

Telephone: 016 507 0288

Memphis and Saqqara

Address: Cairo

Admission: Saqqara Necropolis: LE60 adults, LE30 students Saqqara Necropolis: Daily 8am-5pm

Summer Mouleds

Where: Streets of Cairo and other towns and villages,Cairo

When: July and August 2011

Aida at Giza

Where: Pyramids at Giza,Cairo

When: October 2011 TBC

Pharaohs Rally

Where: ,Cairo

When: 1 - 9 October 2011

Cairo International Film Festival

Where: Various,Cairo

When: November 2011 TBC

Arabesque

Address: 6 Qasr el-Nil Street, Cairo Cairo

Food Type: Local

Abu el-Sid

Address: 157 26th of July Street Cairo

Food Type: Mediterranean

Sequoia

Address: 3 Abou Feda Street Cairo

Food Type: Mediterranean

Cortigiano

Address: 44 Michel Bakhoum Street Cairo

Food Type: Italian

Al-Fanous

Address: Riyadh Tower, 5 Shara Wissa Wassef Cairo

Food Type: Moroccan

Bua Khao

Address: 9 Road 151, Ma'adi Cairo

Food Type: Thai

The Revolving Restaurant Grand Hyatt

Address: Corniche El Nile Cairo

Food Type: International

The Fish Market

Address: 26 Shara al-Nil, Giza (on the American Boat) Cairo

Food Type: Seafood

Kandahar

Address: 3 Shara Gameat al-Dowal al-Arabiya, Mohandiseen Cairo

Food Type: Indian

Rotisserie Belvedere

Address: Nile Hilton, Maydan Tahrir Cairo

Food Type: International

Koshary Abou Tarek

Address: 16 Maarouf, Shamplion Street Cairo

Food Type: Local

Sequoia

Address: 53 Abou El Feda Street, Zamalek Cairo

Food Type: Fusion