Elephantine Island

Experiencing Aswan would not be complete without a visit to this magical island, surrounded by the waters of the Nile, with the bustling city lights on one side and the desert on the other. The large Mövenpick Resort dominates the northern part of it (it’s well worth staying there), but the magic of the island lies in the Nubian Village, where brightly coloured painted houses line the narrow paths. It leads to the Nubian Museum amid the ancient site of Abu and, along the way, you might be asked to step inside the local school to see children learning French (you’ll be asked to donate on the way out), or to take tea in a Nubian House. Make sure you take a felucca around the island at sunset to really get swept away.