Algeria’s capital, Algiers, is a major port city on the Mediterranean coast. It features many buildings and monuments of interest, including the Casbah (citadel), the Great Mosque of Algiers, the Monument of the Martyrs and Notre Dame d’Afrique (a Roman Catholic cathedral). Rue Didouche Mourade has numerous chic shops and smart restaurants along it.

West of Algiers are the tourist resorts of Sidi Fredj and Douaouda. These resorts have the usual tourist hotels, souvenir shops and supervised beaches. There are several desert oasis towns which offer attractions and a break from the heat; Timimoun is on a plateau with views of a salt lake and dunes. El Golea is another oasis town in Central Algeria and is a gateway to the Sahara. The ruins of El Golea Fort are well-preserved.

El-Oued is a fertile oasis town. It is known as the Town of a Thousand Domes due to the style of its house roofs. El-Oued is noted for its carpets and its souk (market). Tlemcen is in northwest Algeria in the foothills of the Tlemcen Mountains. The town’s attractions include the Grand Mosque, Almohad Ramparts, Mansourah Fortress and cooling breezes.

Accommodation options in Algeria range from pensions to five-star hotels. Walk in hotel rates, per night, in Algiers are expensive, making booking in advance essential. Budget choices are cheaper. Houari Boumedienne Airport, just outside Algiers, is Algeria’s principal airport. Most of the bigger towns also have airports. There is a railway line running parallel to the coast. Paved roads run to most major destinations in Algeria.

Egypt’s capital, Cairo, is a hectic city with a rich cultural history and a wealth of tourist attractions. The Giza Pyramids and the less well-known Saqqara Pyramids symbolise Egypt. The Sphinx, an ancient sandstone monument with the head of a woman and the body of a lion, is adjacent to the Giza Pyramids.

Other Cairo attractions are the Egyptian Museum, which houses a massive collection of Egyptian antiquities including Tutankhamen’s Mask; Khan el-Khalili, an ancient souk (market); and Al-Azhar Park. Luxor is 700kms south of Cairo and houses the Luxor Temple. Near Luxor, in the Theban Necropolis, is the Valley of the Kings, which contains some of the world’s finest tombs.

A relaxing method of covering the 250kms from Cairo to Luxor is to sail down the River Nile on a felucca, a traditional wooden sailboat. Things to see in Aswan are Kalabsha Temple and the Aswan High Dam. 300kms south of Aswan, on the banks of Lake Nasser, is Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel, one of Egypt’s best known tourist sites, comprises two enormous rock temples.

Egypt has beaches along the Mediterranean coast, notably around Alexandria. Sharm el-Sheikh, Taba, Nuweiba and Dahab are all seaside resorts on the Sinai’s Red Sea coast.

Accommodation in Egypt ranges from budget guest houses to luxury five-star hotels. The principal entry point for foreign tourists to Egypt is Cairo International Airport. Trains travel between Alexandria, Cairo and Aswan. Egypt has a good paved road network that even reaches some of the desert oasis towns such as Farafra.

Libya’s capital city, Tripoli, is in the west of the country on the Mediterranean coast. Assaraya al-Hamra (the Red Castle) is a prominent feature of Tripoli’s skyline. The castle features classic Ottoman statues and fountains. Other attractions in Tripoli are the ornate Gurgi and Karamanli mosques. Near Gurgi Mosque is the Arch of Marcus Aurelius.

Other destinations in Libya include Leptis Magna, a spectacular old Roman city with exquisite architecture, and Cyrene, the well-preserved ruins of an ancient Greek city featuring an Agora, the Temple of Zeus and the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore. Ghadhames is 650kms from Tripoli and is an oasis town with fascinating desert architecture. Highlights of Ghadhames are the D’jmaa al-Kabir Mosque and Mulberry Square.

Libya has some spectacular beaches on its 2,000-kilometre long Mediterranean coastline. Close to Leptis Magna is the seaside town of Al Khoms, which has a popular beach. Tripoli’s beaches are on the west side of the city, and offer water sports, changing facilities and cafés.

Libya’s cuisine is good but primarily Arabic, so if you like schwarma and hummus, Libya is the place to visit. Western food is available, at a price. Libya’s accommodation options range from basic guest houses to Tripoli’s most luxurious hotel, the Corinthia Bab Africa. A night in a standard room at a top hotel in Libya is likely to cost you what it would in a major European city.

Libya’s principal entry point is Tripoli International Airport, which has direct flights from Europe, other African nations and also Middle Eastern countries. The airport has a separate terminal for domestic flights. Libya has had no railway network since 1965, when it was dismantled. Roads in the country are quite good quality, but busy, especially in Tripoli.

Morocco’s cities are top of every traveller’s agenda. Marrakech is a colourful atmospheric city full of eastern aromas and festive energy. Once the capital, Marrakech boasts some remarkable architecture and picturesque town squares. The city’s main square is Jemäa El Fna, plays host to a band of street performers, who entertain the crowds with their wild antics and comical displays.

Casablanca is a crudely industrial city, although it has a few noteworthy sights including the Royal Palace, the old medina and Koutobia Mosque. On the opposite end of the scale, the ancient city of Fes is picture perfect. Fss been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for being one of the oldest medieval cities in the world.

Tangier is a popular spot on the striking coast of Morocco, and provides a relaxing escape from the city. The tumbling hills roll down to beautiful beaches and the area offers stunning coastal vistas. The Moorish town of Essaouira also enjoys a coastal setting and its French, Portuguese and Berber architecture reveals a multi-cultural past.

Whatever your budget or requirements, you can find comfortable accommodation in Morocco. The cities offer a slightly wider range of styles and budget but the coastal areas also have a good selection and at a reasonable rate. Most visitors arrive at Menara International Airport, which is located four miles outside Marrakech and has regular flights to and from the UK.

Khartoum is one of the most modern cities in Africa, with a well defined road network, rows of high-rises and a good range of amenities. The city at first appears dusty, polluted and uninteresting, but visitors who look beyond the haze will find an interesting culture, warm community and even some attractive spots. Khartoum often wins visitors over with its safeness.

Divers can enjoy the depths of the Red Sea on a diving trip from Port Sudan. Aside from the diving, Port Sudan has little attractions apart from a handful of colonial buildings. Omdurman is located on the other side of the White Nile, and has a few notable sites including Sudan’s largest Souq, a camel market, the tomb of Madhi and Beit al-Khalifa.

Karima is a northern market town, and the jumping off point for a number of ancient sites nearby. Just outside the city, the 100m Jebel Barkal is a sacred mountain which provides a fantastic vista over the Nile. At the foot of the mountain, ancient Egyptian ruins provide a fascinating Cushite site. The Jebel Marra Mountains, in the west of Sudan is a stunning scene of hills, rivers and orchards, and a great place for a walking tour.

Khartoum is the best place to find quality accommodation, and even boasts a Hilton. Standards are low however, and drop even lower outside of the main cities. Khartoum Airport is easily accessed from Africa and the rest of the world. Connections to Europe and America are provided by British Airways, while Sudan Airways serves the rest of Africa and the Middle East.

There are numerous Roman sites including an amphitheatre and an ancient sacrificial site, the Sanctuary of Tophet. The National Museum is located nearby and provides detailed historical information on the sites in its vicinity. One of Tunisia’s most popular attractions is the ruins of Carthage however, little remains of the structure and most of the other Roman sites are in much better condition.

Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, is easily accessed and its most popular haunts include the old Medina area and the French quarters, Ville Nouvelle. The Zitouna Mosque, built from the Roman Carthage ruins, is in the Medina area, while the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul is situated in the Ville Nouvelle. The cathedral is a unique blend of Gothic, Byzantine and North African styles.

Off the beaten path, the Roman ruins of Dougga and the Coliseum are some of the country’s best preserved. Tozeur is home to the excellent Dar Charait Museum, which exhibits a fascinating array of relics from Sardinia’s past. The Bardo Museum, close to the cathedral showcases an extensive range of items from Cathaginian, Roman, early Christian and Islamic times.

Visitors to Tunisia have a wide range of accommodation to choose from. From beach resorts to more centrally located hotels, there is something to suit every budget. Four airports provide easy access to all destinations, with the main gateway being Tunis-Carthage International Airport, and the country’s flagship airline – Tunis Air – serves Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

The local inhabitants of the Western Sahara are known as Sahrawis and speak an Arabic dialect. Fishing and herding is the mainstay of their economy. Not many travellers choose the Western Sahara as their destination, although some cross it during an overland trip to Africa.

The climate is hot and dry, with little rain although flash floods can occur. An area of the country is highly dangerous due to hundreds of landmines, and should be avoided at all costs.

Dakhla is located on a beauty bay along the Atlantic Coast, and is known for its 50km deep lagoon. Activities available include windsurfing, camel riding and kite surfing. It’s also a great place to bird watch. The isolation and remoteness of the town contributes to its strange beauty. The area is also occupied by Moroccan military, so travellers are often approached and questioned.

Morocco is the main entry point, where passports are checked but not stamped. One international flight from Spain lands at El Auin Airport. There is little infrastructure in the Western Sahara, and tourists are lucky to come across random motels. Independent travel is restricted and travellers are sometimes denied access to regions affected by political turmoil.