A three-hour train trip ($6) from Luxor will bring you to Aswan, where you can sail down the Nile on a traditional felucca. A three or four-hour trip down to Seheyl Island will cost about $13 for the whole family.
If you have time before heading back to Cairo, take a day tour ($16) to Abu Simbel to visit the Great Temple of Ramses II, the grandest of all of the Pharohs' monuments. Tours, which can be arranged at most hotels, usually include a stop at the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple.
The best mid-range hotels include the Hotel Longchamps in Cairo and Amon Hotel in Luxor. Both have comfortable rooms with bathrooms, air-conditioning and great breakfasts.
Aswan, like many places in Egypt, is short of good mid-range accommodation, and you can pay quite a bit more for something that differs little from a budget hotel. If you can afford more top-end accommodation, then this is the place to do it. Otherwise you could do a lot worse than the Marhaba Palace Hotel or the Sarah Hotel. Both charge about $65 for a double room.
To arrange a tour from home, contact Intrepid Travel or Peregrine Adventures.
It would be much cheaper to engage a tour company once you get to Cairo. The only way to avoid the many tour scams is to stick with reputable operators, even though they may be a little more expensive.
Recommended agencies include Egypt Panorama Tours, Misr Travel (the official government travel agency; ph 482 6850) and Travco.
Dubai is at the high end of the tourist market. Most hotels are five-star and many cheaper places are most definitely not suitable for families. To find safe and friendly accommodation, stay out of Deira and set your sights on Bur Dubai.
Rydges Plaza is close to the Jumeira beaches and has good facilities. Expect to pay $170 a double. The Jumeira Rotana Hotel, charges $200 a double. Both can accommodate children in your room, in an adjoining room or in a family suite.
We suggest you also refer to Trip Advisor and read the travel advisories at safetravel.govt.nz.
Wonderful Aussie walks
I have just walked the Milford Track and would like to do something similar in Australia. I've heard there is a guided walk at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania.
-C. Jack
The Overland Track from Cradle Valley to Lake St Clair attracts walkers from throughout the world.
It's a six to seven-day walk of moderate difficulty traversing some high and spectacular terrain.
Tasmanian Expeditions and Craclair Tours run guided tours of six to eight days. The $1665 cost includes equipment and protective clothing.
Cradle Mountain Huts is a more luxurious option. The six-day walk costs $2440, but you only need carry a light pack. You stay in comfortable private huts and get great food and wine.
If you walk independently you can arrange overnight accommodation in Waldheim Cabins through the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre.
Cradle Mountain Huts also runs a guided four-day walk at the Bay of Fires on the northeast tip of Tasmania.
This is a lovely wilderness coastline walk along the edge of Mount William National Park and accommodation is in a stunning lodge and a luxurious campsite. The price reflects the luxury at $1940 each.
Also in Tasmania is the two-day Freycinet Peninsula circuit, where you can experience beautiful coastal views with surrounding granite peaks with stops at sandy beaches. There are campgrounds throughout the peninsula.
Then there's the luxurious Freycinet Lodge if you need some pampering afterwards.
In Victoria, many people are attracted to the Great Ocean Walk, but numbers are limited to protect the coastal environment. Also, the Great Ocean Road has long been a tourist highlight of the state.
Companies offering guided walks include Auswalk, Bothfeet, Parktrek, Epicurious.
Lonely Planet's Walking in Australia features 60 of the country's best walks.
