Egypt The Nile at Aswan

Aswan is a travel photographer’s dream. There is so much to photograph here that it deserves a full week. The market has all you’d expect, from mountains of spices to exotic animals and photogenic people. Many of the islands can be reached by Felucca but you typically need to use the launch service to reach Philae.

Make a point of visiting The Old Cataract Hotel in the late afternoon to sit outside, listening to an Egyptian quartet playing as you drink with friends and watch the sun go down. Restaurant boats along the corniche are also good for people-watching. Not all dishes appeal to European tastes, however.

A week in January - February will give you a welcome winter sun without being too hot.

Watch out for sand when changing lenses, and you will find all sorts of opportunities that tempt you to change.

There is a local airport but, by far, the better route is by taxi from Luxor, stopping at Edfu and Com Ombo along the route. Depending on how much time you spend shooting at the two stopovers, you can do it in half a day. If you're seriously cash-strapped, you can travel in a communal taxi; locals will tell you where they leave from.

Once in Aswan, several islands have some quite affordable tourist hotels. Each has its ferry service and you can easily negotiate a price for a small local boat to take you to various locations.