Increasingly, families are looking for more memorable ways to spend their holiday time, with activities that they can share and enjoy together, such as travelling on a felucca down the Nile, getting up close to incredible wildlife on safari or camping out under the desert stars.

BBC: For family travel, bold is better

But despite the enticing swimming pool at the Winter Palace Hotel, the thrilling felucca ride on a windy Nile afternoon with sails billowing, and the bountiful dinners of hummus and salads all the more delightful for being actively encouraged to eat with one's hands, one pressing question remains.

BBC: Travel with children: The night train to Luxor

At sunset, with a warm wind blowing off the desert, we sail Jelal's felucca, the open boat that more than any other evokes the romance of the Nile.

BBC: The perfect trip: Egypt