Aswan, the Jewel of the Nile.

On the right bank of the Nile, 550 miles south of Cairo, Aswan is a delightful place for a holiday.

White sails and luminous skies, ancient temples, river islands and the vast Nasser Lake on the doorstep, this pretty oasis is full of cultural and natural attractions. Here the Nubian desert meets the green ribbon of farmland which follows the river towards a far away delta.

Just south of Aswan, the High Dam marks the dividing line. Fronted by a symbolic lotus sculpture, it’s over two miles long and 130 feet high, completed in 1972 to create one of the world’s largest man-made lakes, stretching across the Sudanese border. Arable land increased considerably, floods came under control, electricity boomed and around Aswan and beyond, 14 ancient Egyptian temples were dismantled and rebuilt piece by piece on higher ground. Among them is the lovely island temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis, all carved columns and pavilions and stunning views of the Nile framed by mimosa blossom.

But the most fabulous of them all is Abu Simbel, a long but popular day trip from Aswan. The first tourist convoy sets off at dawn as dunes turn pink and gold and the first mirages glisten at the foot of the hills. Buried in the sand for centuries, the rock temples honoured the great Pharaoh Ramses II and his favourite Queen, Nefertari, alongside Egyptian Gods. They were rediscovered with much excitement in the 19th century but could have vanished forever in the new reservoir. The rescue meant cutting the colossal statues and monuments into 1036 blocks, each one weighing 30 tons or so, cutting the surrounding rock and reassembling it all in two especially created hills, high above the original site. Once again, on the ancient Egyptian solstice, the sunrays light up the gods seated in the temple, just as Ramses II had wished in his dreams.

Back in Aswan, many visitors head north on the two day cruise to Luxor while others relax in hotel gardens filled with bird song. In the cool evenings, they venture in the bazaar where T-shirts and shawls mingle with saffron, coriander, fresh dates, carob and unleavened bread. There are donkey carts laden with mint and oranges, winding lanes and a neat thoroughfare festooned with small shops and wooden verandas. Elegant carriages wait at the city gate and red hibiscus shed their blossom along the riverfront.

It’s worth looking out for the museum, with its mummy of a sacred ram, the unfinished obelisk lying abandoned on the hillside and the steps of the Nilometre dipping into the Nile, once used to measure the water for irrigation and tax purposes. You can ride a camel or trek in sand-coloured hills but nothing beats sailing on the Nile in a traditional felucca, powered only by the breeze. There are islands to explore, Elephantine with its palm groves and Nubian villages, Kitchener with its cool Botanical Gardens, Siheyl where the First Cataract of the Nile leaps around the rocks.

In ancient times, boats had to unload to negotiate the rapids but today feluccas shelter in the creeks to watch the sunset. Great flocks of cormorants and ducks come to roost after feeding on the lake, fishermen cast their nets and as the rocks glow coppery gold, the evening breeze rustles through the reeds. The dusk chorus begins, gently at first but soon filling the air with exotic calls. The sun sets behind the trees and near the dam, the crocodiles lie in wait as they have done since ancient times.

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