Destination romance: Aswan

Of all the places I've ever been, the most romantic was Aswan. Perhaps because I was only 19 and in the first throes of a relationship with a new boyfriend (whom I ended up marrying), or perhaps because it was simply a wonderful, romantic place, I look back on it as a halcyon moment. We found a little hotel with local charm, peeling paint and a balcony overlooking the Nile. We dressed in our finest backpacker clothes and walked to the Pullman Cataract Hotel, at the other end of the scale in price to our own. As the sun set over the Nile we ordered a lemon juice to share, smoked local cigarettes and reflected, in our teenage bliss, on the fact that life was truly great. Egyptair flies from Heathrow to Aswan for around £450. For accommodation go to www.aswanguide.com