deadly snakes and diseases for starters
PS never had the runs there and then got them here when I returned.

I stayed in Luxor for a bit. Not as frantic as Cairo and has loads of cool stuff for future egyoptology geeks. Valley of the Kings, Luxor temple, karnak temple, Ramusseum, Temple of Hapshetsut.
Stayed at the Marsam Hotel – here's the restaurant

and I loved he whole experiece. Check the hotel's website – totally Indiana Jones Took a falucca (sp?) trip down the Nile – guy was a great laugh – also, there's a two storey shuttle ferry service crossing the Nile, I got to drive it. How cool is that? Beach? there's the Sahara, how much beach do you need?
still, however much people neg on the pyramids, they're the pyramids, the world's oldest and greatest tourist attraction, a day or two in cairo just to see them should be done (MUST be done IMHO, along with the Citadel (the dome is made from limestone stripped from the pyamids, and the view of the pyramids from there is fantastic) and the Egyptian Museum. And I stayed at the Windsor Hotel, same place as Michael Palin on his first Around the World in Whatever trips. Also recommended

But – bottles drinks only, no ice cream and use electrlytes to stay hydrated

+1 about the heat.

I was on a trip that included heading into Jordan. On the last night but one we all had a party & muggins here drank a bottle of rum…

…Next morning we were off to the local Roman ruins, where some of the enterprising locals sell bottled water out of those portable cooler boxes.
A bottle was half a Dinar, i was so hungover i slipped the kid 10 dinars & told him to follow me round!

He did as well, half expected him to disappear but bless him he looked after me 🙂

IME, Egyptians will try and screw you when you're negotiating the deal, but once the deal's struck, they'll honour it. Got a taxi outside the Egyptian museum, deal was museum to Citadel, back to hotel for E£30 (E£1 was 11p at the time). Guy dropped me off at the Citadel then came back to pick me up at the arranged time, then to hotel. Didn't take money until hotel, so dropped me and picked me up later with no payment. Also refused tip as price had been agreed and that was that. Someone else ripped me by overcharging because I was tired, but again, price is agreed first, so can't complain.