Beautiful beach: Ageeba beach, 28km west of Mersa Matruh, boasts numerous natural caves and enchanting scenery.

Mersa Matruh, in the northwest of the country, extends for 450km along the Egyptian-Libyan border and is home to about 320,000 people. The climate in the coastal areas of Mersa Matruh is very mild, but, as soon as you enter the desert, it becomes very harsh.Mersa Matruh itself, situated on the Mediterranean coast, is the capital of a governorate becoming increasingly popular as a travel destination. As a result, a number of good,

inexpensive hotels are opening up there.Mersa Matruh has magnificent beaches, with pure, white sand and deep blue water. It's about 450km from Cairo and 230km from Alexandria.One of the most beautiful beaches is Ageeba, 28km west of Mersa Matruh. It boasts numerous natural caves and enchanting scenery. El-Abyad, about 20km west of Mersa Matruh, is equally enchanting, as are the beaches of Buseet and El-Fayrouz.There are also the beautiful beaches on Rommel Island, which is home to Rommel Museum, containing weapons, maps and possessions that belonged to the legendary German Field Marshal of that name and his son.There are also other places for recreation in Matruh, like the Corniche that competes with Alexandria's, while the Matruh governorate's HQ is only a few yards from it.There are cafés, ice-cream parlours and fast-food outlets, in addition to cinemas, a cultural centre, Abidos Entertainment City, the Mubarak Social Club, the National Circus and public parks such as El-Awaam, Radi and El-Ghazalla.Then there is the Siwa Oasis, 18 metres below sea level. Its 18,000 inhabitants speak their own distinctive language. Siwa Oasis has several ancient monuments, such as Amon temple, as well as springs that are promoted for recreational tourism by the Ministry of Tourism.Another very important archaeological site is Ramses II temple, located 23km west of Matruh, south of the Ageeba plateau. Built by Ramses II following his return from Libya, this temple was discovered in 1946. It was used as a fortress for protecting the western borders of Egypt.We move on to El-Alamein, where the Allied forces defeated the Germans and French in a pivotal battle in World War II. Many tourists visit the cemeteries here, where the remains of thousands of soldiers who died in the battle rest in peace.The area of El-Alamein takes its name from the twin-peaked hill known as Tell El-Alamein upon which it stands. All the Allied monuments are centred around El-Alamein War Cemetery erected by the British. El-Alamein Museum, which opened in 1965, was upgraded in 1992 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of El-Alamein. Italy, Britain and Germany were all involved in the upgrading. Inside the museum, there are four halls, each dedicated to one of the four countries involved in the battle: Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Egypt. The Egyptian hall shows how Egypt helped the Allies during the war. It contains statues of Egyptian soldiers who assisted the British troops.Meanwhile, in March 2005, the first charter flight from Britain flew into El-Alamein Aiport. A number of hotels have been constructed there, as well as a comprehensive tourist city at Sidi Abdel Rahman.El-Alamein is nowadays a peaceful place, which people from around the world love to visit and relax amid its pristine environment.Where to stayBel Air Hotel: Omar El- Mokhtar St., Downtown. Tel: +2 (046) 493-1433Beau Site Hotel: El- Shatea St., El-Busseit. Tel: +2 (046) 493-4011El-Obbayed Hotel: Aguiba Rd., Al-Kasr District. Tel: +2 (046) 485-0373El-Salam Hotel: Intersection of Libya St., & El-Gol Gamal St., Downtown. Tel: +2 (046) 493-2321New Royal Palace Hotel: El-Corniche St., Dontown. Tel: +2 (046) 493-4293Riviera Palace: 1 Alexandria St., Downtown. Tel: +2 (046) 493-3045Royal Palce Hotel: El-Corniche St., Dontown. Tel: +2 (046) 493-4293Summer Palace Hotel: Gol Gamal St., Downtown. Tel: +2 (046) 493-2214San Giovanni Cleopatra Hotel: Shatea El-Gharam Rd., Hamamat Cleopatra. Tel: +2 (046) 494-7600.