Egypt in a week: pyramids, desert, and diving in the Red Sea.

According to The Sun: From pyramids to snorkeling in the Red Sea, Egypt is a true adventure for food editor Kirsty Spence and her teenage daughter.

Squinting in the bright sun, I can't believe my eyes as I see a shiny oasis before me - not what you expect in the Sahara.

The Great Sphinx and the pyramids in the Giza desertShutterstock Five-star Kempinski Soma Bay hotelSupplied by Hotelier

Our driver Ahmed announces that this place is famous for its illusions!

This is just one of the many wonders that Egypt offers my 12-year-old daughter Ava and me during our incredible journey.

We stop on the eastern coast of Egypt in Soma Bay but also venture inland in jeeps, where we experience thrilling rides over dunes and sand, skillfully executed by Ahmed.

A planned stop at a Bedouin village allows us to watch locals bake bread and weave beautiful carpets.

We can also ride camels.

The tour includes a delicious traditional meal of chicken and vegetables, as well as performances with belly dancing, fire spinning, and traditional tanoura dance - a Sufi folk dance in extravagant skirts, which required effort even in 40°C heat.

A 3.5-hour desert safari costs from £52 (@Alex.safari.somabay).

Red Sea

At our five-star base, the Kempinski Soma Bay hotel, a 50-minute drive from Hurghada airport, the staff welcomes guests like family.

The view of the Red Sea and desert mountains from the marble foyer is stunning, and Ava can't wait to dive into the pool with the lazy river and inflatable play toys.

Our room is spacious, with a balcony overlooking luxurious gardens, and at the weekly Chill & Grill, we are invited to the beach to enjoy juicy lobster, grilled meats, and pineapple shawarma under the starry sky.

Add a glass of Egyptian wine for £7.65, and that's all I need to feel like a queen!

The hotel has three restaurants, including Bamboo Shoot for sushi, and every Wednesday right on the 400-meter beach, they offer snacks on beans accompanied by singing performers.

Breakfast at The View restaurant is a luxury, with fresh jams, pastries, an egg station, and even Egyptian porridge made from wheat grains, sweet milk and spices.

This is the perfect fuel for morning aerial yoga with Mary at the hotel, £10 per hour – just what I need to relax my muscles.

Water World

The Soma Bay Nature Reserve has become a global hub for water sports, including kitesurfing, windsurfing, and diving, so we board a boat with local guide Ibrahim to understand why this place has become so popular.

Before long, we are snorkeling over crystal-clear corals that are full of colorful fish.

Soma Bay Nature Reserve has become a world center for divingHappy Turtle Somabay / Instagram

A simultaneous boat ride with a snorkeling kit costs from £60 (@Happy_turtle_somabay).

Later, we watch as other boats come and go from the Sobar terrace in the marina, where we enjoy an octopus and shrimp salad with noodles and lemon sauce for £10, washed down with delicious Sobar drinks – a mix of grapefruit, orange, mint, and ginger for £2 (@sobarsomabay.com).

Pyramid Adventure

One morning, at half past midnight, I try to wake Ava so we can take a minibus to Cairo.

Although the ancient monuments of Luxor are just a two-hour drive from the bay, we choose the longer trip to the Giza Pyramids with Hurghadian Tours.

Watch as boats come and go from the Sobar terrace in the marinaSo Bar Soma Bay / Instagram Double rooms are spacious, with balconies overlooking green gardensSupplied by hotelier

Blurry-eyed at every gas station stop, I reminisce about my travels in my 20s, and finally, after seven hours, we arrive in the capital, where our guide Laila warmly welcomes us.

After iced coffee, we are ready to see the treasures of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which showcases the world's largest collection of Egyptian artifacts.

Ava's ears perk up as we learn how Cleopatra achieved her famous eyeliner look, and the sarcophagi and mummies did not disappoint (egyptianmuseumcairo.eg).

We also learn how paper is made from the papyrus plant, and Ava chooses a print that has her name added in hieroglyphs for £20.

After a short stroll on the Nile, in which neither of us believes is happening, we see the first unforgettable glimpse of the pyramids from our minibus.

Tickets to the Giza Pyramids include buses which make stops between the main structures – Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu, each built for a pharaoh.

We even managed to climb on one of them to feel the real size of the bricks and learned that it took up to 40,000 workers and 37 years to build the largest one in 2500 BC.

We end with a photo session with the Sphinx! Day tours to Cairo start from £85, including lunch, museum, and entrance to sites (Hurghadiantours.com).

Desert Spa

Luckily, just a five-minute drive on a buggy from the hotel is one of Egypt's best spas – The Cascades Spa & Thalasso, the perfect place to recover after a long journey to one of the seven wonders of the world.

Here, the 750-meter hydrotherapy pool with seawater promises to pamper every part of your body in the best possible way.

The sarcophagi and mummies did not disappoint in the Cairo Museum

And it really is so, as we move through a series of zones, each with jets and currents to tone and treat specific parts of the body.

A 60-minute hydrotherapy treatment costs £30 (Thecascadesspa.com).

At sunset, we relax under straw umbrellas, enjoying burrata salad and pizza, each £4.50, and frozen piña coladas, £6 (non-alcoholic for Ava, of course), at the super stylish Wyte Beach Club in Soma Bay (@Wytesomabeachclub).

We admire the same wonderful view of the Red Sea and desert mountains that we were captivated by when we arrived, and toast to our Egyptian adventure.

Ava's geography teacher, Mr. Jones, will certainly hear all the amazing details of our trip...