Casablanca Art Deco | New Red Sea resort | Morocco for groups | Tunis shisha cafés | Hip new Marrakesh hotel

ALEXANDRIA

Best bolt hole

The historical sites and cobbled streets of Alexandria have been the favourites of avid Egyptologists and Lawrence Durrell fans for years, but Egypt's second city is now on the luxury hotel junkie's radar thanks to the opening of the Four Seasons on the seafront in the San Stefano district.

The best trips in North Africa

Film, history or luxury in North Africa? Nine great ideas across Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt

• Egypt's very own private aquarium

BACKGROUND

• One big party in Morocco

• A coffee and a smoke in Tunis

• Egypt's very own private aquarium

• Marrakesh's hippest new hotel

• A five-star Nile cruise

Bargain hunting in Casablanca

The junk shops of Casablanca are full of antiques from its Art Deco glory days, says writer Tahir Shah

• One big party in Morocco

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• Egypt's very own private aquarium

All the Four Seasons' hallmarks are in place - great service, beautiful rooms, huge marble bathrooms and a choice of smart restaurants, as well as a circular infinity pool and gorgeous spa.

It's the best bolt hole in town, but perhaps better as a base for its tailor-made sightseeing tours than a place to chill: the Corniche, separating the hotel from the Mediterranean, is a multi-lane highway. Double rooms start at £149.

Details: 00800 6488 6488, www.fourseasons.com/alexandria

TUNISIA

Star Wars trek

Families can indulge the Star Wars nut in their midst on The Adventure Company's nine-day Tunisia holiday, which includes a trip to Luke Skywalker's home. The Tunisian Voyager tour starts off exploring the fortified medina of Sousee and the Roman amphitheatre at El Djem - walking in the footsteps of the gladiators through tunnels under the arena - before going into the mountains to look for palm-filled oases.

There's the chance to head into the Sahara in a camel caravan to sleep under the stars in a Beduin-style camp, plus a stay in a troglodyte hotel that was used, as any small boy will tell you, as Luke's home on Tatooine. Feel the force from £799 per adult and £719 per child, including flights, all transport and some meals.

Details: 0845 4505311, www.adventurecompany.co.uk

MARRAKESH

Riad luxury

Toiletries imported from Paris, bottled water from Norway, and coat hangers from Marseilles - the vital ingredients of the latest luxury Marrakesh riad, which is due to open next week. Maison MK has six suites with curvy walls and is right in the middle of the medina, a two-minute stroll from the fire eaters and snake charmers in the main square.

By day, the roof terrace with its stirring views of the Atlas mountains should be a great place to sunbathe. At night it will turn into a bar and restaurant where guests can dine under swathes of orange parachute silk and snuggle around a big copper fire pit. Original Travel's Big Short Break to Morocco starts at £485pp staying three nights at Maison MK and includes breakfast, flights and transfers.

Details: 020-7978 7333, www.originaltravel.co.uk; www.maisonmk.com

LIBYA

Prehistoric art

Racing over deep dunes in four-wheeled drives and seeing some of the world's best rock art are part of Andante Travel's new Prehistoric Libya tour, but comfort isn't - you'll need to bring your own sleeping bag. The trip goes off-road through the desert of southwest Libya to explore the rock art of the Garamantes and glimpse life in the region before the desert formed (at about the same time as the first stones were being moved into position at Stonehenge).

The rock art in what is now arid sand and rockscape shows the big game that still roam farther south, such as elephant and giraffe, as well as scenes of milking cows, herding sheep, hunting with dogs - hard to imagine in today's inhospitable environment. Led by guide lecturer David Mattingly, the eight-day tour in November includes three nights camping under the stars and costs £1,850pp.

Details: 01722 713800, www.andantetravels.co.uk

EGYPT

Nile cruises

Abercrombie & Kent's Sun Boat IV has private docks in Luxor and Aswan, a plunge pool and two sun-decks on board, plus private feluccas and sightseeing to help to avoid the crowds. The new routing on its four-night cruise includes Dendarah, home to the Ptolemic Temple of the Goddess Hathor.

The eight-night Signature Egypt itinerary includes a four-night cruise and starts at £1,699pp, including flights, most meals and entrance to one of the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Details: 0845 6182213, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk

RED SEA

Pristine diving

If you've explored every inch of Hurghada's Red Sea dive sites and want the ultimate “get away from it all” diving, head for Hamata, the region opposite the Fury Shoal Reef system. It is 112 miles (180km) south of Marsa Alam and until recently, the pristine sites of this area were the sole preserve of liveaboard boats.

There are few resorts this far south, but two of the best, Zabargad Dive Resort and Lahami Bay, are offered by Regaldive Worldwide. A week's half board at Zabargad starts at £599pp, including flights and transfers. Five days' boat diving and five house reef dives (entering from a jetty) cost £215.

Details: 01353 659999, www.regaldive.co.uk

MOROCCO

Coastal retreat

If weight loss and improved fitness are at the top of your to-do list, but you would rather achieve them on a strand of deserted beach than in a sweaty gym, try one of in:spa's retreats at Ksar Massa. The 17-room hotel is in the middle of the Souss-Massa National Park on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, a 45-minute drive from Agadir.

Retreat dates for this year are March 21-28, May 7-14 and September 10-17. An additional “intense” week will take place from November 14-21. The seven-night retreats start at £1,895pp full board, including activities, a nutrition consultation, a personal training session, yoga classes and three deep-tissue massages.

Details: 0845 4580723, www.inspa.co.uk

ATLAS MOUNTAINS

Fresh angle

See Marrakesh from a different perspective on Point 101's eight-night photography holiday offering expert tuition for snappers of every level. As well as shooting in the medieval medina, there will be excursions to the Yves Saint-Laurent gardens, the Koutoubia mosque and minaret, and El Badi Palace, as well as two days in the Atlas mountains.

Trips run in May and November, and places cost £1,200pp, which includes all tuition, excursions, local guides and most meals and drinks, but not flights. Groups will consist of about 12 people and there are no single supplements.

Details: 020-7241 1113, www.point101.com/holidays

GULF OF AQABA

Bargain bling

Five-star bling at a bargain price is the draw at Le Méridien Dahab, a new hotel at the base of Sinai's mountains on a long private beach on the Gulf of Aqaba in Egypt. So far 110 rooms are open - some with gardens and outdoor showers - and another 70 are expected to be ready by Easter, with a spa to follow later this year.

Attractions such as St Catherine's monastery, the Sinai Oasis and Mount Moses, Ras Mohammed National Park are a few miles away. It's an hour's drive from Sharm el-Sheikh airport. Double rooms start at £55.

Details: 0800 0282840, www.lemeridien.com/dahab