A babble of enthusiastic taxi drivers pounce on you at the border checkpoint of Taba after you cross from Israel to Egypt. They convince you that the bus station, the only way to get anywhere beyond the border besides a hefty trek through the desert on foot, is miles away. The cabbies point urgently to a hill, and ardently chant 'past mountain' while hustling you towards their taxi.

After charging the equivalent of £3. They switch their cab on, start the engine to get the car moving, and then switch it off when it is in motion. You roll down a slight hill for 200 metres, turn the corner of the 'mountain' and there is the bus station.

Walk it. It's much cheaper and you feel won't feel like a mug.

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