Middle East & Africa Travelers Recommend

Once you’ve experienced the glitz and extravagance of Dubai, plan to spend at least a day in the Dubai Desert taking in this beautiful natural landscape. As a nation made up of mostly desert, the United Arab Emirates have become a top destination for desert adventures, many available just outside of Dubai. By far the most popular desert experience near Dubai is sandboarding. On a Dubai 4x4 Sandboarding Safari, you’ll get to experience the rolling dunes of the Dubai Desert two ways. First, you’ll enjoy the scenery from a 4x4 vehicle as it takes you from the city into the desert. Next, you’ll strap on a board and experience the exhilaration of gliding down the dunes. Sandboarding is actually easier to master than snowboarding, so it’s a great family friendly activity for any age.

No trip to Egypt is complete without a visit to the pyramids. The iconic image of the towering Sphinx is one of the most recognizable in the world, and these tours from the capital city will ensure that travelers see these desert wonders up close before heading home. Group travel can be a blast, but sometimes visitors want to explore on their own. A private tour from Cairo lets travelers decide where to spend their time and leaves plenty of room for individualized attention. A professional Egyptologist provides hotel pick up and drop off, and guides tourists through a variety of the most famous landmarks in Egypt, including the famous Giza Pyramids, the iconic Sphinx, Egypt’s ancient capital, the oldest pyramid and the best example of the transition from “step” pyramid to “true” pyramid.

When many people dream of the Arabian Desert, they dream of exotic belly dancers, camel riding and, more recently, tearing through the dunes in a 4x4. The 1001 Arabian Stars Private Safari is a great option. Starting in the early afternoon, you are taken through the dunes in a 4x4 to a camel farm. After riding the camels, you will watch the sun set across the sand. As night falls, the camp becomes alive with belly dancing, delicious barbeques and sheesha smoking. This is a great way to experience how life was for the Arab settlers in the Dubai desert. The next morning, you will be returned to your hotel. If you’re tight for time or don’t fancy sleeping in the desert, then there are several one day tours available too, in which you drive towards the Hatta village, which has existed since the 16th century. The Hatta village lies on dry river beds, which wind up the mountain towards a glorious oasis, where you can cool off in the turquoise rock pools.

Dubai has transformed in the last 100 years from a port town to the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, and a center for great shopping, glitz and glamor and high romance. With tall skyscrapers filling the skyline, this is where Tiger Woods famously teed up from the helipad of the tallest hotel in the world – the Burj Al Arab Sailboat Hotel. Make your way over to the Dubai Museum to take in four millennium’s-worth of discoveries. After learning about how Dubai transformed from a small fishing town to the business hub it is today, take an abra across to Deira. This water taxi is a well-used form of transport and will give you a great opportunity to take in the sights of the city as you cruise across the creek. Make the most of the many souqs (markets) in Deira to haggle for anything from a belly dancing uniform to a block of gold! This fantastic tour will give a real taste of what the United Arab Emirates is like outside of Dubai.

Start your scenic exploration of Dubai on the water. Before you begin, take a moment to imagine the city as the somewhat sleepy fishing port it was 40-odd years ago. Now get out on Dubai Creek, the city’s major waterway, on a customized version of a dhow, a traditional Arab boat, and marvel at the soaring, constantly-changing skyline. Return at night for a dinner cruise to see Dubai’s concrete colossi blazing with light. It was the distinctive shape of dhow sails which inspired one of Dubai’s defining landmarks: Burj al Arab, standing proudly offshore, bills itself as the most luxurious hotel in the world. Whether you fall for the extravagant swirls, royal blues and acres of gold leaf of its interior is a matter of taste, but few could remain unmoved by the incredible views from its summit. The restaurant Al Muntaha (“the highest”) is on the 27th floor, and is one of the best places to get a view of Dubai’s skyline and those extraordinary man-made features.

Upon arrival, you’ll find Luxor divided into three areas: Luxor, Karnak, and Thebes.To see all three easily, consider an adventure in an exotic locale and take a hot air balloon flight over your arid new surroundings. A private tour of the East Bank will give you an insider view of some of the most impressive temples in upper Egypt with your own Egyptologist guide. Round off your exploration of the varying avenues and temples of Luxor with a comprehensive West Bank Tour. A step back in time to the days of pharaohs and slaves, and the grizzly stories of bandits and tomb raiders of Tutankhamen should set your hairs on end. So much arid beauty surrounds this Saharan gem of a city, that you should not miss this iconic landscape. Consider a luxury cruise with private guides on perhaps the most famous rivers in all the world, the Nile, in either 8 or 5 day excursions. Truly an unforgettable experience worth writing many a postcard about.

The living home of the world’s three major religions, Jerusalem is also a vibrant city for outdoor sightseeing. The Old City is north of the City of David, and it’s here that you’ll get a shiver down the backbone as you walk through history. Old City highlights include the David Street souk for bargaining, the open-air market surrounding Damascus Gate in the Muslim Quarter. With so much history and so many faiths, Jerusalem has more than five dozen museums and hundreds of historic sites to explore. Admire swirls of calligraphy at the institute for Islamic Art, the archaeological discoveries of the British Mandate at the Rockefeller Museum, and imagine how life was lived in the days of Jesus at the Wohl Archaeological Museum. Many visitors to Israel make the pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit the birthplace of Jesus, only 10km (6 miles) south of Jerusalem. The Church of the Nativity is the focus, built on Manger Square over the grotto where Jesus was born.

With its show-stopping architecture, glamorous shopping malls and palm-fringed beaches, Abu Dhabi is deserving of its reputation as the rising star of the Middle East. At less than two hours drive from Dubai, Abu Dhabi also makes a good choice for a day trip. The most thrilling way to cross the border is with a 45-minute seaplane flight, affording unbeatable views of Palm Jumeirah, World Island and the F1 Grand Prix Circuit. For a thorough overview of Abu Dhabi, opt for a city tour that covers all the main sights and marvel over the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, drive the scenic Corniche coastal road and get a feel for life in a Bedouin encampment at the Abu Dhabi Heritage Village. Alternatively, discover modern Abu Dhabi on an architecture tour of Masdar City, Yas Island and Saadiyat Island; visit the Falcon hospital or get your adrenaline pumping at the Ferrari World. Finally, for a VIP experience, why not combine an Abu Dhabi City Tour with lunch at the opulent Emirates Palace Hotel?

Aswan has been a trading city for millennia, so a visit to the excellent souk is a fitting start. Then head for the Nubia Museum, a compelling site which records Nubian art and culture which would otherwise have been lost under Lake Nasser when the High Dam was constructed. The modern structure is intended to evoke a Nubian village, set in a handsome landscaped garden. Afterward take a walk in nearby Fatimid Cemetery where domed tombs form an eerie, atmospheric village. Finally, see the crack in the enormous Unfinished Obelisk. Cross to Elephantine Island, a fascinating ancient site which once formed the boundary between Egypt and Nubia, to see the villages of Siou and Koti. On the island’s southern tip, visit the ruins of Abu, among Egypt’s oldest antiquities. Then see how the life-giving waters of the Nile have worked their magic in Aswan’s Botanic Gardens, a lovingly landscaped oasis whose towering palms attract a wealth of birdlife.

Most journeys to Egypt begin and end in chaotic Cairo, but a mere three-hour drive from the capital will bring you to Egypt’s Second City — Alexandria, the seaside metropolis that could not feel more different from the nation’s capital. Though it was once the country’s premier destination for foreign visitors, Alexandria’s once-legendary sophistication has diminished over the years. Nonetheless, today the city has a youthful vibe that derives, in part, from its position as the country’s window onto the Mediterranean. Alexandria is a great place to experience the Egypt of the 21st century, but it also has plenty of historical monuments and palaces. The following sites can be easily combined for a great Alexandria daytrip from Cairo.