Middle East
Beyond Dubai: The smallest emirate wants to be your next stopover
Not enough beach? Build one. No islands off the coast? No problem. Just put them there yourself.
- Carrie Hutchinson
New rival for Emirates and Qatar Airways unveils its luxurious cabins
Riyadh Air is set to take off at the end of this year with cabins to rival the best in the sky. Just don’t expect to be served champagne on board.
- Leen Al-Rashdan
Part pizza, part smash burger, this delicious flatbread is controversial
Food is a wonderful thing, tied to history, culture and identity, but that also means it can be a source of controversy. Welcome to the world of lahmajun.
- Ben Groundwater
I did a women-only trip in one of the world’s most notorious countries
It’s one of the world’s most patriarchal societies, but I had a behind-the-scenes look at the secret lives of women here.
- Katrina Lobley
The new bucket list for Asia: 25 must-do places and experiences
From neon-lit cities to some of the oldest civilisations on Earth, from white-sand beaches to the highest mountains, no other continent can rival Asia for diversity.
- Ute Junker
A country too dangerous to visit is one I can’t wait to return to
As Mark Twain wrote, Damascus “measures time not by days and months and years, but by the empires she has seen rise and prosper and crumble into ruin”.
- Luke Slattery
- ★★★★½
- Airport reviews
Inside the $4.8 billion ‘world’s most beautiful airport’
It’s an increasingly popular stopover spot for Australians and was striking enough for Tom Cruise to shoot a major Mission Impossible scene in.
- Anthony Dennis
Avoid Greek island’s infamous crowds by visiting the fake one instead
Overcrowded Santorini tops my anti-bucket list: the places I’ve absolutely no intention to visit. Could this little fake version be nicer than the real deal?
- Hazel Plush
- ★★★★★
- Hotel reviews
A five-star stopover stay in a neighbour beats bustling Dubai
This outstanding outpost of the venerable Mandarin Oriental brand impresses even more than most.
- Anthony Dennis
Peaceful Middle Eastern country is underrated and understated, like its food
Oman is a rare creature of the Middle East. As I journey from desert camp to mud brick inn and five-star resort, dishes are as unexpected as they are fragrant.
- Belinda Jackson
Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/topic/middle-east-ljm