No images? Click here 1,060 words — A 4-minute read Introducing Gulf TravellerGood morning | The pandemic has left me starved for travel, which is a tricky thing when you live at a crossroads like the Gulf, where it feels like a short-haul flight can transport you just about anywhere. After all, a four-hour flight from home can put me within striking distance of the Black Sea, the Himalayas and much of the Great Rift Valley.
I’m not alone. Hilton Hotels says that more than half of UAE residents are planning three or more holidays in 2021, and 66% of Americans and 60% of Chinese travellers have vowed to quit putting off their “bucket list” trips when the pandemic eases. It’s hard to know exactly when it will be safe to travel again, especially with new variants of COVID-19 and a complicated vaccine rollout. But, in the meantime, there’s nothing to stop us dreaming, planning and even booking the next trip.
The first feature, 21 Short-Haul Explorations for 2021, introduces you to 21 adventures you can get to within a 4-hour flight from the Gulf.
If I'm successful, I will have introduced you to places you’ve never even heard of before. Hit reply and let me know how I’m doing – and please share your own ideas, as well.
-Andrew Mills Lebanon's Bekaa Valley Was this email forwarded to you? 1 | Bekaa Valley roadtrip, LebanonRent a car in Beirut, head east on the Damascus Highway and over the Lebanon mountain range. As you descend the Eastern slope, the wide, green Bekaa valley stretches out before you. Down in the valley, stop off at the town of Chtoura for labneh, a tangy strained yoghurt, and continue on to the city of Baalbek for the valley’s showstopper: the Roman temples of Bacchus (pictured above) and Jupiter. Wander through the Baalbek souk, hunting for the local speciality – meat-filled pastries called Sfiha Baalbakiyeh (you might have to first visit a butcher for the meat filling and then a baker for the pastry). Spend the night at the historic Palmyra hotel, overlooking the Roman temple complex. Pick one of the valley’s numerous vineyards for lunch the next day or, for a real feast, follow the Darb El Karam or Generosity Trail, a network of nine food-producing villages that arrange for visitors to eat in the houses of food producers. Details:
Bekaa Valley and Temple of Bacchus Image Source: Shutterstock 2 | Wadi Feynan, JordanAt the end of a dirt track, deep in the isolated Wadi Feynan is one of the world’s best off-the-grid ecolodges, where candles illuminate courtyards and the rooftop is the best place to stargaze. It’s a far cry from the normally busy tourist site of Petra, which most visitors to Jordan seek out. Wadi Feynan is within the rugged Dana Biosphere Reserve, a 320-square-kilometre protected landscape along the face of the Great Rift Valley. Explore isolated wadis by foot or mountain bike, spend a day with local shepherds or relax in the silence. If you must visit Petra (which you should), the ecolodge can arrange for a local Bedouin to take you there in an old pickup truck via the breathtaking Wadi Namla. No crowds there. Details:
Image: "File:19 Dana Feynan Trail - View of the Valley - panoramio.jpg" by hikinginjordan is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 3 | Umm Qais, JordanIn spring, the olive groves on the slopes surrounding this hilltop village in Jordan’s far northern border region will bloom with wildflowers, enhancing the stunning views of the Sea of Galilee, across to the Golan Heights and, on a clear day, all the way north to Lebanon. Hiking trails from the village lead past ruins of the Greek city of Gadara and an abandoned Ottoman village. Details:
Image Source: Andrew Mills Check out Gulf Traveller NEXT FRIDAY, featuring:Baku, Azerbaijan; the River Nile and Djibouti🛫⛰️🐪 Thanks for reading to the end! We depend on word of mouth to grow the audience of Connect the Gulf. You can help!
Thanks! Gulf Traveller was written and edited by Andrew Mills, with sub-editing by Louise Bolotin. |