Yemen
Yemen: Al Hajjarah
Located in the Haraz Mountains of Yemen, the 11th Century village of Al Hajjarah lies at an altitude of 1,858 metres. In the 12th Century, the Ottomans found its strategic position useful when defending the road from the coast to the capital, Sana’a.
Holiday Goddess Editors
United Arab Emirates
Dubai: The Legendary Dubai Mall
If you want the best shopping in Dubai, take your taxi to Dubai Mall. Allow half a day. Or half the night.
Jessica Adams
Oman
Oman: Six Senses Zighy Bay
Six Senses Zighy Bay on the Musandam Peninsula in Oman is a two hour drive from Dubai International Airport, which is the gateway city to Zighy Bay.
Tamara Pitelen
United Arab Emirates
Dubai: Amazing Chocopologie
About the size of a tennis ball, the Madeline at the Chocopologie café chocolate lounge in Dubai, a church for the worshippers of chocolate/where lovers of chocolate go to worship.
Tamara Pitelen
United Arab Emirates
Dubai: The highest High Tea in the world (aka ‘Posh scones in the sky’)
There’s a new kid in town and they have a hook that’s hard to beat; the highest high tea in the world. Sitting up in the clouds on the 122nd floor of the famous Burj Khalifa, officially the world’s tallest building, is a new contender for the crown of best afternoon tea.
Tamara Pitelen
Oman
Omani Road Trip, United Arab Emirates
The very nature of a road trip means the journey is part of the destination and Oman is particularly good for road tripping thanks to the many kilometres of brand, spanking, shiny new bitumen. In the 1970s there were just a few hundred kilometres of road throughout the whole of Oman. Now there’s about 10,000 km of ‘driver’s dream’ newly laid asphalt, wide smooth dual carriage highways.
Tamara Pitelen
United Arab Emirates
Dubai: Tallest Tower – Without Tom Cruise
Reaching 828 metres (2716 feet in old money) into the sky – we’re talking looking down on clouds here – the Burj Khalifa stands in the centre of Dubai like an upended hypodermic needle. Tom basically sat on the pricky end of the needle, somewhere almost no one has gone before.
Tamara Pitelen
United Arab Emirates
Dubai: Camel Cuisine
In the heart of old Dubai, not far from the misleadingly-named Dubai Creek (it’s a sizeable river) Local House is a beautiful space for casual dining and specializes in offering a traditional Emirati experience. Built in traditional Arabian-style and dating back to 1890, there’s no roof, making it outdoor dining indoors, ideal for temperatures in the desert.
Tamara Pitelen
Jordan
Jordan: Amman
Amman is laid out on seven circles. Givine someone directions to meet you can be a nightmare because there’s no real such thing as an address – and it’s not well signposted. Your directions may well sounds like this – “It’s left past the cat, then right to the old man on the corner, then take your third right.”
Victoria Aitken