Where is good to go within a 4 hour flight from Dubai?
1 hour
Oman – known for it’s majestic desert, the Sultanate also offers fjords, beaches and a host of cultural activities.
2 hours
Iran - nature-lovers have the opportunity of exploring great deserts, forests, mountains and seas and those who are enthusiastic about history and culture can visit one the most ancient countries in the world. Iran, the country of four seasons and seven climates, is one of the most scenic countries in the Middle-East with formidable mountain ranges, vast deserts, silky meadows, roaring cascades, and sky-blue lakes and flowing rivers.
Salalah, Oman - Salalah is the capital city of southern Oman's Dhofar province. It's known for its banana plantations, Arabian Sea beaches and waters teeming with sea life. The Khareef, an annual monsoon, transforms the desert terrain into a lush, green landscape and creates seasonal waterfalls.
3 hours
Jordan – a trip to Jordan is not complete without visiting Amman, Petra and the Dead Sea. Ideal for a weekend getaway.
India – fly to Delhi in 3 hours and spend 5 nights visiting the Golden Triangle. The trips usually start in Delhi, moving south to the site of Taj Mahal at Agra, then west, to the desert landscapes of Rajasthan. The Golden Triangle is now a well traveled route providing a good spectrum of the country's different landscapes. The circuit is about 720 km by road. Each leg is about 4 to 6 hours of drive.
Baku - At its heart, the Unesco-listed Old City lies within an exotically crenelated arc of fortress wall. Around this are gracefully illuminated stone mansions and pedestrianised tree-lined streets filled with exclusive boutiques. Some of the finest new builds are jaw-dropping masterpieces. Meanwhile romantic couples canoodle their way around wooded parks and hold hands on the Caspian-front bulvar (promenade), where greens and opal blues make a mockery of Baku’s desert-ringed location.
Beirut - Beirut was once the self-proclaimed "Paris of the Middle East". It still has an outdoor cafe culture, and European architecture can be found everywhere.
Uzbekistan - If you’re intrigued by the ancient Silk Road but don’t have the time to travel its length from China to Turkey, you’ll find three of the route’s most important cities in Uzbekistan. Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand were key stop-offs for traders, and have all been painstakingly restored to their former glory – think glittering minarets, voluptuous domes and hypnotic mosaics. With a little planning you can squeeze them all into a week.
Armenia - This is a destination where you will be intrigued by history, awed by monuments, amazed by the landscape and charmed by down-to-earth locals.
4 hours
Ethiopia - Ethiopia is like nowhere else on the planet, a beautiful country blessed with a peerless history, fabulous wildlife and some of Africa's most soulful peoples.
Georgia - From its green valleys spread with vineyards to its old churches and watchtowers perched in fantastic mountain scenery, Georgia is one of the most beautiful countries on earth and a marvellous canvas for walkers, horse riders, cyclists, skiers, rafters and travellers of every kind.
Cyprus - Known for beaches, it also has a rugged interior with wine regions. Coastal Paphos is famed for its archaeological sites relating to the cult of Aphrodite, including ruins of palaces, tombs and mosaic-tiled villas.
Nepal - Wedged between the high Himalaya and the steamy Indian plains, Nepal is a land of snow peaks and Sherpas, yaks and yetis, monasteries and mantras.