Souks To Sorrento

Doha

Doha is the beautiful capital of Qatar,
located on the Persian Gulf and home to the majority of the
country's population. In 2006, the city hosted the world's largest
Asian Games yet and has since continued to thrive and grow, now
preparing for the prestigious FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Doha has a surprisingly laid-back
atmosphere and is a good base from which to explore the rest of the
country. The city is also renowned to be safe, clean and
accommodating of foreigners, which is not surprising considering
the huge amount of expats that call Doha home.

As a cultural and commercial centre, Doha
offers plenty to see and do. Topping the list of popular activities
is shopping, an obsession fuelled by both mammoth modern malls and
exotic traditional markets (souqs). Many of the travellers who
visit Doha are primarily visiting on business, but the glitzy
hotels, quality museums and booming restaurant scene keep everyone
entertained.

Doha's modern seaport, busy airport and
great infrastructure make it exceedingly accessible to visitors,
and Qatar is pouring wealth into an already sophisticated city in
order to transform it into a cultural and economic powerhouse to
rival the likes of Dubai.

The skyline becomes more impressive and
attractive every year and more and more travellers are discovering
the wonders the city has to offer. A stroll along the Doha
Corniche, ocean on the one side and glamorous cityscape on the
other, should leave nobody in any doubt as to why Doha is emerging
as a hugely desirable travel destination.

Abu Dhabi

The brash, bold city of Abu Dhabi is a modern marvel, capital of
the wealthy United Arab Emirates and headquarters of the world's
richest oil operating companies. The pulsating city, with
futuristic skyscrapers and wide tree-lined boulevards, is
capitalising on its sophistication, amazing duty-free shopping
zone, luxury hotels and top-class transport and communication
infrastructure to attract tourists. They come not only for the
'retail therapy' and glitz, but also to explore the fascinating
culture of the vast Abu Dhabi Emirate itself (it is the largest of
the seven Emirates), with its miles of desert and interesting
oases.

The city juts out into the Persian Gulf, with land having been
reclaimed from the sea to make way for a long seafront Corniche
lined with lush gardens and gushing fountains. It is a relatively
young city, the area having been first settled by nomadic tribesmen
in the mid-18th century. It remained little more than a fishing
village until oil was discovered in the 1950s and the financial and
trading boom began.

Today the international airport and deep water port bring in
visitors from around the world, most clutching credit cards and
cash, set on spending as much as possible in the enticing shopping
malls and buzzing souk (market). Limousines are a common sight in
the congested streets, and restaurants that offer the cuisine of
many nations do a roaring trade, especially along the waterfront.
Shopping fever is at its height during the annual Shopping
Festival. Those taking a break from modern luxury can escape to the
desert for a Bedouin feast under the stars, or a camel ride through
the dunes.

Cruising the Gulf of Oman

Muscat

Muscat is the capital and largest city in
Oman, but tourists will find that the mundane activity of the busy
modern capital is easily forgotten among the exotic delights of
bustling markets, cannon-guarded forts, ornate palaces and historic
city harbour. The once important maritime city underwent a
resurgence in the 1970s, when the Sultan Qaboos bin Said began to
develop museums, mosques and palaces, and worked to restore relics
of Muscat's history.

Muscat is made up of three cities grown
together: the original walled city of Muscat (home to the royal
palaces); the former fishing village of Matrah with its maze-like
souq; and the commercial and diplomatic area of Ruwi. These areas,
along with other districts further from the city centre, each have
their own distinct personalities and attractions.

Although Muscat is a popular destination
for sightseeing tours, many of the attractions are primarily
regular fixtures of Omani life. The mosques are important religious
sites, the ancient forts are still operated by the military and the
sultan's palace is the seat of Oman's government.

The beauty of the city is what makes Muscat
so alluring, especially near the harbour. The smooth, curved stone
architecture is a transition from the rocky landscape to the
inviting water of the harbour. Many new buildings have continued
with classic Arabic architecture, further protecting the city's
legacy from the ravages of the modern world. Muscat is one of the
safest, most cosmopolitan and most open-minded cities in the entire
Gulf Region and fast becoming a Middle East tourism hotspot.

Cruising the Gulf of Oman

Cruising the Arabian Sea

Cruising the Gulf of Aden

Red Sea Seas

Jeddah

Red Sea Seas

'Aqaba

As Jordan's only outlet to the sea, the tourist resort of Aqaba
is known for its fantastic diving opportunities, mild winter
climate and sandy beaches. Situated on the tip of the Red Sea in
southern Jordan on the Gulf of Aqaba, the town's greatest
attraction lies offshore in the colourful coral reefs that are
rated as the best in the world. These boast an incredible marine
life and provide wonderful opportunities for divers and snorkelers
in the clear waters year-round.

Besides underwater escapades, Aqaba is an ideal location for
swimming, water-skiing, parasailing, fishing or sunbathing. For the
history enthusiast, Aqaba contains sites dating back to 4000 BC,
including the recent discovery of what is believed to be the
world's oldest church (3rd century), the remains of the medieval
walled city of Ayla and a Mamluk fort. These are proof of Aqaba's
strategic position as the main port on the trading route to the Far
East from Africa in ancient times, which made it a thriving town,
and it is this same location today that makes it an important
tourist centre. It is also conveniently situated for excursions to
the spectacular desert scenery of Wadi Rum and the ancient rock
city of Petra.

Safaga

On the coast of the Red Sea is the port town of Safaga, Egypt. It offers a range of ancient historical sightseeing, water sports and a dip in its healing mineral waters. This picturesque landscape has all kinds of adventures to offer. The town is best known for its phosphate mines, diving opportunities and beautiful reefs and also attracts tourists year round with its warm climate and attractive landscape.

Suez Canal Transit

Haifa

Haifa is an attractive seaport and one of the most culturally
mixed cities in the country. The Israeli saying 'Haifa works,
Jerusalem prays, Tel Aviv plays' hints at the destination's
blue-collar roots.

Regarding culture, the Haifa Theatre, the Krieger Centre for
Performing Arts, and the Ein Hod artists' colony are all
well-established and worth visiting. Haifa also hosts an annual
(and well-attended) International Film Festival.

There are many interesting attractions in the city, including a
wealth of museums, gorgeous temples and mosques, and sunny,
child-friendly beaches. For those fascinated with biblical history,
Tel Megiddo, the supposed site of the end of the world, is located
about 20 miles (32km) southwest of Haifa.

The majority of Haifa's visitors go there for the amazing
gardens of the Baha'í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
once known as the Hanging Gardens of Haifa. This magical place has
a golden shrine and lovingly maintained terraces, and is deemed by
Baha'i followers as a 'gift to all humanity'. The beauty of the
gardens and the amount of care that goes into their upkeep is both
palpable and inspiring. They're one of Israel's most-visited
tourist attractions, welcoming over half a million visitors every
year.

Cruising the Mediterranean Sea

Piraeus

Athens exudes a unique charm through its mix of street markets,
vine-covered tavernas, souvenir stalls, ancient monuments and
high-rise buildings. For tourists, a plus is that most of the
capital's attractions are accessible by foot.

Athens was named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom.
According to mythology, she won the city after duelling against
Poseidon, god of the sea. Indeed, Athens can chart its history back
thousands of years and is regarded as the cradle of Western
civilisation. More specifically, it's democracy's birthplace, and
where philosophy, art and architecture were refined.

The city declined after the Classical Age, dwindling to nothing
but a town in the colourful area now known as the Plaka. It emerged
as independent Greece's capital in 1834.

Today, the city is bustling. And though the pollution, frantic
gridlock and dingy buildings are a striking contrast to the open
beauty of Greece's coast and islands, Athens is truly the country's
beating heart. Ancient wonders like the Acropolis, the Parthenon,
and the Temples of Zeus and Hephaestus ensure that the city will
always lure travellers.

Cruising the Mediterranean Sea

Sorrento

Sorrento is a coastal town in southwestern Italy, facing the Bay of Naples on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Perched atop cliffs that separate the town from its busy marinas, it’s known for sweeping water views and Piazza Tasso, a cafe-lined square. The historic center is a warren of narrow alleys that's home to the Chiesa di San Francesco, a 14th-century church with a tranquil cloiste

Civitavecchia

Rome is like a living museum, liberally
dotted with fascinating ruins, ancient relics and archaeological
sites. Centuries are peeled back from the Eternal City with each
new vista in this great metropolis of fearsome gladiators and
gorgeous art. Vespas, sports cars and nippy Fiats speed past trendy
sidewalk cafes, bistros and nightclubs, revealing the Rome of
Fellini's La Dolce Vita, while the stark facades of the Stadio
Olimpico reminds visitors of Mussolini's attempts to reinvent the
architecture of the Caesars.

For a taste of the Baroque, visitors need
only climb the famous Spanish Steps, walk through the Piazza Navona
or toss a coin into the beautiful Trevi Fountain. Renaissance
splendour is best revealed in the Vatican Palace, specifically
Michelangelo's efforts on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. From
early Christian Basilicas and the Roman Forum to the Colosseum and
the Pantheon, the sequence of history trails back to the dizzying
heights of the empire.

It may sound like a city of contrasts, but
Rome's timeless magic lies in its ability to blend the old with the
new. Empires have risen and fallen, old gods have been replaced
with the new, but Rome nonetheless remains.