5 Reasons to consider the Middle East for your next holiday
From Dubai to Jordan to Egypt there is so much to love about the Middle East that you’d be silly not to plan in a holiday there some time in the near future. This part of the world is alive with culture and there are so many sights to see that you might want to go back there a second or third time once you have a taste for it!
Here are 5 reasons to consider the Middle East for your next holiday adventure.
Food
Middle Eastern food is as spicy as its culture and there is no better place to sample it than in the country of its birth. Some common ingredients include olives, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, chickpeas, mind and parsley, featured in such popular dishes as kibbeh and shawarma. Many of the dishes have been perfected over thousands of years and are cooked to mouth-watering perfection for locals and visitors to the region. Even on all inclusive holidays in Egypt you can taste a lot of different traditional dishes.
Culture
If you have ever watched an Indiana Jones movie and wondered what it would be like to be up close to those wonderful peoples with their magic carpets and cave dwelling folk then you will love the rich culture that exists in the Middle East. You may not find a magic carpet but you will be sure to find many other interesting cultural delights to make your Middle East trip one to remember.
Ancient Architecture
We’ve all seen documentaries about the Egyptian pyramids, or seen reports on architectural feats of the builders in Dubai, but to really see these monstrosities up close is something that can only be seen to be believed. Tours regularly go out to the pyramids and other landmarks to show visitors just how amazing those ancient builders were, and one can only imagine how much blood, sweat and tears went into building these awesome structures.
Geography
Geographical wonders such as The Nile river and the caves of Jordan are just some of the sights to be seen in the Middle East. The desert landscape is one that many people do not have the opportunity to see often, so this is a definite highlight of travelling to the area, and the salty Dead Sea arising out of the desert on the borders of Israel, Jerusalem and Jordan, is a sight for the eyes.
Shopping
If shopping is what you are interested then you have many different options in the Middle East. At one end of the spectrum, walking through air-conditioned palaces of shopping centres is what you will encounter in places such as Dubai, where rich oil sheiks and their families holiday, work and play. While at the other end there are the markets such as in Egypt, where the common folk sell their wares and where you can find out more about the local culture.
Pedro @ Travel with Pedro
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I so agree with you! Since my visit to Jordan 10 years ago, I’ve become an avid fan of the region and every year I have to visit at least one Middle Eastern country. I personally find Dubai the least interesting of them all, though. :-)
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Glad you like that area of the world, too! I think many tourists like Dubai, but travelers prefer other parts of Middle East ;)
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Comment@ Neil:
So you developed a weird travel habit with those shops right :)
Neil
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Agree with you completely here, an incredible part of the world. My trip to Israel and Jordan last year were amongst my all time best. I’ve been raiding local Middle Eastern shops for obscure ingredients ever since….