Tag Archives: Middle-East

Four Things You Need to Know Before You Travel to Israel

Anyone who is lucky enough to get to travel to Israel will want to prepare for their trip by studying and reading up on the country. This will ensure that you are prepared for unexpected surprises and that you aren’t taken unaware. While the best way to get to know a country as diverse and interesting as Israel is to travel to it and see what it has to offer, there are a few things that you will want to know before stepping on the plane for your visit.

The Beaches Are Amazing

Visitors will want to pack a bathing suit, especially if they are going to be visiting Tel Aviv, as this city alone has 14 km of coastline. This is impressive and means that there is a beach for everyone to stop in and see. There are 13 beaches in this small space, each with their own theme, which means that you will want to plan ahead when swimming so that you choose the right beach for your visit.

Private Tours Are a Wonderful Option

While a lot of people love the thrill of trying to travel through Israel on their own, it’s actually a much better option to hire professionals for a private tour. Private tours in Israel ensure not only that the traveler is safe when on vacation, but also that they know all of the best places to visit. This reduces the stress that you may feel when traveling to a foreign country. Booking a private tour will ensure that you get the most out of your trip to Israel and that you can really relax and enjoy yourself.

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Are Both Worth the Visit

When you’re lucky enough to travel to Israel, you will want to make sure that you have time to visit both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Unlike many cities in other countries that all seem similar, these two cities are completely opposite and offer different experiences to travelers. Jerusalem is known for being a religious city that is a great option for anyone looking for a religious and holy experience. Tel Aviv, on the other hand, is full of nightlife and has free-spirited citizens who love to party and celebrate. Both are definitely worth the visit.

Consider Clothing When Visiting Certain Sites

Any visitor to a religious spot will want to make sure that they are dressed appropriately so that they don’t stick out and look disrespectful. Having appropriate clothing on hand when visiting orthodox locations or religious spots will ensure that visitors are dressed in an acceptable way. This will ensure that you don’t feel uncomfortable or out of place in any way.

Israel has something to offer any traveler who is lucky enough to visit this incredible, varied, and friendly country. Before planning a trip, however, you need to make sure that you know what to expect and that you are prepared for the trip. This will ensure that you make plans that you are happy with and that you are able to fully enjoy your time in this gorgeous country.

22 Oct 2020

Visiting The Top Tourist Attractions In Yemen

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Many people visit Yemen to see its top tourist attractions every year. Situated at the South-bend of the Arabian Peninsula in South West Asia, Yemen is a part of the countries of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is on its north, Oman to the East, and Red sea to the West. Yemen has more than 200 islands it takes pride of. One of them is Socotra – the largest among Yemen Islands just 415 km off the coast of Somalia. It is the sole republic of the Arabian Peninsula.

Socotra Island has a very diverse flora and fauna that can only be seen in the island. Only here will you see a flesh-eating centipede and countless varieties of reptiles and birds. A must-see sight here is the Dragon’s Blood trees.

The capital of the Republic of Yemen is Sana’a. This city is a second century city listed among the World Heritage sites by UNESCO. If you are in Yemen, you will feel like you are in a biblical era because men and women here still wear traditional clothes and houses are made of rammed earth and look like pictures of biblical or Koran houses hence, including it in the top tourist attractions in Yemen.

Shibam is another notable city to visit due to its amazing landscape holding numerous tourists around the year. A majestic group of clay and stone as well as wood buildings is its main attraction. Shibam is also fondly called as the Manhattan of the Desert and is considered to be the first city of skyscraper buildings in the whole world with some structures having a height of eight stories. Though this is not an archaeological site, Shibam is a living city.

Wadi Dhahr is also an ought-to-see valley abundant with vegetables and fruits. In 1930’s, Imam Yahya’s palace was erected here on top of a high rock that is why it’s called the Rock Palace or the Dar Al Hajar.

Aden City is a magnificent city which is among the top tourist attractions in Yemen. It is where Aden Museum is situated. It is also always visited by tourists because of its fun-filled water parks, lagoons, and bird watching activities. There are also a number of beautiful hotels and resorts here which are perfect places for leisure and unwinding.

There are just a lot more top tourist attractions in Yemen to experience. For souvenir hunting, visit Kawbakan City and Souk of Beit Al-Faqih. The Shihara Suspended Bridge is a 17th century bridge and its Sunday Market is popular to tourists. The Rock Art of Sa’da has ancient drawings and texts that were written by nomadic tribes which date back about 4,500 years ago.

24 Jun 2014

Discover Desert Landscapes and the Red City in Jordan

Wadi Rum is one of the amazing natural assets that are just begging to be discovered in Jordan...!

Jordan is becoming an increasingly popular place to visit for a walking holiday and with very good reason, as its desert landscapes are truly spectacular and provide a wilderness experience like no other.

Another attraction of hiking in Jordan is that you can visit some amazing historical sites as you walk, including the breathtaking city of Petra. Also known as the Red City, this was once an important stop on the trade routes from east to west, although much of its charm for travellers lies in the fact it remained undiscovered by the western world for centuries.

We’re going to take a look at some of the highlights of a trekking tour in Jordan – if this interests you, Explore Worldwide can help you organise your ideal holiday.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is a desert valley where you’ll find some incredible rock formations and beautiful scenery. The cliffs and rocks here have been carved into bizarre shapes by the power of the wind and they really are a sight to behold.

This part of Jordan was made famous by TE Lawrence, who was based here during the first world war and who went on to write about his experiences. He described the landscape as “vast, echoing and god-like”.

However, Wadi Rum was being used centuries before as a trade route and it’s one the local Bedouin people know well. They still live a semi-nomadic life in the desert and visiting one of their camps will give you an insight into how they survive in what seems to be such an inhospitable environment.

Among the most famous – and impressive – rock formations in Wadi Rum are the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a towering red-stone cliff, and the Burdah Rock Bridge. Dotted throughout the valley are thousands of petroglyphs and inscriptions that indicate that the area has been inhabited by humans for centuries.

Petra

Petra is Jordan’s most famous tourist attraction and with very good reason. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is quite incredible, with the original city having been hewn out of the cliffs and other buildings developed around it in its sheltered location among the mountains.

It was the Nabateans who developed it into a thriving hub for traders crossing the desert from the Orient to Arabia and it was a bustling city until the Roman era, when trade routes were diverted and Petra gradually lost influence.

Despite being known to the local Bedouins, it was forgotten by the rest of the world until the early 19th century when Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt stumbled across it. Although many of the buildings were in ruins, the tombs and chambers that had been carved out of the cliffs themselves are still in remarkable condition.

One of the highlights is the Treasury, which greets travellers as they enter via the Siq Gorge. Obelisks, temples, tombs and a Roman-style theatre are some of the other things you can discover as you wander around the city.

If you’ve got the energy for a bit of a climb, make your way to the Al Deir Monastery, which stands at the top of a flight of 800 steps that have been cut out of the rock. In addition to the archaeological treasures themselves, there are two museums onsite that have been designed to give visitors a better understanding of Petra’s history, as well as to showcase artefacts that have been recovered here.

15 Feb 2014

Best Time To Visit Jordan

Jerash has many Roman ruins, best seen in fall, the best time to visit Jordan!

If you are after the famous Petra and Jerash tourist spots, then the best time to visit Jordan is throughout the autumn and spring time seasons when the climate is favourable enough to delve into the exciting outdoor setting and the picturesque backdrops that are filled with lush flora. For some Muslim travellers, spending a vacation during the sacred months of Ramadan are deemed as the best time to visit Jordan to experience the long-established customs and to take pleasure on the Eid al-Fitr merry makings.

For some, April is deemed to be the best time to visit Jordan since this is the time of the year when wild flowers blossom fully and are truly breathtakingly beautiful. Among the other preferable dates to enjoy the sun and the scenic scenery are during the months of March to May and September to November. Watch out during the month of March since monsoons may be experienced especially in the north bound areas.

Being one of the well-loved and popular tourist destinations in Jordan, It is highly recommended to visit the prehistoric Bedouin metropolis of Petra early in the morning when the tourists are not yet all over the area. During this time, you’ll have more ample time to truly appreciate and savour the beauty that this famous landmark has to offer since more often than not, the place is teeming with lots of crowd. Moreover, it is also strongly suggested not to book excursions during peak seasons so as not to spoil the fun.

Bear in mind too if you are a budget-conscious traveler that the best time to visit Jordan with its most affordable airfares and accommodations is during the months of July to August, the warmest and most dried up season of the entire year. It is also quite affordable to visit during the months of November to March when cold breezes, light rains and snow are experienced in the country. On the other, prices for tours and accommodations are relatively high during the peak season in autumn and spring when the climate is believed to be perfectly awesome.

Don’t forget to remember that if you’re a Christian who loves to devour on luscious food every now and then, the month of Ramadan is not definitely recommended as one of the best time to visit Jordan, or much of the Middle East for that matter, since Muslims during this month of the year are required to fast and many business establishments aren’t open at this time thus, indulging on eating is strictly prohibited.

Lastly, the Jerash Festival throughout the months of July or August is celebrated as a cultural kind of festivity in regions surrounding Amman. The yearly Global Village Festival in July on the other hand is an additional approach to gain insights about the native legacies and legends of the country.

29 Jan 2014

Top Destinations In Azerbaijan

The top destinations in Azerbaijan are iconic places worth visiting around the Caucasus highlands that practically demarcates Europe and Asia. As far as basic history is concerned, this country was once a tributary state of the Soviet Union. During its collapse in 1991, the country has faced another “adversary” much closer to home – Armenia. This neighboring nation has supported a separatist region named Nagoroh-Karabakh. This succeeding conflict took out 20% of Azerbaijan’s total territory. While the nation undergoes a certain difficulty in sustaining the 800,000 more refugees since the 1994-ceasefire, its people were able to assert their own cultural identity like never before. For a country that is predominantly Shia Islam, they are almost twice as liberal in their lifestyle than most Arab nations. This was all due to the extensive influence of secularism by the Soviet regime.

cityscape of Azerbaijan (more…)

11 Oct 2013