If your Middle East vacation was devastated and you need a new destination, you don’t have to scrap the entire trip – you just need to redirected your trip. There are a lot of incredible destinations worldwide that have an atmosphere similar to what you would have experienced in the Middle East – desert landscapes, modern cities with high-rise buildings, historic markets, and beautiful beaches.
Many travelers have recently discovered their travel plans within the Middle East area have changed drastically due to increased tensions in many areas. Some travelers have postponed or cancelled their trip due to changes in flight scheduling, longer airline routes, and in some instances, warnings from the government.
The Middle East is not limited solely to the Middle East.
There are many destinations around the world that provide a similar look, feel, or culture. From new cities to the world’s largest deserts and the warmest beaches, you can have a fantastic travel experience, just in a different part of the world.
One of the simplest cancels are for travellers who had originally planned to fly into Dubai.
Hong Kong offers a comparable experience to other modern cities known for having tall buildings and shopping, and well-known for being one of the top cities in the world due to its skyline and large retail centers, Harbour City (one of Asia’s largest retail shopping centers) has over 700 stores to provide an incredible shopping experience and an incredible display of lights from the city at night if you plan on going to high-style retail malls; therefore, Hong Kong is definitely going to meet both of those requirements.
Now let’s discuss desert adventures.
There are many travelers who are changing their mind about going to Egypt to visit the pyramids of the past, as there are so many warnings of not traveling to Egypt. Egypt is known for its pyramids and monuments, but there are also desert environments in other parts of the world.
One of those other places in the world is Australia’s vast desert; Western Australia’s Coral Coast in particular provides narrow sandy desert and scenic beaches with bright coral reefs. Thus, even if you are not visiting pyramids you will have an experience of seeing a desert area along with ocean views in one trip!
For travelers who want to see the deserts of Abu Dhabi, there are also many opportunities in the United States.
The Great Basin Desert is located east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and encompasses a large area of western United States. It is one of the United States’ largest desert ecosystems, as well as an area very well known for Death Valley National Park which has extreme temperatures and unique landscapes. There are options for visitors through road trips, hiking trails or guided tours of the dramatic desert environment.
Another area in the Middle East that many people are reconsidering is Turkey for vacation.
For people looking for a Mediterranean-style escape, Greece is an obvious choice. With its warm climate, blue water and white sandy beaches, Greece has the same type of relaxing summer atmosphere that many people associate with Turkey along its coast. Greece also has quaint villages, historic ruins and an amazing food culture making Greece an easy switch for a relaxing Mediterranean getaway.
If the original vacation was to Cyprus, there is a similar alternative in Europe.
The Spanish island of Mallorca has many of the same features as Cyprus; soft sandy beaches, sunny weather and crystal-clear waters. Mallorca is one of the most popular resort islands for vacationing and is famous for being a great beach destination with numerous beachfront cafes, boat excursions and beautiful views of the ocean.
Go back to the classic luxury destination: the Maldives.
The islands themselves are quite safe, but getting there has recently been a little more difficult due to many flights into Malé having to connect through Middle Eastern hubs. Increasing flight prices and travel disruptions have made it not as easy to get to the Maldives as it once was.
A surprisingly strong alternative is Albania.
Albania, often referred to as the Maldives of Europe, has turquoise water, vivid beaches, and warm temperatures for many visitors until November. While Albania enjoys about 300 days of sunshine each year, travelers who wish to enjoy the sun and sabbatical are able to do so without having to go through the longer, less convenient routes.
One of the biggest factors of travel experience is not about where on the planet you are; it’s about how you have experienced the place.
A desert is a desert, whether you’re in the Middle East or Australia; a luxury skyline is something you can see in Dubai or Hong Kong; and a turquoise body of water can be just as beautiful in Albania as it would be in Maldives.
So, if your itinerary for the Middle East has abruptly changed, that doesn’t mean your travel experience must end. Your travel experience can still continue in a different location.
