Middle East

Occasionally a stopover destination for Kiwis and Aussies en route to Europe, Dubai is more than worthy of its own trip entirely. There’s so much to do in this desert city, from heading up the tallest building in the world to venturing out on a camel safari and shopping at the Dubai Mall. This city is always trying to outdo itself, giving the term extra a whole new meaning. Here, lounging by the pool, people watching, and sipping cocktails is a must-do activity, especially since summer temperatures hover around 40 degrees. Regardless of your plans, you’re in store for an epic holiday and will need to find an equally amazing hotel to spend a few nights. 

​If you’ve ever seen a picture of Cappadocia’s dreamy hot air balloons we’re guessing that it’s probably on high your travel bucket list, and rightly so. But you might be wondering what else there is to do in this Turkish hot spot, and fret not; there’s plenty.

It’s official. 2022 is the year we’re finally able to get back to doing what we love most —traveling and exploring the world. But perhaps the most iconic of trips that we have missed the most during these past two years is the elusive Euro summer.

Jump on this hop-on-hop-off bus tour, taking you through 18 countries in 70 days.

We’re all dreaming of a holiday right now, and once international travel is opened back up you’ll be needing a destination that ticks all your wanderlust boxes on a post-corona budget. Add these amazing countries to your itinerary and make those hard-saved dollars really count. 

COVID-19 is quite literally taking over the world and if you’re one of the hundreds of thousands who had planned to travel in the next little while, you’re most likely re-thinking or are being forced to postpone your trip. 

From the Summer Olympic Games to cultural extravaganzas and hot hotel openings, there are dozens of reasons to plan a holiday for 2020. Here are the cities and countries to add to your travel itinerary in the New Year. 

With a brand-spanking-new decade upon us, why not reflect on the travel you’ve done and—better yet—the exciting travel left to tick off?

We know how much you love Middle Eastern food and the Lebanese have got some of the best. Thanks to Ottoman influences back in the day, French influence more recently and it’s proximity to Europe, The Middle East and Africa, they’ve been able to get their hands on the best spices and recipes for centuries and they’ve worked some magic. From veg-friendly dishes like hummus and falafel to meaty shawarma, there’s no foodie who wouldn’t have a field day in Beirut, or anywhere in Lebanon for that matter. 

Turkish food is up there as one of our favourite cuisines of all time, so when one famous foodie city in Anatolia made the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy lists, we thought we’d better pay attention. Gaziantep has been said to be the food capital of the world and after a few food-fueled days spent eating our way around the city, we’d happily agree. 

With mind-blowing food, the kindest people we’ve ever come across, more history than you can poke a stick at and a booming cafe scene, it’s hard not to fall in love with Istanbul from day one. The perfect mix of history and modern-cool, you can go from fifteenth-century architecture to knocking back single-origin ethically sourced coffee in the space of a few minutes. While there’s no denying this huge city, home to more than 15 million people, can be hectic at times, that just makes discovering the little pockets of peace and quiet all over the city even more rewarding. 

This desert metropolis pairs tradition with a futuristic vision, and following an oil boom in 1966, Dubai quickly developed to rival popular tourist destinations around the world. On their quest to be the biggest and most extravagant, Dubai built more skyscrapers than any city except for New York and Hong Kong, boasts the second-largest mall, the world’s tallest building and the only palm tree-shaped island (with two more in the works). 

If ever the day comes when you’ll be able to hop on your private jet to collect exquisite art, we’ve found some of the world’s coolest art events you need to travel to.