The Middle East is a region that lies on the borders of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It's actually a transcontinental region, in that certain countries that are part of the Middle East, such as Egypt, are in two continents at once.
The Middle East is in Asia, but also Africa in this instance.
Turkey is also a transcontinental country, so here, the Middle East stretches from Asia to Europe.
Travel in the Middle East is immensely rewarding. Highlights include Jordan, Egypt, Dubai, Istanbul, and Abu Dhabi. Many wonders of the world are to be found in the Middle East.
The Pyramids at Giza are widely considered to be the only remaining wonder of the ancient world. In fact, fragments of many of the wonders still exist today.
The definition of the Middle East has shifted over time, but the following countries are generally considered to be part of the Middle East.
When we read this list of countries that make up the Middle East, we realise how much more of the world we still have to see!
Of the Middle Eastern countries above, we only cover UAE, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt so far! Our Middle East travel blog is sadly lacking in destinations.
Browse our collection of posts relating to travel in the Middle East, below.
Jordan is an amazing destination for a family holiday, vacation, or trip, with so many interesting things to see and do, plus opportunity to taste local foods and experience a different way of life. This post covers some of the things to see and do in Jordan, to plan a family itinerary, plus some of …
Aswan is a must-visit destination in Egypt, home to many ancient wonders. This post is about the many things to do in Aswan Egypt, places to see, restaurants to try, tours to take, including onward travel to Abu Simbel from Aswan. We give you facts about Egypt relating to Aswan, and first hand experiences of …
Dubai, in the country of The United Arab Emirates, is one of the easier countries for travellers to handle their travel money at minimum cost. We normally tell our readers just to get money out at ATM s or cash points, and in Dubai, you should be able to find ATMs with no withdrawal costs. …
Dubai in December and at Christmas is warm to hot, temperatures are quite pleasant and it doesn’t get cold. Dubai is in the Northern Hemisphere so December is winter in Dubai. It’s winter or Christmas vacation time for many of us in Europe, America and parts of Asia. The 2-3 week Christmas school holidays are …
Dubai in July is hot. Dubai is in the Northern Hemisphere so July in Dubai is summertime, it’s vacation time for many of us in Europe, America and parts of Asia. The long summer school holidays are starting, so can you take a vacation to Dubai in July? It will be hot, but if you …
Dubai is an outstanding destination on so many levels, and we think it’s perfect for a family holiday. You could keep kids of any age entertained in Dubai as there is just so much to see and do, including plentiful adventure activities, theme parks, cultural and historic sites to see, and of course, warmth, beaches, …
Dubai, the beating heart of the United Arab Emirates. A city known for wealth, luxury, service and style, it has some of the most incredible man-made structures on the planet. Enjoy Dubai’s magnificent shining towers, fine dining, museums and theme park scene while giving your family a vacation to remember. Don’t skip the cultural excursions …
Egypt is a country that lies on the north coast of Africa, but a small part of it extends into Asia, making it a transcontinental country. Egypt is part of the region of the Middle East, but also an African and Asian country. Here are some fun facts about Egypt, for kids or adults. Facts …
If you are visiting Dubai for a prolonged period of time, whether it’s for a work trip or a long vacation, you may want to know which are the best gyms in the area so you can continue working out while you’re away. If you need a pass to explore everything Dubai has to offer, …
Can you drink alcohol in Dubai? The answer to that question could convince you to book your Dubai holiday, or not. Yes, you can drink alcohol in Dubai but it’s not as easy to buy alcohol in Dubai as it is in most Western or Asian countries. Information on adult beverages and a few tours …
Egypt is located in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, making its geography very interesting indeed. It is a transcontinental country and there aren’t very many of those. Likewise, the Middle East is a transcontinental region. Egypt borders Africa, the Mediterranian Sea, Asia, and the Red Sea, which opens onto The Arabian Sea and …
Most people would say Dubai is known for wealth, skyscrapers, luxury shopping, glitzy nightlife, and white-clad Arabs driving expensive cars on desert roads. Dubai is also known for being a jet-set holiday destination. There’s more to Dubai. You’ll find history, culture, a mixed bag of nationalities, workers, and ex-pats. Dubai is also known for heat, …
Yes, Dubai is in Asia, but it’s also a part of the Middle East which could also be considered part of Africa. Dubai is not a country, it is a city and emirate in a country called the United Arab Emirates, this country is in the Middle East and this is a transcontinental region, ie. …
Are you going to Egypt, wondering what food in Egypt will be like and what dishes you should eat there? Maybe you’re just wondering what Egyptian food is? This post is to help you find the most delicious, unusual or traditional dishes in Egypt and give you a guide to Egyptian food, it’s history and …
The distance from downtown Dubai to Abu Dhabi is approximately 150km or just under 100 miles. The road is a sealed multi-lane highway that can make getting from Dubai to Abu Dhabi quick and easy. Avoid peak hours when traffic can add an hour or more to your journey. Travellers and tourists may need to …
This post is about the best beaches in Egypt. Hurghada is our family favourite. For the rest, I asked a friend, Emma, to contribute as she’s spent a lot of time living in Egypt and visiting beaches, resorts, hotels, and more. Over to Emma and her take on Egyptian Beaches to help you plan your …
Abu Simbel is one of the greatest, most spectacular monuments or temples in Egypt and you are most likely Abu Simbel from Aswan. Unfortunately, Abu Simbel is difficult to get to, but you can visit Abu Simbel by air or road from Aswan. We’ve been to Abu Simbel twice, two ways by flying and by …
Just a little south of Cairo is a tourist attraction that most tourists don’t see. That’s a great shame because this ancient necropolis on the west bank of the Nile turned out to be one of my favourites of our whole month in Egypt. Maybe it was partly because we hadn’t been here before ( …
Best places to visit in Egypt include ancient sites, cities, museums, beaches, souks, fortresses, and oases. Egypt is full of wonders and is an affordable destination with great food, diving, and of course, sights to see. From July 1 st 2020, Egypt started to re-open. Beach areas and resorts opened first. International airlines began flying …
Regular readers will know that we just spent almost a month in Egypt. Why? For fun, obviously and to please our kids who are fascinated by learning about Egypt. Suggested topics and interesting facts for kids to learn about Ancient Egypt include Ancient Egypt, the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid (allegedly the last of the …
Last week I posted this on the Facebook page .We were still in Egypt. It was scary, too close for comfort and a very lucky escape. I thought we’d all handled it pretty well as we carried on enjoying our few days of luxury and comfort of the Red Sea coast. This just happened.we were …
Welcome to our Egypt Travel Blog page. It’s hard to find up to date information or travel guides for Egypt because the travellers and holiday-makers all but stopped coming quite a few years ago. I haven’t been able to find any other travel blogs that cover Egypt in any depth, so I decided to make …
Chef and I met in Egypt on a 5 day felucca trip on the Nile. It was a lovely, peaceful few days and it was almost 20 years ago now. This year we wanted to do it all over again and share the magic of traditional sail boats on the longest river on Earth with …
We’ve taken our kids to the best and most famous museums in the world, London, New York, Washington DC and a hundred smaller storehouses of knowledge, but nothing could ever beat Cairo’s spectacular Egyptian Museum. This is my favourite museum in the world, a dusty slice of yesteryear and for us, The Egyptian Museum Cairo …
There is a train from Cairo to Luxor or you can go by road, air, or water. Tourists normally take the night train from Cairo to Luxor, the night train is much more expensive than the day train. We wanted to take the train during the day. You can, of course, fly, go by road, …
Bam, we’re in Egypt. We’re certainly not in Kansas anymore and Cairo hits you around the head like a sock full of sand. It’s big, it’s busy, it’s crazy, it’s dirty and it’s freaking amazing! We arrived late at night, around 1 am at Cairo airport and were very glad we had a pick up …
Dubai Desert Safaris are popular with visitors to Dubai, but not all Desert Safaris offer camel rides or camel trekking. There are many places to take a camel ride in Dubai, including some beaches, but to combine camels with Dubai’s desert safari camps and entertainment, you need to book this tour! Dubai Camel Safari Review …
Are you travelling to Dubai? We can’t recommend it highly enough. This cultural tour and lunch along with a desert camel safari and seeing the fountain, light, and sound show at the Burj Kalifah were highlights. We wanted to learn something of the history and culture of the UAE, this Dubai cultural tour and lunch …
We’ve been in Istanbul now for almost 2 weeks so I thought I’d do one of those posts where I tell you about life on the road, what we’re doing, why we’re doing, what’s Istanbul like and what is there to see and do. The Istanbul Blog We love Istanbul. We’ve explored and roamed this …
We’ve enjoyed 5 nights at the Armada Old City hotel in Sultanahmet, Istanbul. Sultanahmet is the tourist hub of the city, this is where you’ll find Istanbul’s major historic attractions, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace. All are outstanding on a global scale and we really can’t recommend them highly …