Tuscany is the world’s most beloved countryside — a landscape so deliberately beautiful it seems painted by consensus. Florence contains more masterpieces per square metre than any city on Earth. Siena’s medieval Piazza del Campo is a masterpiece of civic design. The Val d’Orcia’s rolling hills, dotted with cypress trees and medieval fortified towns, offer a driving holiday that is pure sensory therapy.
Rome is the only city on Earth where you can eat a cornetto in a café built on ancient Roman baths, stroll past a Renaissance fountain to a Baroque palace, and end the day watching the sun set over 2,000 years of unbroken civilisation. The Colosseum, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon are not mere tourist checkboxes — they are genuine encounters with the weight of human history.
Doha rewards the visitor who goes beyond the airport layover. The Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M. Pei, houses the world’s finest collection of Islamic art across 14 centuries. The Msheireb Museums, in the heart of a sensitively restored heritage district, tell the story of Qatar’s transformation. Souq Waqif — a vast, atmospheric bazaar of spices, falconry equipment, and cafes — anchors the old city. The Corniche waterfront promenade faces a skyline that now rivals any in the Gulf.
Just 140km from Dubai and often overlooked, Abu Dhabi is the soul behind the UAE’s ambition. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the most beautiful buildings on Earth — 82 domes, 1,000 columns, and white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones that glow gold and rose at sunset. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel, sits on a waterfront breakwater under a geometric dome that creates a rain of light.
Downtown Dubai is a district built entirely around the concept of spectacle — the Burj Khalifa at 828 metres, the Dubai Fountain dancing over a 30-hectare artificial lake, and the Dubai Mall with an indoor ice rink, aquarium, and waterfall. Yet a 15-minute walk away, the historic Al Fahidi neighbourhood offers a glimpse of old Dubai — wind-tower houses, spice and gold souks, and dhow crossings on the Creek that have changed very little in 200 years.
The Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga are Morocco’s most otherworldly landscape — 150-metre golden sand dunes that rise from a flat stone desert with theatrical suddenness. A camel trek into the dunes at sunset, followed by a night in a luxury desert camp under a sky so clear the Milky Way is a physical presence overhead, is one of North Africa’s defining travel experiences. The route from Marrakech through the Draa Valley and kasbahs is the most scenic road journey in Morocco.
Cairo is one of the world’s great megacities — 20 million people, an ancient river, and 5,000 years of layered history. The Egyptian Museum houses the world’s greatest collection of ancient artefacts including the complete treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb. The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx stand 30 minutes from the city centre at the edge of the Sahara. Islamic Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili bazaar, the Al-Azhar Mosque, and the Coptic quarter add civilisational depth to an already overwhelming city.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the most extraordinary wildlife destinations on the planet. This ancient rainforest — over 25,000 years old — shelters nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. A gorilla trekking permit grants you one unforgettable hour with a habituated family. Bwindi also offers superb birding, Batwa pygmy cultural encounters, and waterfall hikes through jungle that feels entirely primeval.
Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest national park and home to one of nature’s most dramatic spectacles — the Nile River squeezed through a 7-metre gorge with a thundering roar audible kilometres away. The northern savannah supports Uganda’s largest elephant population, resident lions, Rothschild giraffe, buffalo, and enormous hippo pods. The signature Nile boat cruise, drifting […]
Diani Beach consistently ranks among Africa’s finest coastal destinations. Fourteen kilometres of powder-white sand backed by coconut palms and a protected coral reef make this the Indian Ocean’s most accessible tropical paradise. The water is calm, warm, and crystal-clear inside the reef — perfect for snorkelling, diving, and kite-surfing. Day trips to Shimba Hills elephant sanctuary and Colobus monkey forest add wildlife depth to the beach experience.
