Culture
Egypt · Cairo
Cairo
The Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum's incomparable treasures
Region · Africa & Middle East · 68 destinations
Africa & the Middle East —
beyond the postcards.
68 hand-picked destinations across Africa and the Middle East — from Chefchaouen and Lalibela to Bazaruto, the Empty Quarter and the Maldives of the Atlantic.
Africa is the region most under-represented in mainstream travel media — too often reduced to a single safari headline. Our coverage spans the Mediterranean north, the Nile, the Sahel, the Indian Ocean coast, and the southern wilderness, plus the entire Middle East. 68 destinations, each hand-picked.
Filter by theme or budget to narrow. Highlights include Chefchaouen, Lalibela, Bazaruto, AlUla, Wadi Rum and Lamu Island.
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10 questions about your travel style, budget and dates. We'll match you to your top 3 from 68 africa & middle east options.
Status
Type
Budget
Culture
Egypt · Giza
Giza Pyramids
Last surviving wonder of the ancient world, still standing 4500 years on — everything else is commentary.
Culture
Egypt · Luxor
Luxor
Karnak, Valley of the Kings, sunrise balloons over the Nile — greatest open-air museum in the world.
Culture💎 Gem
Egypt · Aswan
Aswan Nile Cruise
Felucca sails between Aswan and Luxor, Abu Simbel's giant statues at dawn — Egypt slow-travel at its finest.
Adventure💎 Gem
Egypt · Matruh
Siwa Oasis
Berber oasis deep in the Western Desert, Oracle of Alexander, hot springs, date palms, dune sandboarding.
Beach
Egypt · Red Sea
Hurghada
Red Sea coral reefs in warm clear water all year — budget diving, all-inclusive resorts, desert at the back.
Culture
Jordan · Amman
Amman
Seven hills, Roman theatre, mansaf at family tables — Arab cosmopolitan capital with the Citadel above.
Adventure
Jordan · Ma'an
Petra Wadi Rum
The rose-red city carved in rock, camping under stars in the desert and the Dead Sea
Luxury
Jordan · Balqa
Dead Sea
Lowest point on earth, float-not-swim salinity, black mud spas, biblical landscape — the anti-gym vacation.
City💎 Gem
Oman · Muscat
Muscat
Dubai's soulful cousin — whitewashed low-rise city, Grand Mosque, dhows in the harbor, mountains right behind.
Adventure💎 Gem
Oman · Wahiba Sands
Oman Desert
Rub al Khali dune camping, wadis, forts and the most welcoming people in Arabia
Nature💎 Gem
Oman · Musandam
Oman Musandam
Norway of Arabia: Khasab dhow cruises through rocky fjords, dolphins at the bow, snorkeling from the deck.
Beach💎 Gem
Oman · Dhofar
Salalah
Arabian coast's monsoon secret — during Khareef (June-Sept), desert turns green, waterfalls run, frankincense land.
Nature
Turkey · Nevsehir
Cappadocia
Fairy chimneys, cave hotels and hot air balloon flights at sunrise over a lunar landscape
Nature💎 Gem
Turkey · Denizli
Pamukkale
White travertine terraces cascading down a hillside, Roman Hierapolis ruins on top — natural geology gone sci-fi.
Beach
Turkey · Antalya
Antalya
Turquoise Coast's biggest resort, Roman Perge ruins inland, all-inclusive at any price point — Turkish Riviera.
Beach💎 Gem
Turkey · Mugla
Bodrum
Turkey's St Tropez — gulet cruises along the Aegean, whitewashed villages on the peninsula, late-night beach clubs.
Culture💎 Gem
Turkey · Izmir
Ephesus
Greco-Roman city of 250000 still largely standing — Library of Celsus facade, marble main street, Virgin Mary's house.
City
United Arab Emirates · Dubai
Dubai
The Burj Khalifa, luxury shopping, desert safaris and futuristic architecture
Luxury
United Arab Emirates · Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi and opulent desert resorts
Adventure💎 Gem
Saudi Arabia · Medina
AlUla
Nabataean tombs in red rock (Hegra, sister to Petra), Saudi's first tourism flagship — access now, queue later.
City💎 Gem
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh
Riyadh
Skyscrapers over the Najd desert, Diriyah heritage quarter, Edge of the World cliff drive — Saudi opening up fast.
Culture💎 Gem
Saudi Arabia · Makkah Region
Jeddah
Red Sea port, Al-Balad coral-stone old town reborn, street art renaissance — the laid-back Saudi alternative.
City💎 Gem
Qatar · Doha
Doha
Souq Waqif, Museum of Islamic Art, desert dunes and hyper-modern luxury
Culture
Morocco · Marrakech-Safi
Marrakech
Spice-scented souks, rooftop sunsets over the medina and palatial riads to retreat to
Culture
Morocco · Fes-Meknes
Fez
The world's largest car-free urban area — a medieval labyrinth unchanged for 1000 years
Culture💎 Gem
Morocco · Tangier-Tetouan
Chefchaouen
The Blue City — an entire mountain town painted in ethereal shades of blue and indigo
Beach💎 Gem
Morocco · Marrakech-Safi
Essaouira
Blue fishing boats, rampart walks, Atlantic winds and the most relaxed medina in Morocco
Adventure💎 Gem
Morocco · Draa-Tafilalet
Sahara Trek
Camel trekking through Erg Chebbi's dunes and the most starred sky on Earth
City💎 Gem
Morocco · Tangier-Tetouan
Tangier
Gateway between Europe and Africa, William Burroughs' Interzone — reborn medina, rooftop cafes over the Strait.
Culture💎 Gem
Tunisia · Tunis
Tunis
Medina intact since the 7th century, Carthage ruins 20 min away, cafes spilling on white-and-blue streets.
Beach💎 Gem
Tunisia · Djerba
Djerba
Island of palm groves where Ulysses lost half his crew to the lotus — now Djerbahood street art and all-inclusive.
Culture💎 Gem
Tunisia · Tunis
Sidi Bou Said
Cliff-top village of cobalt blue doors and whitewashed walls — Paul Klee's favorite, Mediterranean in one picture.
Adventure
Kenya · Narok
Masai Mara
Hot air ballooning over golden savannah, lions at dawn and the spectacular river crossing
Beach💎 Gem
Kenya · Kwale
Diani Beach
White-sand Swahili coast south of Mombasa — colobus monkeys in the trees, kitesurfing, safari combo in 3 hours.
Adventure
Tanzania · Kilimanjaro Region
Kilimanjaro
Africa's highest peak — 5895m accessible without technical climbing skills
Nature
Tanzania · Mara Region
Serengeti
The Great Migration — 1.5 million wildebeest crossing the Mara River in nature's greatest show
Beach
Tanzania · Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Turquoise Indian Ocean, white sand, Swahili spice culture and Stone Town's labyrinth
Culture💎 Gem
Tanzania · Zanzibar
Stone Town
Arab, Indian and African cultures fused into labyrinthine alleys and ornate carved doors
Adventure💎 Gem
Uganda · Kanungu
Bwindi Gorillas
One hour face-to-face with mountain gorillas in cloud forest — $800 permit, half the world's population lives here.
City💎 Gem
Uganda · Wakiso
Entebbe
Gateway town on Lake Victoria — botanical gardens, chimp sanctuary at Ngamba Island, gentle first-day-in-Africa landing.
Adventure💎 Gem
Uganda · Kasese
Queen Elizabeth NP
Tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, chimps in Kyambura Gorge, boat safaris on the Kazinga Channel — Uganda's flagship.
Luxury💎 Gem
Rwanda · Kigali
Kigali
Africa's cleanest city, mountain gorilla tracking and a remarkable story of growth
Nature
South Africa · Western Cape
Cape Town
Table Mountain, penguins, wine regions and one of the planet's most dramatic coastlines
Adventure
South Africa · Mpumalanga
Kruger Park
Africa's self-drive safari for beginners and budgets — Big Five in a rental car, rest camps for $50/night.
Luxury
South Africa · Mpumalanga
Singita Kruger
Private game reserve, Big Five from the verandah, bush dinners and absolute safari perfection
Nature💎 Gem
South Africa · Western Cape
Garden Route
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth over 10 days — whales at Hermanus, bungee jump at Bloukrans, elephants at Addo.
Luxury💎 Gem
South Africa · Western Cape
Stellenbosch
South Africa's wine capital — Cape Dutch gables, Chenin Blanc, farm-to-table restaurants at half European prices.
City💎 Gem
South Africa · Gauteng
Johannesburg
Apartheid Museum, Soweto bicycle tours, Maboneng art precinct — Africa's complicated, vital, culturally dominant city.
Beach💎 Gem
South Africa · KwaZulu-Natal
Durban
Warmest African beach city — Indian-South African curry hybrid, Golden Mile surf, Drakensberg mountains 3 hours away.
Nature💎 Gem
Namibia · Hardap
Sossusvlei
World's tallest dunes (325m), blackened Deadvlei trees against red sand — lunar-surreal Namib.
City💎 Gem
Namibia · Erongo
Swakopmund
German colonial architecture meets Atlantic desert — sandboarding, skydiving over dunes, schnitzel on the Atlantic.
Nature💎 Gem
Botswana · North-West
Okavango Delta
A river that ends in a desert — Africa's most pristine wildlife paradise accessible by mokoro
Adventure💎 Gem
Botswana · Chobe
Chobe
Highest elephant density in Africa — river boats passing 100-strong herds drinking at sunset, Victoria Falls next door.
Adventure
Zimbabwe/Zambia · Zambezi
Victoria Falls
The world's largest curtain of falling water — bungee jumping and white water rafting
Adventure💎 Gem
Zambia · Eastern Province
South Luangwa
Walking safari's birthplace — leopards at night, hippos en masse in the Luangwa, camps you reach only by 4x4.
Luxury💎 Gem
Mozambique · Inhambane
Bazaruto
Archipelago of dune islands off Mozambique — dugong sanctuary, sailing dhows, lodges that bring honeymoons back.
Beach💎 Gem
Malawi · Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Third-largest lake in Africa, 1000 cichlid species for snorkelers — sand beaches, thatch lodges, zero crowds.
Nature💎 Gem
Madagascar · Various Regions
Madagascar
Lemurs, baobab avenues, chameleons and 90% of species found nowhere else on Earth
Beach💎 Gem
Madagascar · Diana
Nosy Be
Volcanic island off Madagascar's north — ylang-ylang perfume scent, whale-shark swims in September, creole cooking.
Adventure💎 Gem
Reunion · Indian Ocean
Reunion Island
French overseas island with three cirques, active volcano, creole curries and vanilla vines — Hawaii's quiet cousin.
Luxury
Mauritius · Indian Ocean
Mauritius
Coral reefs, rainforests, waterfalls and luxury resorts on a volcanic paradise
Beach💎 Gem
Cape Verde · Atlantic Ocean
Cape Verde
West African archipelago with Cesaria Evora's morna in every bar — Santo Antao hiking, Sal kitesurfing, lobster all you can eat.
Culture💎 Gem
Senegal · Dakar
Dakar
Goree Island's slavery weight, mbalax at 2am, tieboudienne at every corner — West Africa's cultural HQ.
Culture💎 Gem
Senegal · Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis
French colonial island-city at the Senegal river mouth, famed jazz festival in May — former capital of French West Africa.
City💎 Gem
Ghana · Greater Accra
Accra
Afrobeats capital's beating heart — rooftop clubs in Osu, jollof rice debates, gentle introduction to West Africa.
Culture💎 Gem
Ghana · Central Region
Cape Coast
Cape Coast Castle's door of no return, Kakum canopy walks over rainforest — slave-trade history you feel in the walls.
City💎 Gem
Nigeria · Lagos
Lagos
Afrobeats planet's birthplace, Nollywood churning out films, 25 million people making it work — chaos as a feature.
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