An important link in trade routes between Sumeria and the Indus Valley over 5,000 years ago, Bahrain lays claim to a long and fascinating history; a feature we discover for ourselves with visits to museums, burial sites, palaces and ancient forts that meticulously trace the region's architectural and archaeological past over millennium. To appreciate fully this bountiful country's present, we mingle with the locals and barter for art - and craftwork at various traditional markets (souks) alive with profusions of colors, sounds and aromas.
In Qatar, we come across a country that has transformed itself from a poor British protectorate to a nation that boasts one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. We meander through vegetable and fish markets, browse stalls brimming with artifacts, weapons, Bedouin jewelery and traditional clothing at the Central Market, and take a trip down to the waterside to see distinctive and traditional seafaring vessels before we make headway for the UAE and the ultra-modern city of Abu Dhabi. Few, if any, structures in this glittering, multi-ethnic metropolis are over 30 years old and we spend time marveling at the broad avenues and futuristic buildings this small piece of desert which has been transformed into one of the world's most technically advanced cities by the oil industry.
We visit the beautiful mosques of Dubai - perhaps the pinnacle of Islamic architecture as well as mud-walled forts that now house museums and old, wind-tower houses that are reminiscent of the days before electricity and air-conditioning. Along steep mountain gorges and wadis and past jagged mountains that fringe deserted, white beaches and on to the bluest of azure seas, we travel to Oman, a country whose tribal past is evident at every turn.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- All transport, accommodation, sightseeing and entrance fees for sites noted as 'visited' in the detailed itinerary
- Gratuities for drivers, restaurant staff, porters, local guides
- Airport transfers for land / air customers arriving / departing on tour dates.
Price Excludes:
- Tour Leader gratuities, lunches, drinks, personal items (phone, laundry, etc), international (if applicable) and domestic air taxes, and any excursions referenced as 'optional'
- Airport transfers for early / late arrivals / departures or Land Only customers
- Optional trip cancellation insurance
- Our post-reservation trip notes offer further guidance on shopping, not included meals, visas, and locally-paid departure taxes.
Also see tour packages in:
Middle East
Bahrain
Qatar
Oman
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
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