Arabian Peninsula Travel Stories

Mar 25, 2019 • 5 min read

Dubai loves to shop. The city has just about perfected the art of the mall, which is the de facto air-conditioned 'town commons', the place to go with the…

Mar 7, 2019 • 6 min read

Nowhere does next-level opulence like the United Arab Emirates, and in our perpetually moving world, simply savouring silence has become the next sought…

Feb 28, 2019 • 3 min read

Dubai may be home to the biggest mall in the world, and consumerism might possibly be in the city’s very DNA, but there are alternatives to chain store…

Feb 26, 2019 • 4 min read

While Dubai has plenty of intriguing cuisines on offer, from Pakistani and Peruvian to Ethiopian and Iranian, it's always been a little trickier to find…

Feb 26, 2019 • 5 min read

Dubai endlessly pursues world records and over-the-top opulence, but even in the shadow of the world’s tallest building and beyond the shimmer of the…

Feb 25, 2019 • 6 min read

Move over Orlando. Not content with boasting the world’s tallest building, an indoor ski slope and a palm-shaped island, Dubai is now also striving to…

Jan 18, 2019 • 6 min read

Usually known for its desert climate and sweltering heat, Dubai boasts balmy winters that are the exception to the rule. By early November, temperatures…

Dec 19, 2018 • 6 min read

It may seem counter-intuitive to come to sunny, beach-filled Dubai and spend an afternoon on an industrial estate, but behind the close-mouthed concrete…

Dec 18, 2018 • 7 min read

In Saudi Arabia’s capital city, the art scene is buzzing with a swell of local artists anxious to showcase their talents to a growing admiring public…

Dec 7, 2018 • 6 min read

Many travellers imagine that visiting Dubai as a woman is much more difficult, complicated and stressful than it actually is. Dubai ranks high on the list…

Aug 17, 2018 • 4 min read

Lonely Planet Local Hayley Skirka has been resident in the United Arab Emirates for nearly 10 years, most of them spent in Dubai. After all this time in…

Aug 9, 2018 • 5 min read

With more than 2000km of coastline, Oman is a spectacular dive destination with many of the same species of coral and marine life as the Red Sea, but a…

Aug 2, 2018 • 7 min read

Where desert sands and teal seas meet dazzling hotels and Aladdinesque markets, you'll find a city in which cultures converge. As photogenic as it is…

Jul 3, 2018 • 5 min read

Frankincense, an aromatic resin harvested from the sap of scraggly desert trees, has been treasured for thousands of years for its distinctive fragrance…

Jun 11, 2018 • 4 min read

Five years ago, Lonely Planet Local Polly Byles followed her heart to join the man she loves in the Middle East. She didn’t know a great deal about the…

May 8, 2018 • 6 min read

Qatar is well known for its towering skyscrapers, luxury hotels and impressive feats of engineering that have enabled the cosmopolitan city of Doha to…

Apr 27, 2018 • 5 min read

There can be few places on earth changing faster than Doha right now – in true Gulf style, the cityscape of Qatar’s capital is rising as steadily as a…

Apr 17, 2018 • 4 min read

More than 200 islands lie within reach of Abu Dhabi’s coastline, scattered across the Gulf beneath cloudless blue skies. Easily accessible islands such as…

Apr 17, 2018 • 4 min read

As one of the richest cities on earth, Abu Dhabi is the king of bling and an expert at showcasing the sublime. Picture white-domed mosques, candy cane…

Apr 17, 2018 • 5 min read

Abu Dhabi's humble roots are difficult to unearth. Following its oil boom, the city has become a playground for the Gulf’s rich and famous. But beyond the…

Apr 17, 2018 • 5 min read

Abu Dhabi might get flak for its supposed superficial sheen of modernity and luxury, but bubbling away below the surface is a thriving centre of arts and…

Mar 22, 2018 • 3 min read

Lonely Planet Local Lindsey Parry has been living in Abu Dhabi for more than five years, amongst its welcoming community and wealth of historical charms…