Sun, sea and sand

With markets, mosques and island magic, DAVE MONK finds places to worship on a Persian Gulf cruise

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YOU don't need one thousand and one nights to see a lot of Arabia. By taking a cruise, you can visit several countries in just over a week - seeing not only their ports fringed by soaring skyscrapers but also exploring beyond the city limits.

During a voyage around the Persian Gulf, I did everything from dune bashing to dolphin spotting, from marvelling at mosques to viewing exotic wildlife on a sandy island. There's no need to break the bank, either, with fares beginning in the hundreds rather than thousands.

My adventure began in Doha, the capital of Qatar. After a night in a hotel after the flight from the UK, I boarded 1,260-passenger Celestyal Journey for the first of many sailaway parties, raising a glass as the futuristic skyline receded.

Arriving the next morning at the island nation of Bahrain, I joined an excursion to the capital Manama at the majestic Al Fateh Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world. Here, women were told to cover their hair and wear a long black cloak while men had to ensure their shoulders and legs weren't on show. All shoes were left at the entrance.

The impressive building, topped by a 60-ton dome, can house up to 7,000 worshippers at a time, so the gigantic carpet made in Northern Ireland takes a lot of wear.

Our tour moved on to the Bahrain National Museum with its fascinating display of a burial ground dating back to 2,800 BC - including the actual skeletons.

In this region, ancient monuments often sit right next to a modern metropolis, as we discovered at Bahrain Fort, a 16th-century Portuguese castle built on previous settlements dating back 5,000 years.

We visited a souk, or marketplace, selling items ranging from hand-woven rugs to electronics. We finished with meze and kebabs at a four-star beachfront hotel.