Try GOLD - Free
25 Offbeat Things To Do In The Middle East
Travel+Leisure India
|October 2020
A journey to the middle east comes with the promise of surreal landscapes, archaeological treasures, celebrated cultures, monuments of historic conflicts, and sacred sites. We’ve steered clear of cliches and curated a list of experiences that will awaken the intrepid explorer in you.
1 VISIT THE EMPTY QUARTER IN OMAN
The enigma of Oman’s Rub Al Khali, or the Empty Quarter as it is widely known, is so great that it isn’t advisable to venture there without a reliable guide. Thankfully, a few reputed tour operators offer full-day private trips to the gargantuan desertland from Salalah. Viator lets you drive to this untouched region with a guide who can handle off-road trails and will ensure you don’t get lost. Go dune-bashing, check out the ruins of Ubar—the lost city that is said to be swallowed by the desert—and absorb the remote emptiness of the land at Thumrait, which was once a famous Bedouin settlement and an important point on caravan routes. viator.com

2 GO BACK IN TIME AT ALULA, SAUDI ARABIA
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Travel+Leisure India.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Travel+Leisure India
Travel+Leisure India
YOUR BEST SHOT
THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS taken in Kenjakura on a quiet November morning, where dewdrops clung delicately to a spider's web, turning it into a shimmering necklace of light.
1 min
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
the FINNISH line
On a tour of the frozen waters of Finland, Boris Fishman tries to instill in his six-year-old daughter his love of skating and food.
13 mins
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
Ethical Observation
From the forests of Karnataka, where she once tracked tigers on foot, to the halls of national policy-making, Dr Krithi K Karanth has spent her life at the crossroads of wildlife and the human world. Globally recognised, most recently as the first Indian honoured by the Royal Geographical Society of London, she speaks to Rishika Singh about the realities of conservation in India and how travellers can engage responsibly with the natural world.
3 mins
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
Tryst with Nature
When Afroz Shah saw his childhood beach become a dumping ground, he acted. Inspired by the nation's forefathers, he studied law to serve the country. Since then, he has led circular economy programmes across Maharashtra, kept over 500,000 kg of single-use plastic out of water bodies, and earned the UN's 'Champion of the Earth' title.
3 mins
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
Electric Bloom
Johor, the southernmost state of Malaysia, features sun-kissed beaches, bold flavours, and lush landscapes.
5 mins
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
A SOFT ESCAPE with MRUNAL THAKUR
MAAHI SHAH traces Mrunal Thakur's reflections on shifting worlds, meaningful travel, and the quiet pull of home
8 mins
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
A SOULFUL GETAWAY
Tucked into a quiet fold of the Aravalli hills in Rajasthan, Ananta Resort & Spa, Ajabgarh offers both the quietude of nature and echoes of the region's history.
3 mins
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
Into the Wild
Outpost 12 is a forest-first safari lodge that blends adventure, culture, and conscious luxury.
1 min
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
Wild World
At five, she knew she wanted to film the untamed wild. By 18, she was pursuing her ultimate dream. Malaika Vaz is a filmmaker, co-founder and CEO of Untamed Planet, a film production company to bring raw, immersive, and impactful stories of our planet to inspire people, give them a gentle nudge to be better, and mostly, to protect the natural world. From Rwanda to Northern Colombia, Vaz is set on making the world a better place, one film at a time
4 mins
April 2026
Travel+Leisure India
A SLOW REVIVAL
Travellers, young and old, have found a piece of themselves in Goa. From quiet, sunlit yoga mornings to raging late nights, many-especially millennials-recall their first taste of freedom here, often marked by that first drink. Goa has long offered respite, rest and release, remaining a destination of choice for many.
4 mins
April 2026
Translate
Change font size

