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Cairo is more than camels and desert, although they have that too. The areas around the Nile are green and lush with trees. Sometimes when I’m walking in Dokki or Zamalek I feel like I’m walking in my hometown in downtown Chico. Unlike the posh island of Zamalek, that’s filled with expats, Dokki is quite authentic. This bustling very local area is full of interesting and unusual restaurants such as my favorite, the Yemeni restaurant. You can also find delicious Sudanese food nearby.

If all you really want to do on your Bahamian visit is relax on the beach, this is the spot for you. A short ride from downtown Nassau (every taxi driver knows where it is), it has everything necessary for a fun morning or afternoon in the sun: a stretch of powdery white sand, calm waters that are perfect for swimming and surrounding resorts where you can stop in to get a bite, order drinks and rent water-sports equipment.

Why we love it: A luxury campsite with bubble tents for sleeping under the stars

The Highlights:
- Bubble tents with private bathrooms so you can camp in luxury
- An on-site restaurant and lounge area decorated with traditional Arabian furniture
- Activities like four-by-four and camel tours of Wadi Rum

The Review:
A night at Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp makes you feel as if you’re exploring some alien world. Here, a long boardwalk links a collection of space-like silver bubbles that are actually inflatable tents, kept round and sturdy by a nifty airlock entrance that enhances the extraterrestrial vibe. Inside, guests will find their own bed and even a small bathroom with a shower, but the real highlight comes at night when you can pull back the external shade on your bubble and gaze through the domed ceiling at the Milky Way (there’s no need to worry about privacy, as domes are arranged to create distance from your neighbors). Things come back down to earth in the communal dining tent made from traditional Bedouin wool, though the contrast can make your space-age accommodation feel even more surreal.

Should you prefer something slightly more traditional, the camp is also home to 25 glamping tents, equipped with Bedouin sofas, mirrors, lamps, king-size beds dressed in the finest linens, and electricity in the evenings via solar power. Each tent also has a private terrace overlooking the Wadi Rum mountains, and there’s a cozy common area where you can watch the stars at night. During the day, the staff provides four-by-four and camel tours of the surrounding desert, complete with opportunities for sunset photography and delicious meals back at the camp.

If the hustle and bustle of Pune gets too much, escape to a themed Rajasthani village for a few hours. Chokhi Dhani is a mock-up Rajasthani village that comes alive in the evening and transports its visitors to a simpler, more carefree place. The village is set up like a village fair, with a crafts market, local artisans hawking their talents, and even camel rides. Authentic replicas of traditional Rajasthani dwellings double as venues for art and music. Your kids will love the traditional puppet shows and the magic. You can also try your hand at Indian fair games, have a henna tattoo, or consult with astrologers and fortune-telling parrots. The entry ticket includes the option for a vegetarian Rajasthani meal.

While the Nabateans were certainly based in Petra, the civilization spread its influence far beyond the city’s walls. One of their main trade routes passed through Wadi Rum, where they left several fascinating petroglyphs carved into the craggy rocks. Some of the best examples can be found on the rocks at Alameleh; look closely at the cliffs and crevices and you’ll discover charming herds of camels and lively hunting scenes.

Including Alameleh, there are more than 20,000 petroglyphs in Wadi Rum, some pre-dating the Nabateans and others as recent as the early Islamic period. At Jebel Umm al-Ishrin, there are some particularly fine depictions of desert animals as well as ancient Kufic inscriptions—an early form of Arabic script.

The Mendoza Zoological Park stretches 100-acres in General San Martin Park and is home to over a thousand animals including a lion, leopard, elephant, zebra, buffalo, camel, flamingos and seals to list a few. The original zoo was built in 1903 as part of the park’s original design by landscape architect Carlos Thays, but was moved to its present location near Cerro de la Gloria in 1941. The new zoo was designed with semi open enclosures that simulate the animal’s natural habitat. Guided visits are offered. Entrance fee: 10 pesos for children; 25 pesos for adults. The safest way to arrive is by car or bus rather than on foot. Av. Libertador S/N, General San Martin Park, Mendoza; +56 261 444 4411

Built in the style of a desert fortress near an endurance horseracing center 45 minutes from the city of Dubai, the family-friendly Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa wraps around an oasis and looks out over gently rolling sand dunes that guests explore by 4x4, horse, camel, and mountain bike. Rooms with private balconies or garden patios cluster in double-story buildings that surround courtyards, shaded corridors, and infinity pools. Stone bathtubs, wood furniture, chests, kelims, colorful textiles, and a reproduction spice souk create a Disney-meets-Bedouin lifestyle setting. For peace and quiet, stay during the week, since the main restaurant fills on weekends with locals and bus tours.

Ali Baba has been serving visitors to Aqaba for so long it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that Lawrence of Arabia once hitched his camel outside to take his lunch. It’s definitely an institution, and one that spills out from its air-conditioned salons to the sidewalks of old Aqaba. There are two ways to go with the menu here. Choose the traditional Jordanian option and enjoy an endless stream of delicious mezes, or take advantage of the fact that you’re on the water and order the catch of the day, most likely unloaded from the port just a few hours earlier. Aqaba’s relaxed atmosphere means that, unlike most other places in Jordan, you can indulge in an alcoholic drink while dining at Ali Baba in full public view.

Because you won’t regret it. Whatever Amtrak’s reputation, this has to be one of the best train rides - and the best train services - in the USA. We actually started our rail journey in Vancouver and made our way, haltingly, down the West coast line, but it was the 19-hour stretch after leaving Portland that really astonished us. From the moment you leave the city and head out through the farmlands and small towns of Oregon, the surprises never stop. A spacious and restful observation car gave us the chance to watch the ever-changing scenery go by - hills, woods, even volcanoes, before heading up into the mountains for the spectacular lakes and forests of the Cascades. Once the sun had gone down, and we’d enjoyed a sociable dinner in the dining car, we got a really decent night’s sleep in our two-person roomette (bunk beds). But it was breakfast the next morning that proved the greatest thrill - the landscape suddenly turning to camel-coloured hills, then marshland, then, finally, the sweeping San Francisco bay. Could not recommend this journey more - it’s decent value, too.

To immerse yourself in the life of a Moroccan housewife, take a stroll through the fresh-produce market of R’cif, which winds through the lower part of the Fes medina. Plan to arrive by 10 a.m. when the market really gets going (by 11:30 a.m., it’s packed). In addition to browsing stalls of plump fruit and vegetables from farms in the Middle Atlas, you can snack here, too: hot trid—a gossamer-thin pastry baked over a rounded clay pot or “egg”—and irresistible meloui (multiple layers of dough that become soft and flaky as they are cooked) stuffed with spiced onions. Don’t miss seeing the infamously grumpy camel butcher whose signage is a real camel’s head hanging from a hook. Around lunchtime, mastermind your way deep into the souks to find the Achabine area, where the city’s best street food vendors ply their trade. The dishes served up here built this city and continue to do so every lunchtime: comforting bessara (split-pea or broad-bean soup) and harira (a Moroccan staple of chickpeas, lentils, and lamb broth); sardines doused in charmoula and deep-fried until crunchy; hard-boiled eggs dipped in cumin. Come in the evening if you crave bite-sized brochettes of tender lamb and spiced liver.

Opulent is the word that may occur to you as you stroll into this split-level steakhouse. The art deco-inspired main dining room features oak pillars, camel-colored banquettes, and a jaw-dropping six-tiered brass and crystal chandelier. Upstairs, diners sit on a teak terrace with views of the San Diego skyline. A meal here often includes a show: Many dishes from caesar salad to Tournedos Rossini are prepared and served tableside from custom-made carts. The star of the menu is the Creekstone Farms Beef which has been dry-aged in a glass-enclosed meat locker for more than 25 days. Dry-aged duck and lamb, vegan tartares, and vegetable side dishes like leeks roasted over coals, or broccoli with salty bagna cauda round out the menu. Executive Chef Jason McCleod earned two Michelin stars working at Ria at the Elysian in Chicago. While Born & Raised is a high-end venue, the service is friendly and laid back with suit-clad servers sporting sneakers.

Whether you want to explore the stretch of sand dunes 40 minutes outside of Dubai or visit the largest expanse of uninhabited desert in the world, known as the Empty Quarter, a desert safari is the way to do it. There are any number of tour companies that will set you up for the adventure, which usually includes exhilarating (sometimes terrifying) dune-bashing rides, in which you’ll slide up and down the dunes in a 4x4; an Emirati-style supper under the stars; and, of course, a camel ride. Platinum Heritage can tailor its outings to the needs of your particular group.

In the Palmerie neighborhood outside of town, ethno-botanist Gary Martin and his wife, interior designer Meryanne Loum-Martin, have created a fairytale oasis—whose name translates to “big garden”—with five houses, five pools, and beautiful green spaces spread over nine lush acres. Set in three different villas, the 24 uniquely designed, boho-chic rooms range from the Small (which can be tight and somewhat dark) to the more spacious Standard, Large, Garden, and Pavilion options, which feature plenty of light and perks like fireplaces, terraces, king beds, and artisan details.

When not lounging around one of the pools, guests can play a set on the clay tennis courts, wander around the botanical gardens, take a Moroccan cooking class with Chef Bahija, or explore the surrounding area by bike, vintage sidecar, or camel. Kids are more than welcome here and can look forward to such programming as calligraphy and magic classes, while adults can expect in-room massages and outdoor yoga classes. Breakfast is included in the room rate and, like all meals, can be enjoyed in various spaces around the hotel. Dinner is particularly magical when served underneath countless glowing lanterns.

Some experienced travelers would never consider a hotel a “sight,” but Emirates Palace is a full-blown spectacle. A world onto itself, this luxurious spot opened in 2006 to the tune of roughly $6 billion with every conceivable amenity—plus a few you never knew you needed. There’s a beach club with a lazy river, football fields, and nearly four miles of jogging paths; a golf course where you can get tips from a PGA pro; a Bedouin tent for relaxing before a beachfront camel ride; and a luxury spa complete with Moroccan hammam. Marble and gold embellish surfaces everywhere on the property, including in the magnificent tiled dome above the lobby. Whether or not you feel like shelling out serious dough to say you stayed here, you won’t regret a stroll in the lobby for curiosity’s sake.

With two hiking trails ascending 1,280 feet to its peak, Camelback Mountain is a great option for nature-fiends who like a challenge. Both the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails exceed a mile in length and are accented with steep grades. Average hiking times range from 1.5 to 3 hours round-trip, so pack accordingly and bring enough water.