Climate and tourism advices today? With its endless golden sands, rugged canyons and sweeping star-studded skies, Wadi Rum is an adventurer’s paradise. Ideal for hiking, camel tours and even overnight stays in desert camps, this mystical land of shifting dunes and reddened sandstone has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is home to nomadic Bedouin tribes. It has stood in for Mars in several Hollywood films and was the location of the Lawrence of Arabia film in the 1960s. Want to see it for yourself? With Culture Trip, you can hike through Wadi Rum and stay in a traditional Bedouin campsite on our immersive nine-day Jordan adventure. See additional information on Define Places.
This large square at the entry to the medina is the center of Marrakesh life. The Djemaa El Fna (assembly place of the nobodies) is a vibrant hub of bric-a-brac stalls, musicians, storytellers, fortune-tellers, and snake charmers that never seems to rest. Here, the entire spectrum of Moroccan life enfolds before you. If being down among the thrum becomes too much, it’s also easy to escape to one of the many surrounding rooftop cafés and restaurants, where you can survey the crazy scene from above. The Koutoubia Mosque is Marrakesh’s most famous landmark with its striking, 70-meter-tall minaret visible for miles in every direction. Local Marrakesh legend tells that when first built, the muezzin (man who calls the faithful to pray) for this mosque had to be blind, as the minaret was so tall, it overlooked the ruler’s harem. The mosque was built in 1162 and is one of the great achievements of Almohad architecture. Non-Muslims are not allowed into the mosque itself.
Dubai Creek separates the city into two towns, with Deira to the north and Bur Dubai to the south. The creek has been an influential element in the city’s growth, first attracting settlers here to fish and pearl dive. Small villages grew up alongside the creek as far back as 4,000 years ago, while the modern era began in the 1830s when the Bani Yas tribe settled in the area. The Dhow Wharfage is located along Dubai Creek’s bank, north of Al-Maktoum Bridge. Still used by small traders from across the Gulf, some of the dhows anchored here are well over 100 years old. You can visit here, watching cargo being loaded and unloaded on and off the dhows. Dhow workers often invite visitors onto the vessels for a tour, where you can gain insight into the life of these traditional sailors. Many of the dhows here travel onward to Kuwait, Iran, Oman, India, and down to Africa’s horn. This tiny remnant of Dubai’s traditional economy is still a bustling and fascinating place to wander around.
The creek of Cala, now home to Sitimar Marina, has welcomed foreign sailors since Phoenician times. You can stroll into Palermo’s historic centre in the time it takes to eat a gelato. Find scores of moorings alongside friendly staff who can source ebike rentals and airport transfers. Book one of 70 or so berths online or call on VHF 74. Portorosa Marina is Sicily’s largest private port with 650 berths. From here it’s a shorter sail across to Vulcano, the closest Aeolian island. Anchor off Spiaggia di Sabbia Nera, a beautiful black-sand beach.
See the ruins of Hellenistic temples and foundations of Roman and early-Byzantine buildings at ancient Thira, located on the southeast coast of Santorini. Ancient Thira dates back to the ninth century BC. Among the ruins, you’ll find religious sites, a theater, a gym for military trainees, and old administrative buildings. Finds from the site are also displayed in the archaeology museum of Fira. Lying close to the upper station of the cable-car in Fira, the small archaeological museum displays finds from Ancient Thira, ranging from the Dorian, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Inscriptions dating from the Archaic to the Roman period, clay figurines of animals, and beautiful ceramic pottery are some of the finds exhibited at this museum.
Of course, you can also do the 3-night adventure starting in Panama City and also returning to Panama City. This is a great option if you don’t plan on visiting Colombia (although you should!) You can book this 4 day San Blas Island tour from Panama City (back to Panama City) with the company San Blas Adventures (who I did my tour with.) However, if you’re just reading about the islands now or you’re short on time, you can actually do day trips and overnight tours from Panama City. This way you won’t miss out on your taste of paradise. This specific day tour takes you to visit 4 islands in one day from Panama City. With that said, I will warn you it involves just over 6 hours of driving and the tour lasts for 14 hours! Instead, I would highly suggest doing an overnight tour like this one. They’re not much more expensive and you’ll only do 3 hours of driving each day and spend way more time enjoying the stunning islands.