Picture this with us, it’s the holidays, and you haven’t been outside your country in 2 years, and now you have the opportunity to do so, but at the same time, you do not feel like spending those end-of-year holidays the same old school way. We’ve got you covered with our recommendations for spending the best holidays the Middle Eastern way. Let’s go! 

First and foremost, we’ll take you on a small tour to Lebanon.

Lebanon is going through an economic crisis. But for you as a tourist, this means Happy celebrations without spending all of your savings. How fun can this be!? In Lebanon, everything is so close by that you can do several things on the same day. We highly recommend starting your day with a winery visit, as Lebanon is known for its variety of wineries, but the trendiest of all would be Ksara Winery in the Bekaa; this old and vintage winery is simply a to-go place, and you’ve got the opportunity to visit its caves after watching a docu-series about the history of the winery, as well as have a tasting session in addition to having lunch in its restaurant – we promise you tasty foods and a warm time-. After that, you can tour the Down Town of Zahlé and enjoy this beautiful city when covered in snow. For your coming days, we suggest you spend a day or two in the city of Beirut, where you can enjoy the lights of Downtown and have a walk in the beautiful streets of Beirut, and have a drink in the warm and cozy pubs of Gemmayze. And if you’re visiting your family or just here for a vacation, we highly recommend you visit Batroun and Jbeil, to sightsee the lights and decorated trees, and enjoy some traditional tasty food.

On a warmer note, we suggest the United Arab Emirate – or the UAE for short – for a “summery” feel and more sun than rain for the end of year holidays.

Without hesitation, we highly and extremely advise you to schedule an Expo 2020 visit. You cannot go wrong with a day spent there, with all the cultures you will be introduced to and all the beauty you will see. In addition, we propose to you two places to visit first you’ve got to go to the Dubai Mall, believe us when we say even men love it when roaming around the floors of the Dubai Mall. On a higher scale and “budget” you’ve got the BurjKhalifa, the highest building in the world to date! If you’re in Abu Dhabi, you’ve got the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a spiritual place that is open for the public, as well as the Emirates Palace, a palace made of gold. Trust us, we’ve seen it with our own eyes. You can always choose to go to the Ferrari World if you’re a fan of such sports and cars. The UAE is full of places to visit and enjoy some quality time, especially this time of year.

Ah, Bahrain, beautiful Bahrain with many sites to visit and see.

The most prominent one is none other than Manama City, one of the best Bahrain attractions that reflect a beautiful combination of traditional with contemporary style. For another fun ride in Bahrain, you’ve got to visit The Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park, a big fun water park for adults and kids alike, where winter nights by the beach are organized, among other magical things to do. On a historical scale, the Kingdom of Bahrain offers you 50 natural islands and 33 artificial islands to enjoy. 

If we move a bit further from Bahrain, we’ve got Qatar, the country that has been booming lately, in addition to being the country that will host the World Cup in 2022, which made this country the talk of the town.

But until then, if you are visiting Qatar, we highly suggest you look up the Pearl Qatar for your stay, an artificial island spanning nearly four square kilometers. It is the first land in Qatar to be available for freehold ownership by foreign nationals. For a day spending, we suggest you spend the day in the Al-Rayyan Mall Qatar, the biggest mall in Doha, as it hosts several shops for all to enjoy.

In a more historical background and more sightseeing country, we’ve got Jordan, the country with many things to do, and where you can spend hours and still feel the need to stay for more because of its natural beauty.

To begin, you’ve got to surely spend Christmas in Petra, for a regular visit and day spending, and at night with the beautiful lighting, warm feels, and the different vibes it gives you than any other country. Other than that, you could spend the day in the Dead Sea and practice a one-of-a-kind experience. Of course and not to forget camping at Wadi Rum – didn’t we tell you Jordan is different? ­ –

And to finish, the country we thought of ending this trip with is Egyptthe Mother of the World, the country that goes way back in history and civilization, and what a country that is.

From the various things you can do in Egypt, we suggest, first and foremost, to enjoy December 24th at the Giza Pyramids, with a lot of positive reviews and an affordable time spent. You’ll be able to see one of the eldest historical places built by humans and experience the Egyptian tradition. And most certainly, spend the Christmas Holiday with a Nile River Cruise. What a chance that would be to float on the Nile, the river that has witnessed many past events! And after your morning cruise, you can enjoy dinner and another night cruise on the Nile and see it from two different perspectives.

Of course, all these countries mentioned have several other things to discover and do, but that will be kept for another time.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year 2022.

Better’fly Team

Author Profile

Nathalie Jeha
Founder – CEO Better'fly Lebanon
General Manager - Certified Marketing Consultant