UK Flights to Middle East
Monday, June 1st, 2009The Middle East has had a mixed reputation in Europe. On one hand it has rich and prosperous lands with oil, but then there are also the troubles which plague the continent. The Middle East covers Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The area known as the Greater Middle East includes Afghanistan and Algeria, the area known as the Horn of Africa includes Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea. Without a doubt, there are stunning lands full of culture for the European tourist, although it always pays to be careful and do your research before you go due to safety concerns. As long as you travel with a reputable tour operator then you should have a safe trip.
Depending on where you fly there can be very few flights or many; Dubai, for example, is a very popular destination now with Brits so there is competition between Airlines. Other destinations however, like Iran maybe have limited flights and it isn?t recommended that you visit without a tour operator. Virgin, KLM, Continental, Qatar Airlines and Emirates are the major airlines that fly to the Middle East area.
Remember that these countries are Islamic countries, so this means that you will need to observe certain social rules; for example you should keep legs and shoulders covered when outdoors although there are various different rules depending on the country you visit. Dubai for example is comfortable with Western tourist, but somewhere like Iran will be stricter. You will need to check the current security levels before travelling as a British passport may not always be suitable for entry into all of the countries.
Middle East climate is very hot and is filled with desert. Some of the regions may experience droughts although there are some regions which are fertile and have forests and greenery. It all depends on your time of visit. In the summer months, the temperature soars up to 40 degrees Celsius; therefore carrying a sun cream is a must, if you come here facing the dusty sort of humidity.
The Middle East area is has much to explore; Jordan is one among the modern cities of Middle East. Tourists will find abundant architecture and food like kebabs, and national dishes, which may be well-known by the European tourist.
In Dubai there are plenty of shops and beaches; there are also pubs and bars for people to enjoy due to the more relaxed drinking laws, although as an Islamic country, there are still prayer times throughout the day. Dubai also has many art galleries with Arabic artefacts, so you can escape from the beaches if you want!
If you visit Israel, there are numerous churches and the bible lands to visit; there is also the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum, Yad Vashem, The Tower of David Museum, Baha?I Shrine and Gardens in Haifa etc. You can also try some traditional Israeli food, pickles, bagels and kebabs.