Middle East travel

January 12, 2020January 12, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 11 Comments

Tensions in the Middle East have ratcheted up since the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, while the unintentional shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger jet has done little to instill confidence in travellers to the region.

I’ve visited the Middle East several times over the last 15 years and discovered a compelling part of the world which has a lot to offer.

The futuristic desert cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are thrilling discoveries en route to chilled Indian Ocean beach holidays. Oman is more low-rise, restrained and authentic, but with a splash of luxury should you want it.

Further up the Gulf is the small state of Qatar, where I happily spent a week exploring capital city Doha and indulging in some dune bashing out in the desert. Jordan and Israel, meanwhile, have a wealth of historical treasures and the relaxing Dead Sea.

For sunshine seekers during the long UK winter, the Middle East presents opportunities for good weather and a seaside climate. But how do you decide if it’s safe to visit? Read more below the gallery

A taste of the Middle East. Click first image to view gallery

: Grand Sheik Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

: Highland town of Nizwa, Oman

: Israeli Dead Sea resort of Ein Bokek

: The Golden Masjid, Katara, Qatar

: Burj Khalifa, Dubai

: Muscat souk, Oman

: Inland Sea, Qatar

: Grand Sheik Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

: Doha, Qatar

: Dead Sea shoreline, Israel

: Luxury hotels, Qatar

: Oman’s coastline

For UK travellers, the definitive place to go for advice about visiting the Middle East is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. The information is detailed, comprehensive and updated constantly.

Iran, Iraq and war-ravaged Syria and Yemen currently carry a red warning against all travel. More popular destinations including the United Arab Emirates come with the advice that “the security situation could worsen with little warning”, while historically most visits are “trouble free”.

A whole host of other trusted travel sources, such as Fodor’s, are also providing information about the situation.

As part of my year of travel, I was very keen to visit Iran, famed for its cultural treasures, delicious cuisine and welcoming people. But I put this on ice before recent events, concerned about the government’s attitude towards LGBT issues.

I’ve also had my eye on a tour of Lebanon but am reconsidering, given the presence of Iranian-backed militias in the country.

Choosing never to travel to the Middle East again would be an oversight. The region has so much to offer and is richly photogenic.

But you don’t have to make any decisions alone – there is a lot of guidance available.

Abu Dhabi: Water metropolis

March 25, 2016February 14, 2025 / mikeosbornphoto / 12 Comments

Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, nestles handsomely on the waters of the Arabian Gulf. During the relative cool of the winter, I spent an entire day making my way along The Corniche – a showpiece walkway by the water’s edge and Abu Dhabi’s beaches, with the high-rise majesty of the city centre next to you. The blue and white palette is dazzling.

The walkway eventually gives way to the bustling junction with 18th Street, the artery leading to Marina Island. It bristles with boats, has its own impressive shopping mall and a vast UAE flag. As the daylight slowly ebbs, people gather to pass the time. Dusk into darkness brings its own reward as the city twinkles and casts colourful reflections onto the water – a photographic delight.

As this is the final glance at Abu Dhabi, I’d suggest that it’s a better bet than nearby Dubai, which has mopped up all the notoriety having shot up from almost nothing. Well there’s only one way to find out…

Click first image to view this collection

Hotel prowler

February 12, 2016February 11, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

Normal people take photographs of their hotel rooms when they go on holiday. I don’t, no matter how plush they are. I prowl about the premises, looking for sleek lines and very long corridors, even taking sly shots of other guests passing through these places of temporary abode. I stayed at The Blue Water at Wadduwa in Sri Lanka and the Traders Hotel, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Click first image to view the gallery

Grand mosque

January 24, 2016January 11, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 27 Comments

This magnificent building was my main incentive for taking a trip to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Situated on a huge site to the north of the country’s capital, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque can accommodate 41,000 worshippers and is an opulent feat of architecture, completed in 2007.

But my visit, under the piercing blue of an Arabian Gulf sky, was less about religious observance as tourists from all over the world flocked to see this impressive complex. It’s a myriad of pillars, windows, arches and domes, while the interior is studded with gems and cut glass.

With tourists come phones, selfie sticks and iPads in a building where photography is thankfully allowed. It feels almost impossible to take an original image. But with this wealth of lines, symmetry, colour and majesty, you just have to go with your instinct and capture what enthralls your own eye.

This isn’t the end of the story with the mosque. There is even more to come…

Click first image to view the gallery

The Dubai collection

October 20, 2012October 7, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

This is a city that sits between the Arabian desert and the sea. It’s an ultra-modern swathe of high rise buildings and spectacles created to dazzle visitors, while there are still traditional pockets left intact. Love or loathe Dubai, it is a hugely photogenic place.