Travel in Iran

Understandably, most of us are closely following the effects of coronavirus at home: the daily news keeps our minds directed to what’s happening close to us. But cast your mind back two months, before the coronavirus hit Italy, and you’ll recall that back then, much of the media’s attention was focused on the Middle East – specifically, Iran, which was the first country outside China to suffer a huge number of cases of coronavirus.

Poised between the glitzy excess of the Emirates and the rigid conservatism of Saudi Arabia, Oman provides a winning introduction to the Middle East. Politically stable, and packing in a huge range of landscapes from rugged desert and turtle-nesting beaches to misty green mountains, you’ll find off-road adventures, winter sun and old-fashioned Arabian hospitality. Andy Turner introduces what not to miss on a first trip to the sultanate.

Nepal ranks high on most adventurers’ bucket lists, and with good reason. Home to the magnificent Himalayas, Nepal reigns supreme when it comes to landscapes. Its world-famous trekking routes and national parks teem with vastly underrated wildlife. In its bustling market cities, cultures collide and living divinities hold court over ancient spiritualism.

Iran is no longer the scary and inaccessible place it is often made out to be. True, relations with the US are taut and the visa process for UK citizens travelling to Iran is long and complicated. But with the introduction of visas on arrival for most Europeans and Australians, travellers are starting to trickle to the main cities of northern and central Iran. And it's easy to see why.

It’s no secret that national lockdowns and travel restrictions have got us dreaming. And while many people are still staying clear of international trips, we’ve all been thinking about our favourite destinations and adding to our bucket-list line-ups. Here at Rough Guides, we took to Twitter to find out where our readers are dreaming of, starting with the allure of food…

Rwanda is emerging as a top wildlife destination, not least for visitors looking to see gorillas in their natural habitat. The country is home to hundreds of mountain gorillas that move between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the rainforests of the Virunga Mountains. New luxury lodges are opening up in the area, making it easier than ever to get a glimpse of these kings of the jungle.

An Italian white truffle topped with edible silver, or a caviar-infused doughnut lathered in foie gras from a champion mother goose can only mean one thing: the so-extravagant-it’s-silly food concept. Forget the ludicrous cronut or the breakfast mutation known as the waffogato – a combination of waffle-shaped ice cream with maple syrup espresso. If you couldn’t give a hoot about hype, flavour or cost, here’s our rundown of the dinners you don’t really need but will be dying to try.

As countries around the world are looking to bring travellers tentatively back to their shores, the industry is introducing a raft of new safety measures relating to Covid-19. While there's still debate about whether airlines should be leaving middle seats empty – in Malaysia and Indonesia planes must be half-empty, while the EU and the USA have deigned to make it mandatory – airports are introducing their own measures. In Las Vegas airport you can even buy PPE from a vending machine © NaruFoto/Shutterstock

Jutting northwards into the Persian Gulf, Qatar is one of the world’s smaller nations (about the size of Yorkshire, England), but it is also the world’s richest country per capita. Many will only see Doha’s skyline from afar during an airport transfer, and football fans will know Qatar as the controversial location of the 2022 World Cup, but its labyrinthine souks, intergalactic architecture and beautiful sand dunes are well worth a closer look.

Lamu was once an essential stop during any trip to Kenya. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this historic Swahili town is home to wandering donkeys and lazy dhow boats sailing by: it is magical, mystical, idyllic.

«Do you know much about Yorkshire?» my French-Italian manager asked me on my first week at my new job at Rough Guides.

One of the world’s great railway journeys, the Ghan runs from Darwin in the far north of Australia to Adelaide in the south, a distance of 2979km – further than London to Moscow. Following the route of pioneering nineteenth-century “Afghan” cameleers, Shafik Meghji hopped on board to take in some of the country’s most dramatic landscapes.

Compared to flashy Emirati neighbours like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the capital of Oman is a breath of fresh, Persian Gulf sea air. Muscat is famous for dazzling souks and superb seafood, but its terrain brings the biggest thrills. This middle east port city is a great place to trek deserts at dawn, spot dolphins at sundown, and enjoy plenty of Omani hospitality. Here is why you need to visit Muscat, Oman.

There’s something of the Wild West about Khasab, the dusty capital of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula . One hundred kilometres of the United Arab Emirates separate Musandam from the rest of Oman, and the disconnect shows – this is a far cry from the glossy shopping malls of the country’s capital, Muscat .

The world is full of beautiful places – both natural and manmade – and even the most avid globetrotters can't hope to exhaust them all. But some simply love the camera more than others. Here, our Senior Picture Editor, Phoebe Lowndes, picks a snapshot of the most photogenic places on Earth, with more stunning, alternative destinations highlighted in our month by month, where to go when guide. Get your camera at the ready…

Some of the world's greatest cities are no more. Once thriving, hundreds of cities across the world now lie in ruins – ravaged either by war or simply a natural progression. These are the world's greatest lost cities.

Being well-travelled is one thing. Being an explorer is quite another. From Marco Polo’s Silk Road expedition to Nellie Bly’s epic 1889 voyage around-the-world-in-72-days, these 15 famous world explorers sure knew how to make the most of their time on earth. What’s more, these famous explorers' names might just provide inspiration for places to visit during your own trip of a lifetime. 

Kiswahili is the glue that binds Tanzania together. It’s essentially a Bantu tongue, enriched by thousands of loan words, primarily Persian and Arabic, but also Hindi, Portuguese, German and English.

Oman is a charming Arabian Gulf destination that offers a glimpse into the past with serene coastlines, mudbrick villages, date plantations, and rugged mountains. It also has vast deserts and bustling cities like Muscat, Salalah, and Sohar. Check out our list of top things to do in Oman.

On Saturday 6th May 2023, hundreds of thousands of travellers from around the globe will flock to London to watch King Charles III crowned at Westminster Abbey. It will be the fortieth known coronation held at Westminster Abbey.