Fancy a post-Ramadan break within five hours’ travel time of your front door? Here’s our pick of destinations for a long weekend, with hotel suggestions in a three budget categories
Musandam
The craggy mountains at the pointed end of our peninsula are a visual feast if you’ve been too long in the Abu Dhabi flatlands and surrounding desert. There’s trekking, mountain biking and exploring wadis – not to mention extreme trail running. Or the beaches are pretty good, with diving, snorkelling, dolphins and general cruising available via a couple of operators in the harbour of the main/only town, Khasab. You can drive the spectacular inland road, but you can’t leave Musandam except by the border post where you entered.
Get there: Drive. Allow 4h including the Omani border crossing
Stay there:
Diwan Al Amir
AED 1,180. diwanalamir.com
Atana Musandam Resort
AED 1,620. www.atanahotels.com/our-hotels/atana-musandam/
Six Senses Zighy Bay
AED 7,340. www.sixsenses.com/resorts/zighy-bay/destination
Bahrain
Bahrain is quite surprising. The proximity to Saudi Arabia might suggest a buttoned-up, introverted place; in fact Bahrain is buzzing, especially in the Adliya district, with the mix of small eateries, galleries, cafes and shops that you might associate with an arty district in Europe. It’s a hotbed of fashion design and filmmaking, too.
The grand Ahmed Al Fateh Mosque is worth a visit and there are bargains to be had in the souks in the centre of Manama.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad, Rotana Jet and Gulf Air, 1h 10m
Stay there:
Palace Boutique Hotel
AED 2,000. www.thepalace.com.bh
S-Hotel Bahrain
AED 2,400. s-hotelbahrain.com
Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay
AED 4,235. www.fourseasons.com/Bahrain
Amman
The Jordanian capital has been at the crossroads of cultures for several thousand years and has the historical artefacts to show for it (especially Roman). Visit the Balad district with its numerous souks; the Rainbow Street market is a must on Friday.
Petra is around 3.5 hours drive – but worth it, especially if you can avoid the tourists. The Dead Sea is about an hour away.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad and Royal Jordanian, 3h 15m
Stay there:
Amman Pasha Hotel
AED 460. www.ammanpashahotel.com
Le Meridien Amman
AED 2,500. www.lemeridienamman.com
High Four Seasons Hotel Amman
AED 4,250. www.fourseasons.com/amman
Astana
Astana feels like a new city – and it is, having benefitted from massive construction projects and architectural symbolism intended to reinforce its 25-year status as the country’s capital.
Check out the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Norman Foster’s pyramidal concert hall and conference venue; the magnificent President’s Palace complete with blue dome; the Baiterek (a tower topped with a golden egg); and the stunning Hazret Sultan Mosque. There are riverside walks, parks, ballet, concerts, circuses, and (finally) a good choice of eateries.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad and Air Astana, 4h 40m
Stay there:
Jelsomino Boutique Hotel
AED 1,080. jelsomino.kz
Grand Park Esil
AED 1,800. www.grandparkesil.kz
Radisson Hotel Astana
AED 4,000. www.radissonblu.com/hotel-astana
Beirut
Despite the local troubles, Beirut remains party central – try the Gemmayzeh district. It has also retained some of the atmosphere and grand buildings of fin de siècle Paris, with shops from the stylish to the everyday, historic ruins (some dating from the civil war), and more cafes and restaurants than one town really needs.
It’s the people that really make the place, though; as you probably know, Beirutis are generally cosmopolitan, uninhibited, noisy and fun.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad and Rotana Jet, 4h 5m
Stay there:
Midtown Hotel and Suites
AED 1,000. www.midtownhotelsuites.com
Phoenicia Hotel
AED 3,800. www.phoeniciabeirut.com
Le Gray
AED 6,200. www.campbellgrayhotels.com/le-gray/home
Baku
The old city is a maze of alleys, mosques and historic buildings; the newer parts owe their wealth to oil. There’s a buzz to the city with an emerging cultural scene and a lot of nightlife. Walk the beautiful boulevard cum park along the Caspian shore – pleasant at any time, great fun when night falls and you can look up to the dramatic Flame Towers; a multi-coloured laser show gives them their name. Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre (exhibitions and concerts) is a stunner, too.
Get there: No direct flights. Qatar Airways via Doha is 5h 20m
Stay there:
Safran Hotel
AED 800. www.safranhotel.az
Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel
AED 2,650. www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/baku
Four Seasons Hotel Baku
AED 3,850. www.fourseasons.com/baku
Doha
After winning the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Doha is undergoing massive redevelopment to establish itself as a must-visit destination. That includes some top-class hotels with premium-quality restaurants and fabulous facilities; and the prices are (relatively) good. Doha is also a thriving artistic centre for modern art, and its Museum of Islamic Art is Qatar’s most iconic contemporary building. Yet it also has an historic heart around Souq Waqif with real shopping and real haggling to be done.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad and Qatar Airways, 1h 10m
Stay there:
Kingsgate Hotel Doha
AED 1,208. www.millenniumhotels.com/kingsgatedoha
Najd – Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels
AED 2,480. www.swbh.com
The St Regis Doha
AED 3,662. www.stregisdoha.com
Istanbul
Turkey’s cosmopolitan capital has a fascinating location that has created a mixture of traditional Ottoman architecture and modern buildings – and that’s reflected in the streets. Highlights include the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, the Topkapi Palace, and the 200 traditional hammams around the city.
At the same time it’s become a hotbed for modern design – furniture, clothes, graphics. It’s a great city for eating, too, especially on a budget. It will probably be full of tourists, but there’s so much life and energy that you won’t mind.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad and Turkish Airlines, 5h
Stay there:
Timeks Hotel
AED 480. www.timekshotel.com
Grand Tarabya Hotel
AED 2,400. www.thegrandtarabya.com
Four Seasons Istanbul
AED 7,800. fourseasons.com/istanbul
Kerala
Search for inner peace, laze on some of India’s best beaches, tour the tea plantations in the lush hills, walk around the historic port city of Kochi – and stay in style without breaking the bank. That’s Kerala, a beautiful introduction to India that is known for palm-lined beaches, a network of backwater canals popular for cruises and houseboats, a mass of Ayuervedic centres and tasty fish curries.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad, Jet Airways and Air-India Express, 4h 10m
Stay there:
Maadathil Cottages, Varkala
AED 390. www.maadathilcottages.com
Brunton Boatyard, Kochi
AED 1,400. www.cghearth.com
Neemrana’s Le Colonial, Kochi
AED 1,886. le-colonial.neemranahotels.com
Muscat
With historic forts and the ancient Muttrah Souk all set against the backdrop of the Hajar mountains, Muscat is steeped in history, surrounded by rugged mountains, and bordered by the beautiful Indian ocean – there’s excellent scuba diving, snorkelling and dolphin-watching here.
By law no high-rise buildings are permitted, which gives room to breathe and space to appreciate the spectacular mosque and the Royal Opera House. The famous Muttrah souk needs a visit, though it does get rammed when a cruise ship’s in town.
There’s a burgeoning art scene, some excellent restaurants, and a handful of really good hotels. Best of all, the Omani capital is only an hour’s flight away.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad, Oman Air, Rotana Jet and more. 1h 5m
Stay there:
Qurum Beach Hotel
AED 860. www.facebook.com/qbhmuscat
Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel
AED 3,200. www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/AlBustan/Default.htm
Shangri La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort – Al Husn
AED 4,200. www.shangri-la.com/muscat/barraljissahresort
Salalah
Oman’s second city is getting a makeover, with new hotels and a new airport to welcome new tourists. Right now it’s still quiet, peaceful and traditional. It’s blessed with a marvellous mix of fabulous beaches (like the Seychelles only nearer) and rugged mountains, with a mini-monsoon in the summer that drops the temperature, fills the wadis and waterfalls, and makes everything a lush green (and that’s why prices are relatively high in midsummer).
On top of that the area is loaded with history; this was the centre of the frankincense trade and a major stopping off point for traders and empire builders.
Get there: Direct flights with Rotana Jet and more, 1h 50m
Stay there:
Al Nile Hotel
AED 1,380. www.al-mashhoor.com
Salalah Beach Resort
AED 2,010. beachresortsalalah.com
Salalah Rotana Resort
AED 3,250. www.rotana.com/salalahrotanaresort
Ras Al Khaimah
Long considered one of the dowdier emirates, RAK is trying to reinvent itself as a tourist destination and a stylish community that’s an hour’s commute from Dubai. As a result there’s a lot of development along the coast, including some fine hotels; this is an easy-to-reach getaway that also includes the opportunity to head into the hills, notably for the dramatic Jebel Jais – the UAE’s tallest mountain at 1,900m. But it’s the beaches that will appeal to most of us …
Get there: Drive. Allow 2h 50m
Stay there:
Mangrove Hotel by Bin Majid Hotels & Resort
AED 780. www.mangrove.binmajid.com
DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island
AED 1,620. www.placeshilton.com/marjan-island
Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah
AED 2,500. waldorfastoria.hilton.com
Sri Lanka
It’s a beautiful place with amazing wildlife, terrific food, lovely beaches, the kind of culture that comes with dynasties of sophisticated civilizations and baby elephants. What’s not to like? Even if it’s monsoon season – and it often is – you’ll be able to escape the rains by going north and west – which is where you’ll find Willpattu National Park, home to a huge variety of four-legged species of various sizes. Otherwise, for a short break you’ll probably stick to the beaches: not a bad choice.
Get there: Direct flights with Etihad, Rotana Jet and Sri Lankan. 4h 40m
Stay there:
Villa Tara, Hikkaduwa
AED 750. www.villatara.net
Thaproban Pavilion Resort and Spa, Unawatuna
AED 2,310. www.thaprobanpavilion.com
Vivanta by Taj Bentota, Galle
AED 3,680. www.vivantabytaj.com/cities/about-bentota.html