| > | | | | in a little under 30 years. The Peninsula is far from a |
| It may seem in the days of mass tourism and cheap | | | | large plateau of sand and sun. The cultural legacy of |
| worldwide flights that no stone has been left | | | | the great civilisations can be seen and felt |
| unturned in our pursuit of the unexplored. However, | | | | everywhere in the ancient cities, temples and |
| Arabia still offers much in the way of mystery and | | | | fortifications such as the Beit Sheikh Isa bin Ali on |
| exoticism. | | | | Bahrain's Muharraq Island, or the Madain Saleh |
| If you are brave enough to venture into this | | | | embedded in a rock face deep in the heart of the |
| unknown, a feast of surprises await the senses. The | | | | Saudi Arabian desert. |
| scenery is the first to strike. The picture-postcard | | | | So what activities might one engage in? Truly |
| desert is home to an astonishing array of mountain | | | | world-class golf resorts such as the Montgomery in |
| landscapes, deep and rich forests, bursting and | | | | Dubai, thrilling 'dune-bashing' (4x4s driven expertly |
| colourful coral reefs, endless date plantations and lush | | | | over dunes at high-speed), wildlife safaris such as |
| green wadis, plus of course miles and miles of | | | | watching green turtles invade a beach at dawn to lay |
| undiscovered, untouched and truly breathtaking | | | | their eggs, snorkelling and scuba diving some of the |
| beaches. | | | | planets most breathtaking and undisturbed coral |
| Perhaps the most striking aspect of this fascinating | | | | reefs, or perhaps mountain trekking or desert safaris, |
| region is its ascension from a 3rd world barren | | | | meeting the indigenous Bedouin people for a cup of |
| landscape to a series of prosperous, emerging nations | | | | steaming arabic coffee with dates along the way. |