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Hiking is also a draw in Lebanon, the 'Switzerland of the Middle East,' whose steep, cedar-lined Qadisha Valley makes for fragrant and dramatic climbing in summer or skiing in winter.
And for those eager to live like Lawrence of Arabia (minus all the conflicts, of course), one can follow his very footsteps in Jordan's Wadi Rum desert. So surreal is the rocky, red landscape, says Derek Ong, a Jordan guide for tour company Absolute Travel, that it's actually served as a set for the planet Mars in several movies.
Low risk, high reward
As with any travel, risk is a factor, says McIntyre, but she finds the dangers of travelling in the Middle East are often overblown.
'Most of the violence in these countries occurs far from any areas tourists would visit,' she says, and political context should be considered when viewing State Department Travel Warnings. Of course, some notorious spots, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, are out of the question.
Though perhaps not forever. Earlier this week, a new airport opened in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf, a hopeful gesture by the government that it may soon be able to begin promoting tourism.
See also:
Middle East hotels brace for Ramadan
Middle East tourism to soar despite global economic gloom
Staff Reporter
