Zighy Bay, Oman
Tucked away in the northernmost corner of Oman, the Evason Hideaway and Six Senses Spa at Zighy Bay – built on a beautiful beach between two mountains and due to open at the end of the year – aims to offer something a little different from the minimalist chic that defines other Omani five-stars. You can arrive by paragliding down the mountain, have a breathtaking supper at the hotel’s mountaintop restaurant, explore local villages and architectural sites, take yoga lessons on the beach or just laze by the infinity pool. Each of the 82 villas has its own pool, and is built to traditional Omani design, yet has all the requisite 21st-century touches.
Details: Book through Bailey Robinson (01488 689700, www.baileyrobinson.com). Rates not yet available.

Egyptian adventure
Egypt’s giddy mix of history, spectacle, deserts and souks makes it ideal for a family holiday – particularly with older children. Travel company Explore has a new itinerary, Dunes and Tombs, which includes some nights camping under the stars in the Western Desert, as well as the more traditional visits to the temples of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. In the desert there are 4x4 safaris and camel treks to enjoy, and visits to date-palm plantations and desert oases, where families can meet local villagers.
Details: Explore (0870 333 4001, www.explore.co.uk) has a 14-day trip from £949 per adult and £879 per 5-to 11-year-old, including flights, transfers, accommodation, some meals and a guide.

Discover Libya
The dramatic ancient city of Leptis Magna may be Libya’s most famous site, but there is much more to discover in its stark desert landscapes. Cox and Kings has a new tour that combines the Roman cities of Leptis Magna and Sabratha with time in the Libyan Sahara. The highlight of the trip is an overnight stay in a tented camp in the heart of the desert wilderness, with days spent touring caves inscribed with petroglyphs and paintings and travelling across the rolling dunes and vast Ubari sand sea.
Details: Cox and Kings (020-7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk) has a nine-night trip from £1,775pp, including flights, accommodation, most meals and a guide.

Independent Jordan
All too often, trips to Jordan tend to be guided tour groups that leave you no choice as to how much time you spend at each of the country’s amazing sites. Tour operator Exodus has come up with the answer – an independent itinerary allowing you to set your own pace, giving you the freedom to spend as much time as you like strolling around the dramatic Roman city of Jerash, gazing at the views from Mount Nebo or, of course, experiencing the scale and drama of Petra. The tour can be organised for two people or more, with a driver and comfortable minibus.
Details: Exodus (0870 950 0029, www.exodus.co.uk) offers a sevennight trip from £699 land only (flights from about £385), including transfers, B&B accommodation and a guide.

Return to Persia
One of the most fascinating countries in the Middle East, Iran is also one of the friendliest and safest to visit – contrary to its reputation. Coromandel has just started a new tour, targeted at those who may have already visited the celebrated sites of Isfahan and Yazd and wish to travel a less well-trodden path. The 13-night trip takes in the rice paddies and forests around the Caspian Sea, goes along the old Silk Route caravan trail and starts and finishes in Tehran. The tour is taken with an English-speaking driver and guide, staying in simple but clean hotels.
Details: Coromandel (01572 821330, www.coromandelabt.com) has Iran packages from £2,427pp, including flights, transfers, accommodation and entrance fees to sites.

Fujairah for families
As Dubai threatens to morph into one giant building site, there are other family-friendly options opening up within the UAE. Fujairah is one of the smaller emirates, with glorious white-sand beaches. The Rotana Resort & Spa, which opened in the summer, is perfect for a sunshine-guaranteed family break. This month the hotel is introducing free watersports – including water-skiing, glass-bottomed boat trips, kayaking and windsurfing – and there are kids’ clubs and a babysitting service. The hotel is sleek and comfortable and will soon have a large spa with 17 treatment rooms which is due to open at the end of the year.
Details: Elite Vacations (01707 371000, www.elitevacations. com) has a five-night break at the Fujairah Rotana from £3,218 for a family of four, including flights with British Airways and B&B accommodation.

The Nile in style
Always fancied a cruise up the Nile but can’t face the flotillas of other boats, ghastly fancy-dress evenings and dodgy food? When the Oberoi Zahra launches next month, all these problems will be solved. The boat has its own private docking spaces so you don’t have to line up alongside other boats, and the 25 spacious suites are more like five-star hotel rooms than boat cabins. The seven-day itinerary includes presentations on the places to be visited the following day, and there is even a cooling spa with four treatment rooms if the heat and dust all gets a little too much.
Details: Oberoi (00800 1234 0101/00 20 2 377 3222, www.oberoihotels.com) has cruises ranging from £1,010pp in July to £3,100pp in December, including full-board accommodation and all excursions, but not flights.

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