Middle East

​If you’ve ever seen a picture of Cappadocia’s dreamy hot air balloons we’re guessing that it’s probably on high your travel bucket list, and rightly so. But you might be wondering what else there is to do in this Turkish hot spot, and fret not; there’s plenty.

It’s official. 2022 is the year we’re finally able to get back to doing what we love most —traveling and exploring the world. But perhaps the most iconic of trips that we have missed the most during these past two years is the elusive Euro summer.

With mind-blowing food, the kindest people we’ve ever come across, more history than you can poke a stick at and a booming cafe scene, it’s hard not to fall in love with Istanbul from day one. The perfect mix of history and modern-cool, you can go from fifteenth-century architecture to knocking back single-origin ethically sourced coffee in the space of a few minutes. While there’s no denying this huge city, home to more than 15 million people, can be hectic at times, that just makes discovering the little pockets of peace and quiet all over the city even more rewarding. 

This desert metropolis pairs tradition with a futuristic vision, and following an oil boom in 1966, Dubai quickly developed to rival popular tourist destinations around the world. On their quest to be the biggest and most extravagant, Dubai built more skyscrapers than any city except for New York and Hong Kong, boasts the second-largest mall, the world’s tallest building and the only palm tree-shaped island (with two more in the works).