Travel: 7 best kept secrets of the Middle East

As the world opens up, it is time to discover new places. These 7 destinations in the Middle East present the best history, culture, heritage and adventure. This ancient city in Saudi Arabia is like the Petra without crowd. Mada’in Saleh is located in the northwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Although the site is in the desert, nearest airport is a 40 minute-drive south of the archaeological site, in the town of Al ‘Ula. With the relaxation in visa regulations that has made the country easily accessible, comes at an interesting time to visit Saudi Arabia.

Mada’in Saleh (called Al-Hijr in Arabic) dates from the first century BC to the first century AD. The 2,000-year-old site was built by Nabataeans, pre-Islamic Arab people from the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula famous for their skilled harness of water in the Arabian desert.

Located less than two hours south west of Cairo, Fayoum Oasis is undoubtedly one of the most incredible natural spaces in Egypt, a hidden treasure. It is made up of many lakes and canals, this large region is an ideal weekend or day trip spot for those keen to escape the bustle of the city.

One of Fayoum's numerous highlights, Wadi El Rayan is made up of an upper and lower human-made lake, with waterfalls in between.

The spectacular Hajar mountains of Oman extends from the very tip of the Musandam Peninsula to the dhow-making town of Sur, south of Muscat. This dramatic, mountainous region has become one of Oman's biggest tourist destinations.

Once a barrier to Oman’s interior, the Al Hajar mountains are now the gateway to the country’s heartland: the rugged landscapes, greatest wadis, crumbling abandoned villages, and extensive hiking trails.

Welcome to the Red Planet. Wadi Rum is a valley desert in southern Jordan. Wadi Rum’s unique terrain has been featured in a number of Hollywood movies including Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, and the live-action remake of Disney’s Aladdin. It looks like an enormous red beach where towering sandstone and granite rock formations have been tossed around haphazardly.

The landscape attracts visitors from all around the world. Whether you choose to stay overnight in traditional Bedouin camps or luxury star tents, Wadi Rum is an essential stop. An UNESCO world heritage Site, star-gazing, multi-day hikes, and discoveries of civilizations past—the desert of Wadi Rum holds within its frontiers a wide-ranging set of adventures.

The holy Qadisha Valley is a natural treasure of Lebanon. If you love history, off the beaten path places, nature, tranquility and peace, you will find it all concentrated in Qadisha Valley. The trip up to the mountain village of Bcharré takes you through some of the most beautiful scenery in Lebanon, an Unesco World Heritage.

Taking its name from the Aramaic word for “holy”, the valley has served as a site of meditation and refuge for millennia, drawing Sufi mystics and Christian ascetics. With plentiful opportunities for hiking quiet valley trails or scaling isolated mountain landscapes, this is the perfect antidote to the urban mayhem of Beirut.

Once the dazzling capital of ancient Persia, Isfahan is Iran’s Hidden Jewel.

The most beautiful city of Iran boasts of lovely blue-tiled Islamic architecture and magnificent bridges. The main attraction of Esfahan is Naqsh-e-Jahan or Imam Square which is as old as 1602 and continues to be one of the world’s largest public squares.

Chefchaouen -a.k.a. Chaouen- in Morocco. Situated in the Rif Mountains, inland from Tangier & Tetouan, and is known for its blue-rinsed eye-catching houses and buldings.

The village has been used as a fortress against the Portuguese invasion, which soon formed a part of the Spanish Morocco, hence the Moroccan-Spanish-Portuguese influence.