Oman

In predominately Muslim countries, women are discouraged from scuba diving. But with trailblazers proving they can do it, are the figures about to be buoyed up?

These five destinations will be in travellers’ sights this year, but what is it like to live there? We asked locals for the inside scoop.

As younger people leave the desert and head to the cities, the ancient Bedouin lifestyle is under threat. This camp plans to change that.

Separated from the rest of the country by 100km of rocky desert, the small village of Kumzar is so gloriously isolated it has developed a language and culture all of its own.

Used for millennia as a perfume and panacea, frankincense was once prized more than gold.

For more than 500 years, a remote tribe has lived suspended on a cliff-side in the mountains of Oman.

Muscat’s state-of-the-art opera house has hosted Andrea Bocelli and Yo-Yo Ma, sparking controversy – and, as other Arab countries follow suit, a shift in conservative cultures.

From glittering mosques and towering mountains to frankincense and beekeeping, the Arab nation is embracing tourism while staying true to its 6,000-year-old history.