Things to Do in Middle East And Africa

There are some places so exceptionally welcoming, hospitable, comfortable, and friendly, that you feel like family from the moment you arrive and wish you never had to leave. Delheim Estate is one of those places, and this family owned farm outside of Stellenbosch has been growing grapes and making wine since the middle of the 1950s. The legendary patriarch, “Spatz” Sperling, helped formulate South Africa’s very first wine route back in 1971, at which time only three other wineries were part of the Stellenbosch wine route, though that number today has swollen to include over 600 different farms. Despite their success and pioneering spirit, Delheim has made sustainability a focal point of the vineyard, and believe that we are but stewards of this land who are placed here to care for it, show it respect, and it, in turn, will care for us. You can feel that spirit in the cellar door and famous Garden Restaurant, where the view stretches out to Table Mountain across rolling, vineyard-lined valleys.

In addition to tastings, picnics, and tours, Delheim is also known for their quirky pairing of wine with cupcakes, and the vineyard is often a favorite stop on Cape Winelands day tours.

A winding strip of blacktop known by locals as the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” leads to the famous Dadès Gorge in the beautiful countryside of Morocco. This scenic drive is lined with hundreds of Islamic cities, fortresses, palm trees and desert sands, which make it one of the most epic roads in the country, but traveler say it’s the rolling red hills of the Dadès Gorge that are truly worth the trip. 

After navigating switchbacks by car, visitors can wander the quiet trails of this scenic destination on foot and enjoy a steaming cup of Moroccan mint tea at the top of the gorge. Breathtaking vistas and uninterrupted views of rolling read rocks make for a memorable resting place and quiet escape before embarking on a return trip to the city.

The Delaire Graff Wine Estate, near Stellenbosch, is a beautiful winery destination in the Cape Winelands region

Laurence Graff, a diamond dealer of many years, bought the Delaire Estate in the early 2000s. The estate was re-opened as Delaire Graff in 2009, and now features not only the winery but also world-class dining, luxury lodges, a spa, an excellent art collection, a diamond boutique, and picturesque botanic gardens.

 

Delaire Graff Estate is a luxury destination where you're tempted to stay for a few days, but you can also visit for a day to sample the estate's wines. Sip Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, rose and sparkling wines, and both white and red blends.

Rue Dar el-Bacha marks the northern edge of Marrakech’s Central Medina — the city’s heart and soul. This area is also home to many of Marrakech’s top shops, restaurants and hammams. Walk along the road, and you’ll find shops selling antiques, Oriental rugs, Berber jewelry and housewares, as well as a handful of fondouks — a sort of Middle Eastern caravanserai — dealing in artisan wares like bags, tapestries, hand-painted tile and ottomans.

Dar Moha, ranked among the city’s top Moroccan restaurants, occupies a beautiful riad along Dar el-Bacha, where diners can eat al fresco around a patio swimming pool. For a bit of relaxation after a day wandering the medina, Dar el-Bacha boasts two excellent spas, the more traditional, public Hammam Dar el-Bacha (the largest traditional hammam in the city) and the upmarket, spa-style Hammam de la Rose.

Travelers looking for an authentic East African experience need look no further than the crowded stalls and narrow passes of Darajani Market. From early morning until late at night locals and visitors alike wander between merchants selling tree-ripened fruits, freshly caught fish, savory stews and spicy local delights. 

While Darajani is mostly a food-lovers paradise, with plenty of vendors selling fresh ingredients and homemade delights, visitors can also find some random items, like brand new electronics, spare tires and modern clothing shipped in from overseas. Travelers should be prepared to haggle for the best price—particularly on fragrant spices—one of the best souvenirs from a trip to Zanzibar.

Little remains of the once impressive Amenhotep’s memorial temple. But the two imposing statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, erected to guard the ancient entrance, still stand watch some 3,400 years later. Today, travelers can venture to the shores of the Nile, just across from the city of Luxor, and revel at the giant manmade sculptures. 

In addition to these impressive twin statues, travelers can check out two smaller figures of the Pharaoh’s wife, Tiy, and mother, Mutemwia. Visitors can also get an up close look at the sandstone panel carvings that showcase images of the Nile god Hapy. Even if most of the Colossi has been lost to weather an the ages, travelers can still get a sense of the wonder this site once held.

Think of Dahshur as pyramid-proving grounds: Although not nearly as famous at the pyramids of Giza, the structures here pre-date the Great Pyramids and highlight the engineering progress and understanding that took place on the way from a stepped structure to a true pyramid. The royal necropolis at Dahshur comprises a two-mile (3.5-kilometer) field of pyramids that date back between the fourth and 12th dynasties, and although 11 structures once dotted the landscape, only two remain: the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. Nearly identical in size, these two pyramids are the third-largest in the country after the two biggest at Giza. The Red Pyramid is the older of the two and the only one that visitors can actually enter.

Archaeologists believe that Snofru, the first Pharoah of the fourth dynasty, commissioned Dahshur's most notable pyramids, and, as the Bent Pyramid with its crooked peak illustrates, not all takes were entirely successful. It towers above the sand not far from the Nile's fertile green band and is believed to have been the first try at a smooth-sided true pyramid. 

You'd swear the patterns covering the walls of this steep, narrow canyon were the work of a talented artist, rather than the forces of nature working their magic over millennia.

It’s a pretty easy hike along the floor of the canyon, around 800 meters (half a mile) long. This is a popular spot, so to appreciate the canyon’s tranquil beauty, try to arrive early, ideally before breakfast.

One of Fez’s most notable museums, home to a vibrant collection of Moroccan arts and crafts, the Dar Batha Museum (Museum of Moroccan Arts) makes a worthwhile additional to any sightseeing trip, offering a unique insight into Fez’s artistic heritage.

The vast permanent collection includes everything from hand-painted ceramics to antique Berber carpets to gold-plated astrolabes, alongside traditional jewelry, leatherwork, earthenware, woodwork and embroidery, with artifacts dating from the 14th century to modern-day. The surroundings are equally impressive, with the museum housed in a beautiful Hispano-Moorish palace built by Moulay el Hassan in the 19th-century and featuring a tranquil garden and café.

Damascus (Shechem) Gate, considered the largest and most beautiful entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City, has served in this capacity since Agrippa ruled during the first century BCE. As it stands today, the gate dates back to 1537. Crusaders referred to it as St. Stephen’s Gate, as it’s located not far from the site of Saint Stephen’s martyrdom.

Flanked by two towers, the gate serves as the main access point to the Old City from East Jerusalem, and once inside, visitors find themselves amid an authentic market in the Muslim Quarter where locals shop for clothing, crafts, spices, baked goods and other food items.

In recent years it has undergone a major restoration, and has recently reopened. Exhibits include textiles, frescoes, stonework, woodwork, manuscripts, glass and ceramics. There's a pleasant enclosed garden and a small café.

The Dead Sea, home to the lowest point in the world at 1,269 feet (383 meters) below sea level, also ranks as one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. This hyper-salinity that is so unique to the Dead Sea attracts visitors from all over the world to experience the unusual buoyancy, as well as access the nutrient-rich mud on its banks.

Many travelers visit the Dead Sea on a day trip from Amman in Jordan, or from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Herzliya, or Eilat in Israel. A full-day tour to the area makes getting there simple, and offers plenty of time for swimming, sunbathing, and soaking in a therapeutic mud bath. You can also combine a quicker visit to the Dead Sea with other regional highlights, including Masada, Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, Jericho, Jerusalem, or Bethlehem, depending on the option you choose.

The remote Dead Sea is situated fairly far from any major city, making public transportation a tricky option. There are bus services from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, but many visitors find it more convenient to join a guided small-group or private tour.

The best times to visit the Dead Sea are during the spring and autumn months, when milder temperatures make it a good time to explore some of the Judean Desert’s other outdoor sights. Expect temperatures over 100°F (38°C) during July and August.

The water and mud of the Dead Sea are believed to do wonders for your skin, and there’s a set routine that those in the know follow. Start by getting into the water (fall backward, not forward) for a 10-minute float. Make your way toward shore and give yourself a mud rubdown. Once the mud dries on your skin, get back in the water for another floating session before rinsing off in the showers.

A pioneering facility for the protection and rehabilitation of black rhinos and African elephants, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust saves injured and orphaned animals from the wild and rehabilitates them for a return to their natural habitats. This nonprofit park was founded in 1977 and operates within Nairobi National Park.

 

The wildlife center at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust ranks among Nairobi’s most popular attractions. Travelers on full or half-day tours from Nairobi observe as handlers bottle-feed and play with baby elephants in their watering hole. Keepers tell the stories of the orphaned animals. Those with limited time in Nairobi can combine the elephant orphanage, Nairobi National Park, the Karen Blixen Museum, and the Giraffe Center into a single day of sightseeing.

 

 

It’s possible to reach the wildlife center by taking bus 125 or 126 from Moi Avenue to the KWS Central Workshop; from there it’s a short walk to the center. The easier way is to hire a taxi from the city center, or book a guided tour that includes the center as well as round-trip transportation from Nairobi hotels.

 

Visitors who want to see the orphan elephants must be present between 11am and 12pm, because the orphanage is only open for an hour each day. Arrive early, as the Trust gets busy during nursery viewings.

 

For more than two decades, David Sheldrick worked at Tsavo National Park as a park warden and anti-poaching activist. After his death in 1976, his wife Dr. Daphne Sheldrick established the nonprofit in her husband’s name. She and her family continue to live and work in Nairobi National Park.

When the Dutch East India Company arrived in the area of what is now Cape Town in 1652, one of the first things they did was create a garden to help feed the settlers. The Company's Garden still exists, today as a public park.

Company's Garden covers a whopping 19.76 acres in the middle of Cape Town, near the parliament building, and includes a fish pond, rose garden and multiple statues and monuments. There's a tea room restaurant on the grounds, and an 18th-century sundial. Attractions near the garden include the Iziko South African Museum, St. George's Cathedral and South Africa's National Library.

Of particular note among the many historic trees is the oldest cultivated pear tree in South Africa, planted around 1652.

A complex of 300 limestone caves, South Africa's Cradle of Humankind is one of the most significant archaeological and anthropological sites in the world. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has produced an extensive human and animal fossil record, including a nearly-complete hominin skull dating back more than 2 million years. 

You can begin exploring the 181-square-mile (469-square-kilometer) Cradle of Humankind at Maropeng Visitor Centre, which hosts a variety of exhibits detailing the formation of the planet and the history of life over 4 billion years. Not all excavated sites within the Cradle of Humankind are open to the public, but travelers can explore the Sterkfontein Caves, one of the world’s most famous fossil sites and the location of the longest-running continuous paleoanthropological dig.

Cradle of Humankind tours leave from Pretoria or Johannesburg and typically visit the Maropeng Visitor Centre as well as the Sterkfontein Caves. Some tours also include a wildlife safari at the nearby Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. 

The Cradle of Humankind lies west of Johannesburg in South Africa’s Gauteng province. Public transportation is limited in the area, so it’s a good idea to arrive as part of a guided tour or drive independently. The site is located 59 miles (95 kilometers) from O.R. Tambo International Airport and roughly 12 miles (19 kilometers) from Lanseria International Airport. It is situated on the R400, just off the R563 Hekpoort road.

Due to the area’s temperate climate you can visit the Cradle of Humankind year-round. The site is open daily with the exception of major holidays. 

Discovered by Robert Broom in 1947, “Mrs. Ples” is the nickname of the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus ever found in South Africa, thought to be more than 2 million years old. The archaeological community was thrilled by the discovery of “Little Foot” in 1994 in a box of bones thought to belong to monkeys or other animals. When put together, “Little Foot” was found to be a nearly complete Australopithecus fossil skeleton.

Namibia ranks high on the world’s economic disparity list, as the income gap between its richest residents and the nation’s poorest people is one of the largest on record. The difference between the haves and the have-nots is particularly evident on a visit to Swakopmund, where well-paved roads, modern streetlights and beautifully constructed colonial buildings sit next to quiet cafes and restaurants dishing up international cuisine. But just beyond the city limits lies an informal settlement called the Democratic Resettlement Community. Once a temporary holding ground for people awaiting government housing, some 6,000 people call the thriving DRC home, an area built from reclaimed trash discarded by the city’s rich.

Visitors to this impoverished but thriving neighborhood can see how the other half of Namibia’s city dwellers live—those who often work in the service industries that supply the country’s elite and international travelers with all the comforts of home. Tour the DRC’s active youth center, free health clinic and home for orphans and vulnerable children while wandering the streets of this informal settlement.