The best of the Middle East.

IRAN

The first thing to understand about Iran is its size; it dwarfs most European countries, and there are historical sites and places to see in every corner. The second thing is that we are different from many other Middle Eastern countries; when you travel to Jordan or Syria or Yemen the government may be quite liberal, but the people are very conservative and religious. In Iran, the government is more conservative and religious but the people are very open. The key to understanding Iran is to meet and talk to local people - and that is easier than in any other Middle Eastern country. In any bazaar, at any cafe, people will be keen to talk to you, to invite you to their homes to tea or dinner.



Most visitors come first to Tehran, a modern city which gives a good insight into how life is lived in present-day Iran, and the museums, particularly the National Museum, are an ideal introduction to Iran's long history. Architecture in Iran is very diverse, and the combination of Persian and Islamic styles is unique; the two best places to see examples of this are Shiraz, for the stunning ancient sites, and the tombs of famous poets at Persepolis and Esfahan. Esfahan's mosques, Islamic monuments and shrines are beautiful - to stand in Naghsh-e-Jahan square and look at the Sheikh Lotfollah mosque, at the Shah Mosque, at the vast gardens ... it can feel almost overwhelming.



It depends on how much time people have, but I would always recommend travelling to Yazd - it's one of the oldest cities in the world and we say it was the first to have air-conditioning, because all of the ancient houses were built with towers to catch the wind.

I think Iran's biggest secret is the coastline along the Caspian Sea. Arabic visitors always want to go because it gets so much rain - 2,000mm a year - which is a huge attraction for people who live in hot countries. But I take British visitors too - they can never believe how green it is. It looks like England! You can rent a villa and look out across lush countryside to the sea. It's not what people expect from Iran.

Syria

The near-constant vilification of the Syrian Arab Republic by the United States would have us believe this is a country populated by heavily armed jihadists but, as is so often the case, the man and woman in the street are charm personified. I stress the woman in the street as well because it's another common misconception that Syrian women have to endure the same restrictions as their Saudi Arabian sisters and are basically housebound. Far from it - in the bustling Christian Quarter of Damascus there's more cleavage on show than at your average Page 3 girl convention.



The old city itself has a couple of lovely boutique beit hotels (riads, in effect), and a good guide is a must. The sense of sheer history is all the more pronounced by the constant biblical references: here's the window where St Paul (having very literally seen the light) escaped to preach Christianity; there, in a mosque of all places, are the remains of John the Baptist, a timely reminder that Christianity and Islam have a strongly shared heritage. To explore beyond Damascus, I would begin with Bosra, unequivocally the finest preserved Roman amphitheatre in the world thanks to it having remained buried under sand for more than a thousand years. Next up, head east to Palmyra, once a glorious oasis city funded by taxing silk route traders. There is a hotel literally in the middle of the ruins - which may offend planners and purists, but makes for glorious sunset views with beer in hand. Then it's on the road again to the crusader fort Krak des Chevaliers, described by T E Lawrence as "the most wholly admirable castle in the world".

On the road north to Aleppo, I would recommend stopping at some of the mysterious "Dead Cities", which were deserted several hundred years ago with no cast-iron explanation. In Aleppo itself, our guide had to get a guide of his own for fear of getting lost in the souks. Sights to see are the citadel, Umayyad Mosque and St Simeon's church, where the eponymous saint sat atop a column for 37 years. One final word of praise: Syrian food is some of the most delicious in the world. Try it wherever and whenever possible.

Lebanon

Kick off with a visit to Beirut. In spite of its war-torn reputation, it's still a party city. I'd spend a couple of days lazing at one of the chic beach clubs - La Plage at Cafe d'Orient and the St George Yacht Motor Club are two of the best. After sundown, the beautiful people (and there are many) flock to the plush Crystal nightclub at 243 Monot Street; for something mellower the Blue Note (bluenotecafe.com) on Makhoul Street has regular jazz nights.



From Beirut I'd head north, stopping first at Byblos, a serene fishing village with a glinting harbour and incredible fossil collection hidden in its atmospheric souk, before hopping on the cable car from the brash town of Jounieh, for vertiginous views of the Med. Carry on up to the workaday port of Tripoli and its forlorn Rachid Karami International Fair; a vast exhibition site designed by Oscar Niemeyer which has gradually frayed and crumbled into spectacular concrete ruins fit for a Vogue fashion shoot. The old city itself is really worth exploring, with beautiful mosques on every corner, and almost as many sweet shops - the Lebanese have a famously sweet tooth.

Travel back to Beirut via Baalbeck - possibly the only place in Lebanon besides Beirut that most people have heard of - where the vast temple ruins, towering high above the Beqaa plain, are an unforgettable sight.

In the south of the country, don't miss Beit al Dina palace, with its large collection of vivid Byzantine mosques - and the gorgeous village of Deir al-Qamar, where an ice-cold beer on the square comes with local cheese and olives - and an invitation to the eccentric local waxworks. There is still evidence of the recent outbreaks of fighting. When I was last there, motorway bridges were missing their middle stretches. But this summer has seen rock concerts among the ruins, hotel openings in Beirut, and a new feeling of optimism across the country. There's never been a better time to visit Lebanon.

Jordan

If you fly into Amman, the first place I would head for is the Desert Loop, which stretches to the east of the capital towards Iraq. Tourists hardly ever visit, but there is an excellent road network and amazing castles which date back to the 8th century. Some people call them leisure palaces, and they have breathtaking mosaics and hamam complexes. The crusader castle of Al-Karak is one of the most spectacular. Then go north, to Irbid on the river Jordan, which is on the migratory route for birds flying to Europe. One of the best ways to explore is by bike - there are some incredible stretches of road. Head for Jerash, one of the world's most underestimated Roman sites, and then on to see the stunning mosaics at Madaba before freewheeling all the way down to the Rift Valley and on for a float in the Dead Sea.

Everyone who visits Jordan goes to Petra, but few find their way up to the High Place, the religious area at the top of the mountain. Dotted with carved obelisks, it looks down on the top of the Treasury; the walk up is beautiful. I'd then head to Little Petra, which few tourists know about - it was the women's caravanserai and has some of the best-preserved wall paintings in the whole valley complex.

But one of my favourite places in Jordan is Wadi Rum: it's so rich in history. It's almost a desert environment but - unlike the Sahara, which has always been traversed by very few people - it has been used as a thoroughfare for trading people for thousands of years. Camping out in Wadi Rum is the best way to experience traditional Bedouin hospitality: it's an unforgettable experience. And the history is awe-inspiring. People always focus on Jordan's Roman and Nabatean history, but it has the most amazing prehistoric rock art.

Egypt

For most people, Eygpt means the pyramids, ancient relics and the Dead Sea. Yes, we have those things, but there is so much more that is unknown.



One such place is The Great Sand Sea, a Switzerland-sized area of 150m-high dunes. It extends into Libya, beginning immediately to the south of Siwa Oasis and continuing to the Jebel Uweinat - Egypt's highest point at 1898m. Siwa itself is amazing: isolated from the outside world for centuries, it has a unique culture and language unlike anywhere else in Egypt. Equally amazing is the adjacent White Desert. Its surreal landforms, which have been compared to an Arctic wasteland, include huge, wind-eroded chalk sculptures in the shape of mushrooms, pinnacles and domes. They look especially magical at sunset. These are places of extreme emptiness, and eerie silence. The best way to explore is on a multi-day tour in a 4X4, following ancient caravan routes; but any journey into the desert should only be undertaken in the company of Siwans, who know the terrain better than anyone.

After that I'd head to El Alamein on the northern coast, the site of the tank battle between Rommel's Afrika Korps and Montgomery's Allied Eighth Army. There are poignant war cemeteries, where 11,000 men lie buried, and Rommel's Cave, near Marsa Matruh, where the German commander made his headquarters.

The best way to experience the Sinai is to camp with Bedouin. You can sleep under amazing clear skies in these wild camps, and visit old turquoise mines and dramatic Pharaonic temple ruins.

Finally, I'd recommend Lake Nasser. Millions of tourists take Nile cruises, but very few venture this far down the river. It's home to little-known temples, pelicans and lone fishermen.