Simon Buckby was a London-based BBC and Financial Times journalist, among other things, before running communications consultancies. He has travelled to well over 100 countries, and recently moved from Hong Kong to Dubai.
Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat, is one of the weirdest places on the face of the earth, and that alone makes this trip outstanding. Plus, there are excellent natural wonders and decent big ticket heritage sites. Above, this is a chance to peep behind the iron curtain of one of the most isolated countries in the world.
Vast urban areas of sky-high architecture and smart-city innovation make Guangdong one of the best places to understand what is happening in China today and see what much of the world might look like tomorrow. All this has been built on the foundations of a unique history, so as well as the future you can also visit the past in villages, fortresses and temples dating back thousands of years.
Unlike other countries on the Arabian Peninsula, Oman can feel more like a traditional holiday destination, with easily accessible natural beauty (for driving and hiking in the wadis and mountains, along with dune bashing in the desert), important heritage sites (especially forts and watchtowers), as well as beaches, diving and high-end resorts.
Come to find unique ethnic culture, stunning mountain ranges, Christian monasteries, freely available alcohol, and – despite its existential fragility – peace and security. Then leave with a greater understanding of the scars of war and the prospect of an independent Kurdish country.
The enduring legacy of the World Cup – both the modernisation and the controversy – spatchcocked onto a quiet conservative Islamic culture, makes for an intriguing retreat. It’s not hard to have a fun long weekend in Doha, but nor would you be struggling for things to do if you stayed for a week or more.
Kyrgyzstan has eighty-eight separate mountain ranges, covering 70% of its 200,000 square kilometres of territory, perfect for a road trip back to nature.
With a couple of days in the capital, a day in the western oil heartland dipping into local Iban culture, an overnight stay in the protected and pristine Ulu Temburong National Park rainforest in the eastern enclave, plus diving in Brunei Bay, you have a busy and rewarding itinerary in this tiny country.
It is easy to spend a long weekend or more in Bahrain. Manama is a relaxed capital with beach resorts, souq shopping, eating and even drinking. Then the wider archipelago has heritage sites from both an ancient civilisation and the era of the most successful pearling industry in the region.
Macau's primary attractions are its glitzy casino resorts on the Cotai Strip that copy almost exactly those in Las Vegas. In addition, it has an interesting history as a Portuguese colony, and, like neighbouring Hong Kong, a controversial imminent future as part of China’s Greater Bay Area.
Overshadowed by the Gulf War, Kuwait is little visited. But there are terrific hotels and top notch restaurants, a substantial corniche and a handful of photogenic attractions, plus a lovely old souq and an excellent modern mall. Out in the desert, highlights include the road from Iraq used by Saddam’s troops to invade and retreat, and a day at the camel races.
