Mountains, sea
and desert.

From Spain, the Gulf and the Levant feel far away, but a direct flight puts them a long afternoon from Madrid or Barcelona, and the winter sun is reliable. Our three hotels here each show a different landscape and a different idea of comfort.

Alila Jabal Akhdar sits at about 2,000 meters in Oman's Al Hajar Mountains, built of local stone on the lip of a canyon. Up here the air is cool, villagers grow pomegranates and damask roses on terraces, and the nights are full of stars.

Burj Al Arab Jumeirah is the opposite: a tower shaped like a sail, opened in 1999 on an artificial island off Dubai's beach, where every room is a duplex suite and the scale is deliberately dazzling.

Feynan Ecolodge, in the Wadi Feynan on the edge of Jordan's Dana Biosphere Reserve, runs on solar power and candlelight and serves vegetarian food. Its guides, drivers and hosts come from the local Bedouin community, and Petra is close enough for a day.

Good for: winter-sun escapes, walkers, families, history lovers and anyone curious about hospitality in the Arab world.

The cool season (October to April)

The best time for all three. Dubai's beaches are warm, the desert is pleasant by day, and Jordan is ideal for hiking in spring and autumn. In December to February, nights get cold in the mountains of Oman and in Jordan's highlands, where snow is not unheard of. Bring a proper jacket.

Summer (May to September)

Dubai and the Jordan Valley can exceed 40°C, with Gulf humidity making it feel hotter. Jabal Akhdar is the exception: it stays many degrees cooler than the coast, which is why Omani families head up the mountain in summer. Rose harvest on the plateau comes in spring, usually around April.

Ramadan

The holy month moves about eleven days earlier each year. Hotels keep running normally, but eat, drink and smoke discreetly in public during daylight hours. Evenings are lively, and sharing an iftar to break the fast can be a highlight of the trip.

Flying is the simplest way to link the three countries. In Oman, rent a car: the road from Muscat to the Jabal Akhdar plateau is steep, and a police checkpoint at the foot of the climb turns back anything that is not a four-wheel drive. In Jordan, hire a driver or rent a car and take the King's Highway south, one of the region's most beautiful roads.

The last stretch to Feynan is on desert tracks, so you leave your vehicle at the reception point and continue in the lodge's own 4x4.

1. 1

   Three nights · Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai

   Arrive at Dubai International

   Beach and pool days, an abra across the Creek to the old souks, and the museums of Al Fahidi.

2. 2

   Three nights · Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman

   Fly to Muscat · about 1h 10m, then 2h 30m by 4x4

   Walks along the terraced village trail, Nizwa's fort and Friday livestock market, and starry, silent nights.

3. 3

   Four nights · Feynan Ecolodge, Jordan

   Fly to Amman via Dubai or Doha, then about 3h by road

   Hikes in the wadis, tea with a Bedouin family, candlelit dinners and a long day at Petra.

• Dress: outside the hotel, keep shoulders and knees covered, especially in souks, villages and mosques. Swimwear belongs at the pool and the beach.
• Coffee and dates: they are offered as a welcome, and it is polite to accept. With Arabic coffee, a small shake of the cup tells your host you have had enough.
• Right hand: use it for eating and for passing things.
• Photos: ask first before photographing people, and never photograph women without permission.
• Public behavior: keep affection discreet; holding hands is usually as far as it goes.
• Alcohol: available in licensed hotels and restaurants, not in public spaces.
• Tipping: around 10 percent in restaurants where service isn't included, and small notes for drivers and guides.