With COVID-19 halting our travel plans and putting our lives on pause, we have been able to appreciate the freedom we once had and to dream of destinations we are yet to visit. For many of us, this episode will change the way we travel for the foreseeable future; we’ll look to escape to remote or hidden destinations and seek experiences that allow for safe social distancing. Getaways to natural hideaways with fresh air and space will now be a compelling alternative to breaks in busy cities for many. With this in mind, Business Traveller has compiled a list of 10 luxurious resorts in the Middle East and North Africa where you can truly escape the crowds.

Discussing race with children is not always easy. Deciding how to approach a sensitive issue can be intimidating, and some parents may avoid it until a child raises the topic, but with research showing that children notice ethnicity from as young as three months old, it is not to be shied away from. Older children using social and mainstream media can be exposed to negative messaging and images, which left untamed, can fuel prejudices or fears of their own, while younger children often experien

Though the exact format of how schooling will look come September will remain unclear until much later in the summer as things change week by week, one thing is for sure, teacher and pupil safety will be paramount. Schools are already beavering away to implement new structural, staffing and auxiliary changes to campuses, ensuring everything from hand sanitisers to extra nurses are in place, new entry and exit procedures, and even one-way systems within communal spaces. The three possible back-t

DUBAI—International branch campuses in Dubai, which has one of the world’s largest collections of such university outposts, face an uncertain future in the wake of Covid-19. With high rents and reduced enrollment rates, the universities are being forced to offer students financial incentives, while also showing flexibility on entry standards for secondary-school graduates who had their examinations canceled this year. A large share of the 17 university branch campuses’ student base comes from

137 Pillars Suites Bangkok, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) group, follows in the footsteps of the flagship 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Just two years old, the boutique all-suite concept features 34 luxury suites and 179 residences.

Wellbeing entrepreneur Natasha Rudatsenko is the founder of Dubai yoga studio Dryp and Health Nag, a functional health service and holistic health education platform. Ms Rudatsenko, 37, from Estonia, was inspired to focus her career on wellness after being diagnosed with chronic illnesses including hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome. Educated in London, she moved to the UAE in 2010 and now lives in Dubai Marina. How did your upbringing shape your attitude tow

The world is in the midst of one of, if not the biggest, shifts of the century. Many things may never look like they did before Coronavirus but will one of those things be our schooling? From university applications to learning online, some of the effects will be temporary, while others may last long after the pandemic. Schools Compared receives feedback on the initial impact and lessons being learned. For many parents, simply keeping healthy both physically and mentally, while managing the f

Edward Kandaleft is the founder of Lynor, an online retailer that designs and sells contemporary and affordable fine jewellery made in 18-carat gold and gemstones. The Dubai business, which went live earlier this year, trades through Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as conventional e-commerce channels. Mr Kandaleft, 24, from Syria, who studied in Dubai and Edinburgh, is the third generation of jewellers in his family and says he is blending the history of the family business with a new, 21st Cent

After 10 years of taking family and friends to desert camps she felt were mediocre, Stephanie Danial decided to create her own. Sonara is part desert camp, part beach club – complete with live music, DJs and a relaxing vibe. Nobody will force you to watch the falcon show and if you don’t fancy the camel ride, you can scrap that, too. Sonara is predominantly a luxury dining concept in the desert, where Frenchwoman Danial has transformed a stretch of sand inside the Dubai Desert Conservation Reser

Managed by luxury hospitality specialist YTL Hotels, which boasts a unique portfolio of historic and bespoke properties around the world, Monkey Island Estate is rural retreat on a private island in the UK foodie haven known as Bray-on-Thames – possibly the only village in the world with four Michelin- starred restaurants and gastro pubs. This centuries-old property, once the getaway destination of VIPs and royalty, is one of YTL’s five UK hotels.

From Al Buraimi Oasis to the Al Akhdar region, verdant Dhofar and the scenic Musandam peninsula, Oman’s varied landscapes are rich in adventure. A haven for all types of adventure traveller, from the inexperienced to the intrepid, the country offers an abundance of hiking trails, rock-climbing and caving, with routes including both beginner treks and lengthy hikes on which signposting is scarce and terrain can be treacherous. Guides are recommended for these latter routes. A hike into the past,

This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps. Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime. From brushes made of plant fibres to

As a child, Emirati filmmaker Tariq Ahmad Alkazim slept with the lights on, or with the door open just enough for there to be a glimmer of light. His childhood fear has now been translated into his creative career. Alkazim channelled it into his latest movie, Nyctophobia, which means fear of the dark. The film is a revealing insight into Alkazim’s mind and imagination. “The fear was there ever since I can remember,” he admits. “I overcame it slowly as I grew up, acknowledging that with light or

Background – Dubai Bans Homework in Public Schools to Give Children “A Life Outside School”. The debate on the benefits of homework has become a passionate one, pupils and parents claiming it is placing too much a burden not only on students, but parents and family life too. Many parents contact us saying that their children are no longer able to enjoy their childhood and growing up. With so many curricula across the UAE and in turn, a variety of teaching methodologies and philosophy, there se

Life in Dubai might look like a life of sparkling parties and high fashion, a land of glitz and glamour, but behind closed doors, many women - both married and single - are battling a range of mental health issues, from post natal depression to marital abuse and a sense of social isolation, and it affects all levels of society. Psychologists have revealed that many British expatriate women are turning to behaviours such as casual sex and plastic surgery, in a bid to numb the pain of feeling los

Discover Siem Reap beyond its magnificent temples; this northwestern Cambodian town is slowly gaining the world’s attention for its diverse offering that combines adventure, culture, shopping and dining The gateway to some of the world’s most magnificent temple ruins, Siem Reap is a portal to the past. Every corner of this colourful city tells the tale of the region’s rich history, dating back to the Khmer Empire of the ninth century. The ruins stretch for miles, with the famous Angkor Wat temp

Dying to get the best holiday pics? Well, hundreds of people literally are. The number of fatalities from selfies is rising internationally, most notably among millennial men, and as the quest for these death-defying ­images becomes evermore extreme, some insurers have started to offer “killfie” life insurance. Many selfie deaths are the result of tourists taking risks in unfamiliar terrain. It’s not only the extreme rooftop chasers, the would-be wild animal tamers and the fantasy stunt heroes.

Big Brand British Schools in the UAE – The Benefits. Brands do matter in the global economy. We pay a premium for them in every part of our lives. From shoes and high fashion, to fizzy drinks and theatre productions, we pay for what a brand carries with it – reputation, celebrity, authenticity, some form of guarantee of quality, however nebulous, status and often simply the comfort of a known quantity. One estimate suggests that by removing brands entirely from our lives we could more than doub

When Choub Kanha was 6 years old, growing up in the remote Cambodian village of Battambang, her father bought her a hula-hoop. Her mother was worried, thinking the rigorous movement would prevent her being able to conceive children later in life, but Kanha was hooked. It awakened her passion for gymnastics and, over the next three years, she practised as many skills as she could at home, before she decided to join circus school. Now, aged 24, as her peers primarily work in factories, on family

Twelve years ago, Julia Hicks, swept up in the flush of newly-wed excitement, began blogging about her life as a young Russian living in the UK with her British husband. It became one of Russia’s top 10 blogs and she gladly shared personal images detailing her everyday life. However, her pictures were soon taken by an online scammer, manipulated and used in sexually explicit materials. Now, eight years later, Hicks lives in Dubai with her two sons, aged 11 and 4, and has learnt her lesson. Whil