4 Unusual Eco-Places to Stay in the Middle East

Aikido workshops in the Sahara, Nubian traditional houses at the bank of the Nile, tents shaking to the Arabian desert’s windy nights, and an all-natural eco-lodge at the coast of the Red Sea in North Sinai. For this winter, Barakabits has chosen four environmentally friendly places to stay in the Middle East –and travel with a conscience.  

1) Camping in Dubai: Yes, as you read it. The Middle East’s most famous destination for luxury travel can also be visited while sleeping on a tent under the stars. There is nothing like experiencing the desert nomad lifestyle and the experience can get as comfortable as these five cushioned campsites.

2) An authentic Nubian family house: Anakato hotel is the perfect gateway into this fascinating culture that flourished at the banks of the Nile in Aswan. The family’s goal was to enrich tourists’ knowledge of the true Nubian experience, so they decided to turn it into an eco-lodge. A peaceful, scenic retreat, Nubian eco-lodges offer an unexpected insight into the all too known sights of ancient Egypt.

3) Holistic Meditation in the Sahara: a week of storytelling, music and meditation under the desert sky: This is what the Road Junky Sahara Retreat promises next winter in Morocco. With no cell phones or internet, the experience encourages travelers to tune into their original rhythm and put mindfulness into practice with dance and aikido workshops.

4) Amongst the reddish mountains that frame the Sinai peninsula, between Taba and Nuweiba, Bassata is known as Egypt’s first eco-lodge. Built in 1986 with natural materials, the lodge relies on generators and solar energy instead of electricity. No TVs or radios, as they’d like for their clients to enjoy the beauty of nature and interact together rather than their smartphones.