CD Traveller reader, Olivia Keith, takes us on a tour of four of her favourite destinations

At present, probably the best holiday bargains are to be found in either Tunisia or Egypt. Other Middle Eastern and North African countries like Yemen, Syria, Algeria don’t attract many British visitors. Jordan has been at pains to point out that they are open for business as has Oman which had a bumper tourism year in 2010. Morocco has been visited by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall which suggests all is quiet and safe. But are you encouraged to holiday there? Do the deals tempt you?

Heading to Dubai for the kingdom of bling’s shopping festival? Make sure you hit the malls by all means but be sure to get yourself to Global Village, where you can shop and eat your way around the world…

Whether you’re staycation-ing or vacationing, CD Traveller tells you what’s hot and what’s not in the travel world

CD -traveller ventured off the beaten track to find a cross section of individuals who call the Omani capital ‘home’. The goal was to find out who they are, what they do and what Muscat means to them…

Tourism to the Gulf countries is relatively small but growth is likely given the amount of investment that is being ploughed in an attempt to get us to visit. Abu Dhabi is anticipating growth of 10% for next year and 15% for the following two years. We have previously carried stories about what Abu Dhabi has to offer and it certainly shouldn’t be thought of like Dubai as a luxury destination. Hotel rates are reasonable and with all the competition amongst gulf airlines, prices are reasonable.

While there is no denying Muscat’s many charms, there’s so much more to Oman than merely Muscat; to judge a country on its capital is the equivalent of saying that you’re intimately acquainted with the US because you’ve had a Big Mac.

Forget the UAE. This time around it’s Oman that is stealing the show…

Oman is having a moment. Just ask Peter Greenberg – the award winning travel editor for NBC’s Today Show – who has hailed the Arab state as a hot and affordable (important in these credit crunch times) destination, and one of his own personal favourites. Conde Nast Traveller’s online sibling, www.concierge.com, and Vogue have also dubbed the Sultanate as one of this year’s must visit spots.