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Hiking near Sebastia, Palestine
Hiking near Sebastia, Palestine. Photograph: Daniel Silas Adamson
Hiking near Sebastia, Palestine. Photograph: Daniel Silas Adamson

Peace in the Middle East: holidays in the countryside

This article is more than 10 years old
Despite tensions, tourism in the Middle East is growing and, for the most part, visitors can travel safely. We assess the situation in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman and Tunisia

Palestine

The West Bank isn't the obvious destination for a relaxing break, but the FCO's warning to stay away was lifted years ago and the vibrancy of Palestinian culture may surprise you. The Israeli occupation is evident in walls and checkpoints, and there are some places – notably Hebron – that are always tense. That said, there's much more to this country than conflict.

International visitors can move around freely and will be welcomed warmly by Palestinians. Hosh Jasmin (facebook.com/hosh.jasmin) is an organic farm and slow-food restaurant just outside Bethlehem. You can camp under the olive trees and join in yoga sessions, film nights and wine tastings.

A little way to the north, the village of Deir Ghassaneh is a great starting point for a walk on the Sufi Trails that connect the old hilltop shrines around Ramallah. You can have lunch here, at the village women's co-operative (+972 2240 7611, pace.ps). Further north still is Sebastia, one of the prettiest villages in the West Bank, which has a beautifully restored guesthouse built into the ruins of a Crusader church. The Siraj Center pioneered alternative tourism in Palestine and can help with hiking or homestays anywhere in the country.

Israel

Bedouin Experience
Bedouin Experience

Since at least the 1970s, Israel's tourist board has been trying to paper over conflict with posters of sunny beaches, but there's really no need for heavy-handed PR: it feels perfectly safe to travel around the country on your own. Rural tourism is getting more adventurous and, in some cases, is a basis for partnerships between Arab and Jewish Israelis. Bedouin Experience was founded by two Israeli civil rights activists, one Jewish and one Bedouin Arab, to help travellers meet the Negev's indigenous people and learn about the culture of the desert.

For gentler, greener countryside take a look at the Jesus Trail a 65km hike that runs between Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. A good place to begin is the Fauzi Azar Inn, which may be the most characterful and lively guesthouse in the country.

Jordan

Bedouin girl, Petra
Bedouin girl, Petra. Photograph: Daniel Silas Adamson

When your neighbours include Iraq, Syria, and Israel, it's not always easy to convince people your country is safe. But Jordan could hardly be more welcoming. Visitors have been following a fairly well-worn route from Petra to the Red Sea for decades, but in the past few years quieter corners of the kingdom have opened up. Quietest of all is Al Ayoun, a traditional farming area where you can stay with families and walk in the hills. The Abraham Path hiking trail, which runs right across the Middle East, passes through these villages. Engaging Cultures Travel can help you get out to Al Ayoun, and meet Jordanian families all over the country.

Further south, Jordan's national conservation agency runs a desert eco-lodge at Feynan, miles off the grid and lit only by candles. If you're fit, Terhaal Adventures can take you on a wilderness trek from here to Petra.

Lebanon

Tawlet restaurant, Beiruit
Tawlet restaurant, Beirut

Lebanon's fragile calm has been disturbed by overspilling chaos from Syria, and with recent bombs going off in the southern suburbs of Beirut you need to follow FCO advice and make sure you're well informed before getting on a plane. Beirut is a city whose commitment to good food and music remains unshaken by the country's dysfunctional politics, and the mountain hinterland has some of the finest walking in the region. The Lebanon Mountain Trail runs the length of the country, meandering through villages on the western flanks of Mount Lebanon and offering immense views towards the Mediterranean.

Back in Beirut, Souk el Tayeb is a farmers' market that supports small-scale growers, celebrates regional foods, and is home to one of the country's best restaurants, Tawlet. In the south, hidden in citrus groves behind Lebanon's wildest beach, is Orange House a B&B that is also home to Lebanon's only turtle conservation project.

Oman

Alila Jabal Akhdar
Alila Jabal Akhdar

Oman spent much of the 20th century closed in feudal isolation, and remains one of the more traditional Arab societies. Even the minor demonstrations during the Arab uprising didn't question the country's leadership, focusing instead on localised issues. The traditional outlook can be manifested in extreme hospitality: the only danger visitors are likely to face is being overfed by an Omani family – the FCO has no current restrictions on travel in the country.

Two hours' drive takes you from the capital, Muscat, into the high mountain plateau of Jabal Akhdar. The Bani Riyam tribe cut terraces into the contours of these hills, planting them with roses and pomegranate trees, and in April you can walk through irrigated, perfumed gardens and watch the petals being harvested for rosewater.

To explore the wilder reaches of these mountains, talk to Christian at Bike and Hike Oman or to the team at Oman Trekking Guides (omantrekkingguides.com). If you don't fancy camping, the country's first luxury eco-resort, Alila Jabal Akhdar (alilahotels.com/jabalakhdar) is set to open in the Jabal Akhdar next month.

Tunisia

Tunisia's was the first, and perhaps least traumatic, of the revolutions that spread across North Africa in 2011. Although the FCO still identifies a few places that are best avoided, there's a palpable sense of optimism here and opportunities for exploring the interior that would have been impossible in the days of dictatorship. Having all but vanished during the uprising, tourists are slowly reappearing in Tunisia's Mediterranean towns, and the atmosphere in their streets is as friendly as ever.

Amine Draoui is a French-educated engineer who came home to Tunis during the revolution and set up the Mornag Eco Farm just south of the city. The farm teaches urban kids about organic agriculture, but it's not all goat dung and long-drop toilets: this is a fabulous place to eat fresh food, play music and relax in the sunshine. There's a small but expanding guesthouse and Amine leads hiking expeditions all over the country. For a real adventure, visitors can head into the hills around Siliana, to stay with the family of Khalifa Jaidi and enjoy his mum's cooking.

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