• GET THE WHOLE STORY - the only guide that covers the entire Peninsula

• BE INSPIRED - customized itineraries and preplanning information help you plot your Arabian odyssey

• CONNECT WITH CULTURE - history, culture and arts sections reveal the Peninsula way of life

• EXPLORE THE FAITH - special coverage of Islam, its heritage, traditions and customs

• GET AROUND - detailed maps and transport information help you get from Bahrain to Yemen and back again

Excerpted from Lonely Planet Arabian Peninsula (Lonely Planet Arabian Peninsula) by Frances Linzee Gordon. Copyright © 2004. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Destination Arabian Peninsula

While mass tourism has reached the most remote corners on Earth, and lunar travel is now a reality, the Arabian Peninsula continues to be seen as a rather mysterious, exotic and alien place.

For those willing to 'risk' Arabia, the region may well hold a surprise or two. Built historically on trade - frankincense and myrrh in ancient times, and oil and gas today - are several great civilizations. Relics range from Yemen's 8th-century BC dam, and Madain Saleh, 'Saudi Arabia's Petra', to Bahrain's King Fahd Causeway, one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century.

Developing from Third World to First World fast - in around 25 years - the Peninsula truly contrasts the old with the new and this is its most fascinating feature. Bedouin tribesmen park 4WDs alongside goat hair tents; veiled women chat on mobile phones while awaiting laser hair removal; and children memorize the Quran while biting on a burger. But beneath the slick, hi-tech veneer lies strata upon strata of traditional Bedouin hospitality, unsurpassed in the world.

Equally diverse is the scenery. Much more than merely desert, there are fragrant forests, rich coral reefs, date-filled wadis and stunning mountain landscapes. Activities abound, from world-class golf, diving and trekking, to desert safaris and turtle watching.

The region also enjoys some of the best shopping in the world at some of the best prices; and some of the world's top hotels, resorts and restaurants at some of the best value.

If travel ever broadened the mind, then travel to Arabia certainly will. You may well learn more about the world from one trip to Arabia than a lifetime's travel elsewhere. And in the process, you might even become passionate about the Peninsula - many travelers do.