tombs and landscape in Al-Hijr Al Hijr archaeological site Madain Saleh in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

Deeply conservative and closed to tourists until just a few years ago, Saudi Arabia is undergoing breakneck change as it banks its post-oil fortunes on tourism, investing billions on resorts, airports and infrastructure. While its reforms are not without critics, today's visitors will see a modernizing society living alongside the traditional Saudi values that have preserved it as a prime Islamic pilgrimage destination. Its treasures are many -- from the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra near Al-Ula to the UNESCO-protected town of At-Turaif and mountain village of Rijal Almaa. On the Red Sea coast, the rising sci-fi city of Neom is already opening luxury resorts, with plenty more coming soon.
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New York
It’s the most happening of cities, a place where over 200 languages are spoken and millions flock each year to see its world-famous sights. New York draws visitors in like nowhere else. The crowded streets of Manhattan are the stuff of legend. First timers will want to head to the top of the Empire State Building and stand beneath the glare of the lights of Times Square. But there’s so much more to see and do, whether it’s catching an Off-Broadway play, checking out world class art at MoMA or shopping the streets of SoHo. Brooklyn’s hip neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Fort Greene offer a more relaxed vibe, while the food in Queens’ Chinatown is worth the long subway ride.