PONANT will collaborate with Smithsonian Journeys again in 2023 for a series of 21 co-branded sailings, with each led by two Smithsonian Journeys Experts, like art historians, solar astrophysicists and a North African international relations expert.
© PONANT, Nicolas Matheus
Among those new sailings is a nine-day itinerary along the Arabian coast, Jan. 6–14, 2023. The sailing visits Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and more. The Smithsonian Experts include Karl Eikenberry, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, to lead discussions on Middle East affairs.
© PONANT, Nicolas Matheus
Begin the sailing in Dubai, where cruise-goers can visit Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, the souks, Dubai Museum and more. Stop two is Sir Bani Yas Island, a wildlife reserve home to oryxes, cheetahs and gazelles. Doha, next up on the itinerary, offers travelers the lively Souq Waqif, Museum of Islamic Art and more. In Abu Dhabi, the fourth stop, cruisers can visit Louvre Abi Dhabi and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The ship next drops anchor in Khasab, a fishing village surrounded by the fjord-like khors of Musandam Peninsula. Here, travelers can navigate the narrow inlets on traditional dhow boats. As the ship sails south along Oman’s eastern coast, it stops in Fujairah, home to Al Bidiyah Mosque, one of the oldest in the United Arab Emirates, and Fujairah Fort, the largest castle in the region. The cruise ends in Muscat, Oman, with its mountain houses, coastal forts and mud huts.
Learn more about the Cruising the Arabian Coast – with Smithsonian Journeys itinerary here.
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