Istanbul to Bahrain — We Went Together

Istanbul · 13–18 November

Starting in Istanbul

Even by our standards, this was an ambitious trip. There were eleven flights, eight countries and many moving parts through a region that was still unfamiliar to us. We felt the same nervousness we always feel before a bigger journey, but each trip has taught us to take it one stop at a time. Istanbul was where we began to settle into that rhythm.

Vanessa and the children looking upward inside Hagia Sophia

Vanessa and the children at a viewpoint above Istanbul

George and Sophie looking over trays of sweets at a market counter

Athens · 18–21 November

Settling Into the Journey

By Athens, the trip had begun to feel more manageable. We visited the Acropolis and spent time walking through the city, but what mattered most was that the family was settling into the pace. The eleven flights no longer felt like one enormous plan; they were simply the next place, and then the next.

Vanessa and the three children together in front of the Parthenon

Vanessa holding Claire on the path down Lycabettus Hill with Athens below

Sophie and George swinging together in a wooded Athens playground

Jordan & Egypt · 21–29 November

Petra, the Dead Sea and Cairo

Jordan was one of the parts we had most looked forward to, especially returning to Petra with the children. We were lucky with the weather until our final day, when heavy rain arrived and roads began closing as we made our way to the airport. We left just before the worst of the flooding, more by luck than planning.

In Cairo, we were fortunate to visit the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum. Together with the Nile and the pyramids, it made Egypt one of the most memorable stops of the trip.

Sophie and George riding a camel in front of the Treasury at Petra

Sophie and George walking along a high sandstone path at Petra

Petra, eight years later—this time with Sophie, George and Claire.

AlUla · 29 November–2 December

A Pause in AlUla

After Jordan and Cairo, AlUla gave us the pause we needed. We stayed in one comfortable place for a few nights, slowed the days down and let the children spend time in the pool every day. Hegra gave us something to explore, but the rest was just as important.

Vanessa waiting while George examines the sand beside a rock-cut tomb at Hegra

Sophie and George playing in a pool while Claire sleeps beside them in AlUla — Pool time every day in AlUla.

Jeddah · 2–4 December

A Short Stop in Jeddah

Jeddah was brief, and that suited us. We spent time in Al-Balad, stopped for a seafood lunch and had a chance to reset before the self-drive through Oman.

Vanessa and the children drinking juice in front of a traditional house in Al-Balad

Sophie and George petting street cats with a local man in Al-Balad

The family seated around a table filled with fish, prawns, rice and salads in Jeddah

Oman · 4–12 December

Oman by Road

The self-drive through Oman was one of the parts we enjoyed most. Having our own Land Cruiser gave us freedom again. We had chosen it specifically for the drive into Wahiba Sands, and staying overnight in the desert tents was especially fun for the children.

At Jebel Shams, the children became more confident on the mountain trails. They learned to wait for one another, help when someone needed it and keep moving together. We finished back at the coast with a day at the Daymaniyat Islands.

Vanessa and the children crouching together at shallow water in Muscat

George carrying a very large bag of popcorn in a shop

Claire running along the dune with both arms outstretched

Sophie and George roasting marshmallows over a fire beneath the stars in Wahiba Sands

The children examining a heavy carved wooden doorway at Nizwa Fort

Vanessa and the children seated together above the palm groves at Misfah at sunset

Sophie and George carefully walking down the rocky Jebel Shams trail

Claire, Sophie and George playing in the shallow water and sand on a Daymaniyat island

Kuwait · 12–14 December

A Short Stop in Kuwait

Kuwait was another short stopover: enough time to see something of the city and visit Kuwait Towers before continuing to Bahrain.

Vanessa and the children together inside the geometric observation deck at Kuwait Towers

Bahrain · 14–18 December

National Day in Bahrain

Our final stop coincided with Bahrain's National Day, and the celebrations gave the trip an unexpectedly lively ending. The children joined the fairground games, met people along the waterfront and stayed out to see Manama lit in red and white.

By then, the eleven flights and eight countries no longer felt quite so daunting. We had pushed ourselves a little further, made it through together and come home more confident. That seems to happen after every ambitious trip: the children grow, and so do we.

George and Claire handling a watermelon in a supermarket trolley

Sophie and George standing with two Bahraini soldiers on the waterfront during National Day celebrations

Sophie holding an enormous orange crab prize in front of a fairground game in Bahrain

A wide nighttime view over Bahrain and its illuminated roads

Singapore · 18 December

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36 days · 35 nights · 24,040 kilometres