Qatar

Qatar has spent a generation turning itself into a destination worth breaking a journey for, and the result is genuinely impressive. Doha's skyline glitters across the bay from the Museum of Islamic Art, a building so serene it competes with its own collection. The Souq Waqif smells of oud and spice and still functions as a real market, falcons and all. The National Museum, shaped like a desert rose, tells the country's pearl-diving story brilliantly. Then the desert delivers the adventure: dune bashing or, more sedately, a private camp at Khor Al Adaid, the inland sea where dunes run straight into the water. Add beach resorts, world-class dining and the world's best airline connections, and Qatar makes a 48-hour stopover feel like a proper holiday.