Consider Dubai forty years ago. Maybe you would imagine an evolving city bustling with business and anticipating a bright future. You’d be wrong. But who could have known that this sleepy little backwater would evolve into one of the world’s most modern cities.

It’s hard to believe there was no blueprint for this. It’s even harder to believe that, just a few decades ago, there was no wealth, no world-class Dubai hotels, no luxury, no shopping malls, no indoor skiing . Instead Dubai’s people lived a rustic and thrifty life of farming and fishing. The seams between old and new, east and west, can still be seen if you look closely enough. And to think, all along, Dubai’s riches were buried beneath the desert just waiting to be uncovered. At last, though, it hit the oil jackpot and rushed headlong into the future.

This November celebrations got underway in Dubai to mark forty years of independence. Dubai and six other emirates were unified to become the United Arab Emirates after years under British protection. An annual ‘National Day’, on December 3, honours what locals refer to as “The Spirit of the Union”. But this year was a milestone, with exhibitions and parties across the region, and people taking to the streets with flags and face paint. There’s never been a better time to visit, and with such great hotel deals currently on offer, there’s no excuse to not go.

Now the United Arab Emirates is the second richest country in the Gulf and is only set to become more prosperous.This meteoric rise to fortune has been found in just forty years. Stay confined to the metropolis, though, and you wouldn’t have a clue However, if you look beyond the first-class hotels, the racecourses, golf courses, motor racing, fine dining restaurants, gold markets, and champagne brunches, you’ll find the past. Dubai’s Bastakia Quarter is an enduring fragment of the past, where traditional Arabian architecture still reflects the city’s position on the Gulf and an atmosphere of historicism still hangs in the desert. Be sure to visit, if only to see, first-hand, how a virtual desert land became a model for the future.

They say all roads lead to Rome and the fascinating origin of that phrase is plain to see all over the Mediterranean. Modern Europe was founded upon the cultures and values from the Roman Empire. Malta hotels, located in a key territory of the ancient Roman Empire, are a great place to start going back in time.

Having once been a Roman stronghold, the city of Mdina – the former capital – is a great place to start. A visit to the Museum of Roman Antiquities in nearby Rabat reveals many treasures from this time including glassware and marble statues. Visitors can also admire the remains of a Roman merchant’s house with very well preserved mosaic floors.

Empires were often started in North Africa because of its natural resources and fertile soil. Dougga is a great place to visit as it is considered the most well persevered Roman town to be found in North Africa. This is ideally located for you to take a quick trip from your Tunisia hotels. Another interesting place to visit, the Bardo Museum in Tunis holds the world’s largest collection of Roman mosaics.

Of course you won’t truly understand the story without visiting Rome. You’ll be astounded by the vast wealth of ancient buildings and heritage found all over this beautiful city. You never know what your choice of Rome hotels once was. Stern imperial busts and marble statues of gods are part of the furniture.

Many visitors, however, come to Rome to visit some key attractions from classical civilization. The Colosseum is a must, which was built to house 55,000 citizens of Rome. The Colosseum has stood the test of time against many bloody battles. During the time of the emperors upwards of half a million people are said to have died here.

War and violence were central to Roman culture but so was spirituality. One of the most recognised buildings is the Pantheon, a temple built by the Emperor Hadrian for the gods. Its grand architectural structure was designed to honour the most important gods of ancient Rome.