Middle East Travel Disruption

Last updated: 23rd March 2026

Fortunately, our business operations haven’t been impacted too heavily overall by the ongoing travel disruption in the Middle East. Naturetrek customers who were on holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Oman at the outbreak of the conflict in Iran are now safely home, while those about to travel to India and Sri Lanka have been placed on alternative routes and airlines. If you are travelling with us later this year, or if you are considering your future holiday plans, please read on for our latest travel advice.

If you are due to travel on a Naturetrek tour flying via a Middle Eastern hub (Dubai or Doha):

If you are booked on a Naturetrek tour and are due to travel with Emirates Airlines through Dubai or with Qatar Airways through Doha in the coming months, please be assured that we are monitoring the situation closely. As your tour operator, it is our responsibility to ensure that any cancelled flights are rebooked, and we always operate our tours in line with FCDO advice for your destination (which includes any country that you might transit through en route). If the FCDO advises against travel to your destination, or if we cannot offer a suitable alternative flight to get you to your destination, then in line with our terms and conditions we will offer you the option to rebook your tour or receive a full refund.

Currently, Emirates and Qatar are allowing flights up to mid-April to be rebooked. For future departures, we are waiting to see how the situation progresses and will get in touch with you with an update as we approach the balance due date for your tour.

If you are considering your future travel plans:

For new flight bookings later in the year, we are keeping our options open for now. If you would like to book a tour to one of our destinations that typically flies via the Middle East, but prefer to choose an alternative flight route at the booking stage, options are outlined below. In some cases, a flight supplement may apply, or you may require extra accommodation at one or both ends of the tour, which we would be happy to arrange.

Destination	Standard Route	Alternative Option(s)
India	Emirates	British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air India
The Maldives	Emirates	British Airways (direct). This flight does not depart daily, so additional nights in the Maldives are usually required
Nepal	Emirates or Qatar	Air India via Delhi or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul
The Seychelles	Emirates	Kenya Airways via Nairobi or Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa
Tanzania	Qatar	Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa
Zambia	Emirates	British Airways via Johannesburg

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Operations Manager for your tour or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..