UPDATE: Thursday, March 28 at 12:45 p.m. ET
Welcome to TravelPulse's inaugural March Travel Madness Bracket: The Ultimate Journey Tourney. Pick your winners in the Africa and Middle East region now through March 31 to see which destinations advance to the Elite Eight!
Chalk is the big winner in the Africa and Middle East region through two rounds as each of the top four seeds is still alive, including number one Eygpt, second-seeded Cape Town, third-seeded Morocco and number four Israel.
Interestingly, of the second-round winners in this region, only Morocco failed to earn at least 71 percent of the vote.
The Elite Eight in this corner of the bracket will come down to Egypt versus Israel and Cape Town versus Morocco.
Don't forget to vote on the other regions of The Ultimate Journey Tourney Bracket, including the Americas and Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, Australia, Antarctica and Oceania .
UPDATE: Monday, March 25 at 1:55 p.m. ET
Welcome to TravelPulse's inaugural March Travel Madness Bracket: The Ultimate Journey Tourney. Pick your winners in the Africa and Middle East region now through March 27 to see which destinations advance to the Sweet 16!
The second round in the Africa and Middle East region features four scintillating matchups as the lowest seed remaining is number nine Madagascar, which earned two-thirds of the vote against Abu Dhabi in the opening round. The East African island country will be an underdog next against favorite Egypt.
The winner of Egypt versus Madagascar will face the winner of fourth-seeded Israel versus fifth-seeded Dubai.
Second-seeded Cape Town, South Africa will matchup against number seven Jordan at the bottom of the bracket, with the winner advancing to take on the winner of Morocco versus Victoria Falls (both destinations earned at least 94 percent of the vote in round one).
Don't forget to vote on the other regions of The Ultimate Journey Tourney Bracket, including the Americas and Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, Australia, Antarctica and Oceania.
Home to the cradle of civilization, Africa and the Middle East are arguably unrivaled in terms of their cultural significance and allure for travelers seeking one-of-a-kind experiences.
Whether touring the pyramids of Giza or spotting the Big Five safari animals at South Africa's Kruger National Park, no region is more likely to get your pulse pounding.
This spring, travelers can vote on the top destinations in Africa and the Middle East during the inaugural March Travel Madness: The Ultimate Journey Tourney Bracket.
First-round voting ends on March 24. Don't forget to vote on the other regions of The Ultimate Journey Tourney Bracket, including the Americas and Caribbean, Europe and Asia, Australia, Antarctica and Oceania.
Here's how the Africa and Middle East region lines up:
1) Egypt vs. vs. 16) Istanbul
Booming Egypt is the favorite to emerge from the Africa and Middle East bracket after securing the coveted number one seed. Nonetheless, Istanbul stands in the way at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.
2) Cape Town, South Africa vs. 15) Nairobi, Kenya
South Africa's famous port city is highly-regarded by experienced globetrotters but Kenya's bustling capital city of Nairobi can't be written off given its unique mix of urban nightlife and nature and wildlife.
3) Morocco vs. 14) Sossusvlei/Namibia
Home to exceptional cities such as Marrakesh, Casablanca and Fes, Morocco has the potential to make a deep run this March as it received one first-place vote from our TravelPulse staff of writers and editors. However, it will first have to dispatch of Namibia's otherworldly Sossusvlei desert salt and clay pan.
4) Israel vs. 13) Mauritius
Israel's many sacred sites propelled it to the 4 seed in this challenging region and it'll be a heavy favorite to take down the East African island nation of Mauritius, a beautiful country boasting breathtaking nature.
5) Dubai vs. 12) Serengeti/Tanzania
The 5 versus 12 matchup between Dubai and northern Tanzania's Serengeti is one of opulence versus the outdoors. Luxury seekers are likely to side with the United Arab Emirates' largest city while wildlife enthusiasts will favor the lively ecosystem that inspired the Lion King.
6) Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe vs. 11) Qatar
One of the world's seven natural wonders, Victoria Falls is no lock for the second round as it will be pitted against a tough opponent in Qatar, a Middle Eastern destination on the rise and anchored by the capital city of Doha.
7) Jordan vs. 10) Seychelles
Visitors to Jordan will find everything from ancient monuments to luxury resorts. Still, the Seychelles is no stranger to world-class beaches, nature and wildlife.
8) Abu Dhabi vs. 9) Madagascar
Similarly to the opening-round matchup between Dubai and the Serengeti, Abu Dhabi versus Madagascar is a battle between manmade wonders and Mother Nature at its best.
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