In response to the recent, dramatic escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza (read this excellent on-the-ground account by Ashraf Khalil and Rushdi Abou Alouf reporting for the LA Times), Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed has ordered that New Year's Eve celebrations be cancelled in Dubai in solidarity with the Palestinians (read about it here on The National and IHT). I love the way the leaders there can just do that. And while I pity the hotel managers, events coordinators and PRs who will be tearing their hair out as they call off glitzy parties, cancel just-flown-in DJs, tell the Beckhams they'll have to have a quiet night in with the Cruises at their Atlantis suite on The Palm (perhaps they can invite Shakira over?), and pray those 200 dozen oysters haven't been shucked yet (because in Dubai every hotel has a huge glamorous party - or three), the sombre tone the Sheikh wants to set will probably be welcomed by most Emiratis, much of the large Arab population, and the substantial number of Palestinians living in the UAE. Many would have been feeling guilty about celebrating tonight; I was feeling sorry for those who had to work. The Palestinian conflict is another thing I've been mulling over and, being in Australia, feeling a little helpless about. If I was in the UAE everybody would be discussing the crisis endlessly, on a daily basis, throughout the day. I worked in education in the UAE for many years, and I know from experience that the students would have been raising money for Red Crescent to send medical supplies, food, clothes, and so on. In Australia, everybody is focused on the holidays and the cricket, shark attacks, Paris Hilton, and best fireworks-viewing spots dominate the media. Nobody has reported yet on Israel posting video footage of their air strikes on YouTube. Air strikes in which over 370 Palestinians have been killed, including 40 children, and another 1,720 people have been wounded. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty sick. Here, it seems as if for Australia the rest of the world doesn't exist. As much as I love my country, it's a reminder of why I don't live here. I want to know what's going on. I want to feel part of the global community. And that its problems are also mine.
Pictured? In keeping with the tone, an acacia blossoming after the rain last month in Alice Springs, an image of hope from the road.
We made it back to Perth, Australia, in the nick of time on Christmas Eve, so we could spend Christmas with my family - my Mum, sister and her husband and children. On Christmas morning we watched the kids open their "hundreds" (quoting my cute little niece here) of presents. Combined with delight at seeing their excited little faces, however, I couldn't help feeling pangs of... what was it... guilt... sadness... regret even? (perhaps all three), that there were so many other children out there in the world who weren't receiving gifts, who didn't have one toy let alone hundreds, who had nothing to celebrate, and who probably didn't even have a meal that day. Later that afternoon we took the kids to their neighborhood park and while the guys played football with the boys, I built sandcastles in the sandpit with my niece while my Mum watched. While it was fun, I couldn't help but think that we could be somewhere else... as we've been driving around Australia we've been listening to rural ABC radio whenever we've had reception. I recalled the calls from various charity representatives in Australia asking listeners to donate food packages and kids toys to give to the poor and homeless. They were desperate this year as people had given less than usual due to the economic climate and their own precarious circumstances. On another program, listeners phoned in to chat about how they would spend Christmas Day. Most rattled off the usual Christmas plans - present opening with the kids in the morning, roast lunch with the in-laws, Turkey feast for dinner, a seafood barbecue by the beach with friends, and so on. However, two callers caught my attention. One was a woman who said her family - and a large family at that - were doing what they did every Christmas and spending the day serving people at a soup kitchen which was hosting a charity lunch for the homeless. They were doing something for people who no longer had a family, people who didn't have a home. Another woman, a 92 year old (yep, that's no typo), was doing what she did every year (indeed she donated her time once a week), and was going down to the "old people's home" to spend time with people who obviously weren't as fit and healthy as she was. It occurred to me I could be doing more. There are a couple of ideas for me there as to how we could spend our next Christmas. (And the makings of a New Year's resolution or two.) But I'm wondering what else we could be doing... any ideas?
Tobago has over 200 bird species on just 116 square miles of land. The island has several great vantage points for bird watching including the Grafton Caledonia Wildlife Sanctuary, the Main Ridge Forest Reserve and Little Tobago Island, a small offshore island located just off the village of Speyside. Tobago is home to over 6000 species of plants and animals, including one of the highest densities of bird species in the world, on just 116 square miles of land.Aside from its fantastic birds, Tobago is surrounded by rich and colorful reefs with 300 species of South Atlantic coral and more than 600 species of fish. The island is also internationally recognized for its drift dives. Tobago is also home to the Nylon Pool, a warm shallow area in the middle of the Buccoo Reef.
Tobago's rich culture is as diverse as the many countries that fought to control the island. The heritage of the enslaved Africans has also heavily influenced the island's culture. Many of the folktales, superstitions, art, music and traditional dances reflect the island's European and African roots. These are celebrated annually during the Tobago Heritage Festival, which runs from early July to August. Fishing, the mainstay of many of the island's inhabitants, is celebrated with parties, sports and other events on St Peter's Day.
Fought over by the Spanish, British, Dutch, Courlanders, French and even the Americans, Tobago boasts a rich and varied history. The various forts and historical sites that dot the island are testament to the island's former colonial masters and diverse history.
Tobago has many beautiful beaches; some are very secluded others are equipped with life guards, concessionaires and modern facilities. Some beaches boast white sands, shallow bays and calm blue waters, others have shallow reefs for snorkeling and some are more exposed to ocean swells.
The village of Buccoo, Tobago, can be described as the goat and crab racing capital of the world. During the Easter holidays this little village draws crowds of curious onlookers as specially trained goats sprint towards the finish line followed by jockeys clutching long ropes. In the crab race, jockeys have no easier task as they attempt to prod the stubborn crustaceans towards the finish line. But there is no glory for the winning crabs, just a place in a pot of spicy curry sauce.
A premiere eco-tourism destination. Tobago has won several prestigious eco awards including the World Travel Awards "Best Eco Destination in the World" and the Caribbean Travel Awards Committee "#1 Eco-Destination in the Caribbean".
My In Box has been inundated with belated Christmas messages these past couple of days, so like my slack, um, I mean busy friends, I'm going to say better late than never and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a magic New Year. I'd like to be able to blame my tardiness on the weather. Because we have had horrendously bad weather wherever we've been in Australia. From the top end of the country to the southernmost tip of the mainland. It's to blame for our itinerary being so completely out of whack. Along with a mishap or two - like getting caught in flash foods, which you can read about at Terry's blog Wide angles, wine and wanderlust, and which I'll write about more soon. I could also argue the generally pathetic communications here is at fault, which in my case is very easy as I've continually experienced them all, from mac.com sending messages into cyberspace (or outerspace it seems) to excruciating slow connection speeds, to cell phones that don't work outside cities and towns. And does anyone actually use those 'internet kiosks'?! Australia's telecommunications system is archaic. But I guess in Turkey the were delivering packages to the wrong addresses, in Dubai my replacement credit cards are sent to places I haven't lived or worked in years, and the USA, well they still post people cheques (checks, to my American readers), yep, on paper... We've experienced them all this year. But, no, in this case, we really were too busy to send Christmas cards, e-cards, even email. As you'll notice from my lack of posting in December and November, I haven't had much time for blogging, or much time for anything other than travelling. We've been doing research and shooting photos in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia, rising at dawn most days, spending all day on the road, driving hundreds of kilometres a day (and then some), eating dinner, then downloading images and re-charging batteries etc in preparation for it all to begin again the next day. It's been tough. We've spent a lot of time in the outback, on remote red-dust roads and corrugated bush tracks, driving through immense desolate landscapes for hours without seeing another person. We've only stopped to take photos, fill the fuel tank, drink tea from the thermos, make some lunch, and enjoy the silence. Because for much of the trip it's just between us and... well... the lizards, the kangaroos, some emus, lots of birds of prey, brumbies (wild horses), ferry donkeys, a dingo or two, oh, and some pretty cute koalas. I hope you'll all forgive me.
There is no formal transportation to get there unless you have your own boat or get a fisherman to take you there like many of the locals do. Port Royal is now a fishing village so you will find quite a few fishermen on shore returning from their early morning fishing trip. You can bargain price them. There are organized trips though the Morgan’s Harbour Hotel in Port Royal.
This cay was used in the famous the scene in the Jamaican movie Harder They Come where Rhygin the robber was killed by the police. It is a great place for snorkeling and you may even find some old 18 & 19-century trinkets or even treasure. Port Royal was hit by an earthquake the destroyed most of the city and caused it to submerge. As many of you know the city was a base for many of the worlds most famous pirates and they kept treasure there.
The beaches surrounding Lime Cay are inviting. During mid week it is best as there is hardly anyone around. There is plenty of shade and even picnic benches. Bring the suntan lotion and pretend you are on you own little island. There are a few other cays nearby that may also be worth visiting if want to experience the feeling of being on an island alone.
While in Port Royal don't forget to take a tour of what was once the "the wickedest city in the world". It is a shadow of its former self however there are some landmarks that still stand as a reminder like the famous Giddy House landmark.
Its rich unique history and its fantastic sceneries made Lime Cay a gem in the face of the globe.
Located in the tropics, just 12° north of the Equator, Curaçao has a warm, sunny climate year round. The average temperature is about 27° C (in the mid 80s F). Cooling trade winds blow constantly from the east, picking up in the spring months. The rainy season, which is between October and February, is usually marked by short, occasional showers, mostly at night, and continued sunny weather during the day.
Curaçao is a perfect place for diving, but as you will find, our island has so much more to offer. Divers and snorkelers never seem to be able to stop talking about the beauty of Curacao's underwater world. There are dozens of undiscovered adventures to be enjoyed. Ranging from practicing water sports to visiting 17th century architecture sites, from enjoying tennis to enjoying world-class cuisine, from playing golf in our sunny climate to visiting high-standard casinos. So if you are looking for more than just a dive vacation, Curaçao has something out-of-the-ordinary for everybody.
This island offers a great variety of sports activities, for all ages and tastes. From scuba diving, mountain biking and windsurfing for the daring ones, to more relaxed but still very exciting activities such as jeep safaris, sea kayaking and horseback riding.
Curaçao has over 35 beaches with a remarkable variety. Whether you are a sun-loving vacationer or a resident enjoying a day off, you can choose between intimate rocky coves surrounded by massive cliffs or long sandy beaches, either secluded by nature or bustling with activities. The one thing they all share is crystal clear turquoise water and picture-perfect weather.
Curaçao has a modern international airport, and the island is served by a number of airlines. Connections can be made to any part of the world. The Curaçao International Airport boasts the longest runway in the Caribbean at 3,410 meters in length and 60 meters in width. The runway is capable of handling almost any type of aircraft including jumbo jets.
So what are staring at? Relax and chill to Curacao's extraordinary landmarks and fun-filled sceneries!
First discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503 and rarely visited (except for the occasional pirate) until recent times, Little Cayman is now a favorite destination of modern-day explorers, photographers, naturalists and, of course, divers. The moment you arrive, you'll understand why.
The island itself - just 10 miles long and 1 mile wide - is blessed with 22 miles of spectacular coastline and, just offshore, incredible coral reefs teeming with over 150 kinds of coral and more than 500 species of fish.
The island offers one of the most pristine underwater sites in the world, is part of a unique ocean reef. Rated as the best diving in the Caribbean by National Geographic photographer David Doubilet and underwater cinematographer Stan Waterman, the island's natural beauty has been protected for future generations with its designation as a Marine Park.
Little Cayman's secluded south area offers the following:
- Dive the World Famous Bloody Bay Wall with our own Conch Club Divers
- Snorkel in the shallow of our reef protected sounds
- Relax in a lounge chair on our pristine beach dotted with coconut trees
- Float in one of our two fresh-water pools
- Read a book in a shaded hammock
Little Cayman also has the newest and most prestigious accommodation available. The Club is an elegant collection of eight luxury condominiums. Each unit offers three-bedroom and three bathroom opulence unequaled on the island, and sets a new standard in luxury living. The attention to detail is evident throughout the units, from air conditioning to the ceramic tile flooring, each unit has been decorated with luxury in mind. Kitchens include a built-in dishwasher, microwave, range and oven. Beautiful cabinetry is stocked with top-quality dishes, cutlery and cooking supplies - - everything you need to make your stay exquisite.
On site you'll find a freshwater pool and Jacuzzi tub. As a guest of The Club you are also welcome to enjoy the many amenities of The Club at Little Cayman, such as concierge services, conference and banquet facilities. There's also a gift shop, boutique, restaurant, bar, spa and fitness center, as well as a fully-equipped dive shop and photo/center.
Make your visit to Little Cayman extra special, indulge yourself in the ultimate in comfort and splendor.
The expansive, winding coastline that made Antigua difficult for outsiders to navigate is where today's trekkers encounter a tremendous wealth of secluded, powdery soft beaches. The coral reefs, once the bane of marauding enemy ships, now attract snorkelers and scuba divers from all over the world. And the fascinating little island of Barbuda, once a scavenger's paradise because so many ships wrecked on its reefs, is now home to one of the region's most significant bird sanctuaries.
Location:
Antigua (pronounced An-tee'ga) and Barbuda are located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, roughly 17 degrees north of the equator. To the south are the islands of Montserrat and Guadaloupe, and to the north and west are Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Barts, and St. Martin.
Size:
Antigua, the largest of the English-speaking Leeward Islands, is about 14 miles long and 11 miles wide, encompassing 108 square miles. Its highest point is Boggy Peak (1319 ft.), located in the southwestern corner of the island. Barbuda, a flat coral island with an area of only 68 square miles, lies approximately 30 miles due north. The nation also includes the tiny (0.6 square mile) uninhabited island of Redonda, now a nature preserve. The current population for the nation is approximately 68,000 and its capital is St. John's on Antigua.
Climate:
Temperatures generally range from the mid-seventies in the winter to the mid-eighties in the summer. Annual rainfall averages only 45 inches, making it the sunniest of the Eastern Caribbean Islands, and the northeast trade winds are nearly constant, flagging only in September. Low humidity year-round.
Barbados situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Continental Island-nation in the western Atlantic Ocean. Located at roughly 13° North of the equator and 59° West of the prime meridian, it is considered a part of the Lesser Antilles. Its closest island neighbors are Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and Saint Lucia to the west.
The geological composition of Barbados is thought to be of non-volcanic origin and is predominantly composed of limestone-coral formed by subduction of the South American plate colliding with the Caribbean plate. The island's climate is tropical, with constant trade winds off the Atlantic Ocean serving to keep temperatures mild. Some less developed areas of the country contain tropical woodland and mangroves. Other parts of the interior which contribute to the agriculture industry are dotted with large sugarcane estates and wide, gently sloping pastures, with panoramic views down to the coast also.
Shopping districts are popular in Barbados, with ample duty-free shopping. There is also a festive night-life in mainly tourist areas such as the Saint Lawrence Gap. Other attractions include wildlife reserves, jewelery stores, scuba diving, helicopter rides, golf, festivals, sightseeing, cave exploration, exotic drinks and fine clothes shopping.
We're currently on the road in outback Australia, with little access to the internet, which is why you haven't been hearing from me much. However, my husband and co-writer, Terry, who occasionally posts here, has been inspired by various experiences (which no doubt he'll tell you about), to start his own blog: Wide angles, Wine and Wanderlust. You can read about why he started the blog and how he hopes to differentiate it from all the other travel, photography and food and wine blogs out there, here on the first post: Dear God, not another blog. We're in the Northern Territory and we're hitting the road again now and going bush, so you'll hear from me at the end of the week when we should have access to the internet again. Pictured? That's Terry shooting a pic of a gorgeous lizard on a post recently at Uluru (Ayers Rock).
Terry and I stayed at the majestic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai on a trip to India about six years ago or so. We ate dinner at the Indian restaurant that was the scene of a seige by terrorists this week; the restaurant whose chef was one of the first to get shot. And after a sweaty day's sightseeing in the city, we'd cool off with a gin and tonic on the antique swing seat on the elegant terrace by the swimming pool, where this week guests stepped over corpses as they attempted to escape. I spent hours browsing in the hotel's excellent bookshop and took home a dozen or so novels by Indian writers - they were a bargain. If the destruction described in this story in the UK's Telegraph newspaper is indicative of the overall damage to the hotel, the bookshop is probably burnt out. We had lunch at the Oberoi another day, in its chic minimalist Italian restaurant, and I shopped myself silly at the shops there too - all the scene of another bloody rampage. At the Taj Mahal we stayed in the modern tower, as there'd been a mix up with our bookings and all the antique rooms were full, however, we nevertheless got a peek at one and they were as sumptuous as they looked on the hotel website. Having stayed and eaten at the hotels and explored the city streets where this week's horrific attacks took place has made it all the more real to me. Sure I'd been to the World Trade Centre before 9/11, but that was an attack on the USA's financial heart, a symbol of Western capitalism, of greed, of excess. It came as no surprise. That's not to downgrade that tragic event in any way, but there's something more potent about an attack on a hotel (as swish as these two were), a place where tourists and locals are relaxed, at ease, enjoying their leisure time - it's the last place they'd expect to be massaacred. The Taj Mahal Palace was indeed a grand old hotel. I hope it can be saved. But what I hope can be salvaged even more are the lives of the families and friends who lost their loved ones in Mumbai this week. (Read some of the moving first hand accounts of those who survived here.) I leave these Australian native flowers, a rare wattle from the East MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs, on the footpath outside the Taj, where Mumbai's destitute used to sleep. I hope they too can find a new home.
Do you believe in karma? I do. I believe we're responsible for our actions, that those actions determine our future, and that by making decisions about how we act we create our own destiny. So if we sow goodness, we'll reap goodness. When Moonshadow Villas in Darwin, Australia, was recommended to me when we were looking for somewhere special to stay, the Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) 1970's song Moonshadow began running through my head: "I'm being followed by a moon shadow... moon shadow, moon shadow... leapin' and hoppin' on a moon shadow, moon shadow, moon shadow..." So I arrived at Moonshadow Villas already in a bit of a hippy head space. Then we discovered our welcome package - fresh mangos, champagne, beers, fresh bread, a jar of locally-made mango jam, chocolates, cereals... and learned that every guest staying in a villa (or apartment; more on those in another post) receives one of these very delicious starter kits. Located in a leafy inner city suburb of Darwin, overlooking the Botanic Gardens and minutes from the beach and city centre, the stylish architecturally designed villas (built by owner Peter and designed by wife Moya) are brimming with these sorts of thoughtful touches - lights automatically switched on as we approached (it was late and dark), air-conditioning and fans were on (Darwin's weather is like Dubai's - sultry), and ambient sounds, aromatic candles and scented incense wafted throughout the tranquil gardens, creating (along with the Buddha statues and fountains) a very serene and almost spiritual vibe. The design - which fuses typically Australian style (outdoor living, plunge pool, polished floor boards, corrugated iron walls, etc) with Asian influences (Chinese and Indonesian furniture, Balinese and Thai artifacts) reflects both Darwin's own multicultural make-up and the passions of Moya and Peter who have travelled extensively. The exquisite attention to detail and personal touches - from the pretty Chinese soaps and heavenly coconut shampoo and conditioner in the bathrooms, to the original art on the walls (much of it by Peter, along with other work they've collected over the years) - once again reflects their thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit. Staying here is like staying at the stylish home of a very good friend. They make you feel so welcome you don't want to leave, and when you do, you're already thinking of ways to return. Maybe if I'm very good...
Yes, according to an article recently published in the Chicago Tribune about nude recreation.
The article makes it seems that nudism is really popular. Imagine that.
"One in 10 Americans ranks staying at a resort that offers nude recreation as extremely/very desirable, according to a 2008 survey by Ypartnership/Yankelovich National Leisure Travel MONITOR." (Chicago tribune)If that statistic is true, one out of ten of your closest neighbors and coworkers think nude recreation is extremely/very desirable.
The article talks about other trends in nude recreation. The article was overwhelmingly positive and talks about nude recreation growing. At a time when everything in the news is so negative, this article is shocking.
People are interested in nude recreation. More and more people are trying it for the first time and enjoying the experience of freedom from clothes and being at one with nature.
But there are a few hurdles to overcome for nude recreation as the article mentions. For example, the incorrect association of nude recreation as being a lifestyle/swinger activity. The two are separate but some nudist resorts are catering to both, a challenging line to walk. Nude recreation is not about sex and true nudist resorts are family-safe (at least the ones affiliated with the American Association for Nude Recreation are supposed to be).
In contrast, lifestyle activities are about sharing partners, a unique lifestyle decision based on sex. Certainly, lifestylers are just people with a different belief than me and I respect that. But in my opinion, too many lifestylers are not respectful to others who do not share their beliefs. That I do not like. It's a small subset of these lifestylers who are ruining it for everyone. While most nudists and lifestylers are generally very tolerant people, except when their rights are encroached upon, a few rotten apples need to be controlled so that nude recreation can continue to have a bright future.
Read the full article on the Chicago Tribune website free.
There's a certain romance about train travel that's hard to imagine if you're sleeping upright in cattle class on an overnight interstate train trip in Australia. Ugh. But Australia now has something that comes close to the likes of the luxurious Venice Simplon Orient Express in the romantic train stakes - the new Platinum class service on The Ghan. Named after the Afghan cameleers who trekked the same route from South Australia to 'the red centre' in the Northern Territory with their camel trains in the 19th century, the shiny silver Ghan takes two days and nights to travel the 3,000 kilometres between Adelaide, Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin. And then it trundles all the way back again. While you can travel on the Red or Gold Service, sleeping upright or on bunks in a snug sleeper cabin, respectively, the spacious Platinum class rooms (pictured) with flat beds, offer a level of comfort that's incomparable to other trains in Australia - as we were lucky to find out for ourselves recently! I'd spent my birthday working until the wee hours of the morning emailing files and maps to editors in London before we hit the road for a few months, and the next night Terry and I were hastily packing until the wee hours of the morning, trying to anticipate what we were likely to forget - aside from sleep and our senses of humour. So perhaps we appreciated that welcome glass of champagne a little more than the other passengers. And the bedside nightcap after dinner. And the coffee delivered to us in bed soon after dawn. There’s an endearingly old-fashioned restaurant car where three course meals were served with a smile (the staff are incredibly warm and friendly) and a smart-looking lounge bar, but our spacious rooms with private bathroom (including shower and toilet!) were very difficult to leave. Our two single beds were made up and stowed away while we dined, leaving plenty of room for us sit back and put up our feet and take in the changing scenery from either side of the train. Not that we had much time to enjoy it. Whistle-stop tours en route range from an early morning hot air balloon ride across the arid Alice Springs desert to an exhilarating helicopter flight over spectacular Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park. We chose the latter - and it was thrilling! My main complaint about The Ghan? Not enough time on the train; I probably could have done without the tours. I enjoyed gazing at the stars from my bed so much and got a such a kick out of waking up with sunshine in my face, that I would have liked to have spent more time on board and spent longer watching the scenery change.
We're currently on the road in Australia and while our paid writing gigs and other demands have prevented me from posting much over the last month or two (explained here), I can thank a few other travel bloggers for some wonderful online coverage. I did a thought-provoking interview with globetrotting travel blogger Nomadic Matt which you can read over two posts (part 1 and part 2). Jessie from Wandering Educators interviewed me about our recently published Lonely Planet Syria and Lebanon guidebook, a book Terry and I coordinated and for which we wrote the Syria chapter; it was our second edition of that book and the last one we'll write for Lonely Planet. (Jessie is also giving away copies of the book.) The Happy Hotelier included an interview we did among his top 10 posts for October while the Mr and Mrs Smith blog listed Cool Travel Guide among their favorite travel blogs: do check out their other favorites when you get a chance. I'll post a list of my own soon too. Terry and I did manage to squeeze in a few reviews on Dubai for Fodors Hot Lists and you can read those here: September 3 (Westin Dubai), September 16 (Reflet Par Pierre Gagnaire), and October 1 (Dubai Desert Palm). I'll be uploading posts about our Aussie road trip very soon.
My life as a travel writer is one I've come to treasure. So when people tell me I've got the ultimate dream job, I normally agree. However, it's been a tough few months, which explains the lack of blog posts. So tough there have been moments when my commitment to the writing career Terry and I have worked so hard to establish has well and truly wavered. So tough there have been times when I've questioned the very meaning of this travelling life. So tough that there have been more than a few periods when I've thought of abandoning everything and getting 'away' from it all. But when the world is our office, where do we get 'away' to? The fact that we didn't have much of a life at all for a few months was a major factor. Our time was spent chained to our desks writing from early morning to late at night seven days a week from August through October. We'd forgotten what it was like to do 'normal' things, to laze around and flick through a magazine, to watch a program on TV, to read a chapter of a book before bed, to go out for drinks with friends. I've been so busy I've missed birthdays; I worked until 2am on my own to meet deadlines. I've neglected family and friends whom I'm geographically close to for the first time in years (we're currently in Australia) and I'm consumed by guilt for not spending enough time with my mum who has gone through a couple of tough years herself following a road accident that left her without an eye and with an array of injuries. All this would be enough to make most people question the life they're leading. But add to that endless technological problems from excruciatingly slow and intermittent internet access and continuous inexplicable email problems (yes, I'm talking about you mac.com!) to couriers who deliver important documents to the wrong address and postal systems where send things astray. Trivial by comparison? Not when these communications systems are your main means of dealing with clients around the world. Add to that editors with their own communication and technology problems, editors with ongoing demands that far outweigh the fee they're paying, and editors who simply shouldn't be editors. But every job has its challenges, not all bosses are understanding, and nor are all colleagues easy to get along with. When the world's your office there's bound to be a glitch or two. Or three. And whose going to listen to a travel writer complain, right? Well, we're 'away' from it all now, so I hope to resume regular blogging soon and catch you up on the action-packed adventures we've been having.
Damascus boasts some of the Middle East's most beautiful boutique hotels, which I've written about before on Cool Travel Guide. Mostly they're enchanting old courtyard houses in the labyrinthine Old Town that have been exquisitely renovated with pretty fountains, cushioned sofas and the all-pervading scent of jasmine dripping from their walls. But Ghiath Machnock's Art House is something very different indeed. For one, it's set in a splendid old mill, which the architect spent years restoring, it has a stunning rooftop pool and terrace cafe, another atmospheric cafe-cum breakfast room inside, and rooms themed by Middle East artists and furnished with antique Syrian art deco furniture. Secondly, it's as much a cultural centre and art gallery as it is a hotel, with regular exhibitions of art, music recitals and cultural festivals; an opening night at one of these is not to be missed! Thirdly, it's not in the Old Town, it's on a hill overlooking Damascus, on the edge of the modern part of town. It's an area that few tourists get to, but one that's ideally located for the city's arty types and music students, for whom Ghiath has an open door policy. It's also handy for Beirut's creative set heading into town for the weekend - Lebanese pop musicians have been known to transfer their music studio here for a week's recording, so it's become a bit of an artist's retreat. In the year or so since it opened Art House has very quickly become a vital part of the city's cultural scene. You can read more about it here in Art of the Matter, a story we wrote for Jazeera Airline's funky in-flight magazine.
Cap D'Agde is the naturist village in southern France. Along the Mediterranean Sea and away from the larger towns and cities, getting there by a direct flight from the US of A is not possible without either a long drive, train ride or by taking a budget airline flight from somewhere else in Europe.
This Cap d'Agde website has some good tips here about how to get to Cap D'Agde from the USA.
One of the recommendations for US travelers is to fly into Gatwick airport in London and then take EasyJet to Monpellier. EasyJet to Montpellier is a quick flight. I'd love to get back to Cap D'Agde again and this might be the cheapest and easiest way.
Another option is to fly to Paris and then take the hi-speed TGV train. The price is similar but there will be a lot more french speaking people to deal with as compared to flying into England - though being multilingual is common in France.
I suggest getting a rental car in Montpellier (instead of taking a taxi). Driving from Montpellier to Cap d'Agde easy. Once in town of Agde, "Village Naturiste" signs point in the direction of the gated naturist village along the shore.
Please forgive me for the silence. It's been 10 days since my last post. I'm busy writing books and other stuff. But I'll be back in the travel blogosphere next week, I hope. In the meantime, I'll touch base on twitter every now and again. Well, a travelling girl chained to a desk for 18 hours a day 7 days a week needs some kind of release, right?
Woops, I almost forgot - you can read a little post I wrote for Mr and Mrs Smith who asked me to share my favorite spots and give them the lowdown on Dubai for their 'Inside' series. Check this out: Inside Dubai: the best bars, boutiques and restaurants.
Pictured? One of my favorite bars in Dubai. The first person to guess where it is? Well, I'll buy you a drink there when I'm back in town.
So what do budget travellers do in Dubai? There’s lots of fabulous stuff to do that is free or costs next to nothing. Your biggest costs are going to be hotels, transport and food: see this post for ideas on keeping those down. After that, Dubai’s your oyster:
1) Dubai’s museums – Dubai boasts a number of fascinating but compact museums that take no more than an hour or so to see yet offer an extraordinary insight into the way of life in pre-oil days. Most museums are either free or cost a dirham (30 cents) or three (one dollar). Dubai Museum in Al Fahidi Fort, near the Bur Dubai waterfront is the best, providing a great introduction to Dubai’s rapid development through a multimedia presentation and engaging displays of musical instruments, coins, firearms, costumes, and jewellery, a rather whimsical and very kitsch life-size diorama of an old souq, and a small but superb archaeological exhibition. Also, don’t miss the lovely Heritage House, a restored pearling master's residence, and Al Ahmadiya School, Dubai’s first, near the Gold Souq in Deira.
2) Bastakiya – this tiny old labyrinthine quarter on the waterfront near Dubai Museum boasts breezy narrow lanes that are home to traditional Persian merchants' houses that have been restored and in some cases reconstructed; the area was ramshackle and almost lost until it was decided it should be rejuvenated in the late 90s. The buildings are now home to charming boutique hotels, superb art galleries such as XVA and Majlis Gallery, and atmospheric cafes such as the enchanting Basta Art Café. Try the refreshing Basta Special, a thirst-quenching fresh mint and lime juice drink.
3) Dubai Creek and Dhow Wharves – it costs nothing to wander along the waterfront of Dubai’s buzzy Creek. From the Bastikya, stroll through Al Seef Road Park for spectacular views of the Deira skyline opposite, with its stunning architecture. We never tire of the reflections in the glass buildings of the shimmering water and dhows (old wooden trading boats) and abras (small wooden water taxis) cruising along the Creek. In the opposite direction, wander through the wooden arcades of lively Bur Dubai textile souq, and then take an abra (1dh/30 cents) across the Creek to Deira to saunter along the dhow wharves and check out the amazing stuff they load and unload from the boats – everything from enormous flat screen TVs to chickens and cars – and see how the guys live on these things! Or continue to stroll along the Bur Dubai side of the Creek to the…
4) Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's House – one of several wonderfully restored old houses lining the waterfront. This grand building, like most in this area was built from gypsum, coral and sand, and boasts big cooling courtyards and beautiful wind-towers, the traditional form of air-conditioning. The former residence of Dubai’s ruling family, it's home to a fascinating and eye-opening exhibition of old black and white photos of Dubai.
5) Heritage and Diving Village – Dubai’s wealth initially came from the pearling industry and the city was once a diminutive pearling and fishing village, so visit this recreation of the first settlement at Shindagha, at the mouth of Dubai Creek to get an idea of what Dubai was like not all that long ago. There are barasti (palm frond) houses, a small souq, beautiful old wooden boats, and traditional performances (pictured), when you’ll see more Emiratis than tourists. It’s loveliest and liveliest in the evenings. Afterwards, you can head next door to the sprawling al fresco Arabic eatery KanZaman when you can feast on Arabic food (a few mezze and a juice will cost you around $10) and try the aromatic sheesha, as you savour the sublime views of Dubai Creek, enchanting at night when the fairylights twinkle on the boats.
On a budget and want to visit Dubai? Don’t let its reputation as an expensive city of ‘7-star’ hotels and glitzy malls deter you. Nor the opinions of its critics who say Dubai is materialistic and has no soul – they probably didn’t get far from their luxury hotel. Or the nearest mall. So let’s dispel the biggest myth of all about Dubai, that it's prohibitively expensive. Dubai doesn’t have to be expensive at all and is in fact a whole lot cheaper than cities like London, New York, Paris and Sydney. Let’s take the areas where travellers spend most of their money: hotels, transport and food.
* HOTELS: the cheapest rates are online. Visit HotelsCombined and compare the prices in any category in Dubai with other cities to see how favorable Dubai's ratest are. Take a budget hotel chain like Express by Holiday Inn: in New York it costs $397 now, in London it’s going for $290 and in Dubai it’s $113. The Ibis on Sheikh Zayed Road has doubles for $100 while Le Meridien Residence in Deira is $75. A 1-star around the Gold Souq area will cost you between $35-70, Dubai's Youth Hostel is cheaper but lacks atmosphere and is in a terrible location. If you want something with character and charm in a fantastic situation, then a room at one of my favorite Dubai boutique hotels, Orient Guest House (pictured) in the Bastakiya will cost you $96 at the moment.
* TRANSPORT: Stay in Deira or Bur Dubai and stick to Dubai Creek, the souqs, Shindagha and Bastakiya, and you can walk everywhere. Just don't go anywhere without a hat and bottle of water! You can take abras (public water taxis) back and forth across the Creek for AED 1, around 30 cents. There is a public bus service although the routes were devised more for expat workers so apart from the Jumeirah Beach Road line, it’s not that helpful to visitors and can be uncomfortable when stuck in traffic. Many of the 3-star hotels in Deira have free shuttle buses going to the beach and malls, while a taxi from Deira to Mall of the Emirates will cost you about 30 dirhams (around $8) and to Madinat Jumeirah around 40-50 dirhams (between $11-13).
* FOOD: Dubai’s fine dining restaurants are superb and can be expensive, but Dubai has scores of mid-range and budget eateries that are dirt cheap. You can buy a tasty shwarma for AED 3.50 (less than $1) and a freshly squeezed mango juice for AED 6 (around $1.50) from a stall in the souq area. Or you could share a spread of several dishes at a sit-down meal at an Arabic, Pakistani or Indian eatery for as little as $10 per person. Most of these places don’t serve alcohol, but if you want a glass of wine or beer you could go to Noodle House (at Emirates Towers and Madinat Jumeirah), and have a big curry laksa or Peking duck and a drink for around $12-15.
'Is it hot in Dubai?', 'Do you know when Ramadan is?' and 'Am I right in thinking that as an Arab country there are some booze restrictions?' were just some of the questions asked of me by readers of the NineMSN Travel site during a live chat, that went hand-in-hand with our Dubai Insider’s Guide. It was fun to interact with people and give advice, because we rarely get to communicate with readers of our books and articles. The 'live' element was challenging. Several minutes before the designated start, a few messages popped up before I was bombarded with multiple Messenger boxes on my screen. Because I didn’t want to lose anyone, I jumped between boxes: 'Hi! How are you? Hang on please, I’ll get to you in a moment…” and then jumped back to the first person in queue. I fielded questions from 30 people in 60 minutes, and only lost four, which I thought was pretty good. There were specific questions like: 'I'm flying to London from Sydney later in the month and was planning to have a night or two in Dubai... what would be your top five things to do including two great places to eat? and 'If you were planning a holiday to Dubai, for 2 weeks say, how much spending money would be required and how much would 4* hotel be?' Readers asked about everything from the language spoken to safety issues for women - and Australians. One person wrote '... just wondering what image of Dubai to believe – that it's a nice holiday venue with good weather and facilities, or a building site packed with c-list celebs on free holidays given to them to boost exposure and tourism?' Good question. The exercise raised a lot of questions for me as a travel writer: Do people still do research before they travel? Or is pre-trip research a thing of the past? Will any of these people buy my guidebooks to Dubai before they go? And why haven’t they bought one by now? Or do travellers these days mainly rely on the Internet for their information, whether its TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree or MSNTravel’s live chats? If so, will they have a less enjoyable or less meaningful time than if they did some real research and took a guidebook? Why am I even spending 18 hours a day writing guidebooks? Maybe I should become a ‘live chat host’ instead?
Do you ever get lonely when you travel? If not, why not? And what do you do to prevent the onset of loneliness, especially if you regularly travel alone? How do you deal with it? I must admit I don't think I know how it really feels to be lonely. Possibly because I've always been so busy. And for me, that's one way to keep loneliness at bay - travel with (a) purpose. But I do know what it means to be lonely, and my heart goes out to people I see when I travel who seem miserably alone. Some experienced travellers advise to prepare for it, others suggest embracing it. Over at travelblogs.com, Eric Daams has asked a bunch of travel bloggers to reflect on loneliness on the road and provide tips for travellers (great idea, don't you think?), and you can read them all here.
So, do you get lonely when you travel? And how do you cope with it?
Five more reasons why I think Ramadan is a fabulous time to visit the Middle East, continued from part 1:
5. Lively Nights – by contrast to the somnolent days, Ramadan nights are spirited. After Iftar (when everyone breaks their fast at sunset) the streets come alive. Whole cities are on the move as people pile into their cars to visit family and friends. Hotels hold Iftar buffets and set up special Ramadan tents and the nights are long.
6. Ramadan is a good excuse to watch TV – remember the good old days before the Internet, Google, Facebook, e-Bay and Twitter, when families and friends used to sit around and bond as they watched TV together? Ramadan is all about a return to such good old-fashioned fun. A high-ratings period in the Middle East, all the best Arabic-language programs (game shows, talk shows, melodramatic serials) premiere, some made especially for Ramadam.
7. Iftar – the main meal of the day after the break of the fast is shared by families at home or worshippers at mosques who tuck into a communal meal together, spread picnic-like on the ground. Muslim and non-Muslims alike also head out for lavish Iftar buffets. Every hotel holds them and they’re great value, a must for travellers! At hotels in the UAE, there’s also a Ramadan tent with cushions and carpets where you can enjoy sheesha while you play traditional games and listen to oud music.
8. Succulent Dates and Sweets – many Muslims break their fast with dates and milk, a tradition dating back to the Prophet Mohammad who broke his fast with this humble meal before prayer. Platters of dates are always present at Iftar buffets and on coffee tables during Ramadan, along with traditional Arabic sweets such as the tasty katayef, a deep-fried pastry of ricotta, crushed walnuts, and sweet lemon and rosewater syrup - a great way to get that much-needed energy boost.
9. It ends with a holiday – Eid Al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. For Muslims, the three-day long celebration begins with prayers and visits to family to exchange gifts. Then everyone’s off to the malls to the movies. Eid is the busiest time of year for cinemas, much like the post-Christmas period in the West. Once the Moonsighting Committee does its job, we’re usually on a plane somewhere. Especially if that three-day Eid joins up with a weekend, we get a nice long break.
The photo? The dome and minaret of a typical mosque in the United Arab Emirates, this one at Abu Dhabi.
Many travellers avoid the Middle East during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but I think it’s a fab time to visit. Why? Well, you’ll have to read my post 9 Reasons to Love Ramadan on Viator. In short?
1. It’s all about the moon – what’s not to love about a festival that only begins once a Moonsighting Committee has sighted the new crescent moon with the naked eye. Who needs science and technology?! For expats, guessing the dates is a source of amusement with a serious intent – so we can figure out when the Eid Al Fitr holiday is going to begin. While some people book flights left right and centre, others make last minute decisions. I have lots of memories of picking up visas from embassies on the way to the airport!
2. Lazy Days – as Muslims fast during daylight hours (and abstain from smoking, drinking and ‘intimacy’), non-Muslims also can’t eat or drink in public, so because everyone is lethargic and lacking energy and concentration, working hours are officially shorter. The pace slows down and the cities have a more languid feel to them.
3. Silent Streets – the cacophony of noise that Middle Eastern cities normally produce also subsides with Ramadan – at least during the day. Apart from the early afternoon when everyone rushes home to take a nap before breaking their fast, the streets are silent and empty. It’s sublime. It’s a fantastic time to leisurely explore a city.
4. The Call to Prayer Sounds Better – a familiar sound in the Middle East, the muezzin sings the melodic call to prayer from the mosque five times a day, encouraging Muslims to come to pray. It’s generally broadcast from tinny loudspeakers fixed to the mosque’s minarets. I don’t know why it sounds better during Ramadan. Is the muezzin trying harder? Do the empty streets allow it to reverberate more loudly and with more clarity? Or are we just more conscious of it?
To be continued here. Pictured? A traditional mosque at Abu Dhabi Heritage Village.
Just a reminder that we're going to be around for a live chat on Wednesday 10th Sept., for one hour from 5pm to 6pm Sydney and Melbourne time. A reader asked me what time that was going to be in the USA? To give you an idea, it means we start at noon Wednesday Dubai time, 9am Wednesday London time, 4am Wednesday New York time, and 1am Portland time. The live chats go hand in hand with the launch of our Dubai Insiders Guide on the NineMSN Travel site, and have been organized by NineMSN Travel. Using Windows Live Messenger you can chat to us and ask us anything you want about travelling to Dubai, or even moving to Dubai and living there. You can ask us for hotel or restaurant recommendations for that one stopover you have scheduled next month to suggestions for things to do out or Dubai to tips on great watering holes. Get the Live Chat Instructions HERE. You just have to add us as one of your MSN Messenger contacts. Our Messenger ID is InsideDubai@hotmail.com. Then simply send us an instant message with a few questions. Until tomorrow...
