I've been silent for some time, I know. We've been on the road again in the Middle East on commissions for a few in-flight and travel magazines, and our pace has been hectic to say the least - from hiking and camping at Wadi Rum to floating and spa-ing at the Dead Sea, we've done it all these last 5-6 weeks. I've barely had time - or an internet connection - to blog or tweet, but Twitter has been far easier to update, so if you can't find me here, you can come and check in on what we're doing there: www.twitter.com/laradunston. We're leaving buzzing Beirut tonight and heading back to Dubai so I'll update you all from there. In the meantime, an image from Wadi Rum.

If there’s anything in the world you must see, that’s probably be the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. This great valley, which stands on the west bank of the Nile River and within the core of Theban Necropolis, contains at least 163 tombs of famous nobles and pharaohs.

History of the Valley of the King

• 18th Century: Several historians believe the first man to reach Valley of the King is Frederic Louis Norden. Norden is a Danish adventurer and artist. Richard Pococke followed Norden’s expedition. Pococke is the man responsible for the publication of the first map in 1743. The maps and plans made better during the French Expedition. Napoleon sketched Western Valley. After some time, Description de l’ Egypte and it illustrates the area around Thebes. The book includes two volumes.
• 19th Century: The great Giovanni Battista Belzoni discovered numerous tombs in the valley, particularly the Ay and Seti. John Gardiner Wilkinson is the man responsible assigned to paint the tombs in 1827. Each tomb is numbered from KV1 to KV21. After the publication of The Topography of Thebes and General Survey of Egypt, James Burton explored the valley and go into KV5. Burton is a British Egyptologist.
• 20th Century: American Team led by Theodore M. Davis discovered royal and non-royal tombs namely KV43, KV46 and KV57. Davis comes up with a publication entitled “The Tombs of Harmhabi and Touatankhamanou.” The tem behind Theban Mapping Project considers tomb KV5 the largest in the valley.
• 21st Century: It’s in February 2006 when Supreme Council of Antiquities declares the first uncovered pharaonic-era tomb known as KV63. The KV63 Tomb is a single chamber with 7 sarcophagi and 20 large funerary jars. Nicholas Reeves has analyzed the tomb’s ground penetrating radar in July 2006 followed by Zahi Hawass’ discovery of Ramesses VIII in May 2008.

Five Important Bits and Pieces about Valley of the Kings

1. The acronym KV stands for Kings’ Valley and based on the record made by John Gardner Wilkinson, there are 21 tombs in all- about 60 in East Valley and 5 in West Valley.
2. Most of the tombs are not open for public viewing but numerous officials close open it for restoration work.
3. When you visit Valley of the Kings, photography is not allowed inside.
4. Usual tomb consists of long inclined rock corridor and descends through halls to the burial chamber.
5. Want adventure? Think about hiking over the surrounding hills to Deir el-Medina or Deir el-Bahari and witness the spectacular view of the Nile Valley.

Why Visit Aswan?

Aswan is tagged as the smallest tourist city in south Egypt. You are recommended to visit this Ancient Egyptian’s Getaway because you’ll find rich granites, captivating views of Nile River and Egypt’s most amazing tourist attractions. Ask anybody who have been in this rich and historic city, they can say, “You will never regret the day you are in Aswan.”

How to Get in Aswan?

You can get to Aswan by a lot of means. Getting to Aswan by plane (The Egyptair) is easy when you do all the transactions in the right way. For the record, there is an average of six return flights between Aswan and Cairo. Yet, if you are living outside Egypt, perhaps in Philippines or United States of America, there are numerous travel sites that provide 24-hour customer support. Take advantage of those deals and packages before they are gone.

It is also possible to reach Aswan by train. Train services in Egypt are always good travel options that run along the Nile River. For those who live within the borders of Hurghada, you can ride a bus for an affordable rate of $7. In a 300 km travel, a relaxing bus ride for three to nine hours is never terrible for a first time. Booking a boat-ride is also an option. Dozens of cruise ships are open for the public every day. All you need to do is inform your travel agent.

What to Do in Aswan?

As I’ve said earlier, Aswan is a small city but blessed with great tourist attractions. Here are the three memorable activities you can do while in Aswan:

Cruising

A 4-Day Nile River Cruise from Aswan to Luxor is comparable to having an elegant party with your loved ones. For a $276 (prices vary at all times), you might want to consider touring around the cruise ship along with a qualified Egyptologist. All services and entertainments are conducted in English therefore; it is easier to ask anything you want to have. For your convenience, you can research Aswan Cruising online and book your travel in advance. Departure points are held from Aswan Airport or Railway Station.

Private Tours

See the temples. Explore the artifacts. Get mesmerize with the pharaohs carved in rocks and limestone. All these exciting moments are possible in one day. Day Tours are a great way to experience the delight in Aswan. For as low as $99 (prices vary depending on the inclusions and additional packages), you can have the ability to catch a glimpse of the High Dam, the Philae Temple, the Kalabsha Temple, the Unfinished Obelisk, the Tombs of the Nobles and the fantastic temple in Abu Simbel.

Museum Tour

The Nubia Museum in Aswan is the most important museum in Egypt. For ninety minutes of tour for $27 (not an all-time fix amount), you can set foot on their wonderful landscape furnished with sequence of waterfalls, palm trees, natural rocks and flowers.

For added entertainment, you might want to attend amusing shows in their amphitheater. Touring services are conducted in English, that's why; you can ask your private guide anything you want to know.

Almost everybody you know boast on having been captivated by their last summer or spring vacation by the beach either in the pacific or the islands of South America. If you want to have a feel of what they are talking about, you definitely would want to delight yourself on a new popular destination in the Canary islands, Playa Blanca Holiday Villas.

Playa Blanca's popularity has ever been increasing due to the micro-climate that the island of Lanzarote is enjoying. One can walk along the long stretches of sand in Playa Blanca with the sun overhead and the smooth northerly wind breeze gliding through the skin.

Playa Blanca Holiday Villas is an expansion of an amazing resort from its original heart around a small beach, Playa Blanca, located at the southern part of Lanzarote. The resort comprises of three coves set within one larger bay and are interconnected by a seafront promenade which extends from one end of the resort to the other. If your jaws wont drop at marvel on this sightly architectural feat, God knows what will.

The types of Playa Blanca holiday villas and apartments range from smaller two bedroom bungalows on selected holiday complexes to large luxury villas that can house families or groups, having as much as 5 rooms! Swimming pools of choice villas are either shared with other renters or enjoyed privately, both having the same world class and modern amenities to boot. These high standard holiday accommodations though, can be costly. Prices of Playa Blanca villas can go from £350 to £1050 per week, apartments at £195 to £546 per week.

But don't let the price deter you from having the most wonderful time of your life. Aside from the picture perfect beaches, there are a lot of things that you can do in Playa Blanca. A short drive away is the Timanfaya Volcano Park for those who dares the adventurous trek in the foot of the giant volcano. There are also winefields and lagoons nearby that would definitely dazzle tourists that would find it hard to not get enough of snaps or their cameras. Playa Blanca is also the gateway to the neighboring island of Fuerteventura and ferries criss-cross the Bocaina Straits by day. At night the lights shimmer across the water creating an atmospheric backdrop. A recent addition, the Rubicon Marina provides docks for luxury yachts while hosting a selection of upmarket shops and restaurants.

Playa Blanca Holiday Villas is the next destination that you definitely want to be in. What more can you ask? The tantalizing stretch of sand, the different tourist attractions and most importantly the word class villas.

Why Visit Alabaster Mosque?

Located in Cairo, the Alabaster Mosque is the most popular Islamic mosque in Egypt built in the first half of 19th Century. It is situated at the top of limestone hill overlooking Cairo and other important mosques in the city. This Islamic Architecture has two parts, the east mosque and the west open courtyard. Whatever religion you’re into, you are still welcome to visit this place and appreciate its Ottoman brilliance.

How to Get in Alabaster Mosque?

Once you’re in Cairo, there is already a private tour that takes you to Alabaster Mosque. Inclusions during the trip include your entrance fee to the mosque, hotel pick-up and hotel drop-off and a qualified Egyptologist guide.

What to See inside the Alabaster Mosque?

• Get inside the mosque and you’ll automatically see the grand cupola. A cupola is a mall dome-like structure placed at the top of a building. Looking at the Alabaster Mosque’s Cupola can feel overwhelming but it is worth seeing to.
• Another item of attraction you need to look at inside this mosque is the Tomb of King Muhammad Ali Pasha. Its tomb is carved in carrara marble. Muhammad Ali Pasha is the founder of modern Egypt. As a modern nationalist, he started dramatic reforms in the military, economic and cultural fields. Ali died in August 2, 1849 and from Hawsh al-Basha, his body transferred inside the mosque.
• Four semicircular domes surrounded the central dome. This dome measures 21 meters in diameter and has a height of 52 meters.
• The Interior of the Mosque is surrounded with glittering gems and precious stones. Once you’re here, you can feel a greater sense of space. Its walls and pillars are all wrapped with alabaster that is eleven meters high.
• Please don’t fail the brass clock tower erected in the middle of northwestern riwak. Historians say Louiss Phillipe of France offered the clock to Muhammad Ali in 1945.

A recent hotel stay reminded us of just how bad they can occasionally be. We checked into a respectable five star city hotel in the early evening, did some work, then went out to dinner and checked out a bar afterwards. We'd had a really exhausting day - morning shoot, long drive, flat tyre, an important appointment we almost missed. You get the picture. We rocked in from dinner around midnight, got changed, and dragged ourselves to bed, only to find the bed - the sheets, the edge of the pillows and the doona (quilt, eiderdown), well, um... damp. I took a sniff. It smelt okay, like water. No air-conditioning above the bed. Perhaps the laundromat hadn't properly dried it and it then dampened everything else? I called the front desk and explained. Half an hour later a housekeeper showed up without fresh linen. We explained again. He disappeared. He returned another 20 minutes later with fresh sheets, but no doona, no mattress protector. Bring a friend, I called out, as he disappeared, as you'll probably have to turn the mattress over too. He returned another 15 minutes later with a colleague, mattress protector, and doona. However, when they pulled off the mattress protector to turn the mattress over, we saw an enormous yellow circle. Yes! Urine! Why on earth a maid had remade a urine-soaked bed in a five star hotel that clearly wasn't full was beyond me. By 1.30am, the Night Manager had moved us. Did I ever tell you about the bed bugs story? So, what was your worst hotel experience? 

Pictured? Definitely not the hotel in question - that's one of our better hotel experiences.

Most historians say that the ancient town of Kanchanaburi was located near Ban Lat Ya. It has been said to be a small village which was estimated to be approximately 16 kilometers north of the present town. The site was mentioned several times in Thai history as an invasion route which the Burmese utilized for them to enter and invade Thai Kingdoms.

Kanchanaburi, is characterized by its mostly mountainous terrain which is said to have an area of approximately 19,473 square kilometers and is the third largest province in Thailand after Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima. This place (Kanchanaburi) is situated at around 129 kilometers west of Bangkok. It is considered sharing a border with Myanmar to the west, Tak and Uthai Thani Provinces to the north, Suphan Buri and Nakhon Pathom Provinces to the east, and Ratchaburi Province to the south.

In north and west Kanchanaburi, the terrain is characterize mainly by mountains and high plains, with the Thanon Thongchai Range as a natural border between Thailand and Myanmar. The range is the source of Kanchanaburi's two most important and magnificent rivers called Maenam Khwae Noi and Maenam Khwae Yai. These two rivers form the famous and known Maenam Mae Klong. The two rivers resulted to an amazing view of several Thailand's largest “Namtok” or commonly termed waterfalls. Moreover, it resulted to cater also the most extensive wildlife sanctuaries in the area.

The fantastic landscape and undeniable beauty of Kanchanaburi paved way for it to become know as a major tourist attraction which offers a relaxing place for people who wants a cool vacation and a place for adventurous people. Kanchanaburi has also well-known waterfalls, caves which are said to be once inhabited by Neolithic man, pristine national parks, tranquil rivers, virgin forests, and reservoir are just few of those things that make Kanchanaburi a tourist haven. The place is said to provide a fantastic experience for first-timers and a memorable one for repeaters to come and come again. Whatever you think to do, you could actually do it here, whether you want fishing, rafting, canoing, mountain biking, bird-watching, star-gazing, golfing, elephant and jungle trekking, or even living in bamboo rafts, Kanchanaburi has it all.

In terms of Kanchanaburi's economic condition, it has been doing well on a national scale, with over 10 per cent growth annually. Industries like sugar, agricultural products and jewelry and also tourism are the main source of income for the locals. As the provinces high potential in the tourism industry has made Kanchanaburi one of the places among the west provinces in having the highest number of visitors each year.

Most of the residents are of Thai ancestry with notable Mon and Karen minorities. Dwellers enjoy living simply and respecting nature. Moreover, what is said to be more interesting, the folk music and dances dating back at least 500 years are still performed today.

Truly Kanchanaburi is not just a tourist destination rich because of its fantastic tourism industry, but also a place where culture and tradition is enriched and preserved. A thing notable enough to consider such amazing!