Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe » Guest Post

5 Luxury Dubai Hotels Which I Never Saw

Sabina — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:30:25 +0000

During my three months in Sharjah, UAE, I made many, many trips into the neighboring emirate of Dubai. I’m really not into glamour and glizt, so my jaunts into Dubai were short because, frankly, I was a little bored. I never once walked through the doors of any of the hotels for which Dubai is so famous. Happily, I was sent the following guest post which delves into the area of luxury accomodations, because I sure can’t tell you anything about them.

Dubai has transformed itself from a little known fishing village to one of the most exciting holiday destinations in the world. You’ll find that once you finish with your car hire Dubai Airport is not at all far from the sights of the city. Here you’ll find everything from shopping malls to golf courses, there’s something for everyone. However where Dubai really stands out is with its magnificent buildings, especially its hotels. This tiny emirate is home to some of the most luxurious hotels that can be found across the globe. Here’s a few of Dubai’s most stunning hotels with service and quality fit for royalty:

The Palm Atlantis

The Palm Atlantis is situated on Palm Jumeirah and has 1,373 guest rooms with 166 suites. Officially classed as a 5 star hotel, the Palm Atlantis is home to a 160,000 square metre Aquaventure theme park, shopping centre, conference centre and its very own dolphin bay. The Palm Atlantis is only one of a trilogy of hotels that will feature on Palm Jumeirah, its sister hotels, Palms Jebel Ali and Deira, are set to be larger and are soon to be completed.

Burj al Arab

Dubai’s icon, the Burj al Arab hotel is the city’s tallest hotel, which is frequently described as the worlds only 7 star hotel. The Burj al Arab is pure luxury, which can be seen in the price tag, however the service you’ll receive is superb and you’ll even have your own butler. At 321m high, the hotel has 202 bedroom suites, with the largest covering a huge 780 m2 and the smallest covering a modest 169 m2. This hotel even has its own helicopter pad at the top, which has been used as a tennis court for a friendly between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi.

Grosvenor House Hotel

Dubai’s Grosvenor House Hotel can be found in the marina, and offers panoramic views of the Marina itself along with the Arabian Gulf. The Grosvenor House is the first hotel to be built within the Marina, it’s 45 storey’s high and boasts 422 highly sophisticated suites, complimented with high standards of hospitality. For a social scene, you can enjoy the hotels 12 stylish restaurants and bars that offer a variety of drinks and cuisine from across the globe. The hotel’s Retreat Health and Spa is world class and is the perfect place to relax and unwind on your holidays to Dubai. The only thing that’s missing is a beach, however guests staying at the Grosvenor House are alos granted full access to its sister hotel, Le Royal Meridien, which has 14 bars and restaurants, a spa and access to the beach.

The Armani Hotel

The Armani Hotel can be found within the first 39 floors of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Every single detail within the hotel has been chosen by Giorgio Armani himself, which reflects his passions for functionality, comfort and style. The hotel consists of 160 suites and has 144 residences. Each of the rooms are shaped by the towers form and have been finished to the highest quality with many precious materials. Floors are laid with Tatami from Japan, the unique walls are attired with custom made luxe fabrics, while the bathrooms boast Brazilian bamboo marble. The Armani hotel certainly has style to the highest quality and is more than suitable to feature within such an architectural masterpiece.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel

On Jumeirah beach, not too far from the shadow of the Burj al Arab, the Jumeirah beach hotel presents itself as a wave, which is both stunning to admire as well as incredibly ingenious too. The unique shape offers every room the perfect view of the sea through its floor to ceiling windows. Guests can enjoy any of the 20 available restaurants, which have a range of food from all around the world. The hotel has its own private beach with plenty of water sports available. Adults can also enjoy the hotel’s stylish roof top terrace, which plays a variety of music throughout the night.

The above is a sponsored post written by travelsupermarket.com

5 Luxury Dubai Hotels Which I Never Saw is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

Island Hopping Down Under

Sabina — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:15:01 +0000

Australia is a country surrounded by islands. So much of interest lies on the mainland that island hopping wasn’t on my radar when I visited this past summer. I departed from the mainland to visit only one island – the Tiwi Island of Bathurst, which is inhabited solely by Aboriginals and one of the most interesting islands on earth, I think. This guest post highlights a lot more of Australia’s island life than what was on my radar.

Thousands and thousands of tourists visit Australia every year for its beautiful beaches, buzzing cities, shopping, and wildlife. Yet many travelers focus on the mainland while missing out on some off-shore fun, and we’re not talking about boat cruises either. Rarely will you hear a snooty traveler casually scoffing “Oh, I’m just popping off to the Australian Islands,” yet some of the best islands in Australia offer rich cultural experiences of both its Indigenous people, and its recent European history. If you want to take a holiday from crowds of tourists and little kids, here are some Islands of Australia you may not have ever considered visiting.

Bathurst Island – Home of the Tiwi Aborigine tribes, Bathurst Island has no hordes of tourists, and no accommodation. Camping is the only way to stay overnight, but this gives you the best chance to experience authentic Indigenous culture first hand. Visits to Tiwi communities, performances of traditional tribal dances, waterhole swimming and lessons about bush food and medicine are all part of the experience. Tours depart from Darwin airport and a tour package includes cheap airfare to the island, transport around the island, permits to stay on the island, and all camping equipment and meals.

Lord Howe Island – If you want to experience one of the most beautiful and popular islands in the entire Pacific Ocean, yet avoid all the big hotel chains and tourists, Lord Howe Island is the place to be. Despite the fact that the island is less than a two-hour flight from Sydney, you’ll think you’ve landed in a different world. Just 400 people are allowed to stay on the island at any one time, leaving visitors free to enjoy the World Heritage listed island’s endless, untouched stretches of Park Preserve and ecosystems. For the adventurous, there are plenty of snorkeling, scuba diving and hiking trips. Don’t forget your camera either – your friends back home will be dying to see your snaps from the lost world. All major airlines offer daily flights to Sydney, where you can catch a flight straight to the island. Alternatively, there are plenty of flights to Brisbane, where you can also get a connecting flight to Lord Howe.

Bruny Island – If the history of European settlement in Australia is more your thing, Tasmania’s Bruny Island offers up great museums and history rooms, as well as rainforests, national parks, beaches, and enough scenic walking routes to occupy an entire few days. The island is just a short ferry ride off Tasmania’s North-East coast.
Australia has many more islands of course, both tourist-inhabited and more desolate. So, while the Hamilton Islands are great, take a chance to look at some of Australia’s more obscure destinations. We promise you won’t miss the palm trees or big crowded holiday resorts one single bit.

The preceeding was a sponsored post.

Photos by Sabina Lohr, Eoin Murphy, Prince Roy

Island Hopping Down Under is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

5 Packing Essentials to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Sabina — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 03:00:13 +0000

As I now inexplicably suffer through a cold here in the tropical heat of Malaysia, I have discovered that I literally cannot find a pharmacy in this town, and they don’t sell medication at grocery stores. This leaves me feeling really happy that I brought along a few basic non-prescription medications before I left the U.S., just in case.

This also gives me the perfect opportunity to host a guest post about the importance of preparing for illness and injury while traveling. Here’s five items all travelers should pack to help keep healthy or patch yourself back together while traveling overseas or domestically.

Every trip, abroad or domestic, is unique, from culture to weather to the people with whom we travel. Thus our packing list is different every time, which may make it difficult to travel light with all the necessities and perks we might want to cram into your luggage or backpack.

Many people are so caught up in the many aspects of trip planning that we forget to consider health. It slips our minds when we are thinking about dresses, accessories and well, let’s face it, more fun things!

Wherever your travels take you, I strongly suggest putting these five packing essentials on the top of your packing list in order for you to stay healthy and whole while traveling the world.

1. Vitamins and Medications

Whether you are traveling overseas or domestically, keeping your vitamins and prescribed medications at hand will ensure on-time intake. Some medicines differ in brand names abroad, and underdeveloped countries may not even sell your prescribed drugs. It is imperative to carry your medicines in their original container and always have a note or prescription from your attending physician just in case you’re questioned by customs or authorities. It is best to research whether the medicines you are taking with you are legal in the country you are going to. You never know.

2. Duct Tape

Really, duct tape? Yep, duct tape is actually very useful. It can be used to fix broken items during your trip and is very reliable packing material. Duct tape can be fashioned into a bandage or a splint if you injure yourself while hiking or biking and has many other uses which I hope you never have to learn about.

3. First Aid Kit

Of course, never travel without a first aid kit. You’ll probably never need it, but you certainly don’t want to be without if you do. Band-Aids, gauze and thermometers are the best safety measure you can pick up and throw in a bag.

4. Dental Floss and Pocket Mouthwash

Travelers are so focused on making the most out of every trip that sometimes we skip routines such as taking care of our teeth. Traveling abroad or domestically is an incomplete experience without paying homage to the local cuisine. Prevent future dental problems and keep your teeth healthy by sticking to your at-home flossing, brushing and mouthwash routine. It’s quick, healthy and, well, necessary not just for you but for the people with whom you are traveling.

5. Aquatabs

If you cannot find a bottle of purified water or if you are not comfortable drinking tap or boiled water, use Aquatabs. They are purification tablets used in cruise ships and by the military that are very handy and useful especially when you can’t find clean water to drink. These self-dissolving tablets treat water to kill micro-organisms that may cause cholera, dysentery, typhoid and other water-borne diseases. Aquatabs are ideal for travelling and emergency situations and are used worldwide.

This list only scratches the surface of inexpensive items to improve and maintain your health while traveling. What are some of your own tips and tricks to staying healthy while on the road? Let us know in the comments below.

This post was written by Kristina Loquillo from On Call Nurse, a new 24/7 direct access provider to Registered Nurses. Get your questions answered and get the help and attention you need no matter where you are, or what you are doing.

Thumbnail photo by Italian Voice
Pills photo by Erix!
Band-Aid photo by c.a.s.e.y.
Aquatabs photo by Chrissymartin

5 Packing Essentials to Stay Healthy While Traveling is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

7 Great City Breaks in the U.K.

Sabina — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:45:06 +0000

As I enter the winter in the U.A.E., the sun continues to suffocate me. This week we have a steady stream of 29 degree days (84 Fahrenheit) . This is actually quite the relief when compared to the 39 degrees (102 Fahrenheit) which filled the air in September when I arrived. I love heat, but with the American holidays beginning this week, it makes me long for cool fall weather. When I received this photo essay, it helped me remember what the other side of the world looks like.

1. Liverpool as a destination would please visitors of all and ages and interests. Beatlemania is still popular in Liverpool – highlights include Mathew Street and the Cavern Club, The Beatles Story on Albert Dock and the Hard Day’s Night Hotel littered with memorabilia. Shoppers are also well catered for the new Liverpool One shopping complex, whilst art buffs will love the eclectic exhibitions at Liverpool Tate (also on Albert Dock). Liverpool also has a big wheel now!

2. Edinburgh is the most visited city in Scotland and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous for raucous New Year Celebrations (Hogmanay) and the hilarious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, Edinburgh is a great destination for a weekend break full of celtic culture and Scottish tradition.

3. The most southerly city on our UK breaks in the city round up, Brighton is makes for a great short break, especially from London – it’s just over an hour by train before a 5 minute walk down to the promenade and the famous pebbly beach. It’s worth visiting the Royal Pavilion, transformed by John Nash and one time seaside palace of Prince Regent (George IV) and juts out as one of the most dazzling, if not surprising buildings in the UK.

4. Cambridge couldn’t be more quintessentially English. From the ancient Cambridge University and its stunning architecture to traditional English pubs stocked with locally produced ales, Cambridge is where you’d point an American tourist looking for an authentic ‘best of English’ rolled up in one city experience.

5. Original Tudor effect buildings are par for the course in Chester city centre, with covered stone walkways and boutique shops, Chester makes for a classy city break. Visit in the summer when the Chester Races take place and spend your winnings the next day!

6. In England’s south west corner lies the spa town of Bath, built up by the Romans in AD43 and a popular spa retreat in the Georgian era, Bath is a fine way to spend a weekend break. Bath’s Royal Crescent recently came 2nd in Google Street Views Best Street Awards whilst Milsom Street in Bath was voted Britain’s Best Fashion Street. To top off the accolades Bath does actually have the original Roman Baths that now attract nearly 4 million visitors per year.

7. Leeds has emerged as a top shopping destination in the last few years and even has a Harvey Nichols department store on the city’s premier shopping street ‘Briggate’. The nightlife and restaurant scene is thriving but there’s culture and arts too…. the fantastic Royal Armouries Musuem complex is well worth a visit.

The above is a sponsored post by Search Marketing.

7 Great City Breaks in the U.K. is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

An Egyptian Harem Conspiracy

Sabina — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:00:30 +0000

My recent trip to Egypt was filled with the usual traveler’s travails of crossing the street in Cairo without getting run over and doggedly pursuing my – and everyone’s – life dream of visiting the pyramids of Giza without allowing hundreds of swarming touts to ruin it. Egyptian history is filled with stories of much different sorts. My friend, Egyptologist Benedict Davies, has shared with me an interesting bit of history from ancient Thebes (Luxor) in the mid 12th Century B.C., a fascinatingly unique tale which he tells here.

Descending from the fastness of the Valley of the Queens, the monumental pylon gateways of the Medinet Habu rise proudly above the rooftops of the brightly-painted local village houses. This temple, at the juncture of the cultivated land of the Nile plain and the escarpment of the ancient West Theban desert necropolis, stands where the world of the living meet the realm of the dead. Its magnificent towers are part of a memorial built for the last great monarch of the Egyptian 20th Dynasty, King Ramesses III (c. 1184 – 1153 BC) – a ruler believed assassinated by his harem.

Medinet Habu's Main Temple (Photo by: Benedict Davies)

Inside the gate tower at the entrance to the temple, well-appointed rooms with inwardly inclined walls and generously tall windows inspired by Syrian fortresses of the day depict scenes of the king relaxing in the company of a host of specially chosen female companions from the royal harem while playing board games, listening to music, eating and drinking and sharing unusual moments of intimacy. A sharp poignancy surrounds the history of this ‘pleasure quarter,’ for it was from these same rooms that certain female members of the king’s harem hatched and carried out a deadly plot to murder Ramesses.

The ringleader of this faction was Queen Teya, a minor wife of Ramesses III. Her motive was clear – the assassination of the aged king, the displacement of his heir apparent and the crowning of her own son, Prince Pentawere as ruler of Egypt. Teya did not act alone, instead enlisting the help of several other members of the harem in addition to certain ‘insiders,’ including priests, highly-placed palace courtiers and even an army general.

Security within the harem quarters was known to have been notoriously tight, causing the women to rely on the use of certain magical incantations and potions to either distract or incapacitate the palace guards. The mummy of Ramesses shows no signs whatsoever of having suffered a violent trauma, so it’s possible that the schemers turned to the use of poison, a venomous serpent or the destructive power of black magic for his assassination.

Medinet Habu Festival Scenes (Photo by: Benedict Davies)

It is debatable, though, whether the attempt on Ramesses’ life was a complete success. The king clearly survived long enough to witness the rounding up of the various suspects and to appoint to a council of magistrates who would see the case through to a formal prosecution. However, the elderly king was dead before Queen Teya and her accomplices could be brought to stand trial. The ultimate aim of the plot – to change the course of the royal succession – had ended in failure. At his trial Prince Pentawere was duly found guilty and the legitimate heir, Ramesses IV, followed his father onto the Egyptian throne.

Over thirty individuals were involved in this gravest of capital crimes. Most of the would-be assassins were found guilty and either executed or invited to commit suicide, suggesting that they may well have succeeded in the plot to murder Ramesses III.

Given the significant history and excellent state of preservation of the temple, it is rather curious that Medinet Habu is still very much considered off the beaten path for many of the mainstream tourist groups visiting the west bank of Thebes (Luxor). The often eerie solitude of its hallowed hallways and courts captures perfectly the ancient sanctity and thoroughly fascinating history of this august institution.

Dr. Benedict Davies is an Egyptologist, traveler, freelance writer and founder of the MP3 audio tours Iconic Guides. He holds a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Liverpool and is a leading expert on the community of royal workmen of Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Kings. A seasoned traveler, Benedict is particularly interested in the cultures of the ancient Near East and the Far East.

Edited by Sabina Lohr

Thumbnail harem photo by freeparking

An Egyptian Harem Conspiracy is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

Tips on Traveling Alone

Sponsored Post — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:30:47 +0000

When backpacking, traveling in a group can be great fun. However, at times you may find it somewhat restrictive, and the idea of traveling along alone can start to seem more and more appealing. Many people find that the opportunities and adventure while traveling solo can be eye opening. In fact, in recent years it’s become more common for people to travel alone, and up to 45% of those who do choose to travel solo are now women, who often travel across the world to locations such as India, Thailand and Cambodia. Of course, if you’re a woman choosing to travel alone, there are going to be some things you may want to consider to help you remain safe, secure, and to ensure that you don’t find yourself in any situations where your intentions can be misread.

Be aware that things that are acceptable in your home country such as mild flirting, accepting a drink and so on may not be seen in the same light in some countries. In fact, in some particularly conservative countries, even making deliberate eye contact with a man can be construed as a serious come on. If you know you are going to travel to a conservative culture, first study up on how men and women interact and understand that in some regions of the world women are more modest than our own.

Make sure you do not carry any weapons which could be against the law of any country to which you are traveling. Even a simple can of mace is something which could land you in jail in some countries. Do, however, make sure you have a mobile phone with you at all times. If this phone can be set up to send an emergency call message to one or more of your contacts, make sure to take the time to set it up. Also, dress appropriately for the location you are visiting. If you’re traveling to a conservative country, research just what constitutes appropriate dress for women and stick to it.

Hygiene and Sanitation in some places can be somewhat less than perfect, so it’s always worth being prepared. Hand sanitizer is one item which is well worth carrying in your luggage, as it can replace hand washing if necessary at times. It’s also important to learn whether local water is drinkable or not. Find out first, and be prepared to drink bottled water all along the way in some locations.

Obviously, the above advice is unnecessary in some countries, but there are others where you do need to be quite careful or you could find yourself inadvertently breaking laws or behaving in ways that are just inappropriate for the culture. Given all the above, do try and enjoy yourself and make an effort to meet locals, but do it wisely. Keep conversation on a casual and friendly level. Being wary and aware is important, but it shouldn’t put you off making contact with people and immersing yourself as much as possible in the local culture.

If you are planning on traveling, the following websites offer great deals on travel and accommodation – Netflights for cheap flights and Hostel Bookers for accommodations.

Thumbnail suitcase photo by Simple Tess

Tips on Traveling Alone is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe