City

Dubai is a very worthwhile stopover

Words: Len Rutledge Pictures: Phensri Rutledge

Many travellers are finding themselves in Dubai as it emerges as a major airport hub for flights between Asia, Europe and Africa. Most continue on their journey without stopping but in doing so they miss out on one of the highlights of the region.

Dubai is both a city and one of seven emirates that make up the country of United Arab Emirates. Dubai City in recent years has developed into a global metropolis and a great cultural experience for most visitors.

The city has attracted world attention for its skyscrapers, artificial islands, huge construction projects and world-class shopping malls. What many visitors don’t understand is that all this has happened in a desert which just happens to be by the sea.

In summer you will notice the heat, so be prepared. During this period the average high is 42 degrees and the overnight low is 29 degrees. When we last visited the mercury hit 45 degrees. The short winter is better with highs of 23 and lows of 14.

Hotel choice starts with the Burj Al Arab Hotel built on an artificial island and goes way down to small rooms with little more than a bed. Most of us will decide the US$1225 +10% + 10% rate per night at the Burj Al Arab is too high. Fortunately, you can find reasonable 3-4 star accommodation for around US$100.

Half-day tours cost around US$30 but by paying a little more my wife and I managed a personalised tour in a limousine and this let us set our own itinerary and stop where we wanted.

We visited Dubai Creek and saw the traditional dhows, Dubai Fort and museum, Jumeirah Mosque, and attractive Jumeirah Beach. Driving out onto the artificial Palm Islands was an unreal experience while Dubai Marina with its surrounding high-rise apartments is a town planners dream.

Dubai is surprisingly spread-out so getting around is not easy. Fortunately, public transport has improved considerably since the opening of the Metro railway system. The driverless trains are easy to use and we quickly learned to move around like locals.

Nothing in Dubai is particularly old but when visiting the souks you seem to travel back in time. This experience is as far removed from the western world as you can get. In the Gold Souk the narrow lanes are lined with shop windows glittering with items in 22 and 24-carat gold. Prices tumbled after haggling and we cheered when they finally reached our budget.

In the Spices Souk, frankincense, turmeric, saffron and the many herbs used in Arabic and South Asian food are on display in a riot of colour. It was fun to talk to the sellers and we were tempted to buy, then we remembered we were travelling across many borders on our trip and decided to just look.

The oldest building in the city is Al Fahidi Fort, now the Dubai Museum. This showed us the traditional way of life in Dubai and it has excellent dioramas and artefacts that go back 5000 years.

A complete contrast is provided by modern Dubai which has a love of all things glitzy and glamorous. The city’s malls have been built as unrestrained fantasy, offering surreal attractions to lure you in.

At the gargantuan Mall of the Emirates, we watched in amazement as hundreds who apparently needed a quick slalom between shopping and hitting the beach took to the indoor ski slope with real snow.

The Dubai Mall with over 1200 shops is the world’s largest shopping mall. We unsuccessfully searched for traditional Dubai cuisine amongst the 120 restaurants and cafes but found just about every other cuisine in the world, 22 movie theatres, an aquarium and an ice rink.

Its biggest attraction for us, however, was the $200million, 275m-long Dubai Fountain which shoots water up to 160m in time with music. Our first experience of this was breathtaking so we returned on three other occasions to see different shows. Don’t miss it.

Also here is Burj Khalifa; at 830m it is the tallest man-made structure in the world. There is an observation deck on the 124^th floor but there was a rush for tickets when we were there and several days were entirely sold out, so consider booking ahead.

We enjoyed just a fraction of the things to do in the city; the Wild Wadi Water Park, sailing, sky diving, wind surfing, diving and ballooning all await the next trip. Outside the city, there are desert safaris, camel riding and sand boarding. Short-term visitors will not be disappointed.

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WHEN YOU GO:

Dubai Airport is on one side of the city so it is quite a distance to many of the beach hotels. Taxis are readily available and the Metro has a stop outside the international terminal.

We stayed near Union Station which is a junction station for the two metro lines and this proved extremely convenient for sightseeing and shopping.

Many passport holders can obtain a free 30-day or 90-day visitor visa on arrival at Dubai International Airport but you need to check before you leave home.

Reasons Why Hong Kong is One of The Most Beautiful Cities in The World

If you have not visited Hong Kong, you’re in for a surprising adventure. This Island city is truly a jewel in the Orient. Planning to visit Hong Kong will surely leave you with lasting memories and the wish to always return as fast as possible. The different terrain of Hong Kong, encompassing both rural and urban aspects, will leave you amazed.

There’s no shortage of lovely activities when you’re visiting this beautiful city. Wherever your tastes lie, you’ll find something that will suit your interest. The city boasts many recreation facilities, sports and Hong Kong massage, whether you want to watch or participate. Hong Kong plays host to a lot of performing arts cultural events and festivals that are internationally popular and offer up a lot of opportunities to discover some surprising talent. In addition, it gives up many religious places of worship that are really worth viewing, starting from temples and shrines to monasteries. All these recreational, cultural, artistic, as well as devotional activities, are available in so diverse forms in Hong Kong, you’ll have a hard time selecting just a few while you’re there.

You’ll find that there’re diversified landscapes to also visit, from the heart of the urban center of Hong Kong which boasts superb-modern skyscrapers to the great desert islands as well as sandy, hidden beaches. The main office of Hong Kong bank is situated in the midst of the city, frequently described as among the world’s most magnificent buildings. The Convention Center and Central Plaza are as well, buildings of note which exemplify the high urbanity which it can give. Also, on the other side of the coin are the good-looking parks that share the city, and really make up around 40 percent of the terrain, balancing the hub of the metropolitan’s commerce as well as finance with a tranquil and peaceful place to take your lunch or a stop from a busy day to just enjoy its calming scenery.

The seascape and beaches provided by the Hong Kong’s Island nature can be seen on the beautiful beaches as well as coral reef aquarium that’s situated at the Ocean Park. There’re several bay areas that give amazing opportunities for swimming or fishing. The diversity of the city is perpetuated the more when including the nightlife observed at Causeway Bay and Nathan or Wanchai road, where restaurants and bars cater to the crowds of the late night and people who look to enjoy the certain nocturnal activity. Also, floating restaurants can be observed in the district of Aberdeen.

Hong Kong’s city is so interesting and diverse that everybody can find something of amazement and interest. Whether you’re interested in museums like The Museum of Fine Arts, or Madame Toussaud’s or Cosmonautics Museums or the Medical, you will be amazed at the assortment of choices available. You can hit up the financial district bustle or visit the Garden of Birds for you to relax and just enjoy the flowering plants. There’s indeed something that will suit all interests and tastes. You will be truly surprised by the beauty.

The Food Lover’s Ultimate NYC Adventure

A vacation in the greatest city on Earth would be a dream come true for many. As the holiday season approaches, a chance to visit New York City becomes a treasure trove of possibilities. The sheer abundance of events, activities and sights is too overwhelming to cover in a single go, but at least, you can stimulate your taste buds with some of the most delicious and varied meals in the world. If you want to save some time and go straight for the hippest and most satisfying gourmet experiences, here’s the food lover’s ultimate NYC adventure.

Of course, the restaurants

Let us start off with the biggest bite of all – the choice of restaurants. The food map of New York City is a colorful palette of cuisines and cultures. If you are craving for a healthy and solid Mediterranean meal, Fig & Olive offers a whole array of dishes from Italy, Spain and France.

If you want to feel as if you are shacked up in the middle of the Alps, Baita by Birreria is a place for you. The place looks like a cozy canteen for visitors who like to pop in for a wine, warm up with salty pork and veal sausages.

A variety of exquisite meals can be a blast, but if you end up craving good ol’ sandwich bites, LaGuardia Place has brought the art of sandwich to a whole new level.

If you are in the mood for a tasty trip to Asia, Raku on East 6th Street is a place that has the most delicious udon in town, and ramen at Mr. Taka is conveniently filling on a cold December evening. Finally, if you want a solid meal that will keep you full for the most part of the day, stop by Insa on 328 Douglas Street for a delicious, juicy Korean barbecue (and a karaoke sing-off maybe).

Let’s talk about catering

Of course, New York City is nothing without the options to tweak the dining experience to your own idea of comfort. If you are renting a fabulous apartment and you feel particularly lazy that night, why not bring all the wine and dine glamour to your four walls?

With the endless number of top-notch NYC catering options that will leave you spoiled, the professional caterer will do all the work and it is up to you to deal with the rest. There are no boring queues and lengthy lines to ruin your appetite.

Most of these catering options come with modifiable course lineups that can be staggeringly rich – from cold chops and cocktail picks to warm bites, and wholesome family meals. It goes without saying you can limit yourself to fish, vegetarian or vegan banquets if you want.

The marketplace adventures

If you are spending a short time in New York City, why not feel like a true New Yorker? First of all, you need to stroll down the streets in search for the food market. Thankfully, New York has numerous food markets that are perfectly equipped with every delicious fruit and vegetable under the sun.

Most of them are in Manhattan, where you can literally stumble onto an amazing organic market after five or ten minutes of strolling about. However, you can find a few stray markets in Queens – New World Mall Food Court and Queens Crossing – as well as in Brooklyn – renowned Gotham Market at The Ashland, Berg’n and Industry City near the Upper Bay.

With all the necessary groceries in the bags, you can finally go to your temporary home and whip out pots and spatulas to begin your own private cooking session.

Take a chance on a food truck

Life in New York City can be quite hectic. So, it is probably safe to guess that your short stay will be just as speedy and filled with various activities. People tend to start taking it all in only after they have returned home. If you are a type of person who likes to move around and save time on all activities except sightseeing, taking a chance on one of New York’s iconic food trucks is a must.

Even if you are a person who enjoys low brow cuisine, you have to eat out at least once – otherwise, it is as if you haven’t been in New York. Eddie’s Pizza Truck will satisfy you enough and leave room for a thirst-quenching jug of beer or a cocktail. Tacos Morelos will offer you amazing midnight snacks, and a nice pita wrapped around juicy meat from Souvlaki GR will keep you buzzed throughout the evening.

Of course, these suggestions are not doing justice to all of the amazing restaurants and chow spots in New York City. If you are in the mood for an adventure, you can go out with your friends or family on an unpredictable gourmet journey throughout the night. You are bound to come across interesting places to eat around every corner. What’s life without some culinary risk?

Getaway Ideas for Parents Who Are Usually Too Busy

When you become a parent, you accept that you won’t have many of the kind of footloose and fancy-free vacations that you used to have. It’s just part of the territory. Trips away now generally include the kids, rather than being romantic breaks for two.

But you can, and indeed should, still have an occasional vacation with just the two of you. The daily grind of parenting can be relentless. There’s always something to do, someone who needs you. Faces to wipe, homework to help with, dinner to cook, bottles to wash. It’s good for you, your relationship and your family to get away without the kids once in awhile. Ask the grandparents for a weekend babysitting favor, and jet off somewhere amazing for a couple of days. You’ll return relaxed, refreshed and ready to go again.

Here are our ideas for the best weekend getaway locations for parents:

New York City

New York City is a classic weekend break destination. The city that never sleeps is packed with things to do all day and all night long. It is the world’s busiest and most exciting city, with endless bars, restaurants, shops, galleries and museums to explore. Whatever you want to do, you’ll find it in New York.

The best thing about New York is the way it mixes a big city feel with distinctive neighborhoods. This makes it easy to plan a short break because you can choose what you want to do and pick the neighborhood to hang out in. Even if you’ve been to the Big Apple many times before, you’ll find somewhere else to go that is new to you.

If you’re a New York virgin (or even if you’re not) start with a trip up the Empire State Building or the Rockefeller Center to check out the views and get your bearings. Then take a wander down to 5th Avenue for some indulgent shopping, and head out to East Village for lunch in one of the latest hip restaurants. Spend time strolling through Battery Park to work up an appetite for dinner, which you could follow up with a Broadway show or a night out dancing.

New York is definitely best enjoyed child-free.

Vancouver

Vancouver offers the perfect combination of city break and outdoor life. One of the world’s most beautiful cities, it is backed by snow-capped mountains and fringed with sandy ocean beaches, but still has a trendy, urban feel with plenty of nightlife and café culture.

Head to the cobbled streets of Gastown, Vancouver’s old quarter, and take a wander. You’ll find lots of cozy cafes and hipster bars, some great independent stores and a vibrant restaurant scene. Nearby Chinatown was built around the same time and hosts everything from edgy bars to traditional Chinese grocery stores.

When you’ve had enough of city exploration, you won’t have to go far to get some fresh air. Head to Stanley Park, the city’s green lungs. An 8km trail takes you around the seawall, through forest trees. Walk it, or hire a bike. After that, head to the beach to chill out, or travel up to the mountains. Time your visit right and you could ski in the morning and sunbathe in the afternoon.

Charleston, South Carolina

If you’re desperate to slow down and stroll, Charleston could be just perfect. It’s warm, beautiful and relaxed, and offers a completely different pace of life to almost anywhere else. Take a wander through its cobbled streets, which are lit with gas-lamps at night time, and enjoy its beautiful antique buildings.

Amongst all the history, you’ll find some fabulous modern restaurants, with plenty of innovative cuisine on offer. Take some time to browse through Charleston City Market, for a real taste of the Old South. And if you want a day at the beach, it’s just down the road at Sullivan’s Island. The weather is good too, with a November average of 76 degrees.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan is another great choice if you want a bit of beach and a bit of culture. It’s a hassle-free choice if you want to spend a weekend in the Caribbean, as you won’t need a passport. San Juan is a vibrant Spanish colonial city, complete with pastel colored plazas and fortified walls. You can spend hours wandering the streets, taking in the architecture, soaking up the vibes and visiting art galleries.

When you’ve worked up a sweat from all that walking, it’s time to hit the beach. San Juan boasts an impressive strip of palm-fringed sand, lined with beach bars and restaurants. If you want to check out a family vacation in the Caribbean or something more luxurious just for the two of you, those are options as well.

Las Vegas, Nevada

If you’re feeling like being a little naughty, Sin City is your place. It’s big and brash, but a couple of days in Vegas is sure to make you forget all about your everyday life of kids and work.

Treat it as a wonderful opportunity to escape, and embrace that brashness. Go for a wander down the strip, take a gondola ride at the Venetian hotel, spend some time in the casinos and see one of the famous Vegas shows. It’s a place to really indulge and go as wild as you like.

21 Things You Didn’t Know About London [Infographic]

21 things you didn’t know about London

In recent years, the popularity of London city break has gone from strength to strength. It seems that millennials are doing away with the week beach break and instead favouring three days in one of the world’s great metropolises.

As you can see from this post from UK travel association ABTA, statistics now show that they are in fact as popular as beach holidays.

It’s really not hard to see why either. With more cheaper flights than ever and budget accommodation via Airbnb and other services, city breaks can prove to cost very little.

In fact, for the amount of money it takes to book one beach holiday, you could quite easily enjoy two city breaks.

When it comes to selecting a city break, there’s certainly a few everyone must visit. One of these is, of course, London.

London is bar far one of the most popular tourist cities on the planet. In fact, the Evening Standard reported earlier this year that a record 19 million tourist visited the English capital last year.

It’s pretty easy to see why too. London is both a city with a wealth of history and also bucket loads of contemporary attractions.

Just take a look at this post from Planet Ware, which lists a number of world famous attractions.

If you’re planning on visiting this marvelous city, it would be beneficial to learn a little about it first.

And thanks to a new infographic from Central London Apartments, you can do just that!

It’s called ‘21 Things You Didn’t Know About London’ and you can see it for yourself below.

It covers some truly fascinating things relating to contemporary London and also its rich history.

For example, do you know how many people use the London Underground each year? Or why the Palace of Westminster is positioned on the River Thames? You can find the answers and plenty more fascinating things by reading the infographic.

Trogir: The Hidden Gem of Croatia

Trogir is a harbor town in Split-Dalmatian County, Croatia. The town is also a World Heritage Site since the year 1997. As of the year 2011, the official population of this town stood at 10,818 people. The town lies 27 kilometers west of the county’s main administrative city, Split.

History and Culture

This city has a checkered history. It was founded by the Greeks in 3 BC and evolved as a major port. From the tenth century towards the nineteenth century, Trogir was greatly influenced by the Italian city-states of Genoa and Venice enjoying both commercial and cultural ties with both cities. It was not until the year 1797 that these Italian ties were severed on account of the conquest of Europe by the Hapsburg Empire. The city was reckoned as a unit of the Hapsburg Empire until the end of World War One.

After 1918, this city linked up with the states of Croats, Serbs and Slovenes to form the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Later conquests by Italy during the Second World War, annexed this town to be a district of Dalmatia, Italy. After Marshall Tito’s army occupation from 1944, it was recognized as a territory of Yugoslavia and from 1991 as part of Croatia.

The city has a rich culture with an abundance of Renaissance works and architecture. Its most iconic building is the Church of St.Lawrence that embodies the influence of the Romanesque period in Croatia. In the same vein, it is in Trogir that some major work of Roman literature-Dinner of Trimalchio was discovered in this ancient town.

Accommodation and Getting around

Trogir has an excess of more than 20,000 beds stretched out over hotels, private villas, and apartments. Reservations and contact with private home owners are the modes of securing your accommodation whilst in this haven. One can shuttle by a regular bus service that serves this town or elects to lease a car or a taxi. The public transport system in this metropolis is excellent.

Local food and wine

The local cuisine is oriented to seafood: mussels, shrimp, and roast fish. There are also meat specialties like sour marinated beef, beef cooked in sauce(tomato), ham, sheep cheese, salty sardines, roasted lamb, and sauteed greens and potatoes complete this rich motif of the local cuisine. To top up all this is the rich wine which is a product of the rich Dalmatian soil. The wine is produced by both individual families and private enterprises and follows traditions that are strictly passed on from one subsequent generation to the next.

Things to do in Trogir

To fully appreciate the riches on offer in this ancient city, try out the following activities:
* Visit the Duke’s palace;
* Visit the Cathedral that has the works of Master Radovan, one of Croatia’s greatest artists;
* Go visit the city core that has ten churches and marvelous architectural sites that mark major epochs in architectural history
* Rent a boat or yacht from a Croatia charter and visit the nearby islands like Ciovo, Solta and Drvenik Veli.

These are some of the sights and sounds that you can expect to feast your eyes on when you visit this historic city, enjoy!

Which Cities Recycle The Most [Infographic]

Which Cities Recycle The Most

Travelling abroad is a luxury well-earned, and the ability to share cultural experiences in far-flung corners of the world is a wonderful aspect of modern life. However, for those of us concerned with the toll our trail takes on the environment it can be reassuring to know our destination is not just culturally rich, but ecologically responsible: there’s little more dismaying than having to respectfully watch on as less environmentally-oriented locals dump recyclable trash or drive you from A to B in a fume-chugging jalopy.

A trip to an environmentally progressive city can be as inspiring to the intellect as it is refreshing to the lungs, which is why we’re pleased to present this data-driven infographic which breaks down the eco-achievements of some of the most responsible nations on Earth.

Copenhagen and Stockholm, for example, can each boast fantastic levels of green transport use among their native populations – with neighbouring Oslo at the forefront of the electric car revolution. In Amsterdam, cycling is more popular than driving, so if you favour the pedals around your own home car-clogged town, imagine how liberating it will feel to be in the majority for a few days!

Other cities defy the cliché of the grey metropolis, popping parkland on top of buildings and legislating for serious levels of green space. Surprisingly, it is a Brazilian city – Curitiba – that leads the way, with 52m² of natural space thanks to a mindful development strategy established as far back as the 1960s.

Meanwhile, San Francisco is the world capital of recycling, nearly doubling the already-impressive U.S. national average by processing 80% of their waste. Charges for throwing non-recyclable garbage keep the city sustainable – and San Francisco also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% before 2050.

A city trip offers unique opportunities that a more rural eco-excursion cannot, but if you’re set for an urban break your plans needn’t be in conflict with your green ideals.

Source

European Cities: What To Do When It Rains

No matter how much planning you do for your next travel trip, you can’t really plan for what the weather will be like. Sometimes you’ll hit it lucky and have perfect weather, whilst other times you may end up spending your whole holiday stuck in a treacherous rainstorm. Continue reading European Cities: What To Do When It Rains

Berlin: Europe’s Greatest City?

Berlin has been a popular tourist destination for years and attracts people of all ages – for both the vast historical relevance and abundance of important museums to its culture and vibrant streets. Continue reading Berlin: Europe’s Greatest City?

Top 5 Most Iconic Cities Worldwide

Whether for an instantly recognisable skyline or home to one of the wonders of the ancient world, there are some cities that cannot fail to be iconic.

Paris

Whether you’re in Paris for a weekend break or taking a few weeks to enjoy the French capital, you’ll never run out of things to do. Any visitor to Paris will want to take in iconic sights like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum; but don’t be so swept up in checking off all the standard tourist destinations that you miss some of the less well-known places. Visit the Musée du Moyen-Âge for a glimpse of the fabled “La Dame à la Licorne”, one of the most magnificent medieval tapestries in existence. To really experience the City of Lights, book a room in one of the many luxury hotels in the Paris’ city centre rather than braving the cramped accommodation to be found in the outlying districts.

London

Like Paris, London boasts a multitude of spectacular buildings and locations. Once you have visited Big Ben and the London Eye, why not pay a visit to the British Museum? Here you’ll find treasures from all over the world. As well as giving the London skyline one of its most dramatic elements, St. Paul’s Cathedral is packed with beautiful religious art and has a fascinating history. Natural history and science buffs might be interested in a visit to Crystal Palace park, where you can view full-sized replicas of those iconic Victorian attempts to reconstruct prehistoric animals. https://edpillgrece.gr/chapia-kamagra-100mg.html

Cairo

Cairo is one of the most unforgettable cities on Earth. If you want to witness the glory of the Pyramids first hand, you’ll need to begin here, in the hustle and bustle of the Egyptian capital. One of the largest cities in the whole of North Africa and the Middle East, Cairo is home to countless cultural treasures.

New York

If your ideal city is modern, magical and steeped with culture, a visit to the Big Apple is indispensable. New York is home to some of the most outstanding modern architecture in the world, from the Empire State Building to the Art Deco glories of the Chrysler Building. If you have any energy left after visiting world-class museums or picking up bargains at the famous New York City sample sales, New York’s nightlife is second to none. To take the biggest possible bite out of the Big Apple, you’ll want to stay in central New York accommodation— this will give you the perfect base from which to explore the city.

Hong Kong

The complex history of Hong Kong has produced a city that’s completely unique. If your tastes run to new cultural experiences, don’t miss the Cantonese opera at the Sunbeam Theatre or the latest offerings from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Art buffs will want to make a beeline for the Hong Kong Arts Centre or maybe visit the lively artistic community in the Foh Tan district. Perhaps the best time to explore the amazing city of Hong Kong is during one of the traditional Chinese holidays, particularly the Chinese New Year or during the Dragon Boat Festival.

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