06 April 2023

AlUla is Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and is extremely popular with both domestic and international tourists to visit due to its ancient wonders, stunning scenery and the diversity of what it has to offer. For the active and adventurous visitors, there is everything from ziplining to hiking, for the arts and culture visitors there is the modern marvel, Maraya, meaning mirror in Arabic, hosting art exhibitions, music and fashion shows. For historians, there are the ancient sites of Hegra, the Old Town and many more. John and I went in March for a long weekend. We started our adventure with a short 3-hour flight to AlUla International Airport, located a short 30-minute journey from the modern town of AlUla itself and its historic Old Town. Shaden Resort was our home for the 3 nights we were there. Surrounded by breathtaking rock formations, the resort has been built to accommodate its natural surroundings and as a result, is tranquil and beautiful. Due to the flight timings, we only had two full days to experience and explore some of what AlUla has to offer. We were busy! The first day comprised of Al Jadidah Art District, a tour of the ancient site of Hegra and AlUla Old Town, the second Elephant Rock, Maraya and an evening of Star Gazing; guided by an astronomer teaching us the stars, demonstrating how the Bedouin people navigated their way and could predict the changing seasons. Hegra itself dates back over 2,000 years and is a living museum of the history and influences of the Arabian Peninsula. With over 130 tombs, the site of Hegra has given valuable insight into religious, social and economic practices over the centuries. Rawiya (meaning storyteller in Arabic) meets you at different points in Hegra to share these with you. Maraya is a wonder in itself, a fully mirrored building that takes nothing away from the beautiful scenery surrounding it. The ancient and the modern really are in true harmony here. It isn’t possible to pinpoint a favourite during our short visit, we thoroughly enjoyed every moment and every experience. The Saudis themselves, are incredibly warm, friendly, welcoming and hospitable. As part of its focus on modernising and diversifying its economy, Saudi Arabia has put into place a number of changes and initiatives to make tourism more accessible, for example, for most nationalities tourist visas are available online and there are no longer dress restrictions for women. AlUla has a unique charm and Saudi, as a destination, is well worth discovering. We will return!

25 August 2022

Our holiday to South Africa in February 2018 was for our belated Honeymoon and 2nd Wedding Anniversary; due to several family commitments in the year or so after our wedding, we decided to wait and arrange our Honeymoon later! Our trip was nearly 3 weeks in total, with an itinerary to try to capture as much as we could. We started our trip in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, flying from Dubai via Johannesburg and stayed at the wonderful Victoria Falls Hotel for 2 nights. The hotel is colonial in style and as you walk through the lobby into its lush grounds, your breath is taken away by the stunning views, in the near distance, of the Victoria Falls bridge and the Falls themselves. We took a helicopter trip over the Falls during our stay and did the Cliff Walk to take in the sound, sights, and sheer scale of the Falls. They are very loud, mesmerizing and yes, you do get wet! From Victoria Falls, we took the enchanting Rovos Rail to Pretoria in South Africa. Leaving from just behind the Victoria Falls Hotel, the train was our home for the next three nights. The journey took us through the Hwange National Park, where we enjoyed a game drive on the first morning spotting an array of wildlife including Lion cubs! To the border at Beitbridge and onto Pretoria, covering over 1,400km. The train itself is South Africa’s Orient Express; refined, elegant, five-star and a fantastic way to enjoy the scenery! After a short transfer to Johannesburg Airport, we flew down to Port Elizabeth where we picked up a hire car to make our way up the Garden Route to Cape Town. First on our itinerary, however, was a two-night stay at the gorgeous Kichaka Luxury Game Lodge, located a couple of hours' drive east of Port Elizabeth. The early morning and late afternoon game drives did not disappoint! We were lucky to see such a diverse variety of wildlife, from Lions to Giraffes to rhinos (at one point our vehicle was charged by a baby Rhino trying out his intimidation techniques!). Hippos, Elephants, Gazelle, the list is long; it was wonderful to see so many in their natural habitat and get close to them. Along the Garden Route, we had opted to stay in Plettenberg Bay, at the glorious Plettenberg Bay hotel, then go inland to Swellendam which gave us the opportunity to explore the Langeberg Mountain range as well as the historic town, from Swellendam we continued towards Cape Town along the Garden Route, spending two nights in Stellenbosch exploring its pretty town and tasting a lot of wine! Our final stop was beautiful Cape Town. We stayed at the lovely Table Bay Hotel, situated on the Victoria & Albert waterfront, with views of Table Mountain. We explored Cape Town using the open top Hop on Hop off bus and were able to visit Camps Bay, Bantry Bay, Sea Point as well as several historical sites in the city. A visit to Cape Town would not be complete without a trip up Table Mountain. The cable car is an experience with its revolving floor enabling you to take in the view while on your way up and down, certainly a unique feeling! At the top, we were blessed with clear blue skies and views across Lions Head Mountain, Cape Town, and the Bays on either side. A definite highlight of our time in South Africa. Having the opportunity to see Victoria Falls, Table Mountain, and the wildlife and experience Rovos Rail, game drives and the Garden Route has left us with a lifetime of wonderful memories. South Africa is a wonderful country to explore, the food, the wine (of course!) the scenery, the wildlife, the people, and the experiences will leave you making a promise that you will return, we did!

16 October 2019

My husband arranged for us to go to Tbilisi for our wedding anniversary over 4 nights, it is a 3.5-hour flight from Dubai, with no time difference to factor in and visa on arrival making it a very accessible destination for a city break. We stayed at the 4*star Courtyard by Marriott centrally located on Freedom Square and within walking distance of the Old City and many of Tbilisi’s attractions including the Georgian National Museum, Rustaveli Theatre and the State Opera House. Our first experience of Tbilisi was a rookie error – the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel, we didn’t check for a meter (there isn’t one!) or agree the price before we set off! Ah! In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t expensive, but it was nearly three times what we should have paid! Lesson learnt! On the first morning we utilized the ‘hop on, hop off’ sightseeing bus to give us a sense of where we were, the layout of the City and the places and areas we would walk back to and explore in more detail. The open top bus tour took us to the iconic old town and surrounding wall, Meidan Square, the Sulphur Bath District, Mtkvari River, Metekhi Wall, the Dry Bridge, the Flea Market, Rike Park, Peace Bridge, Freedom Square, Rustaveli Avenue, Heroes Square, Agmashenebeli Avenue and everywhere in between! Being able to see the City in this way, really gave a visual sense of its history; the old blended with the new, the Soviet period married with the Persian and modern day. Once we had our sense of direction, we spent time over the next few days meandering through Tbilisi and its Old Town. Each narrow street had something different to see, either gravity defying angles of older buildings which are in a state of disrepair, but somehow still occupied as homes and businesses or an upscale new building housing a restaurant and an art gallery. We explored most of Tbilisi itself on foot, visiting the Metekhi Church, the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi with its gold dome visible from most vantage points in the City, Rikhe Park with its unique sculptures, took the cable car over the river and up to Narikala Citadel; the walk back down affording the iconic multi colored roof top views of the Old Town and the Botanical Gardens. Mtatsminda Park is the highest point of the City, originally founded by the Soviet government in the 1930’s it has a range of rides and attractions, including a giant Ferris wheel and an air of dilapidation about it. The highlight here is the Funicular Restaurant with its authentic Georgian cuisine, its large terrace and the views across the City, I thoroughly recommend a long leisurely lunch here! The Funicular itself is worth the experience. The Sulphur bathhouses are a huge part of the Georgian way of life, renowned for their health benefits, so when in Tbilisi it would be worth the experience or so we thought! Let’s just say, don’t expect high standards or any level of luxury and do your research as to which baths are the ‘higher end’! The difference between the pictures and description on the internet and the actual reality can be huge, our experience was short lived, but an experience nonetheless! No trip to Tbilisi would be complete without sampling its wine and food, both of which are plentiful, tasty and cheap! There are wine shops almost on every corner of Tbilisi with many wine bars to sample Georgian wines, there is also a growing trend for Chacha bars in the City and across the country. Chacha is the national spirit made from leftover grape skins and pips, it is known as firewater and tastes just like it too!! Worth a try, but don’t say I didn’t warn you! Georgian food is quite heavy, dominated by meat, cheese and bread. The must try dish is Khachapuri, literally cheese bread, which is the national dish. It is very tasty and accompanies a glass or two of red wine very well! Overall, Tbilisi is well worth a visit and we will certainly be back to explore more of Georgia itself.

09 October 2019

My husband and I went to Mauritius for 7 nights in July 2019, our holiday was based around kite-surfing as during the winter months the south west corner of the island, Le Morne, is world famous for its wind and its Lagoon. A perfect spot to either hone your skills (my husband) or like me, to learn. We stayed at the 4*star all-inclusive Riu hotel as it is situated a few minutes’ walk along the beach to the kite surf center. The hotel offers both adult only and family options with numerous daily activities, evening entertainment, spa and themed restaurants to enjoy. We stayed in the adult only area of the resort, which had two pools, one with a bar and all-day dining, the other providing peace and tranquility. In the family section, there are three pools to choose from including a dedicated children’s pool. The daily activities on offer ranged from beach volleyball to aqua aerobics to table tennis to non-motorized water sports including kayaking, sailing and windsurfing with the evening entertainment ranging from pre-dinner cultural shows and talented singers to a nightly extravaganza in the dedicated theater located in the family part of the resort. The three themed restaurants were a la carte, Asian and Indian all offering a wide variety of dishes and specialties; the Indian restaurant provided a true flavor of some Mauritian curries (hot!). The main restaurants in both the adult only and family areas of the resort provided international cuisine and plenty of choice. The resort itself is large with plenty of garden space and a wide, long beach to enjoy meaning it is easy to be in the middle of everything or find a quiet spot to relax. However, the one thing you can’t control is the weather! For the week we were there, the wind took its own holiday! Apart from the last afternoon of our trip, not enough time to learn to kitesurf! We managed to keep ourselves busy with some stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and snorkeling in between mealtimes for the first few days, as the wind was predicted to arrive at any moment! Eventually we decided to go exploring and hired a car, venturing up to the capital Port Louis. Mauritius has the eclectic mix of the old and the new, new in the sense of motorways and buildings, old in the sense that in some parts time has stood still. It has a laid-back charm. Warm friendly people, tasty cuisine, beautiful scenery and plenty of exploring to do, it really is a place that will leave you with special memories. We will back, with the wind hopefully on our side next time! If you are interested in finding out more about Mauritius and or have an interest in kite-surfing and want to know more, please get in touch.