Category Archives: Travel
Ella, Sri Lanka
Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
7 quick tips for travelling abroad
If it’s your first time jetting away, the concept of a holiday could be a daunting one. Don’t panic! Here are seven essential tips for you to make the most out of your travels and keep it as stress free as possible.
Keep an eye on your belongings
It goes without saying that you’ll need to be watching your luggage and personal belongings wherever you are. Check that your accommodation has a safe or an equivalent facility to keep your valuables protected when you aren’t using them. Be sure to not leave any bags or items anywhere as it’s probably not going to be easy to get them back, especially with issues of communication. Also, don’t be tempted to quickly leave your phone or tablet unattended in public – it’s one of the things you wouldn’t be covered for if it got stolen, as it could have easily been prevented!
Stay healthy
Although you shouldn’t be afraid to treat yourself on your travels, be aware of keeping a balanced diet that won’t throw you off track. Be sure to indulge in the local cuisine, but be mindful of not overdoing it! Fruit and vegetables shouldn’t be skipped, and nor should drinking water frequently. You’re going to want to stay hydrated, especially if your destination is an extremely hot one. Being healthy doesn’t stop there, either – bring some medication and necessary toiletries such as sun cream and insect repellent to stay feeling good on your holiday. Continue reading 7 quick tips for travelling abroad
A350 & B787
German countryside
The sun sets on Dubai. Adios!
Dubai. The entire city is a man-made miracle. Its a fine example of what great vision, honest leadership and innovative business models can build. Its beautiful, clean and safe as any city can possibly be. And we’re sad to leave!
We had our own challenges moving in and out. But the journey in between was full of memories. I can’t express what it means to arrive in a new country and find an old friend Continue reading The sun sets on Dubai. Adios!
The Ultimate Checklist for Beach & Mountain Camping
As I promised on the Musandam camping post, here’s a complete checklist for your next camping adventure. If you have any favorites that I missed, please note them under comments, and I’ll merge them back.
Barbeque
- Barbeque*
- Skewers*
- Tongs*
- Firewood/Coal briquetes*
- Matchbox/Jet flame*
- Lighting Fuel
- Blower/Fan*
- Meats/Veggies*
- Greasing brush
- Plastic plate or metal containers
- Clamp grill (for smaller items like prawns & veggies)
- Cleaning brush
Food & Beverages
- Drinking water*
- Spare water*
- Drinks*
- Laban/Milk (great to cool down your system)
- Ketchup/Dips*
- Garlic bread
- Salt/Pepper
- Bottle/can Opener
- Lemon juice
- Chips
- Coffee sachets
Accessories
- Tissues
- Newspapers
- Swiss/Kitchen Knife
- Disposable plates/cutlery*
- Cooler box/Thermal bag
- Ice cubes
- Dish washing soap
- Hot water kettle
Continue reading The Ultimate Checklist for Beach & Mountain Camping
Camping trip from Dubai to Musandam, Oman
Long weekends are hard to find in the UAE. And with the weather getting better for a change, it was just the right time for camping. As amateurs, Balan & I picked up the entire kit from Lulu and packed it in the trunk. Yes, the camping list is planned for another post.
After a lazy start, we set on the road to Khasab via Ras Al Khaimah. We got a bit lost and instead landed on the road to Jabal Jais – the highest mountain in the UAE. It’s a 30 min detour that goes uphill through rocky mountains and serves a view from the not-so-high summit.
We headed back to RAK to join the coastal road and stopped by at a local bakery for a quick bite. The freshly baked pizza & assorted fatayer were just delectable – only to release that the delivery boy had baked them in absence of the chef 😉
Next stop was the border. On the UAE side, we had to park to get exit stamps. This is where they verify that the visa is eligible for visa-on-arrival in Oman. There’s an exit fee of 35Dh per head, only accepted via the e-Dirham card. So if you have one, carry it along. We were given a slip mentioning the number of people & vehicle number which we had to give at the UAE border exit.
We stopped again in about 100m at the Omani border to get our visas. Lucky for us, there were no queues. The visa fee of OMR 5 (~50Dh) is not accepted in Riyals, so we paid by card. A 30 day permit was stamped in exchange for the fee and a small form. Back in the car, Omani customs took a quick peep in the boot and let us go. 5 minutes in to Oman and the views were heavenly. We were just in time for sunset.
We kept driving on the coastal road for the next 40 kms and kept finding camping spots that we’d marked on GPS. We thought Continue reading Camping trip from Dubai to Musandam, Oman
Day 8: Princes Island, Taksim & Istiklal
After a saddening experience in Izmir, we were back in Istanbul for the last day of our Turkey trip. Weather was once again not reliable, but we still headed to Princes’ Islands after breakfast.
We took the cheapest ferry to Princes’ Islands for 6TL one way.
