Tag: Islamic site

4WDing across the Hajar Mountains via Hatt

The Hajar Mountains, with their spectacular peaks, hidden hill towns, mini luscious oases and dramatic canyons are some of the most striking mountains in the world and by far the highlight of Oman.  Most people visit the forts of Bahla, the Wadi Ghul canyon and drive up to the plateau of Jebel Shams, Oman’s highest mountain – and these really worth doing.  But for a truly world-class experience, rent a 4WD and drive the mountain road from Bahla to Rustaq via Hatt.  The number of fellow tourists drop off dramatically, the valleys and peaks become more dramatic, the hill towns and oases are significantly more remote and untouched, and above all you’ll have a great feeling of adventure.  It’s not for the faint hearted though – the road is challenging, with the majority of your time spent on dirt roads, the drops off the side can be a little terrifying, and at times you will feel a bit isolated with no other drivers around you.  But, considering the ease at which you can experience this (easily be done in a day from Muscat and 4WD rentals are easy to rent), this should be right at the top of your list for Oman

 

Top tips:

  1. Is the route hard  to follow – no.  I’ve seen plenty of blogs that make it seem easy to get lost.  It really isn’t.  I’ve listed below the route to demonstrate some of the things you can expect to see, but you can just plug it into google maps and you’ll have no problems.  Even without google maps, its basically a direct road except for 2 forks that are clearly signposted
  2. Do you need a 4×4 – absolutely.  Contrary to many things written about the Jebel Shams ascent, I think you can easily get up Jebel Shams without a 4WD.  But you absolutely cannot do this mountain route without a 4WD – that would be dangerous
  3. Is it dangerous – as long as you (i) have a 4WD; (ii) don’t drive in the rain or when the road is very wet; (iii) don’t be reckless; (iv) use a bit of common sense when other cars are passing, this is not dangerous.  That being said, it is challenging and at times nerve wracking just because of the steep sides
  4. How much time does it take – it took me 3 hours for the drive, including stopping just about every 10mins for photos.  I think if you wanted to stop in some of the villages, add on an extra hour on.  If you are driving from Muscat, it’s around 1.5hours to Rustaq and around 2hours to Bahla.  So, all in from Muscat you’re looking at a 6.5-7.5 hour day
  5. The obvious stuff – your chances of something going wrong are low, but it always makes sense to prep correctly – reduce the pressure in your tires by around 20% for the offroading; make sure you have enough fuel (there are no petrol stations); make sure you have a spare tire and know roughly how to replace it; bring water in case for whatever reason you do get stuck.  Whilst it is quite isolated at times, I saw around 30 other vehicles on my trip (locals and tourists) so you will have support if you run into problems (in fact it will be in their interest to help you if you are blocking the road!)

10 day itinerary for Andalucia

Andalucia is the jewel in the crown of Spain.  There are various stella attractions that help this region claim that title – the Alhambra, Seville, Cordoba, the striking pueblos blancos (white towns), the flamenco dancing, the Sherry Triangle.  There are also natural spots that are worth the trip alone, such as the beaches of Tarifa, the mountains of Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema and the coastline of Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Nijar.  But it is the unique historical blend of Christian Spain and Moorish Al-Andalus that gives Andalucia the magic touch and makes it the must visit region of Spain

 

The itinerary below will give you the highlights and try to minimise the driving by having Cordoba and Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Nijar as optional

 

I’ve listed tips below, but high level – the standout attractions are the drive through the achingly beautiful white towns of Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema, Seville’s Old Town with its Cathedral and Palace, and staying overnight in the sensational Vejer de la Fontera

Historic Seville

When you think of the major historic cities of the world, you naturally think of the likes of Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Delhi, Beijing etc., but not necessarily Seville in that top bracket.  Yet it really should be – consider a few factors:

1. Huge variety of history – whilst many of the major European cities have ebbed and flowed in influence, Seville, from the time of the Romans, Goths, Muslim-rule, Catillian conquest, and through to its position as the commercial capital of the Spanish Empire in the Age of Discovery, has remained a key city – that is a serious variety of history in one place!

2. Major attractions – Seville Cathedral, The Royal Palace Alcazar and the General Archives of the Indies are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And then you have the likes of the Plaza de Toros (Spain’s oldest and premier bullring), magnificent Plaza de Espana and the other myriad of chrurchs, palaces and museums

3. Compact – unlike some of other major Historical Cities, the historic sites are all super close together, with most sites within 500m

4. The Old Town is magical – the old medieval lanes of the Historic area offer an Old Town that is not only pretty, but also has that wonderful combination of having a buzz, but being easily able to escape the crowds and find small deserted laned all to yourself

 

From an experience point of view, it’s acually the Old Town that makes Seville feel special . . . and very real in many ways.  As long as you can manage your expectations for fellow tourist numbers at the key attractions and avoid the intense heat of the summer, Seville is a “must visit” in what is the must visit region of Spain (Andalucia)

A supercharged week seeing the highlights of Israel and Jordan

I say this trip is supercharged because it doesn’t leave much time for chilling out.  But, if you’re like most of us and only have a limited amount of vacation, then this is a fantastic weekend to weekend trip that takes in the world famous sites of Jerusalem, Petra and Wadi rum; while providing time for some fun experiences like floating in the Dead Sea, scuba diving in the Red Sea, driving through sparse deserts and a party in Tel Aviv

You’ll need energy for these 7 days, but you’ll be rewarded as, in my opinion, its one of the world’s best week long trips in the world

I was hesitating in going in winter as I’d seen low temperatures.  Don’t.  The winter helped with reduced crowds, not needing to book far ahead and not getting exhausted by the heat.  Perfect trip for a week-long winter break

Jerusalem for a day on the Sabbath

One of the most famous cities in the world and the spiritual centre for three of the world’s major religions, Jerusalem is steeped in history and has sites that attract hordes of tourists and worshippers alike

We went on the sabbath, which in Israel means many things are closed, and in winter, which means it’ll be around 10-12 Celsius / 50-54 Fahrenheit in the day, so it was probably a bit quieter than normal and I think that was a positive on the overall experience

I’ve read in books like the Lonely Planet that you need four days to experience Jerusalem.  I think that may be true if you are deeply religious or have a passion for the history of the area, but for those who just broadly want to check it out, and have the right level of energy, you can have a great experience with only one day

So, if only have one day, I have 2 suggestions.  Firstly, focus on the key sites of the old city, in particular the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Temple on the Mount.  Secondly, don’t try to do more than that and, instead, get lost wandering through Jerusalem’s narrow streets and off the tourist trail.  You’ll notice subtle differences moving between quarters and stumble upon some of the lesser known sites.  Far more enjoyable that following a guided tour, and less tiring

7/8 week itinerary for the highlights of South East Asia

South East Asia has to be the premier world traveling region.  A big call?  For sure, but consider what genuinely world class offerings it can provide:

 

  • World class beaches and coastal areas – think of THAT beach in Ko Phi Phi and HaLong Bay, one of the Natural Wonders of the World
  • World class food – think Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and the genuine fusion into the mix with the large established Indian and Chinese communities
  • World class ancient sites and history – think of the temples of the “8th Wonder of the World” of Angkor Wat, and the breathtaking site of the pagodas stretching across the plain in Bagan
  • World class cities and party locations – think of Singapore as the city of the future and the Full Moon Parties on Ko Pha-Ngan

 

And all this in a place that is super safe, outrageously friendly, easy and cheap to travel in.  A must for any keen traveler and the below itinerary will give you the highlights – enjoy!

6 months trip of a lifetime around Latin America

My girlfriend and I went on a 6month trip around Latin America (excluding Brazil).  Started in the far South in the Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and, broadly, made our way up the west coast to the Yucatan Peninsular of Mexico.  Best large scale trip I’ve done, and wanted to share the overall itinerary and tips here to hopefully help those who are considering something similar

A few high level points:

  • Other than the flights there and the first hotel, there were only three things we booked in advance: the Inca Trail (which we knew we needed to for permits); plus for Patagonia a trip through Torres del Paine National Park and a ferry through the fjords (as we were going at peak season and only a couple of weeks after we landed).  Everything else, we booked when in Latin America and, in our opinion, that is the best way to do it – gives you the freedom to relax in the places you find that you love and be super flexible to do what you want to do
  • Total costs – my girlfriend and I went in our 30s, with no kids and on sabbaticals from work.  We’re not poor, but certainly not mega wealthy.  We didn’t stay in super expensive hotels (other than for the occasional splurge), flew economy and used a bit of common sense for timings of certain expensive items, but never held back on doing the things we wanted to do.  Some examples of big ticket items: US$5k for a week diving in the remote Wolf & Darwin Islands in the Galapagos; US$1.2k for 4 days in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia; US$800 for a helicopter trip to see the El Mirador Mayan ruins in the Guatemalan jungle; US$700 for the Inca Trail.  Total cost of the whole trip was US$34k each.  This included all flights, transport, hotels, activities, food, drink, guides, screwing things up, credit card fees – the lot.  Expensive, but so are most Experiences of a Lifetime
  • It’s not about trying to “do everything” – in a place as large as Latin America, you couldn’t even if you tried – so don’t think of things as a big tick box exercise.  Brazil, for example, we knew we couldn’t do justice whilst also trying to enjoy all the other amazing places we’d heard of, so left it for next time
  • In the similar vain, make sure you give yourself big chunks of time to chill out.  Not only to recharge the batteries, but also because most places are enjoyed when you spend time to soak up the feel for the place.  There were some places . . . like Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Isla Mujeres in Mexico, Bocas del Toro in Panama . . . where I could have spent weeks there just because the general vibe of the place was so wonderful
  • Safety – we weren’t robbed, but many people do either having a bag stolen or, unpleasantly, get robbed face to face.  Other than a couple of cities, we generally felt super safe the places we went and tried to just apply common sense to reduce our risks
  • Learn a bit of Spanish before you go – the app DuoLingo was great for getting us to a basic level that made a lot of difference.  But also don’t be afraid to pull out google for simultaneous conversation translations to really be able to have a conversation with someone – some long trips became some of our highlights just from being able to properly talk with the driver / locals.  I particularly remember a long taxi ride in Colombia where we went back and forward for 2 hours with the driver on everything from his home town to politics to football to his favourite movies to his family problems- never could have done that without Spanish or google.  In a similar vein, and using the right level of common sense, don’t turn down an invite for drinks / dinner / house visit with locals.  There are some truly unforgettable natural and cultural spots to see, but similarly an evening with a local family will be something likely to be just as unforgettable
  • Whenever checking out a place or must-do-site, its easy to get templed / churched / ancient site / beached out.  Always do a very basic bit of research to see if there is a more out of the ordinary way to experience it – by bike / drinking tour / kayaking / helicopter / whatever.  Thats what we tried to do, and I hope it reflected in some of the cool stuff listed below

Kuala Lumpur

KL is ok if passing through as you can head up to the KL Tower for views of the city and the world’s former tallest buildings the Petronas Towers.  But it’s a bit of an unpleasant hodgepodge of super modern malls and skyscrapers with still quite underdeveloped and at times poverty spots right in the city

 

If looking for a South East Asia big city break, put Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Yangon, Ho Chi Minh, Singapore and Hanoi (for its old town) ahead of KL

2 days of baths and the Bosphorus in Istanbul

The crossroads of Europe and Asia and the former capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, Istanbul is steeped in history and makes for a world-class destination city.  I only spent 3 days there, so won’t write a detailed review, but high level tips:

  • Hagia Sofia – the star attraction and will no doubt be on your list.  Be sure to not only see this incredible structure from the outside, but also to visit the extraordinarily beautiful interior
  • Definitely get a Hamam – these Turkish Baths, whilst a bit on the pricey side (around USD100 for the entrance and some treatments), are just the perfect way to relax after a day of seeing the sights and some have the most beautiful interiors
  • Best river views – try to find a spot that gives you both the views of the Golden Horn with its various bridges and the Suleyman Mosque.  Watching the sunset from one of the restaurants round there was one of our highlights of Istanbul
  • Take a boat – even if it is just a short one over the Golden Horn, its a great way to get views of the city
  • The Grand Bazar – worth a visit just for its sheer size and bustle
  • The airport – the lines for immigration can take hours, so be prepared.  You’ll have to pay for a visa sticker (45 euros, bit of a joke) which is quick, but then the immigration queue itself can be long

A day trip to Abu Dhabi from Dubai

Its only around a 1.5hour drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, so I’d suggest it is a must visit if staying longer than 2 days in Dubai.  The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, with its squinting bright white marble, beautiful interior and sheer scale is the obvious must visit spot, but also give yourself time for a drink in the luxurious pink Emirates Palace with its gorgeous terrace overlooking the sea