Saudi Arabia used to be one of the most difficult countries to secure a tourist visa. Several years ago on a flight from Bangkok to Vietnam I remember reading an article mentioning that policies regarding travel to the country would be changing in the coming years. I made a mental note to keep an eye open for that. I was able to visit last year, spending the majority of my time in Dammam. Traveling to Saudi Arabia can be an exhilarating adventure, with its unique blend of ancient traditions and […]

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From Erbil, we make the tiny mountain community of Lalish in a little more than an hour including being waived through several police checkpoints. Arriving at Lalish a guard stationed on the road leading to the community told us we needed to remove our shoes for the duration of our visit. No sooner than we had done so, a gentleman passing by asked if we would like to join him for lunch. Lunch was held inside a large room surrounded by men sitting on sofas lining the exterior of the […]

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I discovered Jannah Burj Al Sarab online, a property advertising itself as a 5-star hotel for the price of $39/night plus taxes (total price was $45/night). Always a sucker for deals, I immediately booked. After staying a night here I can say this was one of the better hotel deals I’ve gotten anywhere on my travels. Taxis and various beautiful cars were lined up waiting on the driveway next to the lobby (always a good sign of luxury), the room was large, check-in very smooth, the internet exceptionally fast (a […]

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Despite my visit in early June, the temperatures were already sweltering during the day hovering around 39 degrees. Not one for sitting around inside or using taxis, I spent most of my several days here wandering the city on foot, trying to stay hydrated. I have yet to meet any international tourists and I’m ok with that. The markets are chaotic and on the weekends (Friday and Saturday’s) are particular busy. Everyone seems to have their own niche product and sometimes these items are as esoteric has hundreds of computer […]

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The temperatures have been warm during my stay in Dammam, ranging from 108 to 112 degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest parts of the day. I’ve been wandering around the city on foot for the past several days. My experience in extreme heat in the past has paid off, alternating between consuming copious quantities of water alternating between fruity and other sweet drinks. To compound things, several days offered up a stiff breeze (and that’s putting it mildly), further increasing the chance of dehydration. This is clearly not a pedestrian friendly […]

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I had booked my flight from Erbil (or so I thought) a few weeks ago. When it came time to sadly leave Iraq, I departed my guesthouse in Erbil and arrived at the airport. The first security check involved lines of cars stacked up as three cars in each lane were checked by guards at one time. Passengers opened all of their doors and trunks, dogs were involved, sniffing the tires and inside of each car and each person in each vehicle was subjected to a pat down. The drop […]

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I left for the Tbilisi International Airport in the country of Georgia at 10pm. I arrived at my final destination, Shiraz, Iran some 20 hours later – the next day. If you look on the map this is about a 3 to 3.5 hour flight. As it were, the airport in Tbilisi is under construction; a new runway is being built so all day flights have been moved to the night. I spent all night in the beautiful fairly new Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan – nestled as […]

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This was part of an epic mid summer trek from Dana Biosphere Reserve to Petra – via Little Petra. RUNNING OUT OF WATER In temperatures approaching 40 degrees (104 degrees Fahrenheit) – perhaps higher in the shadeless rock strewn environment, we started day one of our trek under the searing heat of the mid day sun (to be sure, not the wisest move). After an hour of our estimated 6-hour trek I had already consumed 1/2 of my water allotment. Extreme conditions called for extreme measures. I realized we must […]

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… the smell of citrus blossoms – the fragrance that follows you as you pass numerous orange trees planted as urban vegetation on city streets. It is the smell of running water on hot sidewalks as a young man washes his motorcycle. And the mulberries – I am reminded they are among my favorite fruits – yet I rarely get to gorge in this capacity. They are beginning to ripen, their sweetness runs all over one’s fingers – their flavor only leaves me craving more. I find black ones, white […]

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We spent several days here exploring as there is something significant to see around seemingly every step; today was entirely spent in the confines of the walled old city. Tensions felt high at times as there were some recent isolated incidents of violence – enough to plummet tourism 70% in the last few weeks according to one shop owner we talked with. As a corollary to this, lines that would normally form around major attractions were completely non existent. Plenty of fully armed (probably military) guards walked around patrolling the […]

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After a packed 10 days in Qatar and Bahrain I flew over to Israel to meet my brother who was flying in from Italy where he lives. I was initially concerned about coming from Arabic countries straight away to Israel and also receiving an Israeli stamp. In actuality Israel no longer seems to stamp passports, rather they give you a printed ID card which they check when you leave the country. After 10 minutes of solid grilling with random questions, a supervisor was called over and I was given the […]

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With no causeway over the open sea yet built between Bahrain and Qatar – the most convenient way between each country is via plane. It is a very short flight – something like 130km with maybe 30 minutes in air. My flight was empty – the few people on this Qatar Airways flight each had their own row as well as several rows of extra empty space around them. We were given little candies upon takeoff. Doha Airport is large, modern, gleaming and very clean. As you exit the International […]

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In doing some research prior to my travel to Bahrain I stumbled upon a website advertising private tours. I emailed the owner, Hanan (she no longer offers tours) but she kindly agreed to meetup after work. This was a real insiders tour from someone who grew up in Bahrain and knows the island extremely well. Her diversity of interests, local knowledge and passion for both travel and for Bahrain were clearly evident. We immediately drove to some of the villages surrounding Manama and I was introduced to ‘Loz’ a Bahraini […]

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Looking to capitalize on some unseasonably December weather in Bahrain I decided to make a day trip from Manama to the tiny Dar Islands, just off the coast of an industrial section of the country called Sitra. You come to these islands for relaxing and to enjoy the water – taking breaks from the searingly intense summer heat. A variety of activities are offered – including diving for pearls, kayaking and snorkeling. And there is a special type of “party” boat for rent. The main “boat” is in the shape […]

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Today I headed out to explore the island with my driver Babu. Babu, like many expats who have come to Bahrain is from India – and came here to take part in the construction boom a number of years ago. He worked his way to supervisor – the boom ended and now works with the hotel I am staying at to drive people around the island. He asked me how difficult it was to get a visa to the USA. I had to tell him for a single man like […]

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