Category Archives for "Middle East"

Sharjah. It may only be 20 minutes from Dubai but it’s an Emirate with a character of its own. Traditional souks, mosques and rising ,sweeping, scarlet desert dunes, of course.

But also: world-class art installations, archaeological remains and a bid for a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the works.

Swirling desert sands, raspberry ripple rock, ancient ruins, a thriving capital and some fantastic food. Welcome to Jordan.

Let’s face it, the Dead Sea has a depressing name. It also fizzes the synapses by sounding too much like Red Sea.
Red Sea, Dead Sea. Red Sea. Dead Sea.

Usually, I manage to find something beautiful, something that moves me wherever I go. But last night, in Petra, that didn’t happen.

Sparks hissed from the fire where we clustered beneath the stars. The group fell silent, waiting for Hussein to finish his story. He sat cross-legged, wearing the traditional thawb and keffiyeh, his deep eyes lined with kohl.

“My darling,” he said, fixing his eyes on the girl in front of him. “Forget the astronomer. Come with me. I’ll show you the stars in the day.”

Dawn in the Desert at the Al Wadi Across the sand, something is moving. Slowly. Stuttering. But real. An oryx, I think, white flanks caked in dust, horns piercing the air. It’s almost as though she’s following the sun, appearing with its quiet, dawn-like shift across the dunes. It’s early, but as a new mum, […]

My work with the airline Royal Brunei highlighted an unusual travel destination to explore: the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the U.A.E. This Ritz Carlton Al Hamra review forms part of a project produced in partnership with Royal Brunei, RAKTDA and Ritz Carlton. As ever, as always, I kept the right to write what […]

What is it like to go dune bashing? Through one window, the horizon tilts back and forth in shades of golden rose. Through the other, red dust blocks all that can be seen. And through the windscreen there is almost nothing at all. My work with the airline Royal Brunei highlighted an unusual travel destination […]

My work with the airline Royal Brunei highlighted an unusual travel destination to explore: the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the U.A.E. This article forms part of a project produced in partnership with Royal Brunei, RAKTDA and Ritz Carlton. As ever, as always, I kept the right to write what I like. Now let’s […]

With heat so hot it pressed like a physical weight all around me, I stepped into the cool of the bright white, fight white Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, neighbour to Saudi, capital of Oman. White to reflect the heat, white to fight the heat, white, bright, dazzling white, sunbeam white in a disorienting […]

It is, as the ads say, like floating on air. Our hired jeep trembles slightly before falling, falling, softly over the edge into the cushioned sunset sands.

No roads, no traffic, no parking problems.

This is driving in Oman.

Things to do in Amman Jordan Oldest City on earth Things to do in Amman: Unmissable Sights and Flavours in the Oldest City in the WorldScroll on down for a handy list of things to do in Amman, Jordan in bite-size form. But first, a short story about the city… The Things We Remember the Most Everywhere has […]

Madaba in Jordan doesn’t make it onto everyone’s itinerary. But with one of the oldest maps in the world and one in production that aims to bring peace to the region, it’s an incredible place to start talking about the truth about travel to Jordan. Madaba in Jordan “People want to talk to me a […]

Whatever else Dubai is known for, it isn’t for its quiet spots and it isn’t for its minimalism. On my

Traditional Jordanian food may not be the most famous in the world but it’s definitely something I look forward to every time I travel to Jordan. It’s built to share, making mealtimes a wonderfully social experience, full of flavour and stories fit to hear beneath starlight. Here’s some Jordanian food to look out for, plus some recipes to try at home that I picked up at the amazingly entertaining Beit Sitti cooking lessons in Amman. Bon appetit!

Dust rose from the ground as the horse thundered past and the sun began its ablutions. It painted pinks and pomegranates, amber, pistachio, charcoal and soft apricot rust across the walls of Petra before calling it a day and turning in for an early night…