Jordan - Aqaba Aqaba (Arabic: العقبة‎, Al-ʻAqabah) is a coastal town in the far south of Jordan. The town is best known today as a scuba diving/ snorkeling and beach resort. Aqaba has been an inhabited settlement since 4000 BC profiting from its strategic location at the junction of trading routes between Asia, Africa, and Europe. "We have taken Aqaba!" (you wouldn't get it if you've never seen 'Lawrence of Arabia'): During World War I, the occupying Ottoman forces were forced to withdraw from the town after a raid led by T.E. Lawrence and the Arab forces of Sharif Hussein in [View Full Entry]

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Beautiful Beautiful Wadi Rum: Wadi Rum (Arabic: وادي رم) is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southwest Jordan. It is the largest wadi in Jordan. This was my trip favorite. Possibly the most single beautiful location i've been to. Peaceful and untouched by the modern world (unlike Petra which was too touristy and commercialized in my opinion). If you like a vacation with adventure, where everything is not spoonfed to you, then i highly recommend over-nighting in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum. Before I go on about thoughts on Wadi Rum, let me preface it with [View Full Entry]

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On the road to Petra Petra is an archaeological site in Jordan. It is renowned for its rock-cut architecture. The approach through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or Siq) a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khazneh), whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun. Make sure to visit the Khazneh in the morning around 9am (the way the morning sun hits the building is marvelous). The [View Full Entry]

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We enjoyed a Dune Bashing trip near the Sealine along with a dessert style overnite camping right on the ocean. Much of Qatar's oil and natural gas wealth is visible in Doha, which is the economical centre of Qatar. Doha is home to the headquarters of the country's largest oil and gas companies. Like the nearby city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Doha's economy is moving away from its dependency on the oil and natural gas industries, although unlike Dubai, Doha's main focus is not tourism. Construction is also booming in Doha, a result of increasing corporate and commercial [View Full Entry]

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Dubai. I know everyone has seen pictures of the famous skyscrapers of Dubai. So i won't put you through them...instead here are a few shots from our dhow cruise we took over Dubai creek at night. (relative Neeraj, in background in one of them). [View Full Entry]

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Nizwa - the interior city. Nizwa (Arabic: نزوى‎) is the largest city in the Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Oman proper. Nizwa is about 140 km (1.5 hours) from Muscat. The population is estimated at around 70,000 people. Set amid a verdant spread of date palms, it is strategically located at the crossroads of routes linking the interior with Muscat. Nizwa is a center for date growing. Dates from Nizwa (including Khalas and are known to be the best dates in the world). The main tourist attractions in the city are Nizwa Fort and the traditional [View Full Entry]

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Oman is the land of Forts. Many forts adorn the whole country. We visited a handful ourselves. My favorite: Nakhl Fort. Built into the side of the mountain...the building's elevation rises and falls with the topography of the mountain. Great design skill. [View Full Entry]

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Wadi Shab 'Wadi' means 'dry river bed' (Wadi Shab is actually a wet river bed, a beautiful emerald green oasis in the desert). Wadi Shab is wadi in Oman and located between the capital Muscat and the town Sur, Oman. It has at least seven pools of emerald green water and is studded with boulders. One of the pools is in a cave where light streams in dramatically from above and there are fantastic echoes heard when one swims in it. Eventhough all guidebooks say you need a 4WD to get there...you can easily reach it in a regular car...thanks to [View Full Entry]

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Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque The Mosque is built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone. The total capacity of the mosque (interior and courtyard) is up to 20,000 worshippers. What to do with too much money? You hire indentured (modern-day slave) labor from India and flaunt the wealth by building a monument to God....ahem. And the monument happens to have a couple of record breakers (Largest Handwoven carpet and Largest chandelier in the world): The world's largest hand-woven carpet: A major feature of the design of the interior is the prayer carpet which covers the floor of the prayer hall. It contains, [View Full Entry]

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Leaving on 4pm flight to Dubai. Key Perth Green is excited! Can't you see the grin on his face?? Countries being visited this time around: UAE, Qatar, Oman, Jordan. Pics will be uploaded daily - starring my trusty ol' pal: Key Perth Green. Countries coming up later this year: Japan (Mt.Fuji), Tanzania (Mt. Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Zanzibar), Zambia, Madagascar, Thailand (Phuket -scuba diving) [View Full Entry]

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