We woke up nice and early to head out to the last big adventure and the one I was most looking forward to: Sossusvlei! We had a good breakfast on the terrace overlooking the desert with the owners feeding the local squirrels and birds and other such lucky wildlife. Our guides got us in the car to leave by 6:30 and we were off. A 45-minute drive to Sossusvlei. Along the way, of course, we saw some animals, such as a family of springbok before we entered the park. Sossusvlei Once we entered, we saw a bunch of oryx and even kudu hanging out in the dunes. We continued our drive to the literal end of the road where there was a picnic area set up. Here was our last chance to use the toilets and ... read more

After leaving Palmwag, we continued our journey. We saw a couple of mama and baby giraffes early on, but after that, the roadside wildlife was non-existent until much later in the day. The new car had more trouble as the battery then died too! very exciting for their driver, but we fixed it and moved on. We arrived at the Skeleton Coast National Park pretty much on time, used the facilities, and took some photos at the entrance. We saw a few other tourists hanging around too. Our first stop inside was a short hike up a small hill to see Namibia's national plant: Welwitschia mirabilis. Generally the plant can be 1,000 to 2,000 years old and only has two leaves. There are male and female plants. It is considered a "living fossil". We also saw ... read more

We left Melissa's guesthouse after a good breakfast. My travel mates and I were in Shapa's car today, whose name basically means that he was a 'vaccine marker' - essentially, he branded their cattle. He had another name, that I cannot spell, which means "what kind of weapon" which dates back to the German occupation and how their fighters had to use weapons that were non-traditional but available. When he first started out as a guide, he faced a lot of discrimination, including from other guides, for wearing his traditional dress. Little did many realize that he speaks English, Afrikaans, as well as his native Herero language. Along the way, we were passing the western border of Etosha National Park, though not going in for a visit. Etosha is approximately 22,000 square kilometers and it's name ... read more

The weather has finally started to turn nice, so that means lots of outdoor activities. Lately, that means hiking. Usually, I'm not a huge fan - it's just not my thing - but it has been nice to see all these different areas of the UAE from this perspective. It is so quiet and peaceful, with a little bit of history thrown in. Not to mention, it is pretty much automatically social distanced, especially since we tend to take the less popular hikes. And yes, we have mountains here in the UAE. A pretty large Hajar Mountain range actually, highest point being around 6,000 ft. So, here are three of my most recent hikes and a camping trip. Wadi Shawka I was asked if I wanted to go for a hike on a Friday, Joevet set ... read more

I have not left the country since January; actually, I have not even left the city of Dubai since mid-March except for once to go to a store. I was getting antsy, depressed and angry at work. Initially, I planned a trip to Greece for two weeks, but it just seemed like the hassle of getting there would be more than it was worth and Covid cases were on the rise there. Instead, I thought I would get a luxury hotel on the Palm and my friend mentioned that maybe I should take a roadtrip. It helped that local hotels were also giving discounts to UAE residents. And thus the idea of my Luxury Roadtrip was born! Ras al Khaimah - Ritz Carlton Al Wadi This is one of the more luxurious and expensive resorts in ... read more