Guest blog By Megan Claire – her Blog is Where in the World is Megan Claire?

 

While I now travel with my husband, I have spent the last 7 years travelling alone, and as a woman I am a huge advocate for travelling solo.  I was never willing to forgo a trip just because friends didn’t want to come along, and the experiences I gained from travelling solo have done wonders for my confidence and really shaped who I am today.  Not only does travelling alone completely push you out of your comfort zone, it forces you to interact with those who you wouldn’t normally interact with.   You’re free to wander at your own will, and don’t have to compromise your bucket list or itinerary to suit the needs of others!

While travelling alone as a single woman may have been a strange concept in the past, today it is very normal and quite common – everybody’s doing it!  I have honestly never really found myself in a position where my gender made it harder or more inconvenient for me to travel; however challenges do still exist in some countries despite the world generally being more open to women who choose to travel alone.  One such country is the The United Arab Emirates. Read more

Visitors to the Middle East often wander through spice markets with curious noses and dawdle their way through meals wondering, “What is that flavour?” Food in Dubai is reminiscent of the flavours and aromas of the spice market.

When searching out a good restaurant to sample some of the dishes and flavours mentioned here, find Dubai hotels or restaurants that are well reviewed and ask for the waiters’ recommendations. Read on for a description of some of the spices commonly used in Emirati cuisine and some of the favourite dishes of Dubai cooks. Read more

Guest post

Dubai is known for excess and extravagance.  Sitting on the Persian Gulf Coast of the United Arab Emirates it is a city built on the wealth of the oil trade, now finding it’s economic future in tourism, real estate and financial services.  The tourist industry in Dubai is largely based on the phenomenal shopping malls and beautiful hotels with every add on imaginable.  Read more

Rensina Van Den Heuvel organises tours in Morocco, Queensland and Mongolia – here she writes about a day in Marrakech

Mohammed came to pick me up in the Touristique van at 10.30am on the dot and the music that was wafting loudly from his stereo was very calming. The type of music which can make you relax and feel at ease. Thank goodness for that because Mohammed has a lead foot and he drove the three Germans and I, at breakneck speed, through thick traffic into the Souk in the centre of Marrakech. Read more

A guest post by Sarah Fox   Growing up in South Africa, Uganda was one country I had always been eager to explore and getting the chance to do was a dream come true. Read more

Gaz 66 Takes us Over the Atlas Mountains

The weather being cold and wet, got us moving to get over the Atlas Mountains in Morocco as soon as possible. We were looking for sunshine but could not forego an opportunity to visit the ‘blue’ mountain village of Chefchaouen along the way. We stayed in the campground high up above the village and I wandered the 600m down a zillion stairs to look for a hotel for next year’s tour. I found a lovely place right in the town with views looking down over the mountains.

More on Rensina’s Tour to Morocco 6-30 May 2014 Read more

 

Harem Retreat

 

Harem is a luxurious getaway for women longing to reinvigorate the body, mind and soul. Our guests are invited to escape into an oriental paradise where they leave behind the stresses of the world and let themselves be pampered with massages, facials, footbaths, hammams, body masks, yoga, meditation and deliciously healthy meals. The concept of a harem, which in Arabic means forbidden, or kept safe, has been turned on its head to create a unique experience that is both fun and fulfilling.

 

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Guest Post by J. Suzanne Frank

Islamic countries are sometimes challenging for Western women to visit because the expectations for dress and behavior are so different. But with a bit of mental adjustment you can enjoy places and experiences that our fellow men just can’t imagine!

This is a realization that my hero in newest book, Laws of Migration, comes to after a series of challenges.  Laws of Migration on Kindle

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Guest post by Shelby McDaniel

In 2011, the New7Wonders Foundation announced a list of seven sites around the world that would be named the new seven natural wonders. The list included sites such as the Amazon Rainforest, the Puerto Princesa River in the Philippines and Table Mountain in South Africa.

One of the most distinctive features of the South African landscape, the flat-topped Table Mountain towers above Cape Town. Visitors from all over the world flock to Cape Town and the mountain, which offers some of the most stunning views in all of Africa. Read more

Julie Paterson lives and travels all over the world and has a passion for Northern Africa – she presently lives in Egypt. Julie organises trips for women in the area and around the world through her company Venus Adventures 

The motto for Venus Adventures ?  “Life is uncertain – eat cake!”

Pull up a seat, I’d like to have a chat with you about risk, travel and common sense

Yesterday I was sitting with my Dutch friend Jose commiserating the lack of tourists in the Sinai, Egypt. We both live here at the moment, in this sleepy, peaceful Red Sea beachside town, inhabited by ex-pats and the local Bedouin tribe. Since the revolution in Egypt, ongoing unrest and some kidnappings in the past couple of years here in the Sinai desert, tourists have been warned to stay away. Even though you couldn’t be in a safer place. We need to get this in perspective. Read more