Our travel in 2014 2014 was the year that we went from casual travel users to wild-eyed travel addicts. And, following in the footsteps of the late Amy Winehouse we won't go to rehab. We say "no, no, no" (but we do hope for a happier outcome). So, without further reference to dead rock stars here's our 2014 travel year in review: Doha What we liked: The … [Read more...]
The odd beauty (and odd guide) of Khor Al-Adaid
When Qatar Airways graciously gave us two business class tickets to the Maldives we chose to spend a few days in Doha to break up our trip and experience somewhere new. But as Brunette, the trusted researcher, began to look for activities in Doha she found little that sounded intriguing beyond the Museum of Islamic Art. Our attention span for museums is similar to a 6 year old … [Read more...]
Do you care about a resort’s character?
What's a resort's character and who are we to judge it? Neither is entirely clear to us but we'll take a crack at the first part of that question. Earlier this year we were in Abu Dhabi and then in the Maldives. When planning our trip we were thrilled to discover that between us we had enough Starwood points to stay at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort for … [Read more...]
Africa has “The Big Five” and Arabian Bedouin culture has “The Big Four.”
If you've ever gone on a safari in Africa your guide has probably gone to great lengths to make sure you see "The Big Five". They are a lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo. Somehow that phrase took off years ago and has caused many a giraffe, zebra and hippo to suffer from self-esteem issues. Some say The Big Five refers to the animals people used to … [Read more...]
Qatar Airways Business Class: Living The Life We (think) We Deserve!
The day we learned we were the very fortunate recipients of two business class tickets to any destination served by Qatar Airways was a very happy day. A happier day than when Blonde got married (admittedly an easy one to top. Changing the cat litter tops that day.). And way happier than when Brunette occasionally remembers she's still married. We'd always dreamt of going to … [Read more...]
Two western women, four days, Abu Dhabi
Our 4 days as Western female tourists in Abu Dhabi were actually spread over 2 years. The first time we did what we rarely do - a group tour. We signed up with Gate 1 for a trip to Dubai. So it was with Gate 1 that we went to the Grand Mosque We did a write-up on it that you can read here. The mosque was one of the most beautiful buildings we have ever seen and it … [Read more...]
Cloaked in mystery: Women’s clothing in Muslim countries
Both before and after our visits to Muslim countries (6 and counting) the question we are asked the most frequently at home is "Did you have to wear one of those things?". Some people mean were we covered head to foot in burqas and others just wonder if we had to cover our hair. When we say "no" we are met with varying degrees of disbelief. So with massive disclaimers … [Read more...]
Stopover in Doha, Qatar
Six months ago Brunette was the thrilled and lucky winner of 2 Business Class tickets on Qatar Airways. Our plotting commenced immediately. We were in a dither of excitement about traveling in our own little people pods with flat beds, entertainment centers and good food and wine. But where would we go? With Qatar Airway's home being Doha we decided to go there and see it … [Read more...]
Ruffle your feathers at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital
When Blonde and Brunette began planning our trip to Abu Dhabi Brunette noted the Abu Dhai Falcon Hospital is the #2 rated attraction on Trip Advisor. We contacted the hospital and swooned with gratitude and delight that they gave us a tour and we got to meet privately with Dr. Muller. She is world-famous for her work with falcons, has won lots and lots of awards, is … [Read more...]
We are off to collect more beautiful ceilings!
As Blonde and Brunette prepare to embark on our next adventure we hope to bring back memories of food, nature, architecture, horrifyingly inappropriate giggling fits, high falutin' hotels, nervousness navigating customs out of our comfort zones and fabulous ceilings. Ceilings? Blonde is a sleeper who would sweep the gold medals if the Olympics included sleeping as a sport. In … [Read more...]