I’m not ready to declare Syria war free, but the south especially Damascus is quite safe now and with news of other travelers getting visas and some of the most exclusive visits to the war torn country of Syria had me fascinated. I was able to get over there in December before the news of…
I recently got back from traveling across Central Asia. Some things have changed and some things haven’t. The road is now mostly paved roads, but you will still find sheep herders, and wandering camels in some places. When I shared with my friends I was going to Central Asia and even mentioned some of the…
Everyone I know who have ever visited Iraq were there for military reasons. When I told a local in Iraq I was a tourist, they said… “Tourist?” What’s that? Tourism is really a foreign word, but no longer. The Kurdistan region of Iraq is open. Visa restrictions in Iraqi Kurdistan aren’t bad for many western…
As a traveler one of the thing that really stands out in digging in to understand a people is how much of culture is influenced by faith and religion. In Europe you must visit the cathedrals because it was the center of the universe for the people. In Istanbul you must visit the Blue Mosque…
Bahrain is your oyster. You’ll likely start your travels of Bahrain in the capital of Manama. Manama means “Sleeping Place” and while it may seem quaint, there is some fascinating places to see and visit. Bahrain has changed a lot in the last decade, and is poised to change even more in the decade…
With all this talk about air raids in Palestine and rockets in Israel makes you think it must be pure chaos. It’s far from the truth. The people I’ve met are use to the rockets coming from Gaza into southern Israel and haven’t been really concerned until as of late, but the latest special rockets…
The Treasury in Petra, Jordan When I left Microsoft in 2008, I was planning a major trip. It was my first trip to the middle east, I was to speak in Dubai and Istanbul. I reached out to my technical blog audience at the time and asked the question… Where should I go… Petra, Jerusalem,…
I’ve been skiing, snowboarding, and tubing in Dubai. It’s a surreal experience. I do recommend it. The novelty factor is very high given the extreme hot temperatures in desert sandy HOT HOT conditions that Dubai and the UAE is known for. A quick tour of the Ski Hill in the Mall in Dubai I’ve…
It was on a trip to Dubai where I was planning a trip to Tehran, and I found an 8 hour layover in Qatar. I had heard very little of this little Pearl in the Persian Gulf. Qatar Airways had all sorts of cool destinations and for a decent price I was able to fly…
