Wellness in a place of camel thorns

When one thinks of Africa, imagery of sun-burnt plains, gritty safaris and big cats often feature prominently in our minds. So when I heard the words ‘wellness’, ‘spa’ and ‘Namibia’ in the same sentence, I was intrigued to find out more.

Dad’s army of the sea to tackle piracy

They have been dubbed the Dad’s army of the sea, but this old rust bucket is being repurposed as a modern day Letter of Marque – the first in more than two decades.

My one and only happy place

Dripping with sweat and on the verge of hallucinating I sit and squirm on a heat conducting marble slab in the Oriental Hammam inside Dubai’s One&Only Royal Mirage resort. Underneath me is the heat source for the steam room and I shift uncomfortably while wondering when I’ll begin to fry through my rather fetching paper y-fronts.

Unwind at the Ritz Carlton, Sharm el Sheikh

Like so many of the Arab nations, Egypt’s tourism sector has been hit hard. Gone are many of the tourists who swoop to Cairo to take in the pyramids. And, even Sharm el Sheikh, the popular dive and snorkel resort on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, known for being a safe haven, is now suffering. With weekly protests over President Mohammed Morsi’s sweeping legislative changes removing a check and balance system, Britain’s foreign office has issued warnings to tourists.

Spicy delights in Sharm el Sheikh

“What’s the best seafood restaurant in town?” I ask a trusted friend and British expat who moved to Sharm el Sheikh five years ago. Without pausing, she answers “Fares. The one in the old market is busier, but the one in El Mercato is slightly better – either way, it’s the best.”

Abu Dhabi’s town in heaven

Dusit International, one of Asia’s leading hotel brands is set to open its first luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi early next year.

Go ‘glamping’ in Kenya

Kenya is one of few places where Mother Nature still reigns over all. For me, it’s the wildlife – those wondrous beasts we gawk at with equal amounts of fear and admiration – that makes a visit to Kenya truly worthwhile.

Lunch with a prince in Morocco

Let’s just say you have decided to go to Morocco. Drop what you are doing and get in touch with Prior Arrangement. The company run by Carol Prior specialises in travel, holidays and vacations to Morocco.   They can organise any pursuit from Mountain trekking, golf, cookery, bird watching, fishing to lying on a beach. [...]

Breeze into the 21st century

Nowadays the wind is used to power Bahrain’s megaskyscrapers, like the mighty turbines between the gleaming sails of the 290m World Trade Centre.

But for thousands of years wind towers were an ancient architectural technique used in Bahrain to cool buildings. They’re now coming back into fashion, and it’s less about substance, and more about style.

Suite life at Bahrain’s Seef

I’m staying in a one bedroom and it really does feel like the kind of place I’d like to live in. I’m spoiled for choice about a work location – there’s the desk in the living room, or the fantastic L-shaped couch (my preference). The decor is modern and stylish, with lots dimmable lights and not a single drop in the broadband line.