travel curator/connoisseur of life
Cairo is big. The largest city in the middle east. 10 – 20 million people depending on who you ask. Yet most tourists only stay here 2 days. 3 days tops. Huge mistake. Cairo is like an onion. Once you get past the pyramids and the garbage there are layers and layers of places to…
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“Hi, kifak, ca va?” One phrase says it all. English, Arabic and French. Hi! How are you? Fine!…. the quintessential Beirut expression. The perfect symbol of this multi-cultural city. The Paris of the Middle East has had some pretty major downs over the past 40 years. But Beirut is back! And should feature high on…
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Crazy, wild wonderful Beirut. This glamorous city has it all. Dance all night, smoke shisha with someones grandmother; shop in the chic-est of boutiques. Current and ancient history collide on every corner, sculptures of modern poets and politicians vie for your attention with antique ruins. Insane drivers and fearless pedestrians lay claim to the rule-shy…
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There are moments in life when you just get lucky. The universe offers an unexpected wonderful gift. Today was one such day for me. By some unlikely stroke of good fortune, Jack and I had Abu Simbel to ourselves for 90 minutes. These two temples, created in 1264-44 BC during the reign of super Pharaoh…
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Hop in a ragtop, turn up the music and party like its 1959. Havana is the place to be. Classic candy-coloured cars still ply the streets but the awful restaurants and dodgy hotels of old are rapidly being replaced. The city’s slow decay since the Cuban Revolution is finally changing. Buildings are being renovated, chefs…
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Ah VENICE! Beyond crowded in summer, damp and foggy in winter, yet somehow always totally enchanting. A city packed with art, history, culture and the most incredible amount of tourist tat. Truman Capote said “Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go”. Divine, indulgent, decadent; must be done at least…
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