New York May 11, 2024 The last time I was in Sub-Saharan Africa was 2016 and had promised myself I’d be back. But other parts of the globe beckoned, and little did I know it would take me this long to return. The plan is to cut a huge semi-circle starting BOTSWANA , on through NAMIBIA, … More Off to Africa
Hejaz Mountains, Oman Jan 16, 2024 Like the other Gulf countries, Oman too lacks public transport for the most part. So I decided to rent a car for a couple of days and explore the mountains near Nizwa. In particular I wanted to wander among the villages – some abandoned, some where old buildings mingle … More Wandering in Mountain Villages
Falaj Daris, Oman Jan 14, 2024 No life could have survived in the vast stretches of desert of the Saudi Arabian Peninsula and neighboring countries were it not for life-giving water. Villages sprang up where there were oases. But there were also ingenious ways if transporting water from mountains and springs to irrigate lands. In … More Source of Life in the Desert
Nizwa, Oman Jan 12, 2024 It was still dark with a slight nip in the air when I walked down to the big parking lot in front of the souq. It had transformed itself into a depot of animals with plenty more arriving every minute. Sheep, goats, calves and cows baaed, bleated and mooed from … More Sell a Goat, Buy a Sheep, Check a Camel
Bahla Fort, Oman Jan 10, 2024 Imagine it is sometime between 12th -15th century CE. A camel caravan trudges through the desert from Dhokar, in the far south. It is Dhokar that is the source of treasures like myrrh, frankincense and even gold. It is from there that the biblical kings brought their gifts to … More Guarding the Frankincense Trade
Jabreen Castle, Ad Dakhiliyah, Oman Jan 8, 2024 Built 1675 CE by Imam Bil’arab bin Sultan of the Yaruba dynasty of Oman, Jabreen Castle is not that old, but it is quaintly quirky. Sitting squarely in the middle of a desert, the four storeyed castle has a bird’s eyeview over the plain onto the distant … More Castle in the Desert
Muscat to Wadi Shab, Oman Jan 7, 2024 The hostel in Muscat made it easy to find others to share a car and organize road trips. My partners-in-crime were Sofia from Sweden, Cherise from Canada and Zac from Singapore. All were game for anything and our plan was loose at best. We were going to … More Road Trip Down the Coast
Muscat, Oman Jan 5, 2024 Spread out along the coast of the Gulf of Oman, Muscat is a lovely mix of old forts and palaces and sleek new buildings. It is where cruise ships share the indigo blue waters with traditional dhows. And brown craggy hills form a backdrop for low-rise white-washed buildings. A giant … More On the Gulf of Oman
Hail, Saudi Arabia Dec 31, 202 A confirmed streetfoodaholic, I usually don’t get to too many restaurants when I travel. But someone in Jeddah had recommended a restaurant in Hail that was part museum and part restaurant. Part museum? Of course I had to see it! Robert and Bruni, the couple who had given me … More Dining Arabian Style
Al Turaif Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Jan 1, 2023 Begun in the 15th century, the mudbrick collection of buildings in the district of Diraiyah became the capital of the Arab state in mid-18th century. Hardly ancient by any standards, the large complex has the quaint charm of the labyrinthine towns much older than it. Narrow lanes … More Where Saudi Arabia Began
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 